x2 PRINCETON, N. J. <*> Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. Agnciv Coll on Baptism, No. OFAMT BAPTISM ALONE ORTHODOX SHEWN IN AN ADDRESS BY A MINISTER TO HIS PARISHIONERS. BY THE REVEREND H. PARISH, L. L. D. CHAPLAIN OF THE HON'BLE EAST INDIA COMPANY. AGRA. 1835 CONTENTS. Page CHAPTER 1. Of the errors 01 the Baptists 1 CHAPTER 2. Of the sinfulness of Rebaptization 16 CHAPTER 3. Of Infant Baptism 21 CHAPTER 4. Of the duties arising from Infant Baptism. . . 2o CHAPTER 5. Of John the Baptist and Christ 30 , CHAPTER 6, Of the relative state of mankind as regards Baptism 36 CHAPTER 7. Of the mode of Administering Baptism 39 CHAPTER 8. Of the qualification of Proselytes of the Covenant * 41 CHAPTER 9. Of the presumption of the Baptists 46 CHAPTER 10. The Conclusion 48 ,.'■'■■ INFANT BAPTISM ALONE ORTHODOX. AN ADDRESS. — «o®0«o«> — PREFACE. My Dear Parishioners, It being my duty to endeavour to preserve you in the way of truth and unity : (since "there is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all:) I feel myself called upon at this time to write you this Address. And for this reason : that if any of you should be induced to read a Book, entitled " Christian Bap- tism Explained," now advertised for sale at this Station, and pressed upon you from door to door, you may, if you desire it, have the opportunity of hearing both sides of the question. " For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work ; and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." CHAPTER 1. OF THE ERRORS OP THE BAPTISTS. The main errors of the Baptists lie in these five particulars. 1. They cannot see the oneness of the ever- lasting covenant, and its seal in the Jewish and Christian Church. A 2 Infant Baptism 2. They cannot see the comprehensiveness of Christ's command, "Go ye, and inake disciples, (as it is in the Greek,) of all nations, &c. 3* They cannot see the nature of Christ's Church, or the Lord's Vineyard. 4. They cannot see that the covenant of grace is a deed of gift. And, 5. They cannot see the difference between regeneration and conversion, 1. They cannot see the oneness of the ever- lasting covenant; because, forsooth, it contains both temporal and eternal promises— but they put asunder what God hath joined together. Look at Gen. 22 chap. 16, 17, 18, v. "By myself have 1 sworn, (saith the Lord,) that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying 1 will multiply thy seed, as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the shore ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies :" (temporal promises,) "and in thy seed," namely, Christ according to the flesh, " shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." So that the covenant is not divided, but comprizes both. — The seal of this cove- nant, then, was, as you can see throughout the whole of the 17 chap, of Gen. circumcision, the grand mark, indeed, of the entire visible Jewish Church : for the Gentiles were called " Uncircum- cision," in contradistinction : Eph. 2 chap. 11, v. so also, " baptism is a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men be discerned from others that be not christened. 1 ' Albeit, " as he is not a Jew, which is one outward- ly ; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew, which is one inward- ly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God; Rom. 2 chap. 28, 29, v. so Alone orthodox, 3 he is not a Christian, which is one outwardly ; neither' is that baptism, which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a Christian, which is one inwardly ; and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of God, " And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen thro' faith preached before the gospel unto,' Abraham; saving, In thee shall all nations be blessed ; so then they, which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham,* Gal 3 chap, 8, 9, v. Yea, St. Peter declares, ,; For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit ; by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison ; which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight persons were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Eph. 3 chap. 18, 19, 20, 21, v.— Who, indeed, was the Seed of the woman promised by the Lord God Himself, when Adam fell ;-— Who was, in one word, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. They cannot see that the Jewish and the Christian Church are thus but one and the same ■visible Church in a continued succession, thoV under different sacraments — that circumcision was equivalent to baptism, it being evidently spoken of as such by Christ Himself, John, 7 chap. 22, v. — and that both are the branches " of the olive tree,* mentioned in Rom. 11 chap. 17, v. The Jews, are the natural branches of it, the Gentiles are A2 4 Infant Baptism ingrafted into it : and though the former are now broken off, they will be a^ain grafted in. Now the tree is ever the same: therefore the two sacraments are one and the same : their spiritual signification and intention are alike. The objection, which the Baptists here make, saying, Then were all the women and female chil- dren excluded from this sacrament, is no objection at all ; it rather strengthens our argument, in as much as they are spared the pain of a bloody sign, and the man's is reckoned unto them. For as man and wife are but one body, and the man is the head of the woman, his circumcision an- swered for both. " The woman was taken out of man; she was bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh; and whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it." 1 Cor. 12 chap. 26, v. But some people will argue perversely, when they are so determined, and desire to distinguish themselves from their neighbours for their ap- parent superior righteousness, like the Pharisees of old. But comfort yourselves, Brethren, with these words of St. Paul • " For there must be also heresies among you, that they, which are approved, may be made manifest among you." 1 Cor. 11 chap. 19, v. 2. They cannot see the comprehensiveness of Christ's command, when He said to His dis- ciples, " all power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth : Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the. Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Mat. 28 chap. 18, 19, 20, v. Accordingly they went forth, and made disciples, or Christians, every where : and how ? first by bap- tizing them, which if the sign of the covenant, Alone orthodox. 5 and next by teaching them the observance of the commandments of Christ, which is the end and aim of it. Thus they baptized and taught all that professed a belief in Christ, together with their families, whether children or servants, as being part and parcel of themselves, and subject to their faith : such as " Lydia, and her house- hold ;" — " the Jailer aud all his/' — " the household of Stephanas," — and " Lois, Eunice, and Timothy, grandmother, mother, and child ! — Yes, the child Timothy, for a child he must have been ; for St. Paul speaks of his youth 20 years after his christening. His family were discipled, A. D- 46— and in A. D. 66, St. Paul writes to him thus ; " Let no man despise thy youth." Consult, I beseech you, Brethren, (and consult carefully,) the texts here referred to concerning Timothy, and compare the dates by looking at th.e margin of your Bibles, Acts, 14 chap. 6, 21, 22, v. 16 chap. 1, v. 1 Tim. 4 chap. 12, v. 2 Tim. 1 chap. 5, v. " Paul and Barnabas, being used despitefully in Iconium, fled to Lystra, aud there they preached the gospel, early in the 46th year of our blessed Lord — they then went to Derbe and preached the gospel to that city, when they returned again to Lyslra the same year, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith. In the beginning of the year 46 Timothy was christened, and in the year 66 he was but a youth: now must not Timothy have been a child, in the year 46 ? And now let us examine, and see whom John himself baptized — he baptized all the people : ,c Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized," &c. Luke, 3 chap. 21, v. It was John that baptized them, if you look at the preceding verse. What does " all the people," according to Scripture, mean? Shall I show you 6 Infant Baptism by a parallel text ? Then turn to Joshua, 5 chap. 8, v. " and it came to pass, when they had don« circumcising all the people, that they abode in their camp, till they were whole." Were children included in the term, " all the people/' or were they not? They were : wherefore children must be considered part and parcel of " all the people/* when John baptized, as well as when Joshua circumcised— and they were: but here again the Baptists w put asunder what God hath joined together." We have, moreover, the testimony of some ot the Fathers: for Ambrose speaks of infants baptized by John the Baptist; and so does Au- gustin. Your church, therefore, rightly and duly baptizes all the children of her members, not of course unto John's baptism, for as said St. Paul, " John verily baptized with the baptism of re- pentance, saying unto the peopie, that they should believe on Him which should come alter him, that is, on Christ Jesus;" Acts 19 chap. 4 v, but she baptizes unto Christ's Baptism, to wit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; and prays that " ye, being thus regenerate, and made the children of God b} adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by His Holy Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ." Col. for Christmas Day. How then can I help expressing deep regret that there are some of your children now growing up, who are uncove- nanted, disprivileged, and excommunicate, not having been baptized ; who are aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and excluded from the advantages of the freedom of the city of our Zion? " The §oul of the uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant," said God to Abraham, Gen. 17 chap. 14, y. Again '' saith the Lord God; m* si lone orthodox. 7 stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircum- cised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary." Ez. 44 chap. 9, v. " For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus-" Phil. 3 chap. 3 v. "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in Baptism," Col. 2 chap. 11. 12, v. *' Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into death ; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Rom, 6 chap. 4, v. So that, I repeat it, they disprivilege and excommunicate their children — cut them off from their own people, — thereby keep them out of God's sanctuary — hinder them from becoming " the circumcision, made without hands — i. e. the Baptism, by which its subjects are bound " to walk in newness of life!" — Let me here specify some of the temporal disadvan- tages of the unbaptized, young and old ; for such, it concerns me to think, there are among us, tho* born of Christian parents. As the soul of the uncircumcised man-child was to be cut off from his people ; he had broken God's covenant: Gen. 17 chap. 14, v. so the soul of the unbaptized child ought to be cut off from his people; he hath broken God's cove- nant. As the Jews said of old, " we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircum- cised ; for that were a reproach unto us : Gen. 34 chap. 15, v. so ought Christians now to say, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is unbaptized ; for that were a reproach unto us. Also, 1 Cor. 7 chap. 39, v. " She is to be married only in the Lord." 8 Infant Baptism As to the ordinance of the Passover ; " the Lord commanded, saying, no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof:" Exod. 12 chap. 48 v. so with regard to the Lord's supper ; no unbaptpsed per- son must eat thereof; only the disciples. The unbaptized, like the uncircumcised, cannot hearken to the word of the Lord with any pleasure; they are disgusted at it. " To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear ? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken : behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." Jer- 6 chap. JO, v. And, lastly, should any die imbaptized, they are not entitled to Christian burial— they shall not be joined with us in their graves. " Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised, and thou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised." Ez. 28 chap. 10, v. 3 chap. 18 v. 3. They cannot see the nature of Christ's Church, or the Lord's Vineyard; in which "neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God, that giveth the increase :" tho' when He looketh for grapes, He may be disap- pointed : " He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes !" Be- cause they cannot always insure a good harvest, they exclude their own children, and fain would exclude those of their neighbours, from their lawful inheritance, — from their being set as young plants, and watered in hope and faith. Like the Sadducees, they " do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." "For we are saved by hope'' Rom, 8 chap. 24 v. " For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" Gal. 5 chap. 5 v. Not seeing this, they cannot baptize their children in Atom orthodox. 9 the name of the Holy Trinity, and trust that God will bring to pass His intentions regarding them by His Spirit through the merits of Christ, in His own appointed way: but they must first sa- tisfy themselves that their children are fit to be bap sized, though God Himself deems them holy hy virtue of the faith of either parent: 1 Cor. 7 chap. 14, v. Yet they cannot deny that the benefit of this Sacrament is but too frequently for- feited as well by those, who are baptized when adults after their own fashion, as by those, who are baptized when infants by the Church — by the for- mer backsliding, and the latter not growing in grace ; and that salvation is to be secured to the subjects of it only by their own future walk of faith- How writes St. Paul to the Galatians ? "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus : for as many of jou as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Their is neither Jew, nor Greek, their is neither bond nor free, their is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham s seed, and heirs according to the promise" 3 chap. 27 ; 28, 29, v. (Now "the scripture hath concluded all under sin ;" therefore children-,) "For what if some do not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid! yea, let God be true, but every man a liar." Rom. 3 chap. 3, v. Or what if even " they hold the truth in unrighteousness ?" shall their unrighteousness make the faith of God without effect ? No : for " the wrath of God is revealed against all such/' Rom. 2 chap. 18, v- But if ye prove yourselves to be Christ's, then are ye the true children of Abraham, the heirs ap- parent of the heavenly inheritance, given unto Abraham by promise. Happy they, who are B 10 Infant Baptism not only sacramentally, but really and spiritually baptized into Christ, incorporated into Him in the mystical sense ! For, remember, Abraham had two sons. Ishmael and Isaac, who represented his false and true heirs. Ishmael was a disobedient son, and mocked his father Abraham ; wherefore he was sent into bondage, together with his mother, who before had despised Sarah. But Isaac was an obedient son, and was even ready to die at his father's desire ; therefore he inherited the promise. Yet both were circumcised, and admitted alike into the covenant of grace, and both abode in the house together, till the sin of the former caused his removal ; for Ishmael proved himself to be a Jew only outwardly, but Isaac proved himself to be a Jew both outwardly and inwardly. ** Which things, (saith St. Paul,) are an allegory ; for these are the two covenants ; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, "which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, (as Ishmael was.) But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. Now we, Brethren, (we, who are converted,) as Isaac was, are the chil- dren of promise. " Gal. 4, chap. 24, 25, 27 v. So that, you see, Ishmael pourtrays all the unconvert- ed, and Isaac all the converted in the visible Church. They stand as emblems of the two cove- nants, — of works and of grace, of the bondage of the former, and of the freedom of the latter. Ish- mael broke his covenant of grace, and became as uncircumcised : Isaac kept his, and became heir according to the promise. 4. They cannot see that the covenant of grace is a deed of gift : and that, as it would be absurd to say that a child's name ought not to be put Alone orthodox. H into any deed or legacy, until he came of age to understand it, so it is equally absurd, and far more injurious to exclude children from their heavenly legacy, which Christ has bequeathed unto them. u Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins ; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you and your children. Acts, 2 chap. 38, 39, v. * For Him (Jesus Christ) hath God exalted to His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Jsrae!, and forgiveness of sins:" Acts, 5 chap. 31, v. Now (to say nothing of the need of this Sacrament to wash away original sin) the actual sin of your children (and God only knows how soon they may commit it,) must be repented of by them, it' they are to be saved: and this is the gift of God through His Holy Spirit. They do not, however, require faith ; it is enough for God that they have it even in one parent. But now, that either their father or mother believeth, are they holy, or sanctified. 1 Cor, 7 chap. 14, v. " Then can any man forbid water that these (little ones) should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? and Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord ;" Acts, 10 chap. 47, 48, v. For they are Christ's, and Christ is God's ; and they are to be signed and sealed unto the day of redemp- tion. Hence your church most scripturally affirms that your u children being born in original sin, and in the wrath of God, are now by the laver of regeneration in Baptism, received into the number of the children of God, and heirs of everlasting life : For our Lord Jesus Christ doth, not deny His grace and mercy unto such infants, but most lovingly doth call them unto Him, as the Holy Gospel doth witness to our comfort ;" B 2 12 Infant Baptism St. Mark, 10 chap. 13. v. and seq. Or per- adventure, it "they are fallen from grace," Gal. 6 chap. 4, v. and " as yet the Holy Ghost hath fallen upon none of them ; only they were bap- tized in the name of the Lord :" theu let them pray for the renewing of tbe Holy Ghost, and further, let the apostles (i. e. their successors, the Bishops.) Laving heard that they have received the word of God, when they come, pray for them, and lay their hands upon them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost." Acts, 8 chap. 14, 16, 16, 17, v. For such is the gospel-order, and the rule of salvation. — But the Baptists cannot see that the idea of a covenant of grace is thus prospective, — that as the circumcised Jew was " a debtor to do the whole law;" so the baptized Christian is a debtor to do the whole gospel. They are so ignorant and biassed against us, that they cannot see that baptism is the initiatory Sacrament of the Church of Christ. ik They, therefore, cannot begin at the beginning ! Rather they must needs keep their children from being embraced by Christ, because they cannot embrace Him of themselves — but they stand rebuked by Him for so doing. For Jesus was much displeased, because His dis- ciples forbad them coming to Him for His blessing ! 5. Finally, they cannot see the difference between baptismal regeneration, and spiritual, or rather, as it is invariably called in scripture, conversion. Now when we speak of regene- rated France or Rome, we only mean that they have been put into a new and better state of go- vernment : we never understand that they are made perfect states. So, in the religious world, when we talk of a regenerated person, we plight to suppose such a person as has been brought Alone orthodox. 13 out. of the Jewish, Mohammedan, or Heathen estate into the Christian. The term itself only occurs twice in the whole Bible : First, in Mat. 19 chap. 28, v. where it bears a very different signification " ye, which have followed Me, in the regeneration," i. e. ye, who have been My followers upon earth, shall in the new creation, in the new heavens and earth, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel :" And secondly, '• in Tit. 3 chap. 5. v. it is written, ?« He saved us by the washing of regeneration,*" — which fixes its just meaning, its true and legitimate sense i. e. He placed us in a state of salvation by water Baptism. And thus Bishop Ryder, that pious living Prelate, (and Bishop Sumner agrees with him,) testifies : u The question of regene- ration, as it regards the use of the term, is in my opinion satisfactorily determined by the articles and offices of our Church, and by the meaning uniformly annexed to it in the four first centuries of the Christian ^Sra. J would therefore wish generally to restrict the term to the baptismal privileges ; and considering them as comprehending not only an external admission into the visible Church, not only a covenanted title to the pardon and grace of the Gospel, but even a degree of spiritual aid vouchsafed, and ready to offer itself to our acceptance or rejec- tion. At the dawn of reason, I would recommend a reference to these privileges in our discourses as talents which the hearers should have so improved as to bear interest, and seed which should have sprung up and produced fruit." Pri- mary charge, p. 17. But the Baptists confound regeneration with conversion, or exalt it above conversion, whereas conversion is the crown and perfection of regeneration. Regeneration is the 14 Infant Baptism infusion of grace into the soul : "conversion is the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and exercise of grace, the turning or total change of a sinner from his sins. Converts are new creatures, are formed in the image of Christ, and are made holy in part here, and shall have a perfection of it after death. God is the Author of this change, who by His Spirit puts repentance, faith, love, and every grace, into the soul of the baptized. The word of God is a means of conversion : " The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul," 19 ps. 7, v. And His ministers, by their preaching of the gospel, are the appointed instruments in this change. "Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee ;" 51 ps. 13, v. God works likewise by various other means, but by these chiefly. And Jesus preached no other doctrine to His disciples, " Verily, I say unto you, ex- pect ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. " Mat 18 chap. 3, v. It is thus only that " Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her con- verts with righteousness," Is. 1 chap. 27, v. Ac- cording to the Bible, therefore, it is not strictly correct to call those converts, wlu renounce Judaism, Mohammedanism, or Heathenism, and embrace Christianity by Baptism : their proper name is Proselytes of the covenant, as they were called in the old Testament Church. They become converts^ when it has pleased God to turn their hearts from sin. " Unto you first, (to the Jew first and also to the Gentile,) God having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Acts, 3 chap. 26, v. Wherefore I am bold to assert that conversion completes the Christian ; for this is the sacred canon, Alone orthodox. 15 1. Conviction of sin. 2. Confession of sin. 3. Contrition for sin. 4. Conversion from sin. Once more the term " regeneration," as I have before observed, is used only once throughout scripture, and there it is baptismal regeneration : f * He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost ;" Tit. 3 chap. 5, v. Now join it with the new birth, of which our Saviour speaks, John, 3 chap. 5, v. " Verily, verily, 1 say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G< d." Join, ] say, these two texts together, and liow do they run? Thus: Except a man be born of water, by the washing of regeneration — and of the Spirit, by renewing of the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. As the Baptists, however, cannot see this scriptural and beautiful distinction of the two terms, it would be wise in them, at all events, to say, Except a man be born by bap- tismal and spiritual regeneration. After baptism, never let them fail to use their favourite term " re- generation/' without the adjective " spiritual" if they will attach a higher meaning to it than they are warranted by Scripture, and will make it equiva- lent to the true term "conversion." Then they would not be so inconsistent with themselves, for they could say of their back-sliding brethern, They have not yet been spiritually baptized into Christ, they have not yet been renewed by the Holy Ghost, and become as little children, " for of such is the kingdom of heaven/' Mat. 19 chap. 14, v. But we prefer our Saviour's sweet expres- sion, and say, Except ye be converted. Alas ! bow have the Baptists " followed too much the devices and desires of their own hearts : how 16 Infant Baptism have they offended against God's holy Jaws : how have they left undone those things, which they ought to have done ; and done those things, which they ought not to have done." For how many thousand children, " Nazarites unto God from the womb/' have they left unbaptized! — and how many grown up persons have they dipped, that *' it might happen unto them according to the proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again ; and the sow, that was washed, to her w allowing in the mire." 2 Pet. 2 chap. 22. v- You, my dear Soldiers, for whose sake I have chiefly penned this Address, by way of caution, lest you should be tempted to forsake the good old path, are bat too well aware of this melan- choly fact. Heed not, therefore, these Sectarians, though they may tell you that if you die in our communion, you will die with a lie in your right hand. Verily this is thunder — but, if you go not astray, it will pass harmless over your heads, and only leave a refreshing shower behind it. CHAPTER 2. OF THE SINFULNESS OF RE-BAPTIZATION. Such an analhematizing sect are the Baptists that their distinguishing doctrine is the invalidity of infant -baptism, and the re-bapt.ization of all who wish to be admitted into their communion. And we may easily conceive that this new doctrine would, for a time, prove highly injurious to unstable minds, and prepare them for receiving any doc- trine, ever so absurd, that came to them recom- mended by novelty. After all, however, it is not perhaps necessary to seek so deep for the cause of that success which attends their preaching, or rather their ravings : since we have seem the same kind of epidemical madness burst forth in every Alone orthodox, 17 state of society, whilst we are as unacquainted with the cause, as we are in general with the origin of a dysentery or a fever. Besides, the opinions, which some of them publicly avow, are just such as would attract the attention of the igno- rant ; viz. that Infant-baptism was an invention of the Devil, — that the true church of Christ, of which they considered themselves as the constitu- ent members, ought to be exempt from all sin, — that all things ought to be in common among them, and that there should be no taxes, — that every Christian has a right to preach, — and that there is no use whatever for civil magistrates in the king- dom of Christ. These are their real tenets ; but they disguise them in their weakness. Only let them once increase upon us, and see the mischief they would do us for the moment — but the end would be their own ruin. For it has been tried once, it has become an historical fact. John Mat- thias, a baker of Haerlem, preached the above doctrines in Munster, a city of Westphalia. Em- boldened by success, he secretly called in his associates from the country, and seized on the arsenal in the night-time; and running thro' the streets, accompanied with John Boccold,a journey- man tailor, with drawn swords and frantic bowl- ings, they cried out alternately, " Repent, and be baptized ; " and " Depart, ye ungodly." The citizens fled in confusion, and left him in posses- sion of the city: when he immediately set about establishing a new constitution. Having finished his plan of reformation^ he dignified Munster with the name of mount Zion ! and invited the faithful to repair from all quarters, that they might issue from thence to subdue the sinful nations. In the meantime, the Bishop of Munster, having collected a considerable army, advanced to besiege the town. Matthias sallied out to meet him, and having c IS Infant Baptism attacked one quarter of the camp, he forced it' with great slaughter, and returned to the city loaded with glory and spoil. Intoxicated with this success he appeared next day brandishing a spear, and declaring, that, like Gideon, he would, with a handful of men, smite the ungodly. He chose thirty persons to accompany him in this wild en~ terprize, who, rushing on the enemy, were cut off to a man ! See Robertson's Charles V. Book 5. Thus they gathered themselves together against Israel, to their own destruction, and made Munster a Christian Armageddon ! u But admitting for a moment, that Infant- Baptism is unscriptural ; yet, do the Scriptures au- thorize those, who have been baptized in their infancy to be re- baptized, when they become adults ? As a solution to this question, T quote the fol- lowing from a valuable Pamphlet by Dr. Lathrop, of America. " It is agreed on both sides, that baptism is not to be repeated. If, then, our baptism is valid, a repetition of it is contrary to the will of God. In the baptism of an infant, there is an ap* plication of water in the name of the Trinity, as well as in the baptism of an adult. If this baptism be not valid, it is only because the subject had not faith, and did not actually consent to the baptismal obligations. Now, if the baptism of an infant is a nullity, for want of these qualifications, the want of them will equally nullify an adult baptism ; but yet, I presume, none of our brethren will carry the- matter this length. Let us put a case, (and such a one as doubtless sometimes happens). An adult person makes a profession of faith and obedience, and is baptized. It soon appears, from the wick- edness of his life, and the corruptness of his princi- Alone orthodox* 19 pies, that he had no faith in any rational sense, and never consented to the baptismal obligations ; but was influenced only by carnal views. The man af- terwards comes to repentance, confesses his hypo- crisy in this affair, and owns he had no religious views in the whole transaction. He now gives sa- tisfactory proof! that he is become a real penitent and believer. Ought this person to he re-baptiz- ed ? Every one will say, No: because he has been baptized ; and his baptism will save him, as he has now the answer of a good conscience toward God. When Simon the sorcerer, who had been baptized by Philip, discovered the vile hypocrisy of his heart, Peter directs him to repent, that his sin might be forgiven ; but says nothing of his being baptized a- gain ; whereas he says to the unbaptized Jews, Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins. But there is just the same reason why this hypo- crite should be baptized again, upon his repentance, as why the infant should ; because he no more had faitli before baptism, and no more consented to any religious obligation when he was baptized, than an infant. If a profession of repentance is all that is necessary to our receiving this baptized hypocrite, a profession of faitli and obedience, at adult age, is all that is necessary to our receiving one baptiz- ed in childhood. So that re-baptization is un- warrantable and sinful, even upon the principles of our brethren themselves ; and much more in supposition of infants right to baptism. — p. 93. How, then, must we look upon those, whose parents, (acknowledging the true doctrine of In- fant baptism for the remission of sins,) caused them to be christened, once and for ever ; and who have since, against, their parents' faith, laid the same foundation over again for themselves ? We can behold them in no other light than as. c 2 20 Infant Baptism Schismatics- For what is schism but a sepa- ration from tl»e society of the church for ex- ternal things ? "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular, and there should be no schism in the boHy; but the members should have the same ca e one for another." 1 Cor. 12 chap. 25, 27 v. Which care the Baptists have not : otherwise they would still cling to their mother- church, and apply to her for a remedy for their doubts. And if their doubts proved to be such as she could not remove from their scrupulous minds, if they be mere questions about not being* dipped, (which however was their parents' ordering, not the church's) let them solicit from her hands what in that case is admissible, viz. Hypothetical Baptism, administered with this formula ; " If thou art not already baptized, N. I baptize thee, in the Dame of the Father, and of the Sou, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." See Directions at the end of the Ministration of Private Baptism, Common Prayer. Or, 7-ather, let them seek Confirmation, that solemn, ancient, and laudable custom in the Church of God, continued from the Apostles' times — that all Bshops should lay their hands upon children baptized, and instructed in the Catechism of the Christian religion, praying over them, and blessing them ; when they may themselves, with their own mouth and consent, openly before the Church, ratify and confirm their baptismal vow or cove- nant ; and also promise that, by the grace of God, they will evermore endeavour themselves faith- fully to observe such things as they by their own confession, have assented unto. And verily, as they do in England, so should they do in India, travel miles and miles, to obtain this heavenly boou — Episcopal Confirmation. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us (who have once received baptism,) Alone orthodox. 21 go on unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, and of the doctrine of bap- tisms. And this will we do, if God permit." Heb. 6 chap. 1,2, 3, v. CHAPTER 3. OF INFANT BAPTISM. It is written, Eph. 4 chap. 4, 5, v. " There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, One Baptism : and the sound Christian rehearseth with perfect safety those suffrages of his creed — " And 1 believe one Catholic and Apostolic church ; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. Amen." Now this one baptism is Infant, bap- tism, which has been the uniform practice of the Holy Catholic Church throughout all the ages of Christendom. It is true indeed that the primitive Christians could not have been baptized when infants ; for Christianity did not then exist. But when they embraced Christianity, their families were always baptized with them, as you can easily discover by leading I he Acts of the Apostles. And the Mis- sionaries of our Church, according to the Aposto- lical discipline, never baptize adults, in these or other Heathen nations, without their children. I beg leave to add, saith Bromfield, that Origen speaks of Infant baptism having been ordered by the Apostles. Forty years after Origen, Fidus, a Bishop, sent to Cyprian and sixty other Bishops, to know whether tiie baptism of a child must not be always on the 8th day after his birth, because circumcision was so. They answer, the child may, and must be. baptized sooner if there is danger of -death, and speak ot the refusal of it as hurtful to 22 Infant Baptism the soul's health. Justin Martyr wrote 90 years after St. Matthew, and he a serts that there were many persons, then 70 and 8D years of age, who had been made the disciples of Christ when in- fants — they must have been baptized in the days of the Apostles. Who, saiih Pelagius, is so igno- rant of what is read in the gospel as to hinder infants being baptized aid born again in Christ ? When it was said of St. Paul that " he taught all the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circ?tmcise their 'children," it was understood that he taught them to follow Christ instead, and to baptize their children. In short there is ev^ry reason in scripture for including children, under the Chris- tian dispensation, in those corresponding rites which they enjoyed under the Jewish law. When Abraham wss circumcised, he and all his house, both old and young, were circumcised with him, and adult circumcision at once ceased with the family of the faithful. Now it is precisely the, same with regard to baptism : and et where is the wise ? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world/* that can conscientiously gainsay this ana- logy? Faith, saith St. Paul, cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. " And how shall they believe in Him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preach- er? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have command- ed you. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damn- ed." Such is Christ's direction — " To the one we are the savour of death unto death ; and to the other the savour of life unto life," 2 Cor. 2 Alone orthodox. 23 chap. 16, v. And when Lydia was baptized, her household was baptized with her, and adult baptism at once ceased in her family ; for the children of one believing parent, as I have before observed, are reckoned holy, and meet subjects for this sacrament, and even servants are to be baptized upon the same trust. Parents and Masters are the divinely-appointed guardians of the faith of their respective households and woe be unto those who neglect to teach them the faith, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. For God alone can give the increase, and they must wait for it in His own good time. Wherefore, let no man whisper to you any strauge doctrines. This the Church always had, always held ; this she received from our fathers, and this she holds constantly to the end. And " Quicunque parvulos, ab uteris matrum, bap- tizandos negat, anathema sit," saith the Council of IVlilevis: and that Council is confirmed by the fourth and sixth General Councils. Indeed, chil- dren are much more entitled, according to scrip- ture, to be baptizsd, than women are to receive the Lord's Supper . and, if we followed the letter instead of the spirit of it, no female would be admitted to the holy table, for want of an express warrant & instance. But that, which God alloweth to the husband in the gospel-covenant, He alloweth to the wife ; and what He alloweth to either or both, He alloweth to their children. "The dictates of na- ture," says Buck, " in parental feelings ; the ver- dict of reason in favor of their privileges, the lan- guage of prophecy respecting the children of the gospel-church ; the evidence of children being sharers of the seals of grace, in common with their parents for the space of 4000 years, all concur in favour of the pedobaptist opinion." And " surely, saith Bishop Heber of blessed memory, the more 24 Infant Baptism we examine it, the more reasonable does the prac- tice appear, as a seal of past mercies, as an engagement to future duties, as an admission to the external means of grace, which the church can in this world supply, as a solemn petition to the Almighty, that His blessing may render those outward means effectual! Sutfer, then, the little children to come to Christ, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven \" How strange it is that the Baptists will not ad- mit that circumcision was a seal of grace at ail, when the Jews would have fain excluded the con- verted Gentiles,(who were baptized,) from all hopes of salvation, unless also they were circumcised, believing circumcision to be the greatest seal of the two ! For we read, " And certain men, which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised, after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved, " Acts, 15 chap. 1 v. But, please God, the time will now soon arrive, when the Jews, the natural branches, will be again ingrafted into " the olive-tree : " then must these Sectarians be obliged to acknowledge the identity of the old and new seal of the gospel-covenant, and join our church. — or " judge themselves un- worthy of everlasting life." And How still more strange that the Baptists ob- ject to the holy rite on account of the unconscious^ ness of children, when Moses commanded the elders of Israel, saying ; " Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they m ay hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this law : and that their children which have not known ant/ thing (of the covenant of the Lord,) may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God." Deut. 31 Atone orthodox. 25> chap. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, v. And when Jehovah Himself hath set us the example to enter into solemn engagements tor good unto the infant, before it shall have knowledge to cry, " My father, and my mother ;" and takes to Himself faithful witnesses to record it ! See Isaiah, 8 chap. 1, 2, 3, v. Here let me plainly state what Baptism really is according to Scripture — It is, then, that Sacra- ment which is not only the symbol and seal, but the channel and organ of that inward and spiritual grace, of which it is in a strict sense the outward and visible sign ; and it is considered as the com- mencement of a new period, as an aera of the religious life, from whence the Christian dates a new state of existence, carrying with it new privileges, capacities of action^ and expectations; or in other words, a stale of salvation. Well, therefore, doth our church teach her infant-dis- ciples to repeat, as soon as possible, each of them, And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father, that He hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And I pray unto God to give me His grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end. Oh ! then, let us revere the blessed sacrament of Infant Baptism ; and let us with confidence and joy engraft our little ones on the olive-tree, that they may grow " like the olive branches round about our table. Lo ! thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord." Then if any of them should by an inscrutable providence be appointed to die eternally, (but we have no such fear,) they would at least wither and die on the parent-stock, and not as the Gentiles or wild olive-branches ; and their souls would not be required at our hands : nay, we could comfort ourselves with this reflection D 26 Infant Baptism " What could have been done more than I have not done ?" My household, and all mine have been baptized and taught to obey the Saviour, according 10 the Apostolical discipline. " Every branch in Him that beareth not fruit, the Father taketh away ; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. St. John, 15 chap. 2 v. CHAPTER 4. OF THE DUTIES ARISING FROM INFANT BAPTISM. I hope that what I have advanced in the three foregoing Chapters will convince you that there is but one baptism among professing Christians, viz. Infant baptism : and that Adult baptism (sa- ving in planting the gospel in Heathen countries,) is unscriptural, as well as .Re-baptization. So that those, who follow either of the two last custom 3 must follow them out of opposition to what is ^ood and established, more than for any reasonable cause. Their separation from their national church is, therefore, condemnable, whose peace and unity they are guilty of disturbing. They cause the name of God and His doctrine to be blasphemed by the enquiring Gentiles, among whom we sojourn, who are often heard exclaiming, Behold, these good Christians caunot agree among themselves, they split, and no one can explain why, or wherefore ; and they think to make proselytes of us. But tor them, " the word of the Lord would have free course, and be the more glorified/' Before I begin to speak of your duty as regards your own Baptism, let me first show you more fully the difference between Baptism and Conver- sion, or Regeneration and the New Birth. Alone orthodox. 27 Now St. Paul's comparison of Christ and the Church to a husband and his wife most clearly illustrates the peculiar and all-important doctrine of regeneration. He tells us how Christ loved the Church as His spouse, and gave Himself for it* that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water (baptism,) by the word ; that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish.'* Eph. 5 chap. So that God has consecrated the state of matrimony to such an excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual mar- riage and unity betwixt Christ and His Church ; " whose people shall be willing in the day of His power, in the beauties of holiness* from the womb of the morning. * And as St. Peter saith, so ought we, c * Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mer- cy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope* through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hence you see that as generation precedes the natural life, so regeneration precedes the spiritual life. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And as iC the wind bloweth where it listetb, and thou liearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John, 3 chap. 6, 7, 8, v. For to be the people of God (saith the pious Baxter,) without regeneration is as impos- sible as to be the children of men without gene- ration. Now the waters of Baptism regenerate, by transplanting us out of the state of nature into the state of grace, by placing us in a capa- city of working out our salvation, and giving the first impulse to the divine and spiritual life ; which, D2 "28 Infant Baptism when it is fully developed, becomes the New Birth. Regeneration is the embryo state of the children of God ; and " the children may come to the birth, and there may not be strength to bring forth." Is. 37 chap. 3, v- Wherefore, let every one, that is baptized, and " nameththe name of Christ, depart from iniquity;" let him repent and be converted, by dying unto sin and living again unto righteousness : or else, be it unto them according to the prophet, " let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman : Ps. 58,8, v. or as Job said regarding himself, " be as an hidden untimely birth ; as infants which never saw light/' 3 chap. 16V v. It is thus, that all impenitent and unconverted Christians die of them- selves, and resemble only so many abortions in the church, that are doomed to destruction — who " have indeed a name that they live, but are dead/' Rev. 3 chap. l,v. u For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all chil- dren : but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Rom. 9 chap. 6, 7, v. 1- What, then, is the duty of Adults as regards their own Baptism ? Ye, who were baptized in your infancy, and are now come to years of discretion, must know that you are still supposed by Scripture to be in a state of regeneration, or embryos only, until you have experienced conversion, or a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness, or such renewing of the Holy Ghost, as makes you new creatures, by effectually turning you from sin unto holiness, which chiefly is brought to pass through the minis- try of the word. Even as St. Paul told the Ga- latians, " My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you." It is Alone orthodox \ 29 thus only that our blessed Lord, through the in- strumentality ot the stewards of His mysteries, " shall see His seed — shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." " Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things ? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day ? Or shall a nation be born at once ? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." Is. 53 and 66 chap. As, therefore, you are already regenerated by baptism, it is your bounden duty to do the whole gospel, to act up to its precepts, as children of the light and of the promise, and to go on unto per- fection, by a daily renewing of the inner man and by new obedience, until Christ be formed in you, and the same mind be in you which was in Him : ** remembering always that Baptism represented unto us our profession ; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him ; that as He died, and rose again for us ; so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, continually mor- tifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living/' And such of you, as have been thus happily conver- ted, and have obeyed from the heart that form (or mould,) of doctrine, into which ye were delivered or cast at your Baptism, ought to thank God for it, and give Him all the glory. Rom. 6 chap. 17, v. For remember, " the foundation of God stand- «th sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let every one, that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. But in a great house, (like Christ's visible Church,) there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself 30 Infant Baptism from these (latter, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction,) he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for His Master's .use, and prepared unto every good work— even a vessel of mercy, which God had prepared unto glory." 2 Tim. 2 chap. Rom. 9 chap. There is a sacredness upon the persons of all that are Christened ; and for them to prostitute themselves to any lust i* a grea- ter profanation than that of which Belshazzar was guilty, when he desecrated the holy vessels of the Temple. 2. And what is the duty of Adults as regards their Children ? You must dedicate and set them apart by Bap- tism, as vessels of the Temple, for our Lord's es- pecial use and service, even as ye yourselves have been so consecrated to the Lord. You must make them clean by the laver of regeneration, and keep them clean, while under your charge, in co-opera- tion with God's Holy Spirit. Go, then, ye Chris- tian parents, and if ye be Abraham's seed, follow Abraham's example: First, by doing the works of Abraham yourselves ; Secondly, by baptizing your children, as Abraham circumcised his; And, thirdly, by commanding your children and your •household, so that they keep the way of the Lord. Nor should the remembrance of the milder Chris- tian Sacrament lose its influence on our faith and practice— gratitude should stir up our wills that we may the more plenteously bring forth the fruit of good works: for, Abrah'm believ'd the promis'd grace, And gave his sons to God ; But water seals the blessing now, VA iiich erst was seal'd by blood. Alone orthodox. 31 Moreover, your Church declares that, it is certain by God's word, that children, which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved. But she fears for the spiritual welfare of children, born of Christian parents, but not baptized, and taken into covenant with their God ; and considers that God will not hold the parents guiltless. For when Moses' child remained uncircumcised, the Lord sought not to kill the child, but Moses, the father, who should have circumcised him. Exod. 4 chap. 24, v. And Solomon, by the Spirit, saith; " Thou shalt beat a child with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Prov. 23 chap. 14, v. So that, for aught we can know, even children may have a power given them to resist or comply with the saving grace of God, imparted to them at their baptism, through the prayers of their parents and the church, which produces conversion, and ends in the salvation of all who are thus constrain- ed to good, as twigs that are bent. How great, therefore, is the responsibility of believing parents! In what an awful dilemma are they placed, through their misunderstanding the Scriptures ! How inscrutable and fearful is their situation! I trem- ble, yes. I tremble for the father more especially : for it is he that sinneth ! The tenor of the Scrip- tures is plainly this : Baptism is necessary, at all events, to the salvation of all born of Christian parents; whether it be unto salvation for children, or unto the grace of repentance and conversion for adults, " when the times of refreshing, and confirming the churches, shall come from the presence of the Lord," and the strengthening of our souls by the reception of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. So that our 27th Article of Religion is most sound and orthodox; The Baptism of young chii- 32 Infant Baptism dren is in any wise to be retained in the church, as most agreeable with the Institution of Christ — and the Rubric before the Order for the Burial of the Dead in our Common Prayer Book rightly direct?, That the Office ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, i. e. of course after they are 8 days old, when they ought to be initia- ted into the church, as they would have been, if they had belonged to the Jewish dispensation : but not before the 8th day ; because the mother is considered unclean 7 days, and the child by touch- ing her partaking of the same misfortune, was not till then lit to be admitted into covenant. Lev* 12 chap. 2, 3, v. CHAPTER 5. OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND CHRIST, We shall obtain a clearer view of the scrip- (uralness and validity of Infant Baptism, if we consider the following points; viz. 1. The difference between John the Baptist's and Christ's Baptism. 2. Why John was emphatically called the Baptist. 3. Why the Baptist was not baptized him- self. And, 4. Why Christ was both circumcised and baptized. I. Now the difference between the two bap- tisms is manifest enough, and obviously set forth by their respective Authors. John says, " I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but He that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : He shall baptize Atone orthodox. 33 you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." "1 am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him.* "Hie must increase, but I must decrease." And Christ testitieth of him thus, " among those that are born «f women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." And why ? because lie pointed out Christ more clearly than all who went before him. The ancient prophets beheld Christ afar off, but John saw Him face to face. They pro- phesied of Him: he pointed at Him, saying, This is He. Yet he that is least in the kingdom of God, or Church of Christ, is greater than he, knowing Christ perfectly, and preaching Him perfectly, which John could not do, not having witnessed the death and glorious resurrection of Christ. The disciples of John, like Apoilos, when as yet he knew " only the baptism of John," bt-lieved in Christ to come : the disciples of Jesus, like Apoilos, after " Aquila and Priscilla had ex- pounded unto him the way of God more perfectly," believed in Christ as already come, and were baptized into Christ: the Sacrament, however, sealed unto both the remission of sins. ,Yet it being essential to Christian baptism to Baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and thereby profess ourselves to be buried and risen with Christ, and John's baptism necessarily falling short of this main part, his disciples were afterwards baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, that is, iu the name of the Father, Son, and, Holy Ghost. As, therefore, the Baptists profess Christian baptism, they mis- cal themselves : for all the Baptist's disciples became Christ's, as soon as he had convinced them that Christ was the Messiah, saying unto them, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world ; and thenceforward followed Jesus. But your Church, ray Brethren, bears a 34 Infant Baptism true name, which is, The Apostolic Church, as founded by Peter and the rest of the Apostles, and not by John, whose course, though he- announced the Sun of Righteousness, the Li«:ht of men, was as brief, as it was brilliant, like the morning star. 2, John was emphatically called the Bap- tist, because, as St. Paul assures us, he " bap- tized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him, which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." Those whom he made his proselytes, he initiated into this new Institution of life by Baptism — a rite indeed made use of by the Jews, but never before St. John's mission, to figure out to them repentance and remission of sins, in lieu of Circumcision. Besides, he had the great honor to baptize his Saviour; which, though be modestly declined, (knowing that he was only a servant sent to prepare the way of his Lord, and that he needed it himself,) he yet performed, when the Lord enjoined it; and it was accompa- nied with a miraculous attestation from heaven — - the whole Trinity was manifested, which is the essence of Christian baptism. 3. John the Baptist was not baptized him- self, evidently for these two reasons: First, because he had, when an infant, the rite of circumcision performed on him, after the manner of Moses, which was Israel's t( baptism unto Moses in the cloud and the Red sea;" 1 Cor. 10 chap. 2, v. Secondly, and chiefly, because his being baptized would have rendered null and void every circumcison that had been perform- ed down from Abraham's time, the father of it, until his own. " Moses therefore gave unto the Jews circumcision, not because it is of Moses, Alone orthodox* US but of the fathers ; and the prophets and the law were until John," are the words of Jesus Christ Himself. But when there was to be no more dis- tinction betwixt the children of Abraham and other people, and no one land more peculiarized than another, but of every land and nation he that frareth God, and worketh righteousness, was to bo accepted of Him, that badge of appropriation, and seal of singularity became unnecessary, and waa superseded by the Christian one. 4. But why was our Saviour both circumcised and baptized ? Evidently that " He might fulfil all righteousness/' as He Himself declared, though He was hoiy and without sin : that is, that He might thereby be esteemed the Son of Abraham, and be the better qualified to do good among His countrymen the Jews, by bearing this mark of distinction, which they so much valued as to despise those that wanted it; and that He might fulfil the whole law ; and show that He came to bear the punishment due to our sins, and to expiate them with His blood. But, above all, that He might satisfy all true Israelites that He had sanc- tified the blood of circumcision to the mystical washing away of their sin ; lor " I say, (writes St. Paul,) that Jesus Christ was a Minister of cir- cumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Rom. 15 chap. 8, v. Thus by circumcision He declared Himself the Head of the Jewish Church. Wherefore also He was baptized, that He might sanctify the water of baptism to the mystical washing away of sin in -Christians — in all who rightly receive this sacrament; as it is written, "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also, being baptized, and praying, the hea- ven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended/' who sanctifieth all the elect people of God. 36 Infant Baptism Trace this beautiful and important connection between the Jewish and Christian Church, as St. Stephen leads the way, and St. Paul follows him, until Christ "took on Him the seed of Abraham. " Heb. 2 chap. 16. v. " And God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision : and so Abraham begot Isaac, and circumcised him the 8th day; and Isaac bei>ot Jacob:" thus St. Stephen reciteth Israel's history, going on M unto the days of David." Acts, 7 chap. "Of this man's seed hath God," says St. Paul, Acts, 13 chap, "according to His promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; when John had tirst preached before His coming the baptism of re- pentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulrilled his course, he said, whom think ye that 1 am ? 1 am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me, whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is tiie won! of this salvation sent." " For as many of you as have been bap- tized into Christ, have put on Christ. Andif)e be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3 chap. CHAPTER 6. OF THE RELATIVE STATE OF MANKIND AS REGARDS BAPTISM. Now let us consider the relative situation, in which baptism and non- baptism places mankind one with another; and then we shall ascertain in what light, or, rather, by what name we must call the baptists. 1 have already mentioned in tny 1st, Chap. .7, 8, p. the temporal disadvan- Alone orthodox: 37 tatres, under which they, that are not baptized, labour in every country, where the Holy Catholic religion is established; For there is no national religion that does not hold with Infant, Baptism. Sothatifyou will not hearken to obey the truth as it is in Jesus, and to bring your children to Him by holy baptism, your church must look upon them as Gentiles, or Heathens! They are not Jews, for your male children have not been circumcised to betoken your expectation of a Messiah on their behalf, neither are they Christians for neither male nor female have been baptized, to betoken a Messiah already coine on their be- half. As, theie ore, the world consists only of these three classes, according to the Bible, viz. of Jews, Christians, and Gentiles; it is evident 'that your children must be numbered with the last, *' Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Un- circumcision by that which is called the Circum- cision in the flesh made by hands," — or "mutatis mutandis," who are called Unbaptism by that which is called the Baptism, or Circumcision made without hands, — who are now without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of pro- mise, having no hope, and without God in the world," £ph. 2 chap. 11, 12, v. Col. 2 chap. II, 12, v. Do not suppose, however, that 1 would have your children now made Jews, because they are not made Christians. They had better continue Gentiles, or Heathens. Because, after circum- cision was abolished by means of our blessed Saviour's crucifixion, -burial, and resurrection, the use of it, as necessary to salvation, became wicked and damnable ; inasmuch as it implied that the true Messiah had not made satisfaction 3S Infant Bet it ism for sin, and was a practical rejection of Hiin and His atonement. Neither suppose, while I am thus urging Upon you the necessity, which the Scripture imposes on you to bring your children to Christ's holy baptism, that I would baptize the childreu of unbelievers, un ess perhaps they were dying. For their parens would seek io effect their apostacy ; it would be a profanation of the gospel- covenant. But the baptism of your children, my Christian Breth en, is their unalienable right, a sacrament or oath, by which you are bound "to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," "before they shall know to refuse the evil, and c'loose the good," and they are bound, as soon as they shall know to do so, to respect its obligations, as they value their own everlast- ing wel'are. It is that instrument, ordained by Christ Himself, whereby they have been brought out of a state of nature into a state of grace, and if they duly improve it, and, with the Divine blessi ig, they grow in grace, and in the know- ledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they beco ae God's elect people, and are chosen to eter- nal life. We conclude, therefore, that the proper name ofthse Sectarians would be, according to Scrip- ture, twofold: viz. Proselytes of the covenant, or Proselytes of the gate, the circumcised or uncircumcised, the baptized or unbaptized, This euictly defines what they are. And whenever mey are baptized, be it ever so soon or late, if they are duly and lawfully baptized, they become members of the Holy Catholic Church. Alone orthodox* 39 CHAPTER 7 OF THE MODE OF ADMINISTERING BAPTISM. As for the mode of administering — this ques- tion hardly deserves notice. It is merely the outward form, and signifies little, whether it be performed by immersion or atfusiou: the Holy Spirit alone, which is then invoked, can give it efficacy. Faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. Your church, consequent^, most properly directs that the Priest shall either dip the subject in water, or pour water upon it. But * I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," saith the benevolent Son of God. He takes the will for the deed, when the subject is weakly or sick, and not able to bear immersion with safety. At all events the Clergy are not to be blamed here: for it is not left to them to decide which way shall be adopted on the occasion, but to the wishes of the parents. I, for my part, am ready to administer either way, according to mine office : and so, I am well per- suaded, are all my fellow-labourers in the Lord's Vineyard. But T am bold to maintain that the Baptists are again in error, as to their mode of baptizing. Indeed neither we, nor they 4 strictly conform in my opinion to the Apostolical mode: but we are not careful about forms, and we know how to baptize, according to the letter, if we thought it absolutely necessary. But the Baptists err, not knowing the (Greek) Scriptures. The strict mode is for the subject to go down, or be taken down into the water between knee and ankle deep, and for the minister to stand on the bank, and take and pour water on the head, so that it should fall itown and sprinkle the whole body. The prepo- 40 I. if ant Baptism sition u out of," only means " from," the water: " And Jesns when He was baptized wee Zenophon makes the young Cyrus alight from, his chariot into the plain, or solid earth : for bjth Zenophon and St. Luke use the same pre- position, " eis." T regret, therefore, this mis-translation of the original term; for immaterial as it at first ap- pears, it lias misled the Baptists. And where one error prevails, many more are generally to be found, if that one error is to be supported, which is the case with the Sect in question. For if they dip their candidates at all, they must dip them three several times, to render their baptism literally correct ; for (says Ayliffe,) " the person to be baptizied may be dipped in water, and such an immersion or dipping ought to be made thrice, according to the canon." All their baptisms therefore are invalid, where this canoa has not been adliereJ to. In that passage of Scrip- ture where it is said that our Saviour dipped the sop which He gave to Judas, John, 13 chap. 2, 6, v. the verb " bapto" is used, not " baptizo." And why ? because " bapto" means to dip once, whereas u baptizo" means to wash several times. Hence, when Nuaman dipped himself seven times, Alone orthodox. 4i in Jordan, 2 Kings, 5 chap, 4, v. the verb ff bap- tizo/' and not " bapto" is used in the Septuagint. To dip and to baptize differ from each other, as much as the singular number differs from the plural number in Grammar. So that this good Sect must here again be nullified by their wrong 1 name ; as I have before showed, supposing they 90 called themselves from John the Baptist. Qa every account they bear a wrong name. CHAPTER 8. OF THE QUALIFICATION OF PROSELYTES OF THE COVENANT. Now the Rubric, before the Ministration of Baptism to such as are of riper years, and able to answer for themselves, runs thus : When any such persons as are of riper years are to be bap- tized, timely notice shall be given to the Bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week before at the least, by the parents, cr some other discreet persons ; that so due care maybe taken for their examination, whether they be sufficiently instructed in the principles of tie Christian religion ; and that they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with prayers and fastings for the receiving of this holy Sacrament. And the Rubric, at the end of this office, admonishes the parties thus: It is expedient that every person thus baptized should be confirmed by the Bishop, so soon after his baptism as conveniently may be; that so he may be admiited to the holy Communion. So that, since there is no time to be lost between the Baptism and Confirmation of an Adult, it is obvious that the qualiucatmn which is required in Adults in order to Ue;r A2 Infant Baptism Baptism is the same as is required in us, who tiave been baptized in infancy, in order to our Confirmation. And what is this qualification? You will find it distinctly laid down in the Rubric, at the end of the Church Catechism, 3rd par. viz. So soon as children are come to a competent age, and can say in their mother tongue the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the ten Com- mandments ; and also can answer to the other Questions of this short Catechism; they shall be brought to the Bishop. And every one shall have a God-father, or God-mother, as a witness of their Confirmation. The query, therefore, of a Missionary in fhs Christian intelligencer No. 10, October, 1834 — vol. 4. What is required of Adult persons, Hindoos and Musselmans, in order to their being admitted to the rite of Christian Baptism, is de- finitively and decisively answered by our Church. She, however, is not so rigorous, as a Missionary appears to have been, in exacting from the can- didates from three to twelve months' probation, but only a week, or so, which she considers time enough for her Ministers to satisfy themselves as to the qualification of the Applicants — the God-parent, or witness, being held responsible for their future walk of faith, according to their profession. But as his opinion coincides with my own so nearly in ail other respects, I shall here transcribe what he has said upon the subject. The church of God on earth is evidently in a state of adoption. The first form of this church state was the Jewish nation, as a body separated from the rest of the world. They were a people in covenant with God — " Israelites to whom per- tained the adoption," See. Rom. ix. 4, 5. That is, they were taken out oi the mass of the fallen fami- ly/and, by covenant, brought under obligations to Alone orthodox. 4£ certain laws which God commanded to be observ- ed, and to the performance of which, the church as a body, and every member in particular, stood pledged — " all the words, which the Lord hath said, will we do." Ex. xxiv, 3. The door of entrance into the Jewish church state was circumcision. Gen. xvii. 1 — 14. Hut what qualications were necessary ? I conceive it was a profession of faith and obedience, and that tiiis was prospective. All who were circumcised became " debtors to do the whole law." (Gal. v- 3.) Proselytes were brought under the same obliga- tion. (Ex. xii. 48, 49.) This covenant relation with God entailed on all, who thus entered into covenant, certain external privileges which were typical of spiritual blessings. 1 Cor. x. 1 — 4. This was the Old Testament church — a people chosen and sepa- rated from the rest of the world to the worship and service of the only living aud true God. They were dedicated, sanctified, and set apart from the mass of the fallen creatures to be "holy unto Jehovah.* The Christian Church is the Jewish church continued, only extended and changing its external form. What circumcision was under the Jewish economy, such is baptism under the Christian. It is the door of entrance into the visible church of God. Col. ii. 11,12; Gen. xvii, 7 ; Acts, ii, 39 See also Acts, iii. 25; Gal,, iv. 14, 26—29, &c. The designs of the ordinance were evidently the same, and significant of the same, truths. Com- pare Deut. xxx. 6 and Mark i. 8 ; Kom. ii 28, 29 and 1 Cor. xii. 13; Phil. iii. 3 and 1 Pet. iii. 21 ; Col. ii. 1 and Col. ii. 12. From these passage* the significance and analogy of the ordinances are obvious. Both set forth the impurity of human n 44 Infant Baptism nature in its fallen state — the necessity of a divine change or regeneration — and the infl fence neces- sary to produce that change; both being a token, sign, or seal of the righteousness of faith. The commission, given ti) the Apos;les and first Missionaries of Chris! ianity, throws mrich lisrht on this view of the subject, Matt, xxviii. J9, 20. — " Go ye therefore and disciple (Greek) all nations, baptizing them, &c. By which I under- stand that they were to go forth preaching the Gospel, and to make disciples by administering the ordinance of baptism to such as professed re. pentance toward God and faith in Christ: in other words, to receive men into the church state on the profession of faith, and then to teach them "the way of God more perfectly," or to instruct them in all things Christ commanded them. We have as much authority to refuse to leach as to refuse to baptize. The practice of the apostles was uniformly such. " They that gladly received the word were baptized," Acts ii. 41, &c. See also Acts viii, 12, 33.36 — 38. We have often been told that saving faith must precede water baptism, but on what scriptural authority does such an assertion rest ? In the multitudes that were baptized by the apos- tles, we no where read of any delay, and of no fur- ther catechizing than " Dost thou believe on the Son of God," or what is equivalent to it. If we inquire into their attainments, we shall find them to be but small — they were at best full of preju- dice — slow of apprehension — and very dark in their views of divine truth. I believe both the Hin- doos and Moosulmans now generally know as much of God and of religion generally, exclusive of the peculiar t-uths of Christianity, as the Jew and the Heathen of that day. If, therefore, a Hindoo Alone orthodox. 45 comes to rue professing: repentance, by which I mean a change of mind with reference to all that is contrary to Christianity, renouncing idolatry, &c. and desiring to be further instructed in the way of which he has heard and knows something; — if with this profession, and expressing an entire ap- probation of what he already knows, a Hindoo comes to me and desires baptism, am I scripturally authorized to refuse him ? Or, supposing the case of a Moosulman renouncing Muhummedanism, and professing to believe that Christ is the Son of God, am I not bound to baptize him on his profession of renouncing the one and embracing the other? It should be understood that, in most cases of this kind, further teaching, without the administration of the rite in question, by which they are at once cut off from their own people, is impossible. Our Baptismal service lays a stress upon knowledge : so does the Bible — Preach the gos- pel, then baptize. " Jf ye know these things, happy are ye, if ye do them." The knowledge of the Prayer Book is evidently the knowledge of the gospel — that Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners: but not a know- ledge that extends to all the precepts and all the mysteries of Christianity. This is the edifi- cation, whereof baptism is the foundation, and which must come up through the teaching which our Lord mentioned, and apparently prescribed after baptism, teaching them, i. e. the baptized, to observe all things whatsoever I have com- manded you." Here therefore I must again pronounce that the Baptists are wrong : for they insist upon a great deal more in their Candidates, and expect to tind grace without giving the means of grace; for certainly baptism is a means— nay, the first 46 Infant Baptism means of grace in Proselytes. We ourselves are also inclined too much that way, owing per- haps, to a bad and false precedent, lately se t us in the East, by a Missionary of the Roman Church, who went to the opposite extreme, and lived to see and proclaim the evil of his own rashness. CHAPTER 9. OF THE PRESUMPTION OF THE BAPTISTS. Having entered into this interesting subject, farther than 1 at first intended, I am led to add a iew words on the presumption of this Sect, which appears in their neglecting the due order of the Priesthood, and despising the established form of church government. 1. Their presumption in talcing upon them- selves the office of Priest, as they do. ■ In- deed we cannot but condemn the practice of these Sectarians, and pronounce their baptism hetorodox since their Ministers are not duly ordained. For who are they, who are commissioned " as the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mys- teries of God," but those, who, " being taken from among men, are ordained for men, in things pertaining to God : — an honour, that no man taketh to himself, but he that is called of God?" And who can ordain but the Bishops, who are the undoubted successors of the apostles, and " have a good report of them which are without," Tim. I Ep. 3 chap. 7, v. — that is, without the church, or the uubelieving Jews and Gentiles ; however much they may have an evil report of them which are within, that is, within the church of professing Christians ? Those, therefore, who Alone orthodox* 47 have received episcopal ordination, and those only, can rightly and duly administer the holy sacraments. Hence your church deems baptism and tiie Lord's Supper, when administered by other hands as incorrect and not pleasant to God ; for as much as they have not been admi- nistered by those, whom He hath set apart or appointed to this sacred office. Among the Baptists, then, how is the dignity of the priest- hood made light of! that holy and venerable priesthood, to which God has specially committed 4< the word of reconcilation, the glory of Christ, the work of the ministry." But, saith Jesus to the disciples whom He sent forth, " he that heareth you heareth Me ; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me ; and he, that dispiseth me, des- piseth Him that sent me." 2. The presumption of the Baptists in dis- regarding the governments, which God hath set in the Church, 1 Cor. 12 chap. 28, v. It was prophesied of the church, Isaiah, 49 chap. 22, 23, v. " Thus saith the Lord God, behold I will lift up my hands to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people : and they shall bring thy sons in their arms and thy daughters upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their Queens thy nursing mothers : they shall bow down to thee with their face to- wards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me," The Baptists, therefore, shall learn ere long that they cannot with impunity put asunder what God hath joined together— that they must not separate " Fear God" from '* Honour the King," as they now do. They " despise government. Presump- tuous are they, self-willed ; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities/' both in church and 48 Infant Baptism «tate. But we commit our Ark, fearlessly unto the Lord, with all our little ones aboard. What said our good and gracious King on his last birth-day? '■ I have been, by the circumstance of my Lie. and by conviction, led to support to- leration to the utmost extent ot which \t is capable ; but toleration must not be suffered to go into licentiousness ; it has its bounds, which it is my duty, and which I am resolved to maintain. I am, from the deepest conviction, attached to the pure Protestant faith which this church, of which 1 am the temporal head, is the human means of diffusing and preserving. I have spoken more strongly than usual, because of unhappy circumstances that have forced themselves upon the observation of all. The threats of those who are enemies of the church make it the more necessary for those who feel their duty to that church to speak out. The words which you hear from me are indeed spoken by my mouth, but they flow from my heart." CHAPTER 10. THE CONCLUSION. The benefits of this practice are more than can, the objection against, it weaker than need, be insisted on. Let it suffice to say, that cir- cumcision was as much a covenant heretofore, as baptism is now : that, what God then expressly ordained (or them, He cannot be supposed jo disapprove with us ; for, is he the God of the infants of the Jews, and is He not so of the Chris- tians? Can this be thought so much better and more gracious a covenant, supposing it to exclude iO many millions of souls, which the former Alone orthodox. 49 readily received, nay, premptorily demanded? And is it not enough, that these are not positively refused, to satisfy us, though the ordinance be changed, yet the subjects and privileges of it continue still the same ? Why, then, do any of us undertake to make the gate yet straiter, to shut up the mercies, and lessen the family of God ? Why represent the blessed Jesus less, kind than Moses? No, let us rather lose not a moment of time, in impressing upon our offspring the marks of the new covenant ; let us make the best reparation we can, for the stain and guilt we convey to them, by seeing it immediately washed off, in that fountain opened by Jesus Christ, for sin and uncleauness ; even the laver of regeneration, the sacrament of baptism. Let us deliver them up to His care, who is gracious to all ages, and cannot but embrace and adopt the tender innocence of those, who are propound- ed as a pattern for all that enter into His King- dom. Are those, to whom all that enter in must be like, not capable of entering in themselves ? this happy prevention will be their security, against the power of the enemy, and the temptations of a crooked and perverse generation. And He, who shed His first blood at 8 da}S old, will know and save them, who begin to be His at the same age. But withal, let it be our constant business, to second and confirm these good be- ginnings, by timely instruction, and a virtuous education, For dreadful will their condemnation be, whose own bowels shall rise up against tnem in the day of judgment, and upbraid that cruel fondness, that laid the foundation of their vices and their tormeuts. But blessed are those pious souls, who increase the kingdom of God with every addition to their own family, and double every joy of heaven to themselves, by those of 50 Infant Baptism the children which they have led or sent before them thither ; by a race of good men here, and of glorified saints hereafter. Which, that we may all be, God of his infinite mercy grant, for the sake of His dear Son, Christ Jesus, our blessed Saviour and only Redeemer, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. " Finally, my Brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the con- cision. For we are the circumcision, which wor- ship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3 Chap. 1, 2, 3 v.— Beware of those that are without ; beware of workmen, that need to be ashamed, not rightly dividing the word of truth, or duly administering the holy sacraments ; beware of those who cut their bodies, rent the church, and excommunicate themselves. For we are the circumcision, &c. Or now, in the Christian dispensation, Beware of the excision, or schism, of those who wash their bodies, rent the Church, and excommunicate themselves. For we are the Baptism, &c. Beware of the enemies of your apostolical Church ; and t: be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." Heb. 13 chap. 9 v. Verily, my dear Brethren, I feel it my im- perative duty, when you are so unfairly impugned to sound the tocsin of alarm, and put you on your guard. And I hope I have sounded it distinctly. " For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle ?" " He, that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Fare ye well, Brethren ; I have written you this Address, that according to scripture, Deut. 29 clap. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 v. "ye may prosper in all ye do, with all the men of Israel, your little Alone orthodox. 51 ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp ; that thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, that He may establish thee a people 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." I remain, My dear Parishioners, Your Servant For Christ's sake, H. PARISH. 1st January, 1835, FINIS