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DISCOURSE 
 
 THE PROPER SUBJECTS 
 
 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 - BY SAMUEL ARNOLD, 
 
 Author of two Discourses on the Mode of Baptism. 
 
 Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the 
 truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Rom. xv. 8. 
 
 Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith. Rom. iv. 11. 
 
 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, jmd rejoice 
 in Christ Jesus, and have n«Xontidence in the flesh. Philip, iii. 3. 
 
 V^ OF THE ^ 
 
 ( mnvERSiT Y; 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY PEIRCE AND WILLIAMS, 
 
 No. 20, Market street. 
 *^ 
 
 1829. 
 
^1 
 
 DISTRICT OP MASSACHUSETTS, tO Wit : 
 
 DISTRICT clerk's OFFICE. 
 
 Be it remembered, that on the fourteenth day of May, A. D. 1829. in 
 the fifty-third year of the Independence of the United States of America, 
 Peirce & Williams, of the said district, have deposited in this office the 
 title of a book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words 
 following, to vyit : 
 
 " A Discourse on the Proper Subjects of Christian Baptism. By Samuel 
 Arnold, author of two discourses on the mode of Baptism. 
 
 ^' Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the 
 truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Rom. xv. 8. 
 
 *' Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith. Rom. iv. 11. 
 
 '' For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice 
 in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. jPhilip. iii. 3." 
 
 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled 
 " An Act for the encouragement of Teaming, by securing the copies of 
 maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, 
 durmg the times therein mentioned 5" and also to an Act entitled " An Act 
 supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of learn- 
 ing, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and 
 proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned 5 and extend- 
 ing the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching, 
 historical and other prints.'' 
 
 JNO. W. DAVIS, ^«'^X.^.^'' 
 
Having heard a discourse of the Rev. Samuel Arnold on the 
 proper subjects of Christian Baptism, we regard it as scriptural, 
 and well adapted to promote the salvation of both parents and 
 children, and wish it may have an extensive circulation in the 
 community. 
 
 LYMAN BEECHER. 
 
 WARREN FAY. 
 
 JUSTIN EDWARDS. 
 
 B. B. WISNER. 
 
 SAMUEL GREEN. 
 Boston, October 20, 1828. 
 
 The Deerfield Association, having heard the above mention- 
 ed Discourse, regard it as a valuable treatise, and cordially join in 
 recommending it to the patronage of the churches, and to parents 
 generally. 
 
 FRANCIS NORWOOD, Moderator. 
 JOHN M. PUTNAM, Scriie. 
 Loudon, January 14, 1829. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2008 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/discourseonpropeOOarnorich 
 
■NIVEESITY 
 
 DISCOURSE. 
 
 MATTHEW xxviii. 19. 
 
 GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN 
 THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY 
 GHOST. 
 
 These are the words of Christ to his apostles. He 
 now gives them a special commission — a commission to 
 enlarge his fold, and mark his flock — to increase the 
 number of his disciples, and to apply the mark of disci- 
 pleship — to put the token of the covenant upon those who 
 are in covenant with God — to proselyte all nations to his 
 religion, and baptize the proselytes. He commissions 
 them to go forth as missionaries of the cross, to teach, 
 and baptize all nations. 
 
 The word, here rendered teach, is different from the 
 one rendered teachings in the next verse, and means to 
 proselyte* to disciple. 
 
 Go ye therefore diud proselyte, disciple, all nations, bap- 
 tizing them. Baptism is the token or seal of God's cov- 
 enant with his church. The covenant is God's gracious 
 plant which he pursues in blessing and saving men. 
 
 * The Greek word here used is matheteusate ; see it explained by the 
 following commentators. Dr. Doddridffe, " Proselyte all the nations of the 
 earth." Dr. Scott, " Make disciples of all nations." Smith, " Proselyte, 
 disciple." 
 
 t By covenant, in a scriptural sense, and as I use it in this discourse, I 
 understand, God's established constitution, plan, or promise. He q . 
 promised Noah^, that there should not be another flood to destroy g ' 
 the earth. This promise is called God's covenant, and is said to ^ •• .y 
 be between him and every living creature. He also promised to ^^* 
 be a God to Abraham and his seed. This promise is also called God's cov- 
 enant, and surely, it may refer to in/ants as well as the one established with 
 Noah, which referred to every living creature. And the idea of a mutual 
 compact, is not implied in one case, more than in the other, except as obliga- 
 tion is Concerned. We see that God can and does make his covenant or 
 promise so as to include those who at the time are not capable of being a 
 party in the transaction, or of having any agency in it. Mankind, also, act 
 on the same prmciple, in their temporal concerns. 
 1* 
 
6 
 
 But to whom is the seal, or token of the covenant, to 
 be applied ? Did the Saviour leave his disciples in dark- 
 ness or in doubt on this important subject ? Surely he did 
 not — but he knew well the instruction they needed, and 
 gave them none that was unnecessary. He well knew 
 their advantages for understanding him, when he gave 
 them their commission to baptize. And no thought is 
 suggested, that they were at any loss to know whom to 
 baptize. They were in no doubt, it appears, to whom 
 the token of the covenant belonged, or to whom it should 
 be applied — whether to adults only, or to infants also. 
 And, if there was no room for doubt, it must have been a 
 very plain case. 
 
 It must have been very plain, that all the disciples of 
 Christ — all who gave credible evidence of religion, or 
 were proselyted to his religion, should be baptized. 
 Even so my beloved Baptist brethren will say. In this we 
 are happily united, and can go hand in hand, and heart 
 with heart, as the disciples of Christ always should. But 
 one step farther and we must part a little ; but we will 
 part as brethren, offering no abuse, but loving each other 
 with a pure heart fervently — praying for the peace of Je- 
 rusalem, and preferring it to our chief joy, till the watch- 
 men of Zion shall lift up the voice and sing together, 
 when they ** shall see eye to eye." 
 
 The parting point is this — From my text and the cir- 
 cumstances in which it was spoken, I find occasion to 
 state 
 
 This doctrine, namely — 
 
 It clearly appears, that it must have been very plain to 
 the apostles, and may be very plain to us, that baptism, 
 the token of God's gracious covenant, should be applied to 
 the infants of believing covenanting parents. 
 
 As, this doctrine appears very plain and important to 
 me, it will be my object in this discourse to make it ap- 
 pear so to others. But I will be careful to speak the 
 words of truth and soberness, and to speak them in love — 
 in love to Christ and his cause, and all who love him, and 
 with a tender concern for those who do not. 
 
 If you would see how this appears plain, consider can- 
 didly and prayerfully, the passages of Holy Scripture 
 
quoted and referred to in this discourse. Consider, also, 
 the following arguments. 
 
 1. The text does not exclude infants from baptism. 
 
 " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost." 
 
 To shew that this passage does not exclude infants 
 from baptism by the use of the word teach^ I remark, — 
 
 The form of expression, used in the text, is agreeable 
 to language in scripture use, and common use, which does 
 not exclude infants. 
 
 It is agreeable to the use of scripture language. 
 
 The apostle Paul says ; " This we commanded you, 
 that if any would not work, neither should he 2 Thes. 
 eat." By this passage, the apostle did not in- »»• 10. 
 tend to exclude infants from food. Neither did he mean 
 to exclude the sick, or the aged, or the infirm, from food, 
 and confine the privilege of eating to those who are capa- 
 ble of working. So the text does not exclude infants 
 from baptism, and confine it to those who are capable of 
 being taught. 
 
 Take another passage, — " He that believeth Mark 
 not shall be damned." Does this exclude in- xvi. 16. 
 fants from salvation, and confine it to those who are able 
 to exercise faith ? Can no infants be saved ? This pas- 
 sage, certainly, excludes infants from salvation, as much 
 as the text does from baptism. For infants are as 
 capable of being taught, as they are of exercising that 
 faith which comes by teaching. " Faith cometh Romans 
 by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." x. 17. 
 Persons must hear and be taught before they can believe. 
 What shall we say then to the passage, " He that believeth 
 not shall be damned." Shall we say that it excludes all 
 infants from salvation ? or shall we not rather say, it re- 
 fers to those who are capable of being taught ; 
 and exercising faith, and excludes no others .L"^® 
 from salvation. So the text does not exclude ^ac?s 
 infants from baptism. See other passages also. xvii. 30. 
 
 The form of expression, used in the text, is also agree- 
 able to common use. 
 
 Ministers often preach the Gospel in the house of God, 
 and in private houses, and teach their hearers the way of 
 
8 
 
 salvation. And if there is one, or if there are even ten 
 children present, who are not able to understand the Gos- 
 pel, and learn the way to heaven, by human instruction ; 
 still, they say, that they preached the Gospel to all the 
 assembly, and to all that were in the house — and they 
 speak properly, and others think they do. Such a method 
 of speaking is common, and considered proper. But 
 they do not mean by this, that there were no infants in 
 the assembly. 
 
 We see then that the form of expression used in the 
 text, is scriptural, common, and proper ; even when such 
 a form is not directed against infants, or designed to set 
 them aside. Neither is the text directed against infants, 
 nor designed to set them aside from baptism. But let us, 
 pursue this point a little farther, and look at the order of 
 the words. Some contend that children must be taught^ 
 because the word teacli^ in the text, comes before the 
 word baptizing. And they argue in the same way from 
 the passage, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
 saved." Because the word believeth, here, comes before 
 baptized, therefore, they say, children must believe be- 
 fore they are baptized. But I answer, there are passages 
 in which baptism is spoken of before being born of the 
 Spirit, and having a new heart. This is the case in 
 John iii. 5 ; '* Except a man be born of water and of the 
 Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Ezekiel 
 xxxvi. 25, 26 ; ** Then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
 you, and ye shall be clean — a new heart also will I give 
 you, and a new spirit will I put within you." But these 
 passages do not prove that persons must be baptized be- 
 fore they are born of the Spirit, or before they have a new 
 heart. 
 
 I answer again. The Scriptures do not always men- 
 tion things just in the order in which they are to take 
 place, or in which they have taken place. Moses, in 
 speaking of the children of Israel passing through the sea. 
 Exodus says, '^ The Lord made the sea dry land and 
 xiv. 21. the waters were divided." Here he speaks of 
 the sea being made dry land, before^^he mentions that the 
 waters were divided. 
 
 I answer once more. The practice of infant baptism 
 is perfectly consistent with the passage, *^ He that belie v 
 
eth and is baptized shall be saved." — I will illustrate this 
 point. 
 
 Here is a man who believes in infant baptism. A child 
 is born to him and he has it baptized. The child grows 
 up, and experiences religion — that is, he believes. He is 
 about to be received into the church, and this question is 
 asked, — Is he baptized 1 Yes, is the answer. He be- 
 lieves, then, and is baptized. And no one can prove 
 that this is not agreeable to the text, " He that belie veth 
 and is baptized shall be saved." For the text does not 
 say he that believeth, and is afterwards baptized ; or, he 
 that believeth and shall he baptized. Neither can any 
 one prove, from this passage, that baptism after believing 
 is not agreeable to it ; for it does not say, he that believ- 
 eth and has been baptized j but, He that believeth and is 
 baptized shall be saved. 
 
 The object for which the passage is presented, is this — 
 to shew what qualifies for the kingdom of God — to shew 
 what saves men, namely ; that faith which leads a man 
 to obey — which leads him to submit to the ordinances of 
 God, baptism among the rest. This is the great object of 
 the passage. The stress is laid on believing^ in order to 
 be saved. This is evident from the following words, 
 " He that believeth not shall be damned." 
 
 But here let it be observed particularly, that teaching, and 
 faith, and repentance, must go before baptism, on our prin- 
 ciples, as well as on the principles of our Baptist brethren. 
 
 According to our principles, no adult is to be bap- 
 tized before he has been taught, and given evidence of 
 faith and repentance. No parent has a right to baptism, 
 for himself, or his children, before he believes ; but then, 
 he may be baptized, and all his straightway. We bap- 
 tize no household, till the head of the household has been 
 taught, and given evidence of being a Christian. 
 
 Were we in the circumstances of the apostles, preach- 
 ing the Gospel to those who had never before heard it, 
 we certainly should not baptize them before they had 
 been taught the way of salvation, and given evidence that 
 they had cordially embraced it. But having this evidence, 
 should one say, '* What doth hinder me to be baptized?" 
 we should answer, " If thou believest with all Acts viii. 
 thine heart, thou mayest." And should many, 36, 37. * 
 
10 
 
 in anxiety, ask, what shall we do to be saved, we should 
 not think of giving baptism any earlier place in our an- 
 Acts ii. swer than the Apostle did, ** Repent and be 
 37,38. baptized." To give baptism any earlier place 
 than the Apostle, in the same circumstances, would be 
 contrary to our principles and practice. 
 
 As to the evidence necessary to attend this doctrine, 
 if we had none better than Moses presented in favor of 
 the resurrection, in one verse, it would be our duty to 
 Luke XX. believe it. " Now that the dead are raised, 
 37, 38. even Moses shewed at the bush, when he called 
 the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and 
 the God of Jacob." Here the doctrine of the resurrection 
 is not taught ea:plicitly, but implicitly. It is implied. 
 For the Lord is not a God of the dead, but of the living. 
 But the resurrection is not taught more plainly, in this 
 passage, than infant baptism is in very many. Take the 
 covenant of God with his people, (Heb. viii. 10,) ^' I will 
 be to them a God." The token of this covenant he com- 
 manded them to put upon their children, and they did it 
 for thousands of years ; and he did not tell them to with- 
 hold it when he changed the token. Here infant baptism 
 is as really implied, and as plainly taught, as the resurrec- 
 tion was when the Lord declared himself the God of 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The want of explicit war- 
 rant would no more justify us in disbelieving infant bap- 
 tism, than it would the Sadducees in disbelieving the re- 
 surrection of the dead. 
 
 It has been shewn, that the word rendered teach in the 
 text, means to proselyte or disciple. And in order to 
 illustrate the doctrine of this discourse, I remark, 
 
 2. Infants may be the disciples of Christ. 
 
 I know that some of our brethren consider it altogether 
 inconsistent with the situation of children to call them 
 disciples of Christ. But let us think on this a little. A 
 disciple is a scholar — this is the meaning of the word. 
 And a child is a scholar before he learns his lesson, as 
 well as afterwards. He is reckoned a scholar, when 
 he is committed to the care of the instructer, or has 
 his name put down with others who belong to the 
 school, whether he puts his name down himself, or his 
 parents put it down for him. The church is the school 
 
11 
 
 of Christ. The names of all those to whom the token of 
 God's gracious covenant is applied belong upon the re- 
 cords of the church. They are specially connected with 
 the church as her children, included in her covenant, 
 committed to her watch, and care, and prayers. And 
 they are in a special manner committed to God — devoted 
 to him — cast upon him as the Psalmist was. He says, 
 " I was cast upon thee from the womb ; thou Psalms 
 art my God from my" birth. xxii. 10. 
 
 Parents should train up their children in the way they 
 should go. This is the command of God. ** Train up a 
 child in the way he should go ; and when he is prov. 
 old, he will not depart from it." But what is xxii. 6. 
 the way in which the child should go ? The child should 
 devote himself to God, to be instructed and sanctified. — 
 The parents then should devote him to God. The child 
 should dedicate himself to GoA publicly . The parents then 
 should dedicate him to God publicly. The child should 
 commit himself to the watch, and care, and prayers of 
 Christians, and walk with wise men, that he may be 
 wise. " He that walketh with wise men shall Prov. 
 be wise ; but a companion of fools shall be de- xiii. 20. 
 stroyed." The parent, then, shcfuld commit him to the 
 affectionate and prayerful attention of the wise and good. 
 The child should put down his name with the followers 
 of Christ, or, as it is written, " Subscribe with Isaiah 
 
 his hand unto the Lord." The parent, then, xliv. 5. 
 should subscribe for him, when he cannot subscribe for 
 himself, and act for him, when he cannot act for himself, 
 as he would sign a writing, and act up promptly to duty, 
 to secure an earthly estate for the child. And as he would 
 afterwards persuade the child to ratify what he had done, 
 to secure for him an earthly inheritance, so should he, 
 but with great earnestness, persuade him to subscribe with 
 his own hand unto the Lord, and so take hold of the ever- 
 lasting covenant, which is well ordered in all things and 
 sure ; that it may be all his salvation, and all his desire. 
 
 3. Infants have been disciples of Christ, in the highest, 
 and most important sense — that is, they have been sancti- 
 fied, formed to his image, and prepared for his kingdom. 
 
 Samson is called a Nazarite, (that is, sane- judges 
 tified or consecrated) unto God from the womb. xiii.5. 
 
12 
 
 1 Sam. It is said of Samuel, in his infancy, that he 
 i. 28. " worshipped the Lord." 
 
 Jere. The Lord says of Jeremiah, " Before thou 
 
 ^' ^' earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee." 
 
 The Lord told Zacharias that his son John 
 Luke should " be filled with the Holy Ghost, even 
 
 i. 15. from his mother's womb." 
 
 4. God connects children with their parents in cove- 
 nant, and dispenses his blessings and curses accordingly. 
 
 God made a covenant with Adam, in which his chil- 
 dren were connected with him, and deeply interested — 
 and had he continued obedient, he and his children 
 would have found the blessings of the covenant a glorious 
 inheritance. But he disobeyed, and he and they felt the 
 Romans frown and curse of God. " And we know that 
 viii. 22. the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth in 
 pain together until now." 
 
 God made a covenant with Noah. In this covenant 
 his children were included, and so were we. The token 
 of the covenant also was designed for our good, and we 
 enjoy it. 
 
 A covenant connexion, between parents and children, 
 is held up pjominently to view, illustrated and confirmed, 
 and enforced, by the manner in which God has dispensed 
 his blessings and curses, from Adam to the present time. 
 
 I therefore remark, 
 
 5. God bestows blessings upon children for their 
 parents' sake. 
 
 He blessed Jacob and Solomon for their fathers' sake, 
 and many others in like manner. The parents of David, 
 and Samuel ; Obadiah, Samson, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John, 
 and Timothy, were professors of religion, and their 
 children were distinguished as the favorites of Heaven. 
 
 Special blessings have often been bestowed upon chil- 
 dren for such reasons as these ; *' For thy father Abra- 
 Gen. ham's sake." — *' For thee have I seen righteous 
 
 vii. 1. before me in this generation." — " For David 
 
 my servant's sake." — And such children are 
 Rom. *< beloved for their fathers' sakes." — '' They 
 
 j^' ?^' are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and 
 lxv!\3. their offspring with them." On the other hand, 
 
13 
 
 little ones are often destroyed on their parents' Deut. 
 
 account. Such is the connexion between them "• 34. 
 
 that God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil- 
 dren. 
 
 But if God has special blessings for children on their pa- 
 rents' account, it is highly proper that the parents should 
 enjoy, and improve the token of such blessings. It is calcu- 
 lated to encourage, and strengthen, and urge them forvv^ard 
 in parental duty. And this is the case, v^hen the covenant 
 and the token are understood, and embraced, as coming 
 from God, to aid us in the way to heaven. And if it is 
 right that children should have special blessings by the 
 agency of their parents, and on their account ; it must be 
 right that they should have the token of the blessing. 
 If one is agreeable to the will of God, the other must be. 
 
 But I will mention one other intance, in which children 
 were blessed for their parents' sake. " By faith Hebrews 
 Noah being warned of God, prepared an ark xi. 7. 
 to the saving of his house." And the reason that the Lord 
 gave for calling him and his family into the ark was 
 this ; " For thee have I have seen righteous." 
 " And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou, Genesis 
 and all thy house, into the ark ; for thee have ^"* ^• 
 I seen righteous before me in this genera- 
 tion." " The like figure whereunto even bap- 1 Peter 
 tism doth also now save us."* " Blessed is the m.21. 
 man that feareth the Lord — His seed shall be Psalms 
 mighty upon the earth : the generation of the ^^"' ^' ^' 
 upright shall be blessed." ''Because he loved Deut. 
 
 thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after '^- 37. 
 
 them." *' Only the Lord had a delight in thy x. 15. 
 
 fathers to love them, and he chose their «eed after them, 
 even you above all people." 
 
 6. It is reasonable, and scriptural, that grace, as well 
 as sin, should abound, in the connexion between parents 
 and children. 
 
 * — ''{not the putting- away of the filth of the flesh, but the euiswer of a good 
 conscience towards God.") 'In this baptism the parent who has the 
 righteousness of faith, answers a good conscience towards God, by com- 
 plying with his requirement, according to the like figure presented in the 
 case of Noah ; Come thou and thy family into the ark.' Thus children are 
 blessed on their parents' account, as the children of Noah were on his ac- 
 count. 
 
14 
 
 Romans Sin has abounded in this connexion. " By 
 
 V. 12. one man sin entered into the world." Such 
 was the connexion between Adam and his children, that 
 they became sinners in consequence of his sin. And 
 such has been the connexion between parents and chil- 
 dren ever since. And is not the remedy, provided for 
 the ruins of the fall adequate to the disease, and adapted 
 Romans to its operations? ** For as by one man's dis- 
 V. 19, 20. obedience many were made sinners ; so by the 
 obedience of one shall many be made righteous. — But 
 where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." 
 Exodus ' For the Lord is a jealous God, visiting the 
 XX. 5, 6. iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto 
 the third and fourth generation of them that hate him ; 
 but showing mercy unto thousands of generations of them 
 that love him.' And as the natural connexion between 
 parents and children so exposes them to destruction ; 
 how reasonable is it, that God should establish a gracious 
 connexion, as favorable to their salvation. How eminent- 
 ly wise and proper ! 
 
 7. God established his gracious covenant with Abra- 
 ham and all Christians, for an everlasting covenant. The 
 covenant is this ; ** To be a God unto thee, and to thy 
 see4 after thee. I will establish my covenant between 
 me knd thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations 
 for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to 
 thy seed after thee." All Christians are Abraham's seed. 
 I repeat it ; all Christians — all that are Christ's, are Abra- 
 Gal. ham's seed. " If ye be Christ's then are ye 
 
 iii. 29. Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the 
 
 promise." The Lord is your God, as well as 
 28. the God of Abraham. " For ye are all one in 
 
 Christ Jesus." And his covenant is essentially one, 
 though renewed, and securing different temporal bless- 
 ings at different times, according to the various circum- 
 Xev. stances ofhis people. This same covenant, "I 
 xxvi. 12. will be your God and ye shall be my people," 
 has been renewed, and is called a new covenant. It is 
 called new in comparison of the one made with Israel 
 jer. when they were led out of Egypt.* '' In that he 
 
 xxxi. 32. saith a new covenant, he hath made the first 
 * The covenant made at Sinai, or Horeb. Deut. v. 1—4. 
 
15 
 
 V, /*• 
 old. Now that which decayeth alfi^ waxeth Heb. 
 old, is ready to vanish away." The covenant viii.8— 13. 
 is also new in the same sense that the com- 
 mandment to love one another is new, " Because i John 
 the darkness is past and the true light now »• ^• 
 
 shineth." But though the covenant is new in these re- 
 spects, yet, like the commandment, it existed long before 
 the days of our Saviour's incarnation. The God of his 
 people, is a title in which the Lord delights. He said to 
 Moses; "The Lord God of your fathers, the God of 
 Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Ja- Exod. 
 cob, is my name forever, and this is my memo- ">• 1^- 
 rial unto all generations." Some suppose it was only a 
 temporal covenant, and secured only temporal blessings. 
 But the Scriptures plainly teach us, that it was an ever- 
 lasting covenant, and secured a resurrection to future life 
 and glory, " Now that the dead are raised, even Luke 
 
 Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the xx. 37. 
 Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, 
 and the God of Jacob." '* God is not ashamed Heb. 
 
 to be called their God, for he hath prepared for »• 16. 
 them a city." Here we are taught, that God would have 
 been ashamed to be called their God, had he not prepared 
 for them a Heavenly city, according to his covenant, 
 which included their resurrection to future life j^^^ 
 
 and glory. He is the God of him that over- xxi. 7. 
 cbmeth. 
 
 There are also many other considerations, presented in 
 the Scriptures, which shew, that the covenant, established 
 with Abraham and his seed, is continued; that it is highly 
 spiritual^ and gracious; and that it has its fulfilment 
 only, by the coming of Christy and the saving power of 
 his Gospel. 
 
 St. Paul tells us, that Abraham is the father Rom. 
 of all Christians, as it is written in the cove- iv. 16, 17. 
 nant. The covenant then is fulfilling, as fast as people 
 become the children of Abraham by faith, and will con- 
 tinue as long as they are his children ; that is, as long as 
 they are Christians, even forever. 
 
 The promise, that Abraham should be the heir of the 
 world, by being made the father of all nations, and hav- 
 ing them blessed in him as his children — this promise 
 
16 
 
 was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but 
 
 Rom. through the righteousness of faith. Again, it is 
 iv. 13,16. of faith, that it might be by grace, &c. 
 Rom. Christ was a minister of the covenant of 
 
 XV. 8, which circumcision was a seal, to confirm it. 
 
 Gal.iii.17. It was confirmed in Christ. 
 
 It included the promise of a Saviour, and the blessings 
 of salvation. It was only through Christ, that Abraham 
 could be made the father of believers, for they became his 
 children, by faith in Christ. It is in this way that the 
 nations are blessed in him, according to the covenant. 
 Gal. The Gospel was preached to Abraham, in the 
 
 ^iii. 8. covenant God established with him. 
 
 Gal. iii. In this covenant, faith was the condition of 
 
 Rom. iv. justification. 
 
 In view of these things, it is abundantly manifest, that 
 the covenant established with Abraham dnd his seed, is 
 continued, and that it is highly spiritual and gracious. 
 Some, however, have thought the covenant peculiar to the 
 Rom. Jews. But, ** Is he the God of the Jews only? 
 iii. 29, 30. Is he not also of the Gentiles ? Yes of the Gen- 
 tiles also ; seeing it is one God which shall justify the 
 circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through 
 faith." 
 
 And here, let it be particularly observed, and remem- 
 bered, that circumcision was the token of this covenant, 
 till Chffst came, and instituted baptism as the mark of 
 his flock. 
 
 8. The covenant, which God established with Abra- 
 ham and all Christians, included* their children in such 
 a manner, that the token of the covenant belonged to 
 them, and was applied to them, by the command of God. 
 
 Temporal blessings have been connected with this 
 
 covenant, or included in it more or less, according to the 
 
 circumstances of ihe church. "Godliness is" now, and 
 
 1 Tim. always has been, ** profitable unto all things, 
 
 iv. 8. having the promise of the life that now is, as 
 
 well as of that which is to come." 
 
 Biit the sum and substance of the covenant was this, 
 
 * See note on page 5, 
 
17 
 
 " To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." 
 God says to Abraham, " I will establish my Gen. 
 covenant between me and thee, and thy seed xvii.7. 
 after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting cove- 
 nant ; to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." 
 
 This covenant included infants. And whatever may 
 be doubtful about the manner in which it included them, 
 or what, or how much, it included for them— one thing is 
 not doubtful, but this one thing is certain, it included 
 them in such a manner, that the token of the covenant 
 belonged to them, and was applied to them, by the com- 
 mand of God. 
 
 Please to remember, my hearers, that this covenant 
 was established with Abraham and with all Christians. 
 And if the token of this covenant belonged to the infants 
 of Abraham and other Christians, and was applied to 
 them ; it also belongs to the infants of Christians now. 
 The change of the seal, or token, does not alter the cov- 
 enant, any more than changing the seal qf a letter alters 
 what is written in the letter. — All with whom the cove- 
 nant was established, for an everlasting covenant are still 
 2wcluded in it, if God has not ca^cluded them from it, for 
 no other one has any right to exclude them. — And all, 
 who are included in the covenant, have a right to the seal 
 or token of the covenant. All Christians then have this 
 right for themselves, and for their children — for they 
 were included in the covenant themselves, and their chil- 
 dren were included in such a sense, that the token of the 
 covenant belongs to them, and was applied to them, by 
 the command of God. And what God has thus joined 
 together, let not man put asunder. 
 
 9. Baptism has no higher, or more spiritual character, 
 than circumcision. 
 
 The circumcision of the flesh had a signification highly . 
 spiritual. It pointed to the heart — to its natural corrup- 
 tion, and its renewal by divine grace. This is evident 
 from the following passages ; " Circumcise Deut. 
 
 therefore the foreskin of your heart : — And the x. 16. 
 
 Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and 
 the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God Deut. 
 
 with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Cir- »a. 6. 
 2* 
 
18 
 
 Jer. cumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away 
 
 *^- *• the foreskins of your heart. Circumcision is 
 
 iL29.' ^^^* ^^ ^^? he^LTt, in the spirit, and not in the 
 
 .^ jj letter. Circumcision, a seal of the righteous- 
 
 ness of the faith. For we are the circumcision, 
 Philip. which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in 
 iii. 3. Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the 
 
 flesh. Ye are circumcised with the circum- 
 Col.ii.ll. cision made without hands, in putting off the 
 body of the sins of the flesh." 
 
 The obligations that circumcision involved, were great, 
 and when they were performed, it was profitable. " For 
 Gal. V. 3. I testify again to every man that is circumcised, 
 Rom. ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^ debtor to do the whole law. For 
 
 ii. 25! circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the 
 
 Rom. law. What profit is there of circumcision? 
 
 iii. 1, 2. Much every way. 
 
 Col. ii. Spiritual circumcision and spiritual baptism 
 
 ^^f 12- are spoken of as being the same. 
 
 According to the meaning of circumcision then, it 
 was no better suited to the character and condition of 
 infants, than baptism. 
 
 10. Isaac was a child of the promise of the Lord to 
 Abraham, " To be a God to him and his seed." And 
 this promise, so included Isaac's infants, as to give him a 
 Gal. right to the token of it for them. "Now, we, 
 iv.28. brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of pro- 
 mise." We then, like Isaac, have a right to the token of 
 the promise for our infants. 
 
 11. In revivals of religion God is richly manifesting a 
 special regard for those who have been dedicated to him 
 in baptism. 
 
 ** During the year past, the churches belonging to the 
 Synod of Kentucky have been visited with a special out- 
 pouring of the Holy Spirit, and from three to four thou- 
 sand additions have been made to them. A very large 
 proportion of these converts were, in early life, consecrat- 
 ed to God by Baptism." 
 
 " In 1815, there were received into the second church 
 in Boscawen, at one time, thirty-one ; twenty-one of 
 whom were baptized in infancy. A young man, educated 
 a Baptist was a spectator of this interesting scene. He 
 
19 
 
 was filled with wonder and disappointment, that ten only 
 of this number were then to be baptized. As he return- 
 ed from meeting, he asked an aged professor, if this were 
 not an uncommon case, that so great a proportion of the 
 converts were baptized in infancy ? The professor an- 
 swered no, — it was very common for far the largest pro- 
 portion of converts in a revival, to be those who were 
 dedicated to God in infant baptism. The young man 
 replied, with no little feeling, ' If it he so, then sure- 
 ly, God has respect to his everlasting covenant.' And 
 (says the pastor of the above mentioned Church) I have 
 •the satisfaction to add, that this young man, some time 
 after this^. became hopefully pious, and has, for years, 
 been a very exemplary, active, and influential member of 
 the church of which I am pastor." The same church, 
 " in 1820, received at one time twenty-eight ; of whom 
 twenty-one had been baptized in infancy." 
 
 About one hundred were received to the church in 
 Canterbury, in 1810 and 1811. Only twelve of this 
 number were baptized at the time of their public profes- 
 sion. 
 
 Many more such facts might be mentioned ; and is it 
 not remarkable that they so frequently exist in places, 
 where those dedicated to God in their infancy constitute 
 but a small proportion of the whole ? 
 
 *•' As fruits of a revival in Francistown, in 1812, seven- 
 ty-nine were added to the church. Seventy-five of this 
 number were baptized, on the faith of their parents, in 
 early life." 
 
 In the west parish of Chester, during the nine years 
 ministry of the Rev. Clement Parker, ^y?/jfy professed reli- 
 gion. All but one had been devoted to God in baptism 
 by their parents. Surely, God has respect to his everlast- 
 ing covenant, and to the children of the covenant who 
 are marked for him. 
 
 12. Infant baptism promotes the design of the relation 
 between parents and children. 
 
 This relation is the most important, tender*, and en- 
 dearing. Its design is to train up children for happiness, 
 usefulness, and for heaven. It involves duties of high 
 obligation and responsibility, such as are wisely adapted, 
 as means, to promote the high and holy design of the 
 
20 
 
 relation. But in order to this, the parent must be brought 
 to act up to his obligations, and discharge his duty faith- 
 fully. And so much is depending here — the duty of the 
 parent is so important — his responsibility so great, that 
 if he is a Christian, he often feels a tender solicitude, and 
 is ready to sink under his burthen. — His spirit is pressed 
 — his heart labors, big with its emotions of parental ten- 
 derness, and endearment, mingling with his sense of 
 accountability, and increasing his anxiety for the eternal 
 welfare of his children, which God has committed to his 
 care, and for whom he is, in a measure accountable. 
 In this situation, the parent needs special support and* 
 encouragement. And here God meets him on^the foun- 
 dation of his everlasting covenant — He presents it, show- 
 ing that he is rich in blessings, for parents, and for 
 children — that he has ever connected them in covenant — 
 regarded the connexion with peculiar interest, and 
 crowned it with special blessings. This is his memorial 
 unto all generations. He encourages the parent to take 
 hold of the covenant, and enter his name for himself, and 
 Josh. for his children, resolving, with Joshua, *' As 
 xxiv. 15. for me and my house we will serve the Lord." 
 The Lord presents his deed of the heavenly inheritance, 
 which is himself, as the portion of his people ; to be a 
 God unto him, and giving him all needed encourage- 
 ment, that he will be the God of his children also, if he is 
 faithful in the discharge of parental duty. But here, the 
 parent trembles again — and now God meets him again — 
 he presents him a token of his gracious regard to himself, 
 and his children. And now, feelings which would other- 
 wise be smothered in his bosom — feelings which would 
 otherwise sink or be restrained, under the awful weight 
 of his responsibility, he is encouraged to put forth in a 
 faithful discharge of parental duty — I say, baptism here 
 affords the parents special encouragement, for it is a 
 token or pledge of the covenant faithfulness, and compas- 
 sion, and assistance of God, to help his infirmities, and 
 urge him and his family forward in the way to heaven. 
 Baptism makes a merciful demand for feelings, most ten- 
 der and endearing, high and holy ; and whilst it makes 
 the demand, it presents a pledge of divine assistance, to 
 encourage, and animate, and strengthen us, in the work 
 
21 
 
 of training up children in the nurture and admonition of 
 the Lord. Thus it promotes the high design of the rela- 
 tion subsisting between parents and children. 
 
 13. God can covenant with infants. 
 
 This has been done. Moses says to the Israelites, " Ye 
 stand this day, all of you before the Lord your God ; your 
 captains, your officers, with all the men of Israel, Deut. xxix. 
 your little ones, your wives, that thou shouldest H— 13> 
 enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his 
 his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this 
 day." — " That he may establish thee to-day for a peo- 
 ple unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as 
 he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy 
 fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." In this 
 case, God covenanted with infants, by the appointed 
 agency of their parents. 
 
 On this same occasion, God entered into covenant 
 with those who were absent aiiso. It is written; " I make 
 this covenant, and this oath, with him that is not here 
 this day." Those who were present, were the appointed 
 agents for those who were absent, and were called upon 
 to be witnesses to what God had done for them — to make 
 known to them his covenant, and to persuade them to 
 embrace it. 
 
 It may appear strange to some of you, my beloved 
 hearers, that God should thus covenant with people, by 
 the agency of others. But I entreat you to consider this 
 point well ; for it certainly appears to me, that here is 
 much to inspire love, and gratitude, and prompt obedi- 
 ence. Let us then make this inquiry ; Why does God 
 covenant with infaiits by the agency of others ? It is, that 
 .he may take them in season, before they are corrupted, 
 and betrayed, and lost, and bind them to his covenant — 
 to his people — to his altar — to his throne — to himself — 
 and to the joys of his kingdom, by the bonds of his cove- 
 nanted mercy and faithfulness. He would thus hold them 
 back from the darkness of his frown — from the consum- 
 ing fire of his displeasure — and the torment of an ever- 
 lasting separation from him, in outer darkness, where the 
 worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 
 
 Such ideas as these are suggested, as the reason of God's 
 covenant transactions with the little ones, and the absent, 
 in the instance we have just noticed. 
 
22 
 
 You know, my respected hearers, that it is common 
 and natural for man, "to bless himself in his heart,*' that 
 he does not pretend to be a Christian — that he has not 
 covenanted with God, or joined the church, or reckoned 
 himself among the number of the pious. As he has not 
 done this, he feels much more at liberty to walk in his 
 own ways, saying, / shall have peace, however it may be 
 with those who do not live up to their profession. And 
 if my parents covenanted for me, and had me baptized, it 
 was not my doings. I do not wish to be so religious. It 
 appears that God had persons of this character in view, 
 in the instance under consideration. And he cove- 
 nanted with the infants, and the absent to destroy the 
 force of their objections, and restrain the wickedness of 
 those whose hearts would turn away from him, and re- 
 joice that they have not entered into covenant with him, 
 and are, therefore, more at liberty, and less in danger,^ 
 while they live in sin. He would not have them feel this 
 liberty, but he would have them feel that they are exposed 
 to his curse, if they disregard the covenant, and if not, 
 that they may inherit his blessings. This is according 
 to what he tells us. He made the covenant, lest there 
 should be man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose 
 heart turneth away from the Lord, — lest there should be 
 a root that beareth gall and wormwood ; and it came to 
 pass, when he heareth the words of the curse, (for breaking 
 the covenant) he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall 
 have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart. 
 But says Moses ; the Lord will not spare him — all the 
 curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, 
 and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. 
 
 God is well acquainted with that principle of human 
 nature, which leads a man to " bless himself in his 
 heart," that he has not entered into covenant with God, 
 or joined the church, or reckoned himself among the 
 pious; and then to bless himself in his heart again, that 
 he is more at liberty to live as he pleases, saying, I shall 
 have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine 
 heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. He knows that folly 
 is bound up in the heart of a child, and that the way he 
 would take is the way of death. He therefore kindly be- 
 sets him at his very entrance into life, and compasses his 
 
OF Tfi£ ' 'V' 
 
 path with favor. He draws forth uponliim the attention^ \ ^ 
 of his parents, and awakens their prayerful solicitude, .---"' 
 and their faithful exertions, and encourages them to be 
 workers together with him, for the child's salvation. 
 
 14. Infants are spoken of as breaking the covenant of 
 God, when the token of it was not applied to them. 
 *' The uncircumcised manchild, whose flesh of Gen. 
 his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall xvii.l4. 
 be cut off from his people ; he hath broken my covenant." 
 This is said on account of the close religious connexion, 
 which God had established between children and their 
 parents who were in covenant with him. If ihei/ were 
 in covenant with God, so were their infants. God coye- 
 nanted with these infants, and they broke his covenant, 
 if the token was not applied to them. But in such cases 
 the guilt rests upon their parents ; therefore, God met 
 Moses, and sought to kill him, because he did not put 
 the token of the covenant upon his child. — He neglected 
 to circumcise his child, and was guilty. " And it came 
 to pass by the way, that the Lord met him, and Exodus 
 sought to kill him," All who are included in iv. 24. 
 the covenant, have a right to its seal or token, and it 
 should be applied to them. The covenant, of which cir- 
 cumcision was a token, is not done away. God estab- 
 lished it with Abraham and his seed, that is, with all 
 Christians,, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto 
 him and his seed after him. In this high and special 
 sense, he is now the God- — the portion of his people, ac- 
 cording to the covenant of promise. And their children 
 are zwcluded with them in this covenant, unless God has 
 C2:cluded them from it ; and the token though changed, 
 should be applied to them. The change of the token no 
 more justifies parents in neglecting to put it upon their 
 children than the change of a mark which a man had 
 long put upon his flock, would justify his servants in ne- 
 glecting to mark the lambs. 
 
 15. God calls the infants of his professing people, his 
 children, which they have born unto him. 
 
 " Thou hast slain mi/ children — thou hast Ezek. xvi. 
 taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou 20, 21. 
 hast born unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed." These 
 parents were professors of religion. They had taken the 
 
- 24 
 
 covenant of God upon them, and professedly consecrated 
 themselves and children to his service. Their children 
 were brought into a covenant relation to God, and his 
 people, which he has ever regarded with peculiar interest. 
 And although their parents had degenerated, and become 
 wicked ; yet, even their degeneracy did not deprive God 
 of his covenant right in their children, or break the estab- 
 lished connexion of the children with the church. He, 
 therefore, asserts his right to them, and his interest in 
 them, as children of the covenant, to whom his seal be- 
 longed. It is on account of this covenant relation to him, 
 and his church, that he calls these infants Ms children, 
 which were born unto him. It is also on account of this 
 covenant relation to God, and consecration to his service, 
 and separation from the heathen, that the people of Israel, 
 including their infants, are called " an holy people." 
 They are. repeatedly called an holy people, and their chil- 
 Deut. dren the holy seed, as it is written ; " For thou 
 
 vii. 6. art a holy 'people unto the Lord thy God." *' Ye 
 
 xiv. 1, 2. are the children of the Lord your God." " The 
 k 2 ^^^^y ^^^^ ^^^^ mingled themselves with the peo- 
 
 Isaiah pie of those lands." — ** The holy seed shall be 
 ^*- 13- the substance thereof" Here we can see 
 plainly, that God reckons the children of his professing 
 J)eople Ms children, and calls them holy^ and the holy seed, 
 because they were included in his holy covenant, and con- 
 nected with his church by a religious rite, which was a 
 mark of separation from the heathen, and consecration 
 to God. Let this be remembered — they were called holy, 
 not because they were holy at heart, but because they 
 were included in God's holy covenant, and had the token 
 of the covenant applied to them, and they were thus con- 
 nected with his church, and marked as the lambs of his 
 flock. 
 
 On the other hand, those who were not included in the 
 holy covenant, or did not have the token applied to them, 
 and were not connected with the church, nor marked 
 for God — ^^such — all such, were considered uncircumcised 
 and unclean. They were so called, till they had united 
 with Israel in holy covenant. This distinction was made 
 by God, and too little regarded by the Jews. * It was un- 
 lawful for the Jews to marry with those of other nations, 
 
25 
 
 who did not unite with them in their religion. And after 
 they had unlawfully married with such, it was their 
 duty to put them away, and the children which were born 
 of them, also, for they were both reckoned unclean. 
 Therefore, we find this confession, " We have Ezra 
 
 trespassed against our God, and have taken x. 2, 3. 
 strange wives of the people of the land. Now therefore 
 let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the 
 wives, and such as are born of them, according to the 
 counsel of my lord, and of those that trembled at the 
 commandment of our God, and let it be done according 
 to the law." But when both of the parents were believers, 
 or professed to be, their children were called holy, be- 
 cause they were brought into holy covenant, and devoted 
 to God, and connected with his church. For these rea- 
 sons, the children were called holy, when both of the 
 parents were believers ; and for the same reasons, the 
 children are now called holy, when one of the parents is a 
 believer. ** Else were your children unclean i Corin. 
 but now are they holy." vii. 14. 
 
 The believers at Corinth were uncertain, whether it 
 was their duty to dwell with their unbelieving compan- 
 ions, or to put them away. They therefore wrote to the 
 apostle Paul, on the subject, and he gave them this an- 
 swer ; " If any brother hath a wife that belie veth i Cor. vii. 
 not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let 12—14. 
 him not put her away. And the woman which hath an 
 husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell 
 with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving hus- 
 band is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is 
 sanctified by the husband ; else were your children un- 
 clean ; but now are they holy." Their children, then, 
 were not treated as unclean, but holy, that is, they were 
 included in God's holy covenant, devoted to him in bap- 
 tism, and connected with his church as her children. 
 This is a plain fact appealed to by the apostle. The 
 children are holy, in a covenant sense, and therefore, they 
 should have the token of the holy covenant applied to 
 them, as God commanded concerning the holy seed. It 
 is as much the duty of parents to apply the token to their 
 children now, as it ever was. Indeed, God is reaching 
 farther after the beloved offspring of believers. He now 
 3 
 
26 
 
 calls them holy, and considers them fit subjects for the 
 seal of the covenant, when one parent is a believer, the 
 same as he formerly did, when both were believers. I 
 say therefore, he is extending the cords of his covenant 
 love, and giving them a greater scope, to take in the chil- 
 dren of his people and save them. This is according to 
 the very spirit of the Gospel. It is expansive and benevo- 
 lent in its character, spreading farther and wider its bles- 
 sings, and giving greater support and encouragement in 
 parental duty. And here I must add one more declara- 
 Romans tion of Scripture, — it is this ; " If the root be 
 xi. 16. holy, so are the branches." Let us never think 
 lightly of this connexion, which God has established, be- 
 tween the root and the branches, for He says it is holy. 
 Let us therefore regard this connexion as God does, and 
 treat it tenderly, as he does, not in a natural sense, merely, 
 but in the holy sense of the Scriptures. Let us never 
 break this holy connexion, if we would not see the branches 
 wither and die an eternal death. God would have given 
 us timely notice, if, in his opinion, the branches would 
 flourish better, by being broken off from the root. 
 
 16. The Jews considered infants proseZy^es, and Christ 
 commanded his disciples to baptize proselytes. He com- 
 manded them to proselyte all nations, baptizing them. 
 And this certainly means, that the proselytes, at least, 
 should be baptized. 
 
 We know that the Jews made proselytes to their reli- 
 %^^®j[ gion. We read of them in Scripture. And the 
 ^** * Jews considered infants proselytes, as well as 
 jj *J^ their parents. The celebrated Jewish writer, 
 
 xiii.43. Maimonides,* says, "If an Israelite take a 
 gentile child, or find a gentile infant, and baptize him 
 in the name of a proselyte, behold, he is a proselyte." 
 According to the testimony of the Jews then, they con- 
 sidered infants proselytes. The apostles were Jews. And 
 Christ commanded them to proselyte and baptize. This 
 cannot mean anything less, than that the apostles should 
 baptize all the proselytes. And as the Jews considered 
 infants proselytes, as well as their parents, then, the apos- 
 tles, who were Jews, must understand that Christ com- 
 
 * See the testimony of others under head 19. 
 
27 
 
 manded them to baptize infants^ as well as their parents. 
 And indeed, it really appears, that here is a plain com- 
 mand for infant baptism. The meaning of every com- 
 mand, depends on the meaning of the words, in the cir- 
 cumstances in which they were spoken. And did not 
 Christ, when he gave his apostles their commission, use 
 words as they understood them ? 
 
 17. The church to which the apostles belonged, and 
 in which they had been educated, had, for two thousand 
 years, put the token of the covenant upon the infants of 
 those who professed religion. 
 
 The apostles were well acquainted with the practice of 
 their church, in putting the token of the covenant upon 
 her children, according to the command of God. And if 
 he did not plainly direct them to stop this practice of the 
 church — to withhold the token from infants, and not to 
 put it upon them any longer — if he did not thus direct the 
 apostles, when he changed the token of the covenant, 
 they could have no right to withhold it from infants, or 
 to direct the church to withhold it. And the apostles 
 had no such direction, and they gave the church no such 
 direction, for this plain reason, it was not their duty to 
 withhold the token of the covenant from infants — this is 
 the case with others, it is not their duty. This is known, 
 and felt, by many of the ministers of Christ, therefore, 
 they never tell the church, that the token of the covenant 
 should not be put upon their children, or that their infants 
 should not be baptized. 
 
 But others, our brethren too, beloved in the Lord, tell 
 the church, that their infants should not be baptized. We 
 ask them why ? And they answer. The token of the cov- 
 enant is changed ; circumcision is done away, and the 
 character of the church is improved ; that is, there are 
 not so many unbelievers in it now, as there were before 
 Christ came. These are poor excuses, indeed, my breth- 
 ren — The token of the covenant is changed ! There are 
 not so many unbelievers in the church as there used to be, 
 when the children were circumcised! I say, these are 
 poor reasons, brethren, for withholding the token of the 
 covenant from the children of the church. 
 
 The case is like this — A shepherd has a large, and valu- 
 able flock of sheep. He has goats, also, in his posses- 
 
28 
 
 sion. He has a number of under shepherds, to take care 
 of his flock. He suffers some of the goats to go with the 
 sheep. He tells his shepherds what mark to put upon his 
 flock, and they obey him. The flock muhiplies, and he 
 improves their pasture. It is clothed with a richer ver- 
 dure, the dews distil more abundant and enriching, and 
 it exhales a sweeter fragrance. Now the chief shepherd, 
 tells his under shepherds, not to use the old mark any 
 longer, and he gives them a neio one, and commands 
 them to put that upon the flock. They take the mark, 
 and apply it to the sheep, and also to the goats that are 
 with them, but do not apply it to the lambs. I observe 
 the course they take, and ask them why they do so ? and 
 they answer ; ** The mark is changed ; and there are not 
 so many goats in the flock as there used to be." But these 
 answers are nothing to the purpose. They afford no ex- 
 cuse for neglecting to mark the lambs. The question is ; 
 Did the chief shepherd, when he changed the mark, tell 
 you not to put it upon the lambs, as you used to do ? If 
 he had, this would settle the point. But they confess he 
 did not. I then urge the question ; How came you 
 not to mark the lambs ? Is not the mark you now have, 
 applied to the sheep, and even some of the goats, as the 
 other was ? Is it of any higher character than the other 1 
 Could it not be as easily, and as pleasantly applied to the 
 lambs ? But the records of their master, and the his- 
 tory of his flock, present no answer to these questions, 
 which justifies the shepherds, in not marking the lambs. 
 
 Now all this is a just representation of facts, that exist, 
 in connexion with the cause of Christ. He is the chief 
 and good shepherd of Israel, who gave his life for the 
 sheep. He feeds his flock like a shepherd. He gathereth 
 the lambs in his arms, and carrieth them in his bosom. 
 His ministers are his under shepherds. Those in covenant 
 with him, are his flock. Some of this number, at every 
 period, have been wicked men, such as Christ will con- 
 sider goats in the day of judgment. He gave his minis- 
 ters command to apply the mark of circumcision to those 
 who joined his church, his flock, or entered into covenant 
 with him. He considered the infants of his people in 
 covenant with him, and called them holy, and his chil- 
 dren, and ordered them to be marked for him, and so it 
 
29 
 
 was, and so it is still. But when he improved the condi- 
 tion of his flock, and shed new light and joy around 
 them, he changed the mark of circumcision, for baptism; 
 and commanded his ministers to proselyte all nations, 
 baptizing them. And the new mark, baptism, is of no 
 higher character than the other was. Circumcision ica$ 
 a seal of the righteousness of faith, and baptism has no 
 higher character. 
 
 But if the Lord is a God to his people noiv, in a sense 
 as high and holy as he was to Abraham and Israel — if 
 his people are now interested in the righteousness, of 
 faith, of which circumcision was a seal — and if God has 
 not broken the covenant connexion between them and their 
 children, and their children and himself, then, this cove- 
 nant connexion is strong, and we have no right to 
 break it — their right to the token, or seal, of the covenant, 
 is good, and we have no right to withhold it from them. 
 
 Hence, it clearly appears, that it must have been very 
 plain to the apostles, and may be very plain to us, that 
 baptism, the token or seal of God's gracious and everlast- 
 ing covenant, should be applied to the infants of God's 
 believing covenanting people. This will further appear, 
 if we consider, 
 
 18. The apostles well knew, that God had declared, 
 that when he should multiply, and glorify his people, their 
 children should be as aforetime. 
 
 Their children should be as aforetime, so far as God- 
 did not direct to the contrary. Aforetime, they were in- 
 cluded in the covenant of God with his people, and the 
 token of the covenant belonged to them, and was applied 
 to them, by the command of God. This was a great pri- 
 vilege, one which the Scriptures teach us, profited much 
 every way. The days of the Gospel, are, especially, the 
 season in which God multiplies and glorifies his people. 
 And as the apostles knew, that the Scriptures xlid not set 
 children aside from the privileges, and token of the cove- 
 nant, although the token was changed, therefore, they 
 must also know, that, in these respects, the children 
 should be as aforetime. If the apostles knew these things, 
 it must have been very plain to them, and may be to us, 
 that baptism, the token of the covenant, should be applied 
 to the infants of believers in covenant with God. 
 3* 
 
30 
 
 But this will appear still more evident, if we consider, 
 
 19. Baptism was in use before the days of our Sa- 
 viour. 
 
 Although baptism was in use before, it was not called 
 Christian baptism, till since. Just as good people existed 
 before, but were not called Christians till since. That 
 baptism was in use before the days of our Saviour, we 
 have not only the testimony of many human authors, 
 but we have the unerring testimony of the word of God. 
 
 Saint Paul, speaking by inspiration of God, plainly 
 tells us, that the Jews had ( Diaphorois Baptismois)^ di- 
 1 Cor. vers baptisms. And the same apostle tells us 
 X- 2. that the Israelites were all baptized,! when they 
 
 Exod. passed through the sea, on dry ground. More- 
 
 XIV. 21,22. over, the question put to John, by the priests 
 and Levites whom the Jews sent to inquire who he was, 
 shows that baptism was no ncio thing. They ask him ; 
 John *' Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that 
 
 i. 25. Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" It 
 
 clearly appears from this question, that the priests and 
 Levite$ were well acquainted with baptism. For they 
 do not ask John, ** What meanest thou by this new cere- 
 mony ?"J But '* Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not 
 that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet ?" Baptism 
 then was certainly in use, before the words of our text 
 were spoken. And as our Saviour did not mention either 
 infants, or adults, particularli/ ^ but used the word nations, 
 which includes all ages, he could not be understood, by 
 the apostles, to exclude any from baptism, who had be- 
 fore, been the subjects of it. But the apostles would 
 naturally understand, that they should baptize adults onlt/, 
 or adults, and infants also, according to the practice of 
 the church and nation to which they belonged, so far as 
 Christ did not direct them to the contrary. If it were 
 the former practice of their church and nation to exclude 
 infants from baptism, thei/ would, of course, exclude them 
 from Christian baptism. But on the other hand, if it 
 
 * Greek Testament, Heb. ix. 10. 
 
 t The Israelites took their liftle ones with them when they left Egj'pt.but 
 whether they had any at the time of their baptism in the sea, the Scriptures 
 do not tell us. 
 
 X Dr. Lathrop's Disc, page 42. 
 
31 
 
 was not the practice of their church and nation to exclude 
 infants from baptism, they would not do it, unless they 
 were particularly directed to. The practice of the church 
 and ecclesiastical body, with which they were well ac- 
 quainted, and to which they belonged, would have the 
 same influence, in determining the meaning of their com- 
 mission, as the practice of the church and ecclesiastical 
 body, to which missionaries belong, has, in determining 
 the meaning of their commission. The apostles were 
 missionaries. But what is this influence which a former 
 practice has, on a commission of our missionaries to the 
 heathen? It determines the meaning of their commission, 
 in regard to the proper subjects of baptism. 
 
 A Baptist minister is commissioned to go and preach 
 the Gospel to the heathen, and administer the ordinances, 
 baptism, and the Lord's supper. And he concludes, at 
 once, that it is according to his commission, to exclude 
 infants from baptism. But why does he so conclude ? 
 because this was the practice of the whole religious body 
 to which he belonged, and he knows, if they had intend- 
 ed any alteration in favor of baptizing infants, they would 
 have mGiiiion^d li^'particularhj , in this commission. But 
 as no alteration of this kind is mentioned, he firmly be- 
 lieves, that no such alteration was intended. Though no 
 age, or sex, is particularly mentioned, he considers his 
 commission directing him to baptize adults only, accord- 
 ing to former practice. 
 
 But a missionary who is not a Baptist — one who has 
 grown up amidst the practice of baptizing infants, and 
 understands the duty, and knows it to be practised by 
 the church, and ecclesiastical body, to which he belongs — 
 such a missionary, when he is commissioned to go and 
 preach the Gospel to the heathen, and administer the or- 
 dinances, baptism, and the Lord's supper, understands, 
 that he is to baptize infants. Indeed, he has no doubt, 
 that it is according to his commission to baptize them. — 
 But why ? Because it is the practice of his brethren, in 
 that religious connexion to which he belongs. 
 
 When I was ordained as an evangelist, the charge 
 which I received, contained this direction ; " Administer 
 baptism and the Lord^s supper to proper subjects J' By 
 this I understood, that I was to baptize infants. The 
 
S2 
 
 religious connexion to which I belong have always prac- 
 tised it. And when I received my commission to go 
 forth as an evangelist, I understood that it included the 
 duty of infant baptism, because that commission did not 
 direct me not to baptize them. These were the circum- 
 stances in w4iich I received my commission, and this is 
 the manner in which I understood it. ]\lissionaries to 
 the heathen receive their commission, in the same cir- 
 cumstances, and understand it in the same manner. The 
 apostles received their commission in like circumstances, 
 and must have understood it in like manner. They were 
 Jews, and they received their commission from a Jew. 
 He directed them to administer baptism to proper sub- 
 jects. The religious connexion to which they belonged, 
 and in which they had been educated, applied the token 
 of the covenant to infants. Hence, though the token was 
 changed, they would naturally conclude, it was to be ap- 
 plied to infants still, if they were not told otherwise. 
 Moreover, the religious connexion to which they belong- 
 ed, and in which they had been educated, considered in- 
 fants proper subjects of baptism, before it was adopted as 
 the token of the covenant. And Christ, when he com- 
 manded them to baptize, did not tell them not to baptize 
 infants. But as the Jews understood language, he direct- 
 ed his apostles to baptize infants. By proselytes, the 
 Jews understood infants as well as their parents. They 
 called infants proselytes. And Christ commanded his 
 disciples to proselyte all nations, baptizing them. This 
 certainly means, that the proselytes should be baptized. 
 I will now prove, that the Jews baptized their proselytes, 
 and exhibit further proof that they considered infants 
 proselytes, and baptized them. On this subject, I now 
 bring forward the following witnesses. 
 
 Dr. Rees, ** We find it to have been the custom of 
 the Jews solemnly to baptize, as well as to circumcise, all 
 their proselytes. As their writers treat largely of the 
 reasons for this rite, and give no hint of its being a novel 
 institution, it is probable, that this had always been the 
 custom antecedent to the time of Moses, whose account 
 of the rite of circumcision, and of the manner of perform- 
 ing it, is by no means circumstantial. The Jewish wri- 
 ters, without one dissenting voice, allow the fact, that the 
 
33 
 
 practice of Jewish baptism obtained before and at as well 
 as aft€i\ our Saviour's time. There is also a strong inti- 
 mation, even in the Gospel itself, of such a known prac- 
 tice among the Jews in the time of John the Baptist. 
 John i. 25. The testimonies of the Jewish writers are 
 of the greater weight, because the practice, reported by 
 them to have been of so ancient a date, did still remain 
 among them ; for if it had not been of that antiquity to which 
 it pretends, viz. before the time of Christ, it is not likely 
 that it would ever have become a custom among the Jews 
 afterwards. Would they begin to proselyte persons to 
 their religion by baptism, in imitation of the disciples of 
 Jesus of Nazareth, whom they held accursed ? And yet, 
 if this proselyte baptism were adopted by the Jews since 
 the time of Christ, it must have been a mere innovation 
 in imitation of Christians, which is not very likely."* 
 
 Pirie. "The infants of proselytes were also baptized 
 both male and female." To prove this statement, Pirie 
 brings forward passages from the writings of the Jews — 
 the gemara, the Glosse, and the celebrated Jew, Maimo- 
 nides. " Says the gemara ; They baptize the little proselyte: 
 and the Glosse adds, that the rulers of the consistory take 
 care of it. So also Maimonides ; They baptize the in- 
 fant, or little stranger J^i See the following also from 
 
 Maimonides. ** In all ages whensoever any gentile 
 was willing to enter into the covenant, and to be gathered 
 under the wings of the Shechinah, and to undertake the 
 yoke of the law, he was bound to have circumcision, and 
 baptism, and a peace offering ; and if it vi^ere a woman, 
 baptism and sacrifice. Baptism was in the desert before 
 the giving of the law. If an Israelite take a gentile child, 
 or find a gentile infant, and baptize him in the name of 
 a proselyte, behold, he is a proselyte. "f 
 
 Talmud of Babylon. (A book highly valued by the 
 Jews.) "Any male child of a proselyte, under the age 
 of thirteen years and a day, and any female, under the age 
 of twelve years and a day, was baptized as an infant, at 
 the request, and by the assent of the father, or the autho- 
 rity of the council. "| 
 
 * Dr. Rees' New Cyclopaedia, in article Baptism. 
 
 t Pirie's Dissertation on Baptism, pages 101, 102, 103. 
 
 i^ As quoted by Fisher and others. 
 
34 
 
 Calmet. " The Jews require three things in a com- 
 plete proselyte, baptism, circumcision, and sacrifice ; but 
 for women, only baptism and sacrifice. Baptism was 
 never repeated, neither in the person of the parent prose- 
 lyte, nor in that of his children."* 
 
 American EncyclopcBdia. ** It was the practice in the 
 Jewish church, long before Christ's time to baptize pro- 
 selytes, as a part of the ceremony of their admission."! 
 
 Jahn, *' Proselytes were united with the great body of 
 the Jewish people, not only by circumcision, but by bap- 
 tism also. The Jews assert, that the baptism of prose- 
 lytes, which has now been spoken of, is mentioned in Ex- 
 odus xix. 10, 14, and xxiv. 8." J 
 
 Henry. ** They readily apprehended baptism to be fitly 
 used as a sacred rite or ceremony, for the Jewish church 
 had always used it with circumcision in the admission of 
 proselytes, to signify the cleansing of them from the pollu- 
 tions of their former state. That sign was made use of 
 in the Christian church, that it might be the more passa- 
 ble. They expected it would be used in the days of the 
 Messiah, because it was promised that then there should 
 be a fountain opened, (Zechariah xiii. 1.) and clean wa- 
 ter sprinkled. (Ezekiel xxxvi. 25.)"§ 
 
 Dr, Scott, "It became customary in the Jewish 
 church to baptize those who were proselyted to their reli- 
 gion from the gentiles, both male and female as well as 
 to circumcise the males : this denoted, that they deemed 
 them unclean in themselves, and not meet to join the 
 congregation of the Lord, till they were washed from the 
 filthiness of their gentile state. The prophets also often 
 alluded to this emblem of the soul's being cleansed from 
 sin."|| 
 
 Dr. Adam Clarke. " The apostles knew well that the 
 Jews not only circumcised the children of proselytes, 
 but also baptized them. The children and even infants 
 of proselytes, were baptized among the Jews. They were 
 
 *Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, in article Proselyte, 
 t American Encyclopaedia, in article Baptism. 
 X Jahn's Biblical Archaeology, Section 325. 
 ^ Henry's Comment, on John i. 25. 
 {j Comment, on Matthew Ui, 6, 
 
OF THM V- X 
 
 in consequence reputed clean, and partaKfe^fjrfihe bIesl^\Si**^ 
 ings of the covenant.''* — ^ 
 
 John Brown, " If males, they were circumcised, and 
 then baptized, and then presented their oblation to the 
 Lord. Their females were baptized, and then they offer- 
 ed their oblation. No boys under thirteen years of age, 
 or girls under twelve, were admitted without the consent 
 of their parents, or, if these refused, without the consent 
 of the judges of the place. "f 
 
 Dr. William Brown. "If the head of a family was 
 baptized, the infants were baptized at the same time. It 
 was a matter of course in the baptism of houses. The 
 females were received by baptism and sacrifice. "J 
 
 Dr. Witsius. " When a gentile became a proselyte 
 of righteousness, three ceremonies were used, circumci- 
 sion, baptism, and sacrifice. But we are specially to ob- 
 serve, that even little children were baptized, generally at 
 the same time with their parents. For thus it is said in 
 Talmud Babylon ; They baptize the little young prose' 
 lyte. They make the first practice of this baptism to be 
 very ancient. Some ascribe it to the patriarch Jacob, 
 when he received into his family and domestic church the 
 Shechemite young women, and other gentiles, who resided 
 with him. Others derive the first testimony, or practice, 
 of this baptism, from what is said to Moses, Exodus xix. 
 10 ; " Go unto the people, and sanctify them," &/C.§ 
 
 Dr. Pridcaux. " The Jews are remarked in our Sa- 
 viour's time to have been very sedulous to convert to their 
 religion ; and when any were thus proselyted, they were 
 initiated by baptism, sacrifice, and circumcision. "|| 
 
 Robinson. "According to the Rabbins, these prose- 
 lytes, by means of circumcision, baptism, and an offer- 
 ing, obtained the rights and privileges of Jewish citizen- 
 ship."M 
 
 Dr. Doddridge. " When proselytes came over to the 
 
 * Comment, on Matthew xxviii. 19. 
 
 t Dictionary of the Bible, in article Proselyte. 
 
 t Antiquities of the Jews, Vol. i. pages 629, 630. 
 
 § Economy of the Covenants, Vol. iii. pages 384, 385, 386. 
 
 II Connexions of the Old and New Testaments, Vol, iii. page 411. 
 
 IT Robinson's Greek cind English Lexicon. 
 
36 
 
 Jewish religion, the children were baptized with the pa- 
 rents."* 
 
 Dr, Lighffoot. " You see baptism inseparably joined 
 to the circumcision of proselytes. — They baptized, also, 
 young children with their parents."t 
 
 Wilson, Bagwell, and Symson. ** A proselyte was 
 made by the observation of three ceremonies, if a male ; 
 namely, circumcision, washing, and oblation ; but if a 
 female, then by two ; washing and oblation. "| 
 
 Stackhouse. ** The custom of the Jews, in all ages, 
 has been to receive their heathen proselytes by baptism, 
 as well as by sacrifice and circumcision. "§ 
 
 Dr. Wall, " Whenever gentiles were proselyted to 
 the Jewish religion, they were initiated by circumcision, 
 the offering of sacrifice, and baptism. They were all 
 baptized, males and females, adults and infants. This 
 was their constant practice, from the time of Moses to 
 that of our Saviour, and from that period to the present 
 day." II 
 
 I know that proselyte baptism, like other facts has been 
 disbelieved and opposed. It lays directly against the be- 
 lief of those who reject infant baptism, and they oppose 
 it. Robinson, the baptist, tells us, in his history of bap- 
 tism, that ** the learned and laborious Dr. Benson," once 
 believed in the existence of proselyte baptism. " But on 
 further examination, he saw reason to doubt that fact, and 
 like a generous investigator of truth, as he was, he pro- 
 posed his difficulties with a view to excite a further in- 
 quiry." And while he is doubting the fact, and would 
 excite further inquiry, it is highly proper that I should 
 present him as another witness on our side of the question ; 
 not because he doubts the truth of it, but because he 
 says, " that he could not answer all that Dr. Wall and 
 Mr. Emlyn had said, in support of proselyte baptism."!] 
 This is confessed by Robinson, while he is so opposed 
 
 ♦Lectures, Proposition 154, sect. 1. 
 
 t In Lightfoot's Horse Hebraicse on Matthew iii. and xxviii. 
 
 I Dictionary of the Bible, compiled by Wilson, Bag^vell, and SjTnson, in 
 article Proselyte. 
 
 § History of the Bible, vol. v., page 286. 
 
 II History of Infant Baptism. Introduction, vol. i. 
 IT Robinson's History, page 43. 
 
37 
 
 to our belief on the subject of baptism, that, to help him- 
 self, he plainly contradicts the word of God, by saying ; 
 " There never was any such ceremony as baptism in 
 practice before the time of John. — Neither was there 
 ever such a rite as Jewish baptism."* The word of God 
 tells us that the Jews were baptized, and that i Cor. 
 they had divers baptisms, as the Greek Testa- x. 1,2. 
 ment reads. This is the contradiction of which Heb. 
 
 I speak. However, I believe that Mr. Robinson ix- 10. 
 sometimes tells the truth, and no one, that is at all ac- 
 quainted with him, will even suspect him of telling any 
 thing more than what is true, in favor of our sentiments. 
 And I am willing to believe him, when he gives the cha- 
 racter of Dr. Benson, by calling him, " a generous inves- 
 tigator of truth — this most excellent critic — ^.the learned 
 and laborious Dr. Benson." But it is worthy of particu- 
 lar notice, that notwithstanding the Doctor's learning and 
 labor, and generous investigation, and most excellent 
 criticism, he confessed that he could not answer all that 
 Dr. Wall and Mr. Emlyn had said in support of proselyte 
 baptism. His testimony, then, is of great weight in our 
 favor. Mr. Robinson also furnishes us with the testimony 
 ofReiskius, whom he calls, " a learned foreigner." 
 
 Reiskius says, Jewish baptism is a solemn rite, in which 
 proselytes of both sexes, in the presence of three creditable 
 witnesses are dipped in water, that being legally clfeansed 
 and regenerated they may enter on the profession of a new 
 religion. f But this definition, says Mr. Robinson, is not 
 true. Let us then hear the testimony of 
 
 Mr. Robinson, " If a Jew bought a pagan minor, or if 
 one were taken in war, it was determined by the wise men, 
 he should dip himself as a proselyte of righteousness. — 
 The mode was immersion. — The proselyte was not to 
 jump in as if he were bathing, but he was to walk in 
 leisurely. A woman was to be conducted by three women, 
 and when notice was given that she was up to the neck 
 in the water, the three judges either withdrawing or 
 turning their backs, she plunged herself once into the 
 water."J This is the way Mr. Robinson takes to get off, 
 
 * Robinson's History, page 36, 45. 
 
 i Ibid, page 46. t Ibid, page 46. 
 
 4 
 
38 
 
 and avoid the pressure of the argument in favor of pro- 
 selyte baptism — the pagan minors and others plunge them- 
 selves, he says. But he does not tell us how every pagan 
 minor could plunge himself, or whether every one that 
 could had courage to do it. And I feel a little interest 
 to know, how the infant could plunge himself; for many 
 of the minors were infants. 
 
 It may be said that some learned men have doubted the 
 existence of proselyte baptism. But the doubts of learned 
 men are not so weighty, as to put down all the positive 
 evidence of their equally learned brethren. Indeed, if 
 we only give scope to these doubts, they \fill destroy 
 themselves. For the practice of proselyte baptism would 
 not have been mentioned, as a fact, as it is acknowledged 
 to be, in the Jewish writings, unless it were so. For 
 every Jew would know that it was a falsehood. Those, 
 therefore, who doubt its existence before the time of 
 Christ, must suppose that it was introduced at some pe- 
 riod since. But at every period since, Christ, and Chris- 
 tians, and Christian ordinances, have been held in utter 
 contempt, by the unbelieving Jews. Nothing then is 
 more unlikely, from the very nature of the case, than 
 that the Jews, with all their contemptuous feelings towards 
 Christ, and his people, and his ordinances, should take a 
 Christian ordinance, and acknowledge it as theirs, and 
 imitate Christians in attending to it. Their aversion, to 
 such a course, would be as great as to death itself Yea, we 
 may believe that they would sooner die than do it, for the 
 history of their character justifies us in this belief. The 
 Jews, generally, have not believed in Christ, as the true 
 Messiah; but have regarded him as an impostor, and 
 held him accursed. 
 
 As to the silence of certain Jewish writers, on the sub- 
 ject of proselyte baptism, it is not at all strange. For as the 
 practice was common, and neither doubted nor opposed by 
 any one, there was but little more occasion for mentioning 
 it, in their writings, generally , than for mentioning the prac- 
 tice of eating and drinking. "For almost two thousand years, 
 from Abraham to John Baptist, we have not one instance 
 of the circumcision of an infant on the eighth day. ' Will 
 it therefore follow, that no infants were circumcised, or 
 none on the eighth day, all that time? There is no in- 
 
39 
 
 stance of baptism in the churches of Antioch, Iconium, 
 Rome, or Thessalonica.' Were none of their numbers 
 baptized ? It is not common for historians to give parti- 
 cular instances of that which is altogether common ?"* 
 When persons were proselyted to the Jewish religion, it 
 was implied, as a matter of course, that they were baptized, 
 parents and children, according to the usual custom. 
 This is a sufficient reason why Josephus should not men- 
 tion proselyte baptism, particularly in his account of the 
 proselyting of the Idumeans by Hyrcanus. 
 
 Where proselyte baptism is particularly mentioned, in 
 the Jewish writings, there is most reason for it. It is 
 mentioned among certain laws, and institutions, which 
 were in common use, which the Jews felt themselves 
 bound to observe ; which had come down, and been per- 
 petuated, from generation to generation, by tradition, 
 aided by the living power of practice, and which were put 
 to writing, because the Jews became more and more scat- 
 tered, and broken, and the number of their wise men 
 less, so that they were in greater danger of losing some- 
 thing of the valuable instruction. 
 
 And it should be remembered, particularly, that the 
 idea of proselyte baptism agrees with the well known fact, 
 that the Jews, as they were taught, considered all per- 
 sons unclean, who were not in covenant with God. Bap- 
 tism has been chosen, and used of God, to express the 
 necessity of ceremonial, and also of spiritual cleansing, 
 and the method of their accomplishment. The Jews had 
 " divers baptisms ^^^ for themselves, and for others also. 
 And they were, in a wonderful manner, baptized by God 
 himself, on a special occasion of entering anew into cove- 
 nant with him ; and therefore it would be natural, and 
 reasonable for them to understand, as they say they did, 
 that the duty of proselyte baptism was implied and 
 taught, in their scriptures. And we can see, in view of 
 all that has been said, that there is evidence enough to 
 satisfy any man, that the Jews did practise proselyte bap- 
 tism, even the baptism of parents and their infants. And 
 even Mr. Judson has acknowledged, that the argument 
 has some force, in favor of the application of Christian 
 
 * Brown's Divinity^ page 539. 
 
40 
 
 baptism to infants. His words are these. " This argu- 
 ment would have some force, were there any sufficient 
 evidence, that the Jews, in the time of Christ, or in any 
 preceding age, admitted proselytes by baptism. But of 
 this, no evidence has been produced." He further says, 
 "on the supposition, that the command of Christ to teach 
 did not limit his subsequent command to such as were 
 taught, it is doubtless fair reasoning, that, when Christ, 
 in general terms, commanded his apostles to baptize, he 
 must have intended, and they must have understood him 
 to intend, that kind of baptism to which they had been 
 accustomed. So far," says Mr. Judson, *' the argument 
 is good."* I will therefore close this head in the words 
 of Dr. Doddridge ; " Now, as when proselytes came over 
 to the Jewish religion, the children were baptized with 
 the parents, the apostles would naturally conclude, that 
 children were included in the general commission, " Go 
 ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost."t 
 
 20. Infants were proselyted to Christ, in the age of the 
 apostles. 
 
 Justin Martyr, who wrote about forty years after the 
 apostolic age, says ; " Several persons among us, some 
 sixty and some seventy years old, were made proselytes 
 "to Christ in their infancy " — were made proselytes, &c.f 
 Here Justin uses the same Greek word that is used in the 
 commission Christ gave his ^.^o^iles, proselyte all nations, 
 baptizing them. And the apostles were doubtless obe- 
 dient to the commission of their Lord, and baptized the 
 proselytes. And according to the testimony of the holy 
 martyr, Justin, infants were made proselytes to Christ, in 
 the apostolic age. He uses the same Greek word to de- 
 signate their age, when proselyted, that is applied to the 
 infants, who were brought to Christ, and taken in his 
 arms, and bles*sed.§ 
 
 * Judson's Sermoii; page 32. 
 
 t Lectures, Proposition 154. 
 
 X Dr. Wilson, in Ridgley's Body of Divinity, vol. 4, page 209, 
 
 $ Dr. Woods' Lectures, page 107. 
 
41 
 
 21. It is evident, from the silence of the Jews, that the 
 apostles did not teach them that the covenant connexion 
 between them and their children, was broken and done 
 away. 
 
 When circumcision was set aside, its abolition had 
 respect equally to persons of every age. But the Jews 
 were unwilling to relinquish it, though no more so, in the 
 case of their children, than in that of the gen- Acts 
 
 tile converts, who enjoyed another token of xv. 7. 
 their covenant relation. This relation, after the time of 
 our Saviour, as much as ever, was marked with a religious 
 rite, though the rite was different. Circumcision was set 
 aside, and baptism was used. With this in view, would 
 the Jews have been silent, if their own children had been 
 denied the religious rite, marking the covenant relation 
 of the gentile converts ? Especially, would they who con- 
 tended even for the token of the covenant relation, be 
 silent, if they were taught that the covenant relation 
 itself was broken? But the whole multitude of the Jews 
 were silent, and made no complaint about the covenant 
 relation of their children, when it was publicly decided, 
 and declared, by the apostles and elders, that circumci- 
 sion was not to be practised. And they remained so. 
 Though they highly valued the relation, yet no complaint, 
 that it was dissolved, is heard, at any time, from any one 
 of all the thousands of the Jews. This fact shows, that 
 the Jews were not taught, that their children were no 
 no longer connected with them in holy covenant. For 
 silence, from them, in such a case, would be contrary to 
 their known constitution, and habits of thinking, feeling, 
 and acting ; and also contrary to the very nature of the case, 
 and the views which the scriptures inculcated, and the Jews 
 entertained. They were of an unyielding, sanguine, vio- 
 lent temperament. Hence, had the apostles taught them 
 that the covenant relation, which had so long existed, and 
 was so dear to them, was broken, they would not have 
 been silent. In such a case, we might as justly expect 
 that they would complain, as that the forests will wave, 
 and the leaves rustle in a hurricane ; or that the sea will 
 roar, and the waves beat in a tempest. The connexion 
 between cause and effect, is the same in both cases. The 
 only just conclusion then, is, that the Jews were not 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 taught, that the covenant connexion between them and 
 their children was dissolved. And this explains the rea- 
 son why the change of the token, respecting their chil- 
 dren, affected the Jews no more unpleasantly, than re- 
 specting the gentile converts. But it was no more neces- 
 sary in one case, than the other, to mention, particularly, 
 that baptism took the place of circumcision. For as the 
 covenant connexion of the gentile converts was now 
 marked with a religious rite, though different, so would 
 the Jews at once conclude, that the covenant connexion 
 of their children would also be marked with a religious 
 rite, though different. 
 
 22. Baptism accords better with the state of infancy 
 than circumcision, and certainly may profit infants as 
 much. 
 
 They are not capable of understanding either, dit the 
 time of their infancy, any better than they can under- 
 stand many other things that are done for them ; neither 
 was it the design of God that they should. But they are 
 more capable of baptism, because it is not a painful rite, 
 but is perfectly pleasant and easy of application. Each 
 rite has met with this objection ; What good will it do ? 
 or, in other words ; What profit is there in it ? And the 
 answer is ; *' Much every way." This is the answer 
 Rom. Saint Paul gave to the objection, ** What pro- 
 
 iii. 1- fit is there of circumcision ?" And the same 
 
 answer may be given to the same objection against bap- 
 tism. Infant baptism may accord as well with God's be- 
 nevolent* design in covenanting with infants, as ever 
 circumcision did. Infant baptism occupies such a place 
 in the Christian system, that, in its connexions, and con- 
 sequences, it takes fast hold on eternity, and the salvation 
 of souls. But there are persons who know and care but 
 little, about this interesting subject ; and they realize but 
 little of its benefits. There are others, whose only care 
 concerning it is, to object and oppose ; and if they should 
 realize nothing of its benefits, it would not be strange, 
 neither would it be any valid objection against infant 
 baptism. The objection might as well be brought against 
 the Gospel of Christ. 
 
 * See God's design in covenanting with infants, illustrated under head 13. 
 
43 
 
 23. The continuance of the established religious con- 
 nexion between parents and children, is taught, in the 
 following passages. " I have been young and Psaims 
 now am old : yet have I not seen the righteous xxxviL 
 forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is 25,26. 
 ever merciful, and lendeth ; and his seed is bless- 
 ed. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord ; — cxii. 1, 2. 
 His seed shall be mighty upon earth : the gene- 
 ration of the upright shall be blessed. The pro^r. 
 just man walketh in his integrity ; his children xx. 7. 
 are blessed after him. I will pour water upon isaiah 
 him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry xliv.3,4, 5. 
 ground ; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my 
 blessing upon thine offspring : and they shall spring up 
 as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One 
 shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call himself 
 by the name of Jacob : and another shall subscribe with 
 his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the 
 name of Israel. They shall not labor in vain, isaial> 
 nor bring forth for trouble ; for they are the seed Ixv. 23. 
 of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring 
 
 with them. And I will give them one heart, and Jeremiah 
 one way, that they may fear me forever, for the xxxii. 39. 
 good of them, and of their children after them. 
 They shall live with their children. He shall Zech. 
 turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and ac. 9. 
 
 the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I Ma}achi 
 come and smite the earth with a curse." The i^- 6- 
 existence of this religious connexion, betweert parents 
 and children, was the reason why the token of it was ap- 
 plied to them, from Abraham to Christ and the same rea- 
 son exists now, good, and strong as ever. 
 
 24. The religious connexion, or covenant relation, is 
 continued, according to these passages, also — **• Else were 
 your children unclean ; but now are they holy. i Qot. 
 They are beloved for the /flf^/icrs' sakes. If the vii. 14. 
 root be holy, so are the branches. If the son of ^°^* 
 peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it ; if ver! W. 
 not, it shall turn to you again. And Jesus said Lukex.6. 
 unto him. This day is salvation come to this ^^^' ^' 
 house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham ;'* that is 
 a son of Abraham by faith — a believer, therefore, salva- 
 
44 
 
 lion came to his house or family. Here the religious 
 connexion, between believers and their families, is clearly 
 brought to view, as continued and blessed, because in this 
 way, Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. 
 " For the son of man is come to seek and to save that 
 which was lost." 
 
 25. The duty, and privilege, of bringing children to 
 Christ, publicly, for his blessing and a token of his favor, 
 is plainlv taught, — in Matthew 19th, Mark 10th, and 
 Luke 18th. 
 
 There we are told that infants were brought to Christ, 
 that he should put his hands on them and pray, and his 
 disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when 
 Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them. 
 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid 
 them not : for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 I do not mean to intimate that Christ baptized these 
 infants, for he did not baptize any one himself, and Chris- 
 tian baptism, at this time was not instituted, — this may 
 be the only reason why the infants were not baptized, if 
 they were not. But Christ's treatment of these infants, is 
 full of tenderness and instruction — and the instruction is 
 for us, and the tenderness for our imitation. It is as ap- 
 plicable to us, as other parts of the New Testament are. 
 Christ gave the infants a most expressive token of his fa- 
 vor, and asserted their connexion with his church, which 
 is his kingdom on earth. The token he gave them, was 
 the usual sign of conveying the Spirit, or spiritual bless- 
 ings ; and by his use of it, he shows us, that such a token 
 is proper for infants, and that they are the proper subjects 
 of spiritual blessings; and enforces the- duty, and privi- 
 lege, of bringing them to him publicly, for his blessing, 
 and a token of his favor. But how shall the duty of bring- 
 ing them to Christ, publicly, be performed 1 In what way ? 
 How can they be brought to him, since he has left the 
 world ? And how can his disciples forbid them to come 1 
 Christ is present on earth, though he does not here taber- 
 nacle in the flesh, as he once did : and children may be 
 Matthew brought to him now, as well as ever. In his 
 xviii.20. churches, with his ministers, and people, he is 
 ]?saim^' specially present, according to his word. And 
 lxxxvii.2. there is administered an established token of his 
 
45 
 
 favor, which is baptism. There too, believers bring 
 their children, for his blessing, and the token of his fa- 
 vor, and are not disappointed. But in what other way 
 can children be publicly brought to Christ, according to 
 the duty enforced 1 In what other way have his disciples 
 suffered them to come, or forbidden them ? And in what 
 other way was there any danger that children would be 
 forbidden to come to Christ? Surely not in ^private way, 
 giving them up in the heart. For in this way, the disci- 
 ples of Christ could not, and would not forbid children 
 to come to him ; and there was no danger of their doing 
 it. And the words of Christ are not applied to such a 
 case, in which there was no need of them. But his words 
 were needed. For believers, ever since his day, have 
 felt it to be a duty, and a privilege, to dedicate their 
 infants to him, publicly, in baptism. But in this, they 
 have been sometimes opposed by disciples, and even min- 
 isters of Christ. But this is the only way in which the 
 words of Christ are now applicable, or ever have been 
 since his time. If we confine his words to people in his 
 time, we may as well confine a great part, if not all, of the 
 New Testament, in the same manner; and consider it 
 not applicable to others. But Christ speaks to us, as well 
 as to others, when he says, " Suffer little children to 
 come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the 
 kingdon of heaven." 
 
 Observe the reason why they should be suffered to 
 come, and not forbidden — it is this ; " For of such is the 
 kingdom of heaven " — that is, they are still in covenant 
 with God, and connected with his church, as much as ever. 
 This is their right, and privilege, which they long enjoy- 
 ed, and which Christ, when he came, did not take from 
 them, but continued and blessed, and, therefore, it is theirs 
 still — theirs is the privilege of a connexion with the 
 church, in covenant, which is rich with blessings — theirs 
 is the kingdom of heaven. And the church is the king- 
 dom of heaven, as the kingdom of Christ, on earth. And 
 if the infants of believers are still connected with the 
 church or kingdom of Christ, in covenant — if "of such 
 is the kingdom of heaven, ^^ this is a good reason why they 
 should be suffered to come to him, and receive the estab- 
 lished token of such a connexion ; for it is the King's mark, 
 
46 
 
 and belongs to those of his kingdom. They have there- 
 fore a right to it, which Christ has not denied, but ac- 
 knowledged, and established. 
 
 Some however suppose, that Christ, when he says, 
 ^' Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them 
 not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven ; means, suffer 
 them to come, because 'others, like them, are of the king- 
 dom of heaven. But what reason would this be, why 
 they should come, because others^ like them, are of the 
 kingdom of heaven ? This reason would be as strong in 
 favor of bringing lambs and doves to Christ ; for Chris- 
 tians, are like them. Christ never reasoned at this rate. 
 But the privileges, and blessings, of a religious, covenant 
 connexion, with the church, or kingdom of God, belongs 
 to the infants of believers. This connexion is now mark- 
 ed with the rite of baptism — the King's mark — the mark 
 of those of his kingdom, 
 
 26. Infant baptism would have been a plain duty, if 
 Christ and the apostles had said less than they have, in 
 relation to this subject. 
 
 What one apostle has said, in the fourth chapter of 
 Romans, and the third of Galatians, taken in connexion 
 with the Old Testament, is enough to show, that infant 
 baptism is a plain duty. For in these chapters, we are 
 informed of the continuance of the covenant which God 
 made with Abraham, and sealed with the sign of circum- 
 cision, — we are here taught, that, as Abraham believed in 
 God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness, so 
 the faith of all other believers, is counted to them for 
 righteousness, — that Abraham was constituted the father 
 of all them that believe, and they are his spiritual 
 children, and blessed with him, according to God's cove- 
 nant of promise, " To be a God unto him and to his 
 seed." And all such, are brought into that covenant 
 relation to God, in which Abraham stood, so that he is 
 their God, as well as the God of Abraham. This shows 
 that infant baptism is a duty. For the token of Abra- 
 ham's covenant relation to God, was applied to his infants ; 
 and those who are in the same covenant relation, should 
 apply the token of it to their infants, unless God has told 
 them not to do it. For the continuance of the same cov- 
 enant relation, implies the same duty, in applying the 
 
47 
 
 token of that relation. And if the token is changed, and 
 is not confined to those who stand in the covenant rela- 
 tion of Abraham — if it is not forbidden to their infants, 
 they have no right to withhold it from them. And God 
 has not forbidden that the token of his covenant should 
 be applied to the children of believers. But on the con- 
 trary, all the passages of Scripture, which teach the con- 
 tinuance of the gracious covenant established with Abra- 
 ham and his seed ; and all the passages, which teach the 
 continuance of the religious connexion between believers 
 and their children — all such passages imply the duty Of 
 infant baptism. 
 
 But what if Christ, and the apostles, had been entirely 
 silent upon this subject ? Would silence have broken the 
 long established religious covenant connexion, between 
 believers and their children ? No ; verily. Silence would 
 have left the connexion good, and strong, and its token 
 with it, in full possession of all the authority of God. In- 
 fant baptism then, would have been a plain duty, if 
 Christ, and the apostles had said less than they have, 
 relating to this subject. 
 
 27. The thirty-ninth* verse of the second chapter of 
 Acts, furnishes an argument in favor of infant baptism ; 
 *' For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and 
 to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God 
 shall call." 
 
 What promise ? Not the promise of the miraculous gifts 
 of the Holy Spirit, spoken of by the prophet Joel, and just 
 fulfilled. This promise did not extend to all that are 
 afar off, even as many as the Lord should call. The 
 miraculous gifts of the Spirit were confined to the age of 
 the apostles, and were not experienced by Christians after- 
 wards. Besides, when Peter said, the promise is to you, 
 and your children, and to all that are afar off, this was a 
 part of his answer to the question, Men and brethren, 
 what shall we do ? But they might have had the miracu- 
 lous gifts of the Spirit, and yet be lost ; whereas, they 
 inquired, what they should do to be saved. Then said 
 Peter, " Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the 
 name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye 
 shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Here the du- 
 ties of repentance and baptism, are enforced, in these 
 
48 
 
 words ; " For the promise is unto you, and to your chil- 
 dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the 
 Lord our God shall call." But what promise is meant ? 
 A certain promise, that was suited to their inquiry, and 
 the state of their minds, when they were anxious to know 
 what they should do to be saved — A promise, that was so 
 well known and understood, that it need only be called, 
 the 'promise — A promise, that runs to parents, and to their 
 children — to those who were called on the day of Pente- 
 cost, and to their children, and extended in like manner 
 to those who were afar off, when they should be called. 
 
 It is plain, that the promise must be one that was well 
 known by the Jews — one that was frequently mentioned, 
 and clearly brought to view in the scriptures. This is 
 evident from the fact, that Peter thought he need only 
 say, the promise, and he should be well understood, 
 without being more particular. But what promise is thus 
 spoken of, by way of eminence, in the scriptures 1 What 
 promise was so familiar to the Jew s ? So frequently men- 
 tioned, and clearly brought to view in the scriptures, as 
 to be known, at once, by the name, the promise? There 
 is but one in the Bible, that has 'all these marks. It is 
 the great promise of the covenant which God established 
 with Abraham and his seed. • This promise is distinguish- 
 ed by all the marks which I have named. It was suited to 
 the inquiry of the anxious multitude, and to the state of 
 their minds, when they inquired what they should do to 
 be saved ? For the sanctifying, and comforting influences 
 of the Spirit, and all things needful, were contained in 
 the great promise of the covenant, which God established 
 with Abraham. It was also well known and understood, 
 by the name, the promise ; for it is frequently so called in 
 scripture. This promise, also runs to parents, and to 
 their children — to those who were called on the day of 
 Pentecost, and to their children, and extended in like 
 manner to those who were afar off, when they should be 
 called. 
 
 Moreover, when the covenant of promise was estab- 
 lished with Abraham and his seed, for an everlasting 
 covenant, and sealed with circumcision, this was the rea- 
 son why circumcision, the seal or token of the covenant, 
 was applied to him, and to his children, and to others in 
 
49 
 
 like manner, when it was extended to them. By the 
 same reason, Peter urges the duty of baptism. " Be bap- 
 tized," — be says — *' For the promise is unto you and your 
 children, fcc. The same reason is here presented for 
 applying the new token, which was the reason for apply- 
 ing the old one — the same reason for baptism^ which had 
 always been the reason for circumcision. 
 
 The reason here urged in favor of baptism, is this ; 
 *^ The promise is to you and to your children." This reason 
 holds equally good with respect to all to whom the pro- 
 mise is made. It is made to you and to your children. 
 It is therefore as good a reason for baptizing the children, 
 as the parents, whatever promise is intended. Some, 
 however, suppose that not their infant offspring, but their 
 adult posterity is meant, by children. But Peter makes 
 a distinction between adults and children. He says to 
 the adults, capable of understanding him, " The promise 
 is to yoM." This he says to the adult offspring, as well as 
 others; he adds, the promise 2s to your children. It is to them 
 noio. This is very different from saying, it shall he to 
 them, when they are grown to years of discretion, and 
 become penitent. Besides, what reason for mentioning 
 the children in this manner, if they had no connexion 
 with their parents, with respect to the promise 1 But there 
 is the most evident propriety in this, if they were still con- 
 nected with their parents in covenant, as they had been 
 for thousands of years before. 
 
 28. The baptism of the household of Lydia, is an un- 
 questionable example, for baptizing families, on account of 
 the faith of the heads of the familie? . 
 
 By an unquestionable example, I do not mean one that 
 was never doubted, for there is no truth in the Bible but 
 what has been doubted. But I mean, an example sup- 
 ported by clear evidence. I am not at all anxious to know, 
 whether Lydia had any infants, or not : for if others, un- 
 der her care, were baptized, on account of her faith ; the 
 infants of believers may as well be baptized, on account 
 of their parents^ faith. And the evidence is clear and 
 strong, that all the household of Lydia were not believers, 
 and baptized on their own faith. 
 
 The word. household is used not less than fifty-six times 
 in scripture, and it is uniformly used in the sense in 
 5 
 
50 
 
 which we use the word family. The word household 
 then, includes young children, as much as the word fami- 
 ly. And there are, probably, three families that have 
 young children in them, to one that has none ; so that 
 from this circumstance, there is three times as much pro- 
 bability, that there were young children in Lydia's house- 
 hold, as that there were not. 
 
 The baptism of her household is mentioned, but if they 
 had believed also, their faith would have been so much 
 more important and interesting, in itself, that the inspir- 
 ed writer would have been much more likely to mention 
 their faith than their baptism. 
 
 It is particularly mentioned, that Lydia heard the apos- 
 tles, and that the Lord opened her heart ; but if her 
 household also had all heard and embraced the gospel at 
 the same time, and under the influence of the same dis- 
 course, this would have been a very wonderful and un- 
 common event, such as I have never met with in any his- 
 tory. And how much more likely would the apostles have 
 been to mention it ? Can we tell ? Yes — just as much 
 more likely, as the conversion of a whole family, at the 
 same time and place, is more uncommon and interesting^, 
 than the conversion of one individual. 
 
 The conversion of a whole family at the same time and 
 place would have been a distinguished monument — an 
 everlasting memorial, to the praise and glory of God, dis- 
 playing the saving power of his word and spirit to all 
 who should afterwards read the Bible, from generation to 
 generation, down to the end of time. So that its impor- 
 tance in this respect would have demanded, that such a 
 remarkable conversion should be mentioned. And as great 
 a demand for it would have been made upon the apostles, 
 by their own devotional feelings. Yea, their love to God 
 and man, and their zeal for the promotion of the cause of 
 Christ, would have constrained them to mention such a 
 remarkable conversion ; so well calculated to honor Christ, 
 and promote his cause. For it would, doubtless, have 
 been the means of awakening and saving many. 
 
 If the whole family of Lydia had been converted, the 
 wisdom and honesty of the apostles would have led them 
 to mention it. What wise and honest man, in giving an 
 account of the conversion of a certain person, and her 
 
51 
 
 whole family , ever gave so poor an account, as to mention 
 only the conversion of one individual 7 A man's wisdom 
 and honesty would both be questioned in such a case, 
 and with justice too. But the apostles were wise, and 
 honest, and pious men. And their wisdom, and honesty, 
 as well as their piety, would certainly have led them to 
 mention what could have been done so easily, and was so 
 remarkable and interesting in itself, and so important to 
 the cause of Christ, and the salvation of men. 
 
 The fact, that Lydia became a Christian, is the ofili/ 
 reason that is given, why she and her household were 
 baptized. But if all her family were believers, their faith 
 was as good a reason for their baptism, as her faith for her 
 baptism. 
 
 If the household of Lydia were converted j and this was 
 the reason of their baptism, the account which is given 
 in scripture, is directly calculated to lead us into error-^ 
 to lead us to mistake the truth. An account better calcu- 
 lated to give us a wrong impression, could not well be 
 made out. This is clearly to be seen, on a moment's 
 consideration. Let any minister, with whose principles 
 we were unacquainted, give us such an account — let him 
 mention that in such a place, a certain woman heard him 
 preach, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended 
 unto the things that were spoken : " And when Actsxvi. 
 she was baptized, and her household, she be- 14, 15. 
 sought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to 
 the Lord, come into my house, and abide there : and she 
 constrained us." What impression should we receive 
 from such an account 1 If we believe it an honest account, 
 we should firmly believe, at once, that the woman, whose 
 conversion was mentioned, was the only believer in the 
 family. We should have no doubt of this. We should 
 not even suspect that we could misunderstand his account. 
 And if he wished to give us a wrong impression, and have 
 us mistake the truth, his account would be a most artful 
 contrivance for the purpose. But the scriptures were not 
 designed, nor contrived^ to lead us into error. We may 
 therefore confidently believe — yea we ought to believe, 
 that Lydia was the only believer, and that her household 
 were baptized on account of her faith. 
 
52 
 
 The argument used by Lydia to persuade the apostles 
 to come into her house, shows that her household were 
 not believers. She says; *'Ifye have judged ;we to be 
 faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide 
 there.' ' But if all her family had been believers, how 
 much more natural, and weighty, would have been the 
 argument; '' If ye have judged us to be faithful unto the 
 Lord, come into our house and abide there !" Indeed, 
 this argument would have been so much more modest and 
 interesting, as w^ell as natural and weighty; that she 
 would not have failed to use it, if all her household had 
 been believers. Moreover, such a believing family would 
 have been very anxious for the company of the apostles, 
 and if they had said little or nothing, the fact that they 
 were all believers, would have exerted a powerful influ- 
 ence, in constraining the apostles to come into the house. 
 But Lydia did the work of constraining them, without 
 any argument drawn from the faithfulness o^ hex family . 
 Her own faithfulness was the argument. If ye have 
 judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, 
 — and she constrained us, says the apostle. 
 
 But it is said, that when Paul and Silas went out of the 
 prison, they entered into the house of Lydia ; and when 
 they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and 
 departed. Paul and Silas then, when they left the prison, 
 found brethren in the house of Lydia. Does not this 
 prove that the household of Lydia, which was baptized, 
 were believers ? Some think it does : but it certainly does 
 not ; for we know of brethren, who were not of the house- 
 hold of Lydia, that would be very likely to be at her 
 Philemon, house. I speak of Luke, Paul's '* fellow laborer,*' 
 24 verse, and of Timotheus, whom Paul took with him to 
 Philippi. Luke, the writer of the history, speaks of him- 
 self as one of those who went to Philippi, and were there 
 certain days, and went to the river's side, and spake unto 
 the women who were there assembled. We did these 
 things, says Luke. Speaking of Lydia, he says, she 
 besought us, and she constrained us. Luke then was 
 one of those, who were besought and constrained to go 
 into the house of Lydia, and abide there, before Paul and 
 Silas were imprisoned. And, at the beginning of the same 
 chapter that gives this account, we are told that Paul 
 
63 
 
 took Timotheus with him. Here then are brethren 
 Luke and Timotheus, who were doubtless anxious about 
 Paul and Silas, and needed to be comforted, and were, 
 no doubt, when Paul and Silas left the prison. And on 
 the next day after Paul and Silas were imprisoned, the 
 house of Lydia would be the most likely place to find 
 Luke and Timotheus, anxious for their brethren, and 
 comforted and joyous on account of their deliverance. 
 
 Besides, if there were any other Christian brethren in 
 the city of Philippi, they, also, must have been anxious, 
 for Paul and Silas, who were suffering by scourging and 
 imprisonment, and glad to meet Luke and Timotheus, at 
 the house of* Lydia, and comforted by the deliverance of 
 Paul and Silas from prison, and their parting address, on 
 leaving the place. Moreover, there were no males in the 
 assembly, when Lydia heard the apostles, and was con- 
 verted. They went out *' and spake unto the women^^ &c. 
 
 The argument then, drawn from the baptism of Lydia 
 and her household, in favor of baptizing the children of 
 believers is not at all embarrassed by the fact, that the 
 apostles found brethren at her house, when they left the 
 prison. 
 
 2D. The baptism of the jailer and his family affords an 
 argument in favor of infant baptise. '* He rejoiced be- 
 lieving in God with all his house." Pond, in his answer 
 to Judson, says ; " If there is any ambiguity in this Eng- 
 lish phrase, there is none in the original. It is there posi- 
 tively determined, and Mr. J. knows it, that the faith and 
 joy which are here expressed, can refer to the jailer 
 onlyy* "But he was baptized and all his. Acts 
 
 straightway." "We learn, in the original Greek, xvi. 33. 
 that not one in his house believed but himself. The fol- 
 lowing is an exact translation ; * And he rejoiced in all his 
 house, he having believed in God.' The Greek partici- 
 ple for believing is in the singular number ; — * he having 
 believed.' Whereas, had one in his house believed be- 
 side himself, the participle must have been in the plural. 
 The adverb, pannoiki, in all his house, stands with, and 
 qualifies the verb rejoiced. Thus it is evident his house 
 or children were baptized on his faith. "f 
 
 * Pond's Treatise, page 87, f Smith's Lecture, page 38, 
 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 " But/' (as Moore, in his reply to Chapin, says,) " if 
 the jailer rejoiced and believed with all his house, it does 
 not follow that they rejoiced and believed with him. But 
 a short time ago, Mr. C. believed, with the people of his 
 charge, that immersion of believers was the only Christian 
 baptism. But 4hey did not believe the same ivith him. 
 He rejoiced with them at the new light which was poured 
 in upon his mind. But they wept with him."* 
 
 We can see very good reason why the jailer should 
 rejoice in his connexion with his family, for the connexion 
 Acts was such that the apostles could say, "Believe 
 
 xvK 31. on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 
 saved, and thy house." And the same precious con- 
 nexion, between the faith of the parent and the salvation 
 of the children, was brought to view by Christ, when he 
 said that salvation came to the family of Zaccheus because 
 of his faith. " This day is salvation come to this house, 
 Luke forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For 
 xix. 9, 10. the Son of man is come to seek and to save that 
 which was lost." It appears that the apostles brought to 
 view, and probably further explained, to the jailer, the 
 gracious connexion between believers and their children — 
 a connexion eminently favorable to their salvation. 
 
 30. In every instance, recorded in scripture, in which 
 the head of a family was baptized at home, his household 
 was baptized also. 
 
 And it is worthy of particular notice, that in the ten 
 instances in which Christian baptism is mentioned, in the 
 New Testament, there are three households. But among 
 all the hundreds and thousands, of instances, in which 
 baptism has been administered by our Baptist brethren, 
 I have found only one in which the head of a family, and 
 the household, we«e baptized. And in this case, it does 
 not appear whether they were all baptized at the same 
 time, or not. 
 
 31. Household dedication corresponds to the best feel- 
 ings of the believer, and increases the ardor of these feel- 
 ings. 
 
 It is when the Christian is nearest to God in prayer, 
 that he feels the most like dedicating his household to 
 
 * Moore's Reply, page 50. 
 
55 
 
 him. And while he reflects upon his responsible con- 
 nexion with his family, it is most encouraging and grate- 
 ful to his feelings to know, that the connexion is such, 
 that Christ could say ; " This day is salvation come to 
 this house, forasmuch as he also is the son of Luke 
 Abraham : for the Son of man is come to seek xix. 9, 10. 
 and to save that which was lost." Believing in God, he 
 rejoices in view of this gracious connexion with his family. 
 And this view of the subject increases the ardor of his 
 devotional feelings. 
 
 32. If children, after Christ came, had been set aside 
 from that relation to his covenant, and church, which 
 they had long enjoyed, parents would not have been so 
 highly favored, respecting their infant offspring, as they 
 used to be. 
 
 But thus to contract their privileges, would have been 
 contrary to the very character, and spirit, of the gospel of 
 Christ. And if his coming had produced this effect, how 
 different it would have been from what parents might ex- 
 pect, from reading where it is written ; *' Their jer. 
 children also shall be as aforetime." *' He shall xxx.20. 
 feed his flock like a shepherd : he shall gather isai. 
 the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his xl. 11. 
 bosom." And if Christ had set children aside from the 
 former privilege of their connexion with his church or 
 kingdom, how different would this have been from any 
 thihg that he did ! Especially, how different would it have 
 been from his conduct when he said ; " Suffer little chil- 
 dren to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such 
 is the kingdom of Heaven." 
 
 Besides, it would be plainly inconsistent, to contract 
 the privileges of believing: parents respecting their infant 
 seed, when their own privileges were enlarged, and as 
 much required of them, respecting their children, as 
 ever. 
 
 33. No ancient writer charges infant baptism with be- 
 ing a new doctrine^ and contrary to the practice of the 
 church. I mean, this has not been done by any writer 
 who lived near the time of the apostles. 
 
 I know it is done by writers who lived ten, or fif- 
 teen hundred years after the apostles. Many, at this 
 distance, as well as at the present time, can very easily 
 
56 
 
 contradict those, who lived near the apostles, and must 
 have known their practice, and also the practice of the 
 churches they planted. But if the churches, planted by 
 the apostles, were near as zealous, and faithful, and as 
 much concerned for apostolic purity of doctrine and 
 practice, as our Baptist brethren ; infant baptism could 
 not have been introduced, without such a violent struggle 
 as would have rent the church asunder. This is plain to 
 be seen and understood. Many and loud voices would 
 have been heard, proclaiming that the doctrine was 
 new, and contrary to the practice of the apostles, and the 
 tffhole church. In such a case, Tertullian would not have 
 been left to stand alone, and oppose the practice of infant 
 baptism by his own opinion only, without pretending that 
 it was unlawful. He could, and ivould have summoned to 
 his aid the opinion and practice of the apostles, and the 
 whole church ; and shown that God was with him, in his 
 opposition to infant baptism. It was practised, as our 
 Baptist brethren acknowledge, within one hundred years 
 after the apostolic age ; that is, in the latter part of the 
 second century. The first century, I call the apostolic 
 age ; for St. John, one of the apostles, lived to be one 
 hundred years old. 
 
 Mr. Judson says, that the practice of infant baptism, 
 " no doubt, commenced in the latter part of the second 
 century."* He calls it, " the most pernicious practice 
 that ever infested and laid waste the vineyard of the 
 Lord.^t Now it was impossible, that the churches plant- 
 ed by the apostles should suffer such a prentice to be 
 introduced, without powerful opposition. 
 
 34. Infant baptism has a saving influence. 
 
 The Christian, and indeed every man, finds it easier 
 to live loosely, and to suffer others under his care to live 
 BO, in proportion as his resolutions and engagements 
 against it 2ire few and secret. Those which are made in 
 secret impose some restraint upon the conscience, and so 
 far regulate the life. But their influence is much greater, 
 when they are made public. Then, every departure from 
 them is noted, and disapproved, and falls under public 
 censure, and is injurious to the cause espoused. For 
 
 * Sermon, pcge 35. t Ibid, pag^e 31 . 
 
57 
 
 make the worst of our world, it does not approve of incon- 
 sistencies, especially in the Christian. This is well 
 known, understood and felt. It is the reason why every 
 judicious man is careful to promise no more than he can 
 well expect to fulfil ; and the reason why some Christians 
 are so backward to make a public profession of religion. 
 But when the Christian devotes himself to God pub- 
 licly, this act will have a great influence, upon all his 
 after life — upon his thoughts, his words, and actions ; and, 
 consequently, promote the glory of God, and the salva- 
 tion of men. The very act of devoting himself to God 
 in public — an act witnessed by heaven, and earth, has a 
 mighty influence in binding him to the service of the 
 Lord, in awakening his piety, and urging him forward 
 to deny himself, and crucify unholy affections, and bring 
 the whole man, body and soul, into subjection to the obe- 
 dience of Christ. And this influence is a saving influence. 
 Many are saved by it. So it is with parents respecting 
 the dedication of their children^ as well as themselves. 
 The influence, in both cases, is a saving influence ; and 
 many are saved by it. Prayer and Christian exhortation, 
 instruction and restraint ; or, in a word, parental Chris' 
 tian faithfulness^ has a saving influence. And infant 
 baptism — a public dedication of children to God, has a 
 saving influence, by holding the Christian to all his paren- 
 tal duties, with a deeper, and more persevering, and 
 prayerful interest. He has publicly vowed to the Lord 
 respecting his children, in particular, and he cannot go 
 back — he must not shrink from the faithful discharge of 
 parental duty. And in proportion to his piety and under- 
 standing of the vow that he has made, he will be faithful, 
 and the inore so, on account of the public dedication 
 of his children to God. Thus, infant baptism has a sav- 
 ing influence, and is vastly important. And by means of 
 it, I have no doubt, that many will be saved from ever- 
 lasting wailings in outer darkness, and with the great 
 multitude of the redeemed, forever shout hosanna to the 
 Son of David. And in proportion as infant baptism, and 
 the duties it implies, and enforces, are better understood, 
 and performed, it will be, what I verily believe God 
 designed it to be, a powerful means of raising up a godly 
 
68 
 
 seed; of urging forward the Millennium; and of great 
 glory to his name forever. 
 
 It may be said, that infant baptism does not always ac- 
 complish such great and happy effects ; I answer, neither 
 does the gospel of Christ. This too, is misunderstood, 
 neglected, and abused; and in many cases, its saving 
 influence is not realized. 
 
 35. It is reasonable, that infants should be publicly de- 
 voted to God. 
 
 Such a devotion of children to God is reasonable, in 
 many respects. But here, my meaning is that it is rea- 
 sonable, because it is a just acknowledgement of many 
 important truths, and because it brings these truths to 
 bear upon the heart, and conscience, and life, in a man- 
 ner which otherwise, they would not. • 
 
 The right, which God has to man and his services, he 
 has clearly revealed in his word and providence. This 
 right should be acknowledged. But who will do it ? The 
 enemies of God will not. But his friends do it, when they 
 publicly devote themselves and children to him. Is not this 
 reasonable ? Should they not acknowledge God's right to 
 the children he has lent them 1 Or should they, in this 
 respect, do as his enemies ; and their children be as the 
 children of the heathen ? Must they act the Christian in 
 private, but the heathen in public ? 
 
 God asserts a special right to the children of those who 
 are in covenant with him. This special right, which 
 God asserts, should also be acknowledged. It is reason- 
 able to do this ? 
 
 God has not only put a difference between the infants 
 of those in covenant with him, and others, by speaking of 
 such infants as his children, in covenant, but by blessing 
 them in this connexion. This difference, which God has 
 made in the bestowment of his blessings, is an important 
 truth, to be remembered with gratitude. And should it 
 not be acknowledged? Is it not reasonable? 
 
 The special obligation of Christians to train up their 
 children for God — to do all they can, as his agents, to 
 secure for him his right in their children — this is a 
 truth ; and is it not reasonable to acknowledge it? 
 
 Real Christians feel a special interest for the spiritual 
 good of their children, and a public expression of it, sup- 
 
69 
 
 ported by correspondent life, does good to others. Is it 
 not reasonable, then, that such a public expression should 
 be given ? 
 
 The special encouragement, which God has given his 
 people respecting their children, is a truth, which should 
 be devoutly embraced, and acknowledged. 
 
 These truths, which God has made public, should be 
 publicly acknowledged. And it ought to be expected 
 that Christians will do it. Who will do it, if they do not ? 
 But what if they do it in secret merely 1 Who knows it 1 
 To keep back the acknowledgement of such truths, is to 
 withhold from God his due. 
 
 Is it not reasonable, that the dedication of children 
 should take such a form , as to awaken the most prayerful 
 interest, and urge, most powerfully, to fidelity in every 
 parental duty 1 But the dedication of children to God in 
 baptism is the only public act, by which the devout Chris- 
 tian can express the interest that he feels, for the spiritual 
 welfare of his beloved offspring. But this expression of his 
 interest — this act — the public dedication of his offspring 
 to God, takes such a form — it has such associations ; and 
 gathers around it such motives, as are most likely to 
 awaken and increase its solicitude, and give life, and 
 perseverance, and a saving power to his prayers and ex- 
 ertions for the spiritual good of his children. And is it 
 not reasonable that this should be done ? 
 
 " Another fact commonly overlooked, will show the 
 reasonableness of dedicating our offspring to God. I refer 
 to the general principle on which the very existence of 
 human society depends. The principle is this. Parents 
 'act for their children in everything which pertains to this 
 life, till they are of sufficient age to act for themselves. 
 Every parent feels that this is reasonable. Every govern- 
 ment, whether Christian or heathen, acknowledges the 
 principle as reasonable, and provides that parents may, 
 and shall thus act for their children. This is approved 
 by the common reason of mankind. Indeed, it is the 
 very basis of human society. Destroy the principle, and 
 a future generation would never arise on the earth. Now, 
 to dedicate our offspring to God, is simply to transfer this 
 principle to religion ; to act for the benefit of our children 
 in moral things, as we do in temporal ones. If the child 
 
60 
 
 were of sufficient age, he would be under obligation to 
 dedicate himself to God. But he is a child ; he is an 
 infant, and incapable of acting for himself in moral 
 things. The parent must therefore act for him. This is 
 certainly reasonable."* 
 
 36. The scriptures teach us, that the church, which 
 puts the token of the covenant upon her children, 
 was precious in the sight of the Lord ; that it was to be 
 continued, and multiplied, and glorified, and her children 
 be as aforetime. 
 
 Jer. XXX. Thus saith the Lord ; " I will multiply them, 
 
 19,20. and they shall not be few; I will also glorify 
 them, and they shall not be small. Their children also 
 shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be 
 established before me, and I will punish all that oppress 
 them." 
 
 The ancient church of God is called his 
 fi|b. iii. house ; that is, his family, in which Moses was 
 ^^j'g ' a faithful servant. " This is he that was in the 
 vii. 38. church in the wilderness." 
 
 It is highly important that we should view this church 
 in a true light, such as the scriptures shed upon it. Let 
 us, therefore, now consider a number of facts, which the 
 scriptures reveal respecting it. 
 
 The ancient church had many wicked people 
 ^x^w! *'* *^- *' ^^^ ""^^ ^^^ wicked God said, what 
 Ixxviii. hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that 
 ^r 37. thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth 1 
 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and 
 they lied unto him with their tongue. For their heart 
 was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his 
 covenant." Thus " some, when they heard, did pro- 
 Ileb. iii. voke : howbeit, not all that came out of Egypt 
 16—19. by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty 
 years ? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose 
 carcasses fell in theAvilderness? And to whom sware he 
 that they should not enter into his rest, but to them 
 that believed not 1 So we see that they could not enter in 
 Rom. because of unbelief" *^ Because of unbelief they 
 
 x\. 20. were broken off." 
 
 * Manuscript Sermon of the Rev. Mr. Rood of Gilmantou. 
 
or THB ^ 
 
 61 |university; 
 
 These passages shew us, that G^ Tfl^frftHf'wc fSS*^* 
 gion of his ancient church. This truth is also taught in 
 the following passages, and many others. " Ye shall be 
 holy ; for I the Lord your God, am holy. And Lev. 
 
 thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine ^^' 2. 
 hearty and with all thy soul, and with all thy Deut. m. 
 might. And these words, I command thee this ' ' * 
 
 day, shall be in thine heart : And thou shalt teach them 
 diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when 
 thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the 
 way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 
 This day the Lord thy God hath commanded Deut. 
 thee to do these statutes and judgments : thou x^vi. 16. 
 shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine hearty and 
 with all thy souL" 
 
 The ancient church professed true religion. 
 
 " All the people answered together, and said, ^^^^ 
 
 All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Thou xix. 8. 
 
 hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, Deut. 
 and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, xxvi. 17. 
 and his commandments, and his judgments, and ?*°^- 
 to hearken unto his voice. ^*^' ' ' 
 
 Many of the ancient church practised true religion. 
 
 " Even in the dark and degenerate days of Elijah," 
 when he complained of Israel, that they had forsaken 
 God's covenant, and thrown down his altars, ^ j^- 
 and slain his prophets— even at such a time, xix. 14. 
 God had reserved to himself seven thousand Rom. 
 
 men, who had not bowed the knee to the image *'• ^* 
 
 of Baal, " in the kingdom of Israel ; besides the numerous 
 people which he had at the same time, in the kingdom 
 of Judah ; the fruits of the extensive and remarkable 
 reformation, under the reign of the pious Jehosaphat.'* 
 
 The ancient church was purchased and redeemed by 
 the blood of Christ. 
 
 ** Remember thy congregation which thou Psalm 
 hast purchased of old, the rod of thine inheri- ^^x'^- 2- 
 tance, which thou hast redeemed ; this mount Zion, 
 wherein thou hast dwelt." There never was any other way 
 to Heaven for fallen man, than that which Christ has 
 opened by his atoning blood. He is the way, the truth, 
 and the life. Neither is there salvation in any other ; 
 6 
 
62 
 
 for there is no other name under heaven, given among 
 men, whereby we can be saved. 
 
 The ancient church was the bride of Christ. 
 Jer. s ^^ Saith the Lord, I am married unto you. 
 
 iii. 14 For thy Maker is thine husband ; the Lord of 
 Isaiah hosts is his name ; and thy Redeemer the Holy 
 
 ^'''•^' One of Israel." 
 
 The ancient church was the ^ocA: of Christ. 
 Psalm He was their shepherd. ** Give ear, O Shepherd 
 ixxx. 1. of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. 
 Tsai. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd ; he shall 
 
 xl. 11. gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them 
 
 in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with 
 young." 
 
 The ancient church was a gospel church. 
 Gal. The gospel was preached to Abraham. And 
 
 "i- 2- the covenant, which he embraced, and by which 
 
 the church in his time was formed, was a gospel covenant, 
 containing a promise of the Saviour whose day Abraham 
 John rejoiced to see, and in the faith of whom, Abra- 
 
 viii. 56. ham and other good people died. ** These all 
 Heb. died in faith, not having received the promises, 
 
 xi. 13. but having seen them afar off, and were per- 
 
 suaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that 
 they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." 
 
 God calls his ancient church a JioIt/ people — a special 
 people — a peculiar people, and declares that he loved 
 them. 
 
 Deut. vii. ^' For thou art a holi/ people unto the Lord 
 
 6, 1, 8. thy God : the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to 
 be a special people unto himself, above all people that are 
 upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love 
 upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in num- 
 ber than any people ; for ye were the fewest of all people ; 
 but because the Lord loved you, and because he would 
 keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers. 
 j^ ,^ For thou art an holi/ people unto the Lord thy 
 
 xiv. 2. God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a pe- 
 Jer.ii.3. culiar people unto himself. Israel was Jwliness 
 Isai. unto the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase. 
 
 xliii.4. I have loved thee. Yea, I have loved thee with 
 Jer. an everlasting love ; therefore with loving kind- 
 
 xxxi. 3. jjggg i^g^yg I drawn thee." 
 
.63 
 
 The ancient church is called the Lord's portion and 
 peculiar treasure. 
 
 " For the hord's portion is his people ; Jacob Deut. 
 
 is the lot of his inheritance. For the Lord hath xx*"- ^^ 
 chosen Jacob unto himself; and Israel for his Psalm 
 peculiar treasure." In view of these things, as cxxxv.4. 
 well as many others that might be named, we can plainly 
 see, that although there were many wicked people in the 
 ancient church, yet there were so many of a different 
 character, that the church W2is precioiis in the sight of the 
 Lord. It was his family. He loved them. They were 
 his portion and peculiar treasure — a holy, special, and 
 peculiar people — the flock and bride of Christ — a gospel 
 church, professing, and many of them practising, true 
 religion, which God required of them. This is the cha- 
 racter which God in his word gives of his ancient church, 
 notwithstanding all the wickedness and wicked men that 
 existed in it. 
 
 I will now show, that, according to the scriptures, this 
 church was to be continued. God declared that he had 
 engraven her upon the palms of his hands, and would 
 never leave nor forsake her, but loved her with an ever- 
 lasting love. And he says, Israel shall blossom isaiah 
 and bud, and fill the face of the world with xxvU.6. 
 fruit. God promised the Redeemer to his ancient 
 Zion, and by him to continue and bless her. 
 " The Bedcemer shall come to Zion, and unto isaiah 
 them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith lix.20,21. 
 the Lord. As for me this is my covenant with Rom. xi. 
 them, saith the Lord j My spirit that is upon ^6, 27. 
 thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall 
 not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy 
 seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the 
 Lord, from henceforth and forever." But the next chapter, 
 the sixtieth of Isaiah, in the most clear and striking man- 
 ner, speaks of the continuance of the ancient church, 
 and the blessings she would receive in consequence of 
 the coming of Christ, the Redeemer. In this chapter, 
 the Lord reveals to his beloved Zion a great increase of 
 ligJity and holiness^ and prosperity and a great addition of 
 converts from the gentiles , till all kings and nations should 
 serve her, or utterly perish. And she should experience 
 
64 
 
 a peace and felicity resembling that of Heaven. The 
 chapter begins thus ; *' Arise, shine ; for tJiy light is 
 come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.^^ 
 
 " For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and 
 gross darkness the people : but the Lord shall arise upon 
 thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gen- 
 tiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the bright- 
 ness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and 
 see : all they gather themselves together, they come to 
 thee : thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters 
 shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow 
 together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged ; be- 
 cause the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto 
 thee, the forces of the gentiles shall come unto thee J ^ 
 
 These things, and others equally precious, were not 
 spoken to another church ; but to the ancient church of 
 God — the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. " The sons 
 Ver. 14; also of them that afflicted thee shall come bend- 
 19, 20. ing unto thee ; and all they that despised thee 
 shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet ; and 
 they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, the Zion of 
 the Holy One of Israel. The sun shall be no more thy 
 light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give 
 light unto thee : but the Lord shall be unto thee an ever- 
 lasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no 
 more go down ; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; 
 for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days 
 of thy mourning shall be ended.'* If God said these 
 things to his ancient church, as he certainly did, and not 
 to another ; and if he meant as he said, then we have 
 . good reason for believing that his ancient church was 
 continued and blessed — a good reason for believing, that 
 it existed after Christ, and converts were added to it from 
 the gentiles, and its privileges, and prosperity increased — 
 the reason is this ; God declared that these things should 
 he done. They are done accordingly. So that whatever 
 difference we may find in the church, at different times, 
 still it is one, and the same in the judgment of God, which 
 is according to truth. Its services, since Christ came, 
 are less bundensome and typical, and its privileges greater. 
 It now enjoys the clearer light of a more glorious dispensa- 
 tion of divine grace. And in this time of her great pro&« 
 
65 
 
 perity, she is called by a new name, according to the pro- 
 phecy of Isaiah : " Thou shalt be called by a isaiah 
 new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall \xii.2, 
 name." Accordingly, we are told, that " the Acts 
 
 disciples were called Christians first at An- ^^•^^• 
 tioch." 
 
 When the Zion of the Holy One of Israel was isaiah 
 on her way to the gospel dispensation, much ix. 14. 
 darkness, and difficulty, and conflict beset her Psalm 
 march. But it was the march to certain victory, ^^iv. 14. 
 and glory ; for God was on her side. And that isaiah 
 she might have strong consolation, her God xlix.16. 
 gave her the exceeding great and precious pro- Jer. 
 
 mises of his everlasting love. She waxed and ^^^- ^• 
 waned like the moon, or, like the sun, she was at times 
 beclouded, and then shone forth in her Creator's glory. But 
 in her darkest days, her God was with her. On one such 
 day, I hear, that Elijah, the prophet, sent forth i Kings 
 his loud lament for Israel, because the prophets xix. 10. 
 of the Lord were slain, and his altars destroyed, Rom. 
 
 ' and he left alone, and his life sought. But what *'• 4- 
 
 saith the answer of God unto him : I have reserved to 
 myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee 
 to the image of Baal. Even in this time of prevailing 
 darkness, then, the Lord had a church on earth, who 
 were Israelites ; to whom pertained the adop- Rom. 
 
 tion, and the glory, and the covenants, and the ix. 4, 5. 
 giving of the law, and the service of God, and the pro- 
 mises ; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concern- 
 ing the flesh, Christ came ; who is over all, God blessed 
 forever. 
 
 At the time of Elijah, and at many other times, the 
 church was very corrupt, and greatly afflicted and depressed. 
 But there were times, when her renown went forth among 
 the heathen for her beauty, for it was a perfect, Ezek. 
 through my comeliness, which I had put upon xvi. 14. 
 thee, saith the Lord God. But when his children 
 forsook his law, and walked not in his command- psalm 
 mentSjhe visited their transgressions with the rod, Ixxxix. 
 and their iniquities with stripes. But his loving 32—36. 
 kindness, he did not utterly take from them, nor suffer his 
 faithfulness to fail. His covenant, the grand charter of 
 6* 
 
6Q 
 
 their privileges, and the foundation of their hopes, conid 
 not fail. He had established it for an everlasting cove- 
 2 Sam. nant. It was well ordered in all things and sure. 
 xxUi. 5. It was confirmed of God in Christ, and could not 
 Gal. be disannulled. Now I say, that Jesus Christ 
 
 111. 17. ^as a minister of the circumcision for the truth 
 
 Rom. of God, to confirm the promises made unto the 
 
 ^^' ^- fathers. He was the messenger of the covenant, 
 
 Mai. iii. in whom his ancient church delighted. Behold 
 he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. And 
 he did come, like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap ; 
 which is designed, not to destroy the web, or the precious 
 metal, but to refine and purify. Thus Christ came, as 
 a refiner, to purify his people, as gold and silver, that their 
 Luke offerings might be more acceptable to God. He 
 
 ii. 32. came, a light to lighten the gentiles, and the 
 
 Luke glory of his people Israel, to perform the mercy 
 
 i- 17. promised unto the fathers, and to remember his 
 
 Psalm holy covenant. He thus appeared in his glory 
 cii. 16. iQ huild up Zion ; and not to demolish her walls, 
 1 Cor. or to lay again her foundation; for other foun- 
 "^- IV dation could not be laid^ than that upon which 
 
 Epbes. the church, before Christ and since, is built, 
 ii. 20. This foundation is the apostles and the prophets, 
 
 Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone : in 
 whom all the building, (his church before his day and 
 since,) fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple 
 in the Lord. 
 
 A person may just as w^ell say, and attempt to prove, 
 that a good man, at different times, is not the same man, 
 as that the church of Christ, before he cam^, and since, 
 is not the same church. The difference in the church 
 is like that of a good man, at different periods. At one 
 time he appears with one dress ; at another time with 
 another. Corruption prevails at one time, and grace at 
 another. His privileges too, at one time, may be much 
 greater than at any former period. But on the whole, 
 his path shineth more and more, unto the perfect day. 
 So it is with the church. At different times, she appears 
 with a different dress. At one time, she is set 
 ixl. forth as clothed in sackcloth; but at another. 
 
67 
 
 as clothed with the sun, and the moon under her Jer. 
 
 feet. At different times, her privileges have '^'•26. 
 been very different, as she has been advancing Rev, 
 
 to the day of millennial glory, and her everlast- **• ^ 
 
 ing triumph. Wickedness has prevailed in the church, 
 more at some times, than at others, and so has faith, 
 purity, and love. At one time, she is backslid- Hosea 
 ing Israel ; and is commanded to return unto xiv. 4, 5. 
 the Lord ; and soon her weeping, and supplica- Isaiah 
 tions are heard ; and she penitently says , "Be- vi. 10. 
 hold, we come unto thee ; for thou art the Lord Jer. 
 
 our God." And he says, " I will heal their back- "»• ^' 
 sliding, I will love them freely ; for mine anger 
 is turned away." 
 
 I will be as the dew unto Israel : he shall Hos. 
 
 grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as xiv. 
 
 Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty 
 shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 
 They that dwell under his shadow shall return ; they 
 shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine." 
 
 Observe particularly, the declaration of God, that his 
 church should spread its branches, and its beauty be as 
 the olive tree. This is a name he gave to his church. " The 
 Lord called thy name, a green olive tree , fair ^ jer. 
 
 and of goodly fruit ^^ says the prophet Jeremiah. xi. 16. 
 
 The church is called by this name, which the Lord be- 
 fore gave it, when it is spoken of in the New Testament 
 by St. Paul. 
 
 He calls the church, " The olive tree ;" and ^^ a good olive 
 tree^' from which the unbelieving Jews were broken off; 
 and into which the believing gentiles were engrafled. 
 The gentiles, from time to time, had been engrafted into 
 this olive tree ; and the Jews, from time to time, were 
 broken off for their wickedness. But when Christ came, 
 and they rejected him, multitudes of them were broken 
 off for their unbelief, and the gentiles, in greater num- 
 bers than before, were engrafted, and partook, with the 
 Jews, of the fatness of the olive tree. Whatever some 
 may think of the Jewish church, it had the richness of 
 the good olive tree. It afforded spiritual nourishment for 
 immortal beings. And the Jews who were broken off. 
 
68 
 
 the apostle tells us, if they continued not in unbelief, 
 should be grafted in. 
 
 Let us hear the Apostle more fully upon the subject. 
 Romxi. "If the root be holy, so are the branches. And 
 16—27. if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, 
 being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, 
 and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the 
 olive tree ; boast not against the branches : But if thou 
 boast, thou bearestnot the root, but the root thee. Thou 
 wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might 
 be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief, they were 
 broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high 
 minded, but fear : For if God spared not the natural 
 branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold, 
 therefore, the goodness and severity of God ; on them 
 which fell, severity ; but toward thee, goodness, if thou 
 continue in his goodness ; otherwise, thou also shalt be 
 cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, 
 shall be grafted in : for God is able to graft them in 
 again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which 
 is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature 
 into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which 
 be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive 
 tree ? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be igno- 
 rant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own 
 conceits,) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, 
 until the fulness of the gentiles be come in. And so all 
 Israel shall be saved ; as it is written, there shall come 
 out of Sion a Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness 
 from Jaoob ; for this is my covenant unto them." 
 
 Here notice, that the Deliverer shall turn away ungod- 
 liness from Jacob, and save Israel. Let me ask, what 
 church will the Jews be brought into, when they are 
 turned from their ungodliness and believe in Christ ? 
 Will they not be brought into the Christian church ? No 
 doubt they will. But at the same time, according to 
 scripture, they will be brought into their own church, 
 from which, for unbelief, they were excluded. But how 
 could they be grafted into their own olive tree, if that tree 
 were destroyed ? — if it did not exist ? How could they 
 be brought into their own churchy if there were no such 
 church ? But they will be brought into their own church 
 
— ^they will be grafted into their own olive tree. This 
 church then — this olive tree, is, and must he continued. 
 And it is J and will be, one, and the same, in the sense of 
 the scriptures. Those things which some make essential 
 to the sameness of the church, God does not. He differs 
 from them in his opinion on this point. He does not 
 consider the things, in which the church differs from 
 what it once was, so great, that it is not one and the same, 
 For he speaks of it as the same, notwithstanding these 
 differences. 
 
 In every period, it has had good men, and bad, within 
 its pale. " Revivals, and declensions ; divisions and 
 sects ; defects, and excellencies ; have existed in it, and 
 been common to it, in all past ages." In every period, 
 the church has worshipped God in the same devotional 
 exercises; and been addressed by him in similar lan- 
 guage, of approbation, and reproof -The songs of the 
 ancient Zion, composed by the sweet Psalmist, of Israel, 
 are the songs of Zion still, and doubtless always will be. 
 The gospel has been preached to the church from the 
 first. She has ever had access to God through Christ, 
 and derived her consolation from him, and his word. 
 True religion has always been required of her — it has 
 also been professed, and by mani/ practised, but never by 
 all. The church is the same building, being built, and 
 resting on the same foundation ; reared by the same 
 hand ; and looking forward to the same high, and holy 
 consummation, in the heavenly world. 
 
 Again. The apostle taught the gentiles, that they 
 were no longer aliens from the commonwealth or church 
 of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise ; 
 but now, says he; "Ye, who sometime were Eph. 
 
 afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ." »• 13. 
 
 And the apostle goes on to state how this union, between 
 Jews and gentiles, took place. Christ, by his sufferings 
 in the flesh, answered the types of the ceremonial law, 
 and set aside those commandments which were so many 
 and burdensome, and to which the Jews were so much 
 attached, and the gentiles so averse, as to be a cause of 
 alienation or enmity, and a wall of partition between 
 them ; and thus Christ made both one. " For Eph. ii. 
 he is our peace, who hath made both one, and 14—16. 
 
70 
 
 hath broken down the middle wall of partition between 
 us ; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the 
 law of commandments contained in ordinances for to 
 make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace ; 
 and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body 
 by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Thus 
 the gentiles were no longer aliens from the common- 
 wealth or church of Israel, and strangers from tho cove- 
 nants of promise, as they had been; for Christ abolished 
 the occasion of enmity, and thus broke down the wall of 
 partition between them ; and made both one. And thus 
 too, the condition of the Jeios, as well as that of the gen- 
 tiles J was so improved by Christ, that it was new. He 
 Ver. 15. did it for this purpose ; ''for to make in himself 
 Ver. of twain one new man, so making peace." 
 
 19—21. " Now, therefore," says the apostle, " ye are no 
 more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the 
 saints, and of the household of God ; and are built upon 
 the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ 
 himself being the chief corner-stone ; in whom all the 
 building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple 
 ^ in the Lord." I add ; God plainly declared, *' That the 
 Eph. gentiles should hQ fellow-heirs, and of the same 
 
 "i- 6. body, and partakers of the promise in Christ, by 
 
 the gospel." The gentiles and Jews then, did long ago 
 become fellow-heirs ; that is, heirs together of the same 
 inheritance, and of the same body. The good olive tree 
 received the gentiles, when they were engrafted, to par- 
 take of its fatness equally with its own natural branches, 
 which were not broken off. 
 
 Let me add one more fact. During all the time that 
 Christ was refining, and purifying, and building up his 
 church ; from the commencement of his public labors to 
 his death, — during all this time, his apostles were mem- 
 bers of the Jewish church : and during this time, and all 
 the time that the apostles labored, there is no account of 
 the formation of another church, distinct from the one 
 that then existed. Those who were converted on the day 
 of Pentecost, were not formed into a new church ; but 
 Acts they were added to the church that then existed, 
 
 ii. 41. f^ There were added unto them about three thou- 
 
 Band souls/' 
 
71 
 
 From what has been said, the evidence is clear and 
 decisive, that the church, before Christ, and since^ is, in 
 the sense of scripture, one and the same church — the 
 same which the Lord called, "J. green olive jer. 
 
 treCy fair^ and of goodly yrwz7"— the same xi. 16. 
 " good olive tree^'' into which the gentiles were engrafted, 
 after Christ finished his labors on the earth. If we keep 
 this in mind, that the church, with all its increase of light 
 and graces, before Christ and since, is one and the same 
 — if we keep this in mind, it will help us greatly in un- 
 derstanding her duties dind privileges ^ at different periods. 
 For every institutiony which God established in hig 
 church, remains, supported by all his authority, till he 
 sets it aside. Every law, he has given his church, is 
 binding, till he repeals it. And every privilege, God has 
 granted to his church, is her's, till he takes it away. 
 
 Now, one institution, which God established in his 
 church, was the connexion of children with their pa- 
 rents in his holy covenant. This institution, he has not 
 set aside. It is then still an established institution of 
 God, which no one has any right to set aside, and which 
 the church has no right to give up. The established 
 covenant connexion itself and the token of it, are two dis- 
 tinct things. Circumcision, the token, has been set 
 aside ; but the covenant connexion itself, has not. There 
 is no evidence of it in the bible. There is evidence that 
 it was made a wrong use of; but no evidence that it was 
 set aside. And how many times need the institution be 
 established, if it is never done away? Is not once 
 enough ? Shall Christians manifest the disposition of 
 Balaam, and require God to speak the seco/zc? time, before 
 they can believe he is in earnest 1 The change of the 
 token, does not alter the covenant relation of children, 
 any more than that of their parents. It does not break 
 or alter the covenant relation in either case. 
 
 Again. One law, which God gave to his church, waff, 
 that the infants, who are included with their parents in 
 covenant, should have its tolcen applied to them — that 
 their covenant relation, and that of iheix parents, should 
 be marked with the same religious rite — that the same 
 rite, by whi^h professing parents were received to the 
 church, should be applied to their children. This law. 
 
72 
 
 God has never repealed, therefore, it is still binding. 
 The authority of God is still engaged to support it. There 
 is no intimation in scripture, that this law is repealed. 
 Neither is there anything in scripture to show, that the 
 new token of the covenant is not as proper ^ and should 
 not be applied to the infants of believers, as much as the 
 old one. I know it is said, that true religion was re- 
 quired of those who were baptized ; and I know also, 
 that true religion was required of those who were circum- 
 cised. In both cases, however, it was required of those 
 who were capable of it. But this requirement did not 
 exclude infants from the kingdom of Heaven, or from a 
 covenant connexion with the church, or the token of such 
 a connexion. 
 
 Once more. God granted his church this privilege ; 
 that their children should be included with them in his 
 holy covenant, and connected with his church, in such a 
 manner, as to give them a right to the token of his cove- 
 nant, and profit them much every way. This privilege, 
 God has never taken away from his church. It is then 
 her privilege still. And why should she doubt or hesi- 
 tate to improve it ? Is it beyond the grasp of her faith, be- 
 cause it is so great 7 Or is it beneath her notice, be- 
 cause it is so small ? God has never taken it from her. 
 Can we then wonder that he does not give it to her again, 
 if he really means that she shall have it ? This privilege 
 is a religious connexion, which God has never broken. 
 Can we then wonder that he does not form it again ? 
 How often should the Lord make the offer of his privi- 
 leges, before they should be received and improved ? Is 
 he so changeable, that we cannot trust him ? Or did he 
 need to tiy the experiment to know whether it would do 
 to have infants sustain a religious connexion with his 
 church 1 
 
 The church of God, we must remember, is one and the 
 same ; and so are the institutions he has established, and 
 not set aside— the laws he has given, and not repealed — 
 the privileges he has granted and not taken away. The 
 church may for a time suffer, and so may the covenant 
 connexion of her children. But who will be the instru- 
 ments of this ? Will the church, of her own 'will, without 
 any direction from God, cut off her children from the 
 
73 
 
 privileges of their covenant connexion, to which God has 
 given them a right which he has not taken away, and by 
 which he designs to bless them ? This connexion be- 
 tween parents and children, in God's holy covenant, is a 
 link in that golden chain which he has let down from 
 Heaven to save a dying world. But some suppose, that 
 long ago, this link was broken and thrown away. But 
 who did it ? The Lord did not do it. Did his church ? 
 O ! if she did, the deed was done somewhere upon her 
 march to the present time ; for she is one and the same 
 church. But where, and when was this deed of cruelty 
 done ? I say deed of cruelty ; for I mean the deed of 
 breaking a connexion by which God intended to save im- 
 mortal beings. And I inquire when, and where it was 
 done ; for the time and place must have been distinctly 
 marked. Then and there, some sentence must have 
 dropped from the lips of God like this ; " The Lam. 
 
 daughter of my people is become cruel like the iv. 3. 
 
 Ostriches in the wilderness." 
 
 But let us return to the tree of the Lord, under whose 
 shadow we may rest with delight. Its leaves are for the 
 healing of the nations. It affords the oil of consolation, 
 and the olive branch of peace. Here, beside th^ good 
 olive, let us reflect, and receive instruction. But, be- 
 hold ! how unlike are its branches ! What disproportion 
 of privileges ! What occasion of alienation, and discord 
 among brethren ! What occasion of envy on the one 
 hand, and pride on the other ! And how imperfect the 
 symmetry of the tree, if some of its branches have their 
 tender sprouts connected with them, and flourish together, 
 while others are stripped of all their tender sprouts, and have 
 nothing left to partake of the fatness of the good olive, 
 but their own naked branches ! What a difference, if 
 the connexion, between the natural branches and their 
 tender sprouts, was formed, and beautified, and glorified ; 
 but in the case of the engrafted branches, never suffered to 
 exist, or broken in its formation ! But this disproportion 
 of privileges between the Jews and gentiles, under the 
 Christian dispensation, is directly, and plainly ' contrary 
 to scripture. The connexion, between the natural branches 
 of the good olive, and their tender sprouts ; or between 
 the Jews and their infant offspring, is good, and strong ; 
 7 , 
 
74 
 
 for God has not broken it. Throughout the tree, the 
 connexion is the same that it always was, even this ; " if 
 the root he holy so are the branches ;" that is ; holy in a 
 covenant sense. And this connexion, in the tree, holds 
 good, with respect to the engrafted branches, as well as 
 the others. Throughout the tree, even to its tender 
 sprouts, the connexion is this ; '^ if the root he holy so 
 are the hranchesJ' And as far as this connexion extends, 
 so far the token of it should extend also. 
 
 37. The arguments and objections brought against in- 
 fant baptism, may, with as much propriety and force, be 
 brought against other truths. 
 
 It is said there is no plain command, declaration, nor 
 example, for baptizing infants. This may be said, for it 
 is true, respecting female com7nunion. There is no plain 
 command, declaration, nor example, for this ordinance. 
 When Christ instituted the sacramental supper, the 
 twelve apostles only were present. I might further illus- 
 trate this point ; but it is needless, for it is a plain case. I 
 have no doubt, however, that female communion is a 
 duty. It may be conclusively proved by a process of 
 reasoning ; but still there is no plain command, declara- 
 tion, nor example for it, in all the bible. 
 
 The same may be said of the Christian sahbath. But 
 still, the evidence is so clear and full that keeping the 
 Christian sabbath is a duty, that the man who denies it 
 gives fearful proof of his infidelity.* Many good people, 
 who do not practise infant baptism, comfort themselves, 
 by saying ; there is no plain command, declaration, nor 
 example for baptizing infants. And the sabbath breaker 
 tries to comfort himself in the same way. And those who 
 do not believe in female communion, may have the same 
 comfort; and they may all be comforted without good 
 reason. But the most powerful argument, used against 
 infant baptisih, is this ; " Believe and be baptized.'^ But 
 the misfortune, attending this argument, is, that it is not 
 found in the bible. It is often mistaken for this passage ; 
 ^' He that helieveth and is baptized shall he saved." But 
 this passage may certainly, as well be brought against the 
 
 * I do not mean by this to call my Baptist brethren infidels, although 
 some of them do not believe in the divine authority of the Christian sab- 
 bath. If this fact is disputed I will furnish the evidence. 
 
75 
 
 salvation of infants, as their baptism. For it is as plain, 
 that persons must believe before they are saved, as it is, 
 that they must believe before they are baptized. But who 
 believes that all infants are lost ? 
 
 It is also objected against infant baptism, that the uni- 
 versal practice of it would do away the practice of the 
 apostles, in baptizing persons after they believed. But 
 when there are so many Christians in the world, that, 
 practising as we do, all the infants are baptized, then, 
 our circumstances will be very different from those of the 
 apostles. And will any say, that we ought not to do dif- 
 ferently from the apostles, when we are in different cir- 
 cumstances from them ? It may as well be said, that we 
 ought to do differently in the same circumstances. For it 
 is as proper to do differently from the apostles, when we 
 are in their circumstances, as it is not to do differently 
 from them, when we are in different circumstances. 
 
 38. It is evident from history, that infant baptism was 
 practised in the time of the apostles, and many hundred 
 years after. 
 
 Hermas, who lived at the same time with St. Paul, and 
 is mentioned by him, (Rom. IQ, 14,) says, 
 
 ''The baptism of water is necessary to all." 
 
 IrencBus says, " Christ came to save all persons, who 
 by him are regenerated (or baptized) unto God ; infants, 
 little ones, youths and elderly persons." ' The ancient 
 Fathers, as customarily used the word regeneration, for 
 baptism, as the church of England now use the word 
 christening. Justin Martyr, speaking of some particular 
 persons who had been baptized, says ; " They were re- 
 generated in the same way of regeneration in which we 
 have been regenerated ; for they are washed loith loater, 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost." " In this short sentence, the word regene- 
 ration or regenerated, is put for baptism, no less than 
 three times." ' The importance which the ancient Fathers 
 attached to baptism, is probably one reason of their using 
 the word regeneration, to signify the same thing. Also 
 they may have been led to this, by the manner in which 
 . Christ, and the apostle Paul speak of baptism. They 
 used a similar language. Christ said to Nicodemus, 
 " Except a man be born again — except he be born of water^ 
 and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
 
76 
 
 God." * By this new birth, Christ evidently had refer- 
 ence to water baptism, as truly, as to the renewing of 
 the Holy Ghost. The apostle Paul calls baptism, ** the 
 washing of regeneration." ' Irenceus expressly calls bap- 
 tism^ regeneration, and says, that infants were regene- 
 rated; that is, baptized. * His testimony is plain and 
 full ; and cannot be doubted by any person acquainted 
 with the phraseology of the Fathers. He mentions not 
 only old persons, and youth; but also little ones, and even 
 infants. This Irenseus was bishop of Lyons, in France. 
 According to Mr. Dodwell, he was born before the death 
 of St. John — was brought up in Asia, where that apostle 
 had lived, and died. He was acquainted with Polycarp, 
 and in his younger years had often heard him preach. 
 Polycarp was John's disciple ; had been chosen by him 
 to be bishop of Smyrna — and was probably that angel of 
 the church so highly commended in the second chapter 
 of Revelation. Irenaeus and those Christians who lived 
 in an age so near the apostles, and in a place where one 
 of them had so lately resided, could not be ignorant — 
 they must have known what the apostolic practice was, 
 with respect to infant baptism — a matter of the most no- 
 torious and public nature.' 
 
 Justin Martyr, * who was born about four, and wrote 
 about forty years after the apostle John,' says, *' We 
 have not received the carnal, but spiritual circumci- 
 sion, by baptism. And it is enjoined, on all persons to 
 receive it in the same way." He here evidently con- 
 siders baptism as being in the place of circumcision, and 
 consequently, like that ancient rite, designed for infants^ 
 as well as for adults.' 
 
 Origen, Avho was born eighty-five years after the apos- 
 tles, says ; " Infants by the usage of the church are bap- 
 tized. — Infants are baptized for the remission of sins. — It 
 is for this reason that infants are baptized, because by 
 the sacrament of baptism our pollution is taken away — 
 the church had a tradition or command from the apostles, 
 to give baptism to infants." * These testimonies of Ori- 
 gen, are full and unequivocal. They put the matter in 
 debate beyond all reasonable doubt, if any credit can be . 
 given to them ; and no reason appears why they should 
 not be credited. It is true they are taken from Latin 
 translations. Origen wrote in the Greek language. But 
 
77 
 
 the fidelity of the translators, and the authenticity of these 
 passages, have been sufficiently vindicated by Dr. Wall, 
 even to the entire satisfaction of all impartial inquirers. 
 None will object but those persons who are disposed to 
 cavil.' Some persons, however, are much displeased to 
 hear us say anything about apostolic tradition. Let us 
 therefore hear what St. Paul says with respect to tradi- 
 tions ; "Therefore, Brethren, stand fast and 2Thes. 
 hold the traditions which ye have been taught, "• 15. 
 whether by word or our epistle. Now we com- 2 Thes. 
 mand you, brethren, in the name of our Lord "'• ^- 
 Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every 
 brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradi- 
 tion which he received of us. Now I praise you, 1 Cor. 
 brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and xi. 2. 
 
 keep the ordinances, (the traditions,) as I delivered them 
 to you." * The apostle was here speaking of Christian 
 ordinances, which he calls traditions. The original word 
 signifies traditions, and is so rendered by our translators 
 in the other forecited passages.' 
 
 *Origen has expressly informed us that infant baptism 
 was practised in his time. With respect to this matter 
 of fact, Origen was certainly a competent witness ; and 
 he had every opportunity and advantage for knowing 
 what had been the practice of the apostles. He was one 
 of the most learned men of the age, — travelled exten- 
 sively — resided for some time in several of the most emi- 
 nent churches ; and spent the greatest part of his life in 
 Syria, and Palestine. His ancestors were Christians for 
 several generations. It is very remarkable that this fact 
 was so accurately ascertained. The occasion was this. 
 Porphyry, a great enemy to Christianity, had repre- 
 sented the Christians as being an ignorant people. But 
 not being able to conceal the repute of Origen, pretended 
 that he had been at first a heathen, aifd learned their phi- 
 losophy. In order to confute this falsehood, Eusebius set 
 forth his Christian descent. He had himself undoubtedly 
 been baptized in his infancy, and must have known the 
 practice of the apostles respecting infant baptism ; for his 
 grandfather, or at least, his great-grandfather, lived in the 
 apostolic times ; and they both were Christians. This is 
 the man who has expressly declared, that infants were 
 7* 
 
78 
 
 baptized in his day ; and that the church was directed, 
 by an order or tradition from the apostles, to baptize them.' 
 
 Tertullian, who lived at the same time with Origen, 
 says " It is most expedient to defer baptism, and to regu- 
 late the administration of it, according to the condition, 
 the disposition, and the age of the persons to be bap- 
 tized ; and especially in the case of little ones. What is 
 there that should compel this innocent age to receive 
 baptism." ' He advises to delay their baptism, not be- 
 cause it was unlawful, for he allows it in case of neces- 
 sity ; but because the sponsors were often brought into a 
 snare, and because he imagined that sins committed 
 after baptism were next to unpardonable. He accor- 
 dingly advises, that unmarried persons be kept from this 
 ordinance, until they either marry, or are confirmed 
 in continence. His advising to a delay, shows that in- 
 fant baptism was 'practised, for otherwise, there would 
 have been no room for advice.' 
 
 Cyprian, and the Council of Carthage. One Fidus 
 proposed to Cyprian, and Cyprian proposed to the Coun- 
 cil, this question, — Whether an infant might be baptized 
 before he was eight days old ? Cyprian, and the whole 
 council of sixty-six ministers, agreed, unanimously, " That 
 an infant might be baptized on the second or third day, 
 or at any time after its birth." In their letter to Fidus, 
 their brother, they say ; '* As to the case of infants, 
 whereas, you judge that they must not be baptized within 
 two, or three days after they are born, and that the law of 
 the ancient circumcision is to be observed, we were all in 
 our assembly of quite a different opinion." The meeting 
 of the Council, by which this was said, was only one hun- 
 dred and fifty 'three years after the apostolic age. 
 
 Clementine Constitutions. " Baptize your infants, 
 and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of 
 God." 
 
 Questions and Answers to the Orthodox, * In this 
 celebrated work, which is ascribed to Justin Martyr, 
 there are' ^* inquiries into the different states of those 
 children, at the general resurrection, who were and who 
 2vere not baptized.'^ 
 
 Apostolic Constitutions. ' In this very ancient, though 
 not inspired book,' " there is express mention of infant 
 baptism as commanded by Christ." 
 
79 
 
 Jerome, Gregory, Ambrose, and Chrysostom, all wrote 
 between two hundred dind Jifty, and two hundred and sev' 
 enty-four years after the apostolic age. Jerome says " If 
 infants be not baptized, the sin of omitting their baptism 
 is laid to the parents^ charge." Gregory observes, 
 that " Infants should be baptized to consecrate them to 
 Christ in their infancy." Ambrose declares, ** The bap- 
 tism of infants was the practice of the apostles, and has 
 ever been in the church till this time." Chrysostom 
 says ; " Persons may be baptized, either in their infancy, 
 in middle age, or in old age." 
 
 Augustine, (or Austin, as he is sometimes called,) about 
 two hundred and eighty years after the apostles, asserted in 
 his writings, " That infant baptism is one of those prac- 
 tices which was not instituted by any council, but has 
 alicays been in use. — The whole church of Christ have 
 constantly held that infants are baptized for the forgive- 
 ness of sin." He adds, " That he had never read, or 
 heard, of any Christian, Catholic, or sectary who held 
 othertvise.^^ 
 
 Pelagiiis says ; ^' Baptism ought to be administered to 
 infants, with the same sacramental words, which are used 
 in the case of adult persons. Men slander me, as if I de- 
 nied the sacrament of baptism to infants. I never heard 
 of any, not even the most impious heretic, who denied 
 baptism to infants.'* 
 
 Celestius says ; " As for infants, I always said they 
 stand in need of baptism, and ought to be baptized, ac- 
 cording to the rule of the universal church." 
 
 ^ Pelagius and Celestius, lived at the same. time, and • 
 believed the same doctrine. They wrote about three 
 hundred years after the apostles. They held that in- 
 fants were born free from any natural, or sinful defile- 
 ments. Their chief opposers were St. Jerome, and St. 
 Austin ; who constantly urged against them this argu- 
 ment ; " Infants are hy all Christians acknoivledged to 
 stand in need of baptism, which must he for original sin, 
 since they have no other. If they have no sin, why are 
 they then baptized, according to the rule of the church, 
 for the forgiveness of sins?" * Pelagius and Celestius 
 felt this argument deeply. They were extremely puzzled 
 and embarrassed with it. They knew not how to evade, 
 or surmount its force, without involving themselves in 
 
80 
 
 greater difficulties. But had the baptism of infants not 
 been practised by the apostles, and the churches they in- 
 stituted, it certainly would have been very easy for Pela- 
 gius and Celestius to answer the argument with which 
 they were pressed by Jerome and Austin ; for it would 
 have been enough to deny the truth of it. Was this 
 however the method they took to answer their opponents 
 and triumph over them ? Indeed it was not. When 
 some said that Pelagius by denying the pollution of in- 
 fants, denied baptism to them also, he complained of it 
 as slander. '* Men slander me," says he, ** as if I denied 
 the sacrament of baptism to infants. I never heard of 
 any, not even the most impious heretic, who denied bap- 
 tism to infants." Celestius also confessed ** that infants 
 w^ere to be baptized according to the rule of the universal 
 church." * One of these men was born and educated at 
 Britain, and the other in Ireland. They both lived a long 
 time at Rome, the centre of the world, and the place to 
 which all people resorted. Celestius settled at Jerusalem ; 
 and Pelagius travelled among all the principal churches 
 of Europe, Asia, and Africa. If there had been any 
 number of churches, or a single church, in any part of the 
 world, not only in that, but in the preceding ages, who 
 denied the baptism of infants, these learned and sagacious 
 persons must have known, or heard of it ; and certainly, 
 they would have mentioned it, in order to check the tri- 
 ^ umph of their opposers, and destroy, at once, the argu- 
 ment by which they were sorely pressed. It is evident 
 there was no society of Baptists then in the world ; nor 
 had there been any of that denomination within the 
 memory of man. The confession of Pelagius and Celes- 
 tius, amounts almost to demonstration. It proves, beyond 
 all reasonable doubt, that infant baptism had universally 
 obtained, and had always been practised among Chris- 
 tians, even from the apostolic times.' 
 
 ' Dr. Wall, who enjoyed the best advantages for being 
 acquainted with the bistory of infant baptism, and who 
 made this the principal subject of his studies, and in- 
 quiries, briefly sums up the evidence, on both sides, in 
 the following words ;' " Lastly. For the first four hun- 
 dred years, there appears only one man, Tertullian, who 
 advised the delay of infant baptism, in some cases ; and 
 one Gregory, who did perhaps practise such delay, in the 
 
81 
 
 case of his own children ; but no society of men so think- 
 ing, or so practising, or any one man saying that it was 
 unlawful to baptize infants. So in the next seven hun- 
 dred years, there is not so much as one man to be found, 
 who either spoke for, or practised any such delay, but all 
 the contrary. And when, about the year eleven hundred 
 and thirty, one sect among the Waldenses, or Albigen- 
 ses, declared against the baptizing of infants, because they 
 thought them incapable of salvation, the main body of 
 that people rejected their opinion ; and they who held 
 that opinion, quickly dwindled away and disappeared ; 
 there being no more persons heard of, holding that tenet, 
 until the rising of the German Baptists; in the yesir fifteen 
 hundred -and twenty-two.^'* 
 
 The Waldenses have exhibited a character which has 
 deeply interested real Christians of all denominations. 
 " The purity and simplicity of that religion which these 
 good men taught, the spotless innocence that shone forth 
 in their lives and actions, and the noble contempt of 
 riches and honors which was conspicuous in the whole of 
 their conduct and conversation, appeared so engaging to 
 all such as had any sense of true piety, that the number 
 of their followers daily increased." 
 
 If more has been said in praise of this interesting peo- 
 ple, by any one denomination than by others, it is, most 
 probably, the Baptist. One reason of this is, many of our 
 Baptist brethren have considered the Waldenses as agree- 
 ing with them in sentiment. But the Waldenses baptize 
 their infants. 
 
 In the year 1825, the Rev. Sereno E. Dwight of Bos- 
 ton, visited the Waldenses ; and Mr. Bert, a minister 
 among them, and moderator of the Waldensian synod, 
 told Mr. Dwight, " that the Waldenses had always bap- 
 tized their infants, and always done it hy affusion." We 
 have this account in the Recorder and Telegraph, for the 
 12th of March, 1825. 
 
 The circumstances which have led some into the belief, 
 that the Waldenses were Baptists, are probably the two 
 following : First, the name Waldenses has sometimes 
 
 * Tn making out this historical account, I have depended chiefly on the 
 Rev. Messrs. Pond, Tenney, and Dr. Wilson. From them, chiefly, this his- 
 torical account is quoted. 
 
82 
 
 been used in such a general sense, as to include the Pe- 
 trobrusians, who did deny infant baptism. Secondly, the 
 Waldenses were unwilling that their children should be 
 baptized by the Romish priests, because they detested 
 the human inventions annexed to that holy sacrament, 
 which they looked upon as a pollution of it. Hence the 
 priests charged them with denying infant baptism. 
 
 Our Baptist brethren acknowledge, that infant baptism 
 was practised within one hundred years dSiex the apostolic 
 age. Says Mr. Judson ; ** This practice, no doubt, com- 
 menced in the latter part of the second second century."* 
 He and other Baptist brethren tell us, that Tertullian op- 
 posed ** the baptism of infants," about one hundred years 
 after the apostles. *' His treatment of this subject," says 
 Mr. Judson, ^^ leads us to conclude, that infant baptism 
 was then a novel practice, just beginning, and approved 
 by very few." " His words," says Mr. Judson ,t ** are as 
 follows;" '* Jesus Christ says indeed, * hinder not little 
 children from coming to me ;' but that they should come 
 to him, as soon as they are advanced in years, as soon as 
 they have learned their religion, when they may be taught 
 whither they are going, when they are become Christians, 
 when they begin to be able to know Jesus Christ. What 
 is there, that should compel this innocent age to receive 
 baptism ? And since they are not yet allowed the dispo- 
 sal of temporal goods, is it reasonable, that they should 
 be intrusted with the concerns of heaven V This is 
 Tertullian's treatment of the subject of infant baptism, 
 which brother Judson says, " leads us to conclude,^, that 
 infant baptism was then a novel practice, just beginning, 
 and approved by very few." I do marvel, that brother 
 Judson should be led, in such a way, to such a conclu- 
 sion. Tertullian considered sins committed after baptism 
 much greater than those committed before. He therefore 
 opposed the baptism of infants, (or to speak more pro- 
 perly,) advised to the delay of their baptism, and also 
 the baptism of those who were unmarried. '^ His treat- 
 ment of this subject" leads me to conclude very dif- 
 ferently from what it has led brother Judson. It leads 
 me to conclude that infant baptism was not then " a new 
 
 * Sermon, page 35. t Ibid, page 34. 
 
 t This is the manner in which Mr. J. is led to conclude^ through a great 
 part of his sermon. 
 
83 
 
 practice, just beginning, and approved by very few.'' I 
 will tell you why it leads me to conclude in this manner. 
 If infant baptism were a neio practice, just beginning in 
 the time of Tertullian, it was then, contrary to the prac- 
 tice of the church, and contrary to the practice of the 
 apostles, and also contrary to the word and will of God : 
 and the advantages of Tertullian, for opposing it, were 
 very great ; and he would have improved them. He 
 might have appealed to the whole church as knowing the 
 fact J and called upon all to bear him witness, that they 
 had never before practised infant baptism — that the apos- 
 tles did not practise it — and that they did not teach the 
 church to practise it ; and that the church had no right 
 to do it ; for the tcill and tcord of God, made known by 
 the apostles, and followed by the church, was against in- 
 fant baptism. It would have been very easy for Tertul- 
 lian to have shown this, if infant baptism, in his time, 
 had been a new practice. And he would have improved 
 these many, and great advantages, to support, and give 
 weight to his own opinion. He, and the church too, must 
 have known her own practice, and the practice of the 
 apostles. And he would not, therefore, have opposed in- 
 fant baptism in his own strength, expressing merely his 
 own feelings, if he could have brought the opinion and 
 practice of the apostles, and the whole church of Christ 
 to his support, and the strength of the Lord of Hosts too. 
 How great the folly of that man, who lifts his puny finger 
 to stay the progress of a tempest, when, at a word, he 
 could call forth the almighty arm of his God, to protect 
 him, and control the elements — so great is the folly of 
 the man who lifts his oion voice, merely to oppose a dan- 
 gerous error, when he could i^ay and prove, *' Thus saith 
 the Lord, and thus his church have practised J^ Tertul- 
 lian would have improved such advantages when they were 
 in his oton favor, diud as plain to be seen, and pointed at, as 
 the sun in a clear day. But he went forward alone, and 
 never mentioned the practice of the church, or the prac- 
 tice of the apostles, or the will of God, or an argument 
 from his word, or the opinion of any one, in favor of his 
 advice to delay infant baptism. These are the reasons why 
 his treatment of infant baptism, leads me to conclude that 
 it was not a new practice, just beginning. And are they 
 not good reasons ? Would he not have used advantages 
 
84 
 
 so great and so easily to be seen and handled if he pos- 
 sessed such advantages ? that is, if the word of God, and 
 the practice of the apostles and the whole church, were 
 in his favor. If not, he must have been a dull lawyer* 
 indeed ! There might have been, it seems, the truth, and 
 a thousand witnesses on his side, and yet he lose an im- 
 portant case in court, because he did not happen to think 
 during the whole time of the trial, that there was any 
 evidence in his favor, while all the witnesses were at 
 hand, and he knew it. For he merely advises to delay 
 infant baptism, as he did the baptism of the unmarried ; 
 not because it was unlawful, but because the sponsors 
 were often brought into a snare, and because he imagined 
 that sins committed after baptism were next to unpar- 
 donable. And his treatment of this subject, affords much 
 evidence, that the practice of the apostles, and the 
 churches they planted, was not in \\\^ favor, but against 
 him, on the subject of infant baptism. 
 
 An Address to tJiose who have been dedicated to God in 
 baptism by pious parents, but have not devoted them- 
 selves to him. 
 
 Ye beloved, ye precious immortals, how highly favored, 
 how highly honored of God ! What hath he done for you 1 
 It reminds us of the tender care of the gentle shepherd, 
 who gathereth the lambs in his arms and carrieth them 
 in his bosom. It also reminds us of the fond mother, 
 whose affections entwine her infant offspring, and hold 
 them back from danger and from death. But it exceeds 
 the shepherd's tenderness, and the mother's love. It is 
 greater than either, and more noble and touching than 
 both. It is the compassion and melting tenderness of a 
 God, to the seed of his chosen, and the children pf his 
 covenant. 
 
 Yes, my dear friends, no eye like God's pitied you in 
 feeble and helpless infancy. And no arm like his was 
 extended in kindness to save. And was not the pity of a 
 God as precious then as ever ? Could he not then covenant 
 as well, and bestow his blessings as well ? And should he 
 not be loved as well, and served as faithfully for his kind- 
 ness then as ever? Though he might have said to you, as 
 he did to Peter ; " What I do thou knowest not now but 
 
 * Tertullian was once a lawyer. 
 
85 
 
 thou shalt know hereafter." Yet he now shows you that it 
 was a time of love, and that you should love him for what 
 he did. He made you the objects of his special attention 
 and favor, in the constitution of his covenant, and the appli- 
 cation of the token. He placed you in a situation eminently 
 favorable to your salvation. You sustain a relation to 
 God and his people, which he has ever regarded with 
 peculiar interest, distinguished with special blessings, and 
 crowned with glory and honor. And will you sell your 
 birthright for the pleasure of living in sin ? Will you des- 
 pise the honor which God has so kindly bestowed upon 
 you ? Can you be so ungrateful as thus to abuse his good- 
 ness, or trample upon his authority, by disregarding his 
 holy covenant ? Can you thus deny the right and the 
 special right, which God asserts to the children of his 
 people 1 or the difference he has made between them and 
 others 1 or your own peculiar obligations to be his, wholly 
 and forever 1 Oh ! if you do this, you may read your 
 awful doom in the sentence that Moses pronounced 
 against him that disregarded the covenant of the Lord : 
 " The Lord will not spare him, but then the Deut. 
 anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke xxix. 20. 
 against that man, and all the curses that are written in this 
 book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his 
 name from under heaven.'' But if you would escape this 
 fearful doom, let the goodness of God lead you to repen- 
 tance. Acknowledge with gratitude what your parents 
 did for you, when they needed encouragement as much 
 as ever, and were as praiseworthy for receiving and im- 
 proving it, by taking hold of the covenant, and accepting 
 the pledge of promised mercy to their children. This 
 pledge, this token of the covenant, was applied to you. 
 Now ratify this deed, by acknowledging it as your own ; 
 by subscribing with your own hand unto the Lord, and 
 giving him your heart. To this duty you are now urged, 
 by the favor of God, which is life, and his frown, which is 
 death. 
 
 An Address to Christians , who believe in the perpetuity of 
 the covenant established with Abraham , and in the ordi- 
 nance of infant baptism. 
 Ye followers of Christ, this subject is not a matter of 
 
 dry speculation, or of useless argument. Often has it 
 
8(5 
 
 enkindled the fire of devotion upon the altar of God, in 
 public and in private. It has power to move the heart, 
 and regulate the life. Here is scope for mighty prayer, 
 and ample encouragement for every tender feeling that 
 gathers in the bosom. It is often mentioned, and referred 
 to by private Christians, by prophets, and apostles with 
 the deepest interest. Behold, what manner of love the 
 Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called 
 the children of God ; and that he should make such rich 
 and abundant manifestations of his peculiar favor toward 
 our children. How precious the assurance of God, that 
 his church, by the provisions of his grace, shall be con- 
 tinued, and multiplied, in the conversion of her offspring. 
 Isaiah "This is my covenant, saith the Lord ; My spirit 
 lix. 21. that is upon thee, and my words which I have 
 put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor 
 out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy 
 seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." 
 For the accomplishment of this purpose of love and mer- 
 cy, the Lord has made ample provision ; and while he 
 stoops from his throne, attentive to your wants, and the 
 wants of your children, he grants you the honor andpn- 
 vilege, and urges upon you the dutj/ of being workers 
 together with him, in preparing them for his service, and 
 the joys of his kingdom. Oh then how lamentable ! how 
 sinful is it, that the obligations involved in baptism are so 
 little felt and so much neglected ! What occasion for weep- 
 ing, that the Lord should receive such ungrateful returns 
 for the love he bears us ! Persons are found, from Jif teen 
 to twenty years of age, who are ignorant of the fact, that 
 ill infancy they were dedicated to God. Surely, brethren, 
 we are guilty. This is manifest to all. And this is the 
 most weighty argument against infant baptism. It passes 
 with many for demonstration. But it is in our power, to 
 destroy this argument that is brought against us, and to 
 return one equally weighty in our favor. And shall it not 
 be done ? O ye followers of Christ, think of the natural 
 and covenant relation you sustain to your children ; how 
 tender and endearing ! how responsible and important ! 
 How has God honored it I What attention has he given it ! 
 What blessings bestowed upon it. What encouragement 
 presented, in the promises and token of the covenant, 
 with their glorious fulfilment, in the conversion of chil- 
 
87 
 
 dren, and the joy of their parents. In view of these 
 things, what should be our feelings '? What penitence 
 should they excite for the past, and resolutions for the 
 future ! How should they abase us before God ; inspire 
 our prayers ; swell our songs ; and invigorate our exer- 
 tions. How great the condescension, compassion and 
 mercy, in which God here meets us and our children. 
 How powerful the appeal he makes to our hearts ! How 
 pathetic and melting the paternal tenderness with which 
 he invites us near to himself! With all this fresh in mind, 
 let us remember that his cause which we have espoused, 
 is bleeding. The system of truth which is dear to him, 
 which has been sealed with a Saviour's blood, and to 
 which we have pledged our full support, is suffering. 
 Yea, this system, through sympathy with one of its mem- 
 bers, is sufferings by the violation of our covenant obliga- 
 tions, and baptismal vows. Like the human system, when 
 ♦bne member suffers, all the others suffer with it. A 
 schism is made in the body of divine truth. Its energy is 
 impaired, and its beauty marred. But when one member 
 is honored, all the rest rejoice with it. And when every 
 member is honored, then will the whole appear in its 
 glory, resplendent, beautiful, and quickening, as the 
 orb of day. Then will Zion be rid of the reproach, 
 under which she now labors. And if at present her chil- 
 dren are so blessed, while she is so negligent of her 
 covenant vows, and baptismal obligations, what may we 
 not expect, when she shall awake to all her duty, and act 
 worthy of her exalted privileges 1 All thy chil- Isaiah 
 
 dren shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall l»v. 13. 
 be the peace of thy children. The Lord will Isaiah 
 pour his Spirit upon the seed of his church, and xliv.3— 5. 
 his blessing upon her offspring. And they shall spring up 
 as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 
 One shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call 
 himself by the name of Jacob ; and another shall sub- 
 scribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself 
 by the name of Israel. But this day will not come, till 
 we unitedly resolve with Joshua, As for me and Joshua 
 my house, we will serve the Lord ; and this xxiv. 15. 
 resolution must be followed up. It must be acted out. 
 And have you not most solemnly pledged yourselves to do 
 this ? Surely you have, if you have dedicated yourselves and 
 
88 
 
 households to God. In doing this you acknowledged the 
 right and the special right, which God asserts to you and 
 your children ; your special obligation to train them up 
 for him ; the great encouragement he had given you to doit, 
 and your solicitude for their welfare. Before God, angels, 
 and men, you made an acknowledgement of these, and 
 other kindred truths. And now, my Christian friends, the 
 question is held in awful suspense, whether you will illus- 
 trate and confirm this acknowledgement, or contradict it ; 
 and thus dishonor Christ, by leading others to believe that 
 you acted the part of the hypocrite, and that your baptismal 
 vows were solemn mockery. I wait in fearful anxiety for 
 the answer ; for the glory of God ; the welfare of Zion, and 
 the salvation of souls is here depending. Let this subject 
 then always be dear to you, for such is the covenant of 
 God with his people, and such its relation to their chil- 
 dren, that it has ever been dear to him and to his belov-^ 
 ed Zion. This is her comfort in affliction. It was her 
 support in the wilderness, and encouraged by this, she 
 came up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved, and 
 rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. It sheds the 
 light of life upon the darkness of the fall, and opens upon 
 the dying eye, bright visions of the world above. Thither 
 it lights our path and leads our way. We journey in its 
 light, and labor by its hope. And it should be increasingly 
 dear to Zion, for it is now illumined with a clearer light, 
 and this is the dawning of a brighter day. Awake then, 
 ye Christians, to this subject; discharge the duties; fulfil 
 the obligations that are recognized in the covenant and 
 token, and then, light shall burst from that cloud of dark- 
 ness which now envelopes the church, and carry convic- 
 tion of guilt to the hearts, of unfaithful parents, and 
 enforce, and re-enforce parental duty. Then shall Zion 
 arise and shine, her light being come, and the glory of the 
 Isaiah Lord being risen upon her. And her seed shall 
 Ixi. 9. he hnown among the gentiles, and her offspring 
 
 among the people : all that see them shall acTcnowledge 
 them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY