i.rd.'o * PRINCETON, N. J. ^ Presented by \ VG^SX ^^^fS/Y^VV^V-V I BV 811 .S567 Shotwell, Albert, 1846-1898 Scripture baptism Scripture Baptism, 'Crtpture ^a^ttsin THE Mode and Subjects. SERM.ON, Rev. a. SHOTWELL. PUBLISHED BY REQUBST. ST. LOUIS: PRESBYTERIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY INTRODUCTORY TO THE THIRD EDITION; This little volume is a sermon preached in compliance with the special request of a number of friends connected with the Methodist, Cumberland and Old School Presby- terian Churches. The circumstances which caused the re- quest were these. In that community it was the custom for all the Christians of the place to unite in one congregation on the Sabbath, each denomination occupying one Sabbath of the month. On one occasion the pastor of the Baptist church, with a great deal of bitterness of words and manner, hurled his anathemas against all who did not believe that immersion is the only mode of Baptism, saying, among other things, that any person who would i-ead the Bible must know that im- mersion alone was right, and that there was no shadow of foundation in the Bible for any other mode — that none but the immersed were baptized — that none others were mem- INTRODUCTORY. - Dersof the Church— that none others had any right to preach, or administer the ordinances of the Church. Such uncharitable assertions, made, in the presence, of a congregation more than half of Avhom were members of other denominations, and m^de in the hearing of many, young people, who are too ready to receive an. ttndispiited prop- osition as true, no matter how absurd it may be, awakened the desire, even among those who had always disliked and avoided these controversies about the inon-essentials of Christian practice, to have the assertions refuted. They ac- cordingly requested the author to- present the scripture side of this question. This he did with, the sincere desire and pray- er that his Words and manner ipightb^ seasoned with broth- erly^ kindness and Charity. The request for publication followed the delivery of the sermon. The little book was very popular. Two editions were soon exhausted, and for a considerable time it has been out of print. Repeated requests have been made for a new edition and incompliance with them this /y^zW edition is sent OUti In preparing it for the press the author has thought best to preserve the sermon form, in which it was first delivered because the want of time, which he could spare from other duties, prevented such a. review ^as would be necessary to change it into regular book form, and because many friends, who expressed their, approbation of it, thought its INTRODUCTORY. - T. popularity would b.e, diminished rather than increased by any material' ch^ange either in the matter or style of the work. '" . ' '"' ■ ' Such as, it is^ it is. sent forth upon its mission with the hope that it may do SQme good in clearing away the doubts which hang around' this subject, in the minds of some of our best, churqh members, because they seldom hear any i>::: i>?st c.i! •.■.: :;i rn , .:.. . ■ * thins said upon our side of the question. SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. "For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, tVere 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." — Galatians iii:2-j, 2g. When the Samaritans sent to Nehemiah, seeking a controversy with him relative to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, he replied to them, "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down ; why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you ? " With similar feelings have I always looked upon this whole controversy about baptism. The minister of Jesus Christ is engaged in too important a work for him to let that SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. / work cease while he comes down into a field of strife, which, instead of cultivating peace, harmony, charity, and brotherly kindness among the members of Christ, and causing the world to say "see how these Christians love one another," too often stirs up bitter- ness, hatred, envy and strife among the children of one common Father. In Paul's day the same kind of strife arose about circumcision, the then-visible seal of membership in the church, and he reproved it, saying : ''All the law is fulfilled in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: but if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." For this reason, during a ministry of twenty years, I have never felt it my duty to enter into this strife, but have preferred to "glory" only in the cross of Jesus Christ, by which the world "is crucified unto me and I unto vhe world." For several generations this controversy has troubled the church, some of the best of men have been arrayed upon the different sides, and with great earnestness and zeal 8 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. have contended for the opinions which they have held. It is not, therefore, a question concerning which either party has a right to be uncharitable, or hurl anathemas against those who may differ from us. Christ and his apostles did not deem it of sufficient im- portance to give any, **thus saith the Lord" concerning it, and it is not therefore my duty, nor is it my privilege to speak unchar- itably, or even to tJiink uncharitably of those who differ from me. I have, therefore, all my life preferred to preach truths that were more practical, and thus contend against our common enemy, rather than contend with brethren who come to God through the some Mediator; who have had their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience by the same blood; who hope in the same promises; who are laboring for the glory of the same Saviour; who belong to the same Catholic church, which is "built upon the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone," and with whom I hope for ever to dwell in that world where Zion's watchmen shall all see SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 9 eye to eye and none any more say, "I am for Paul, and I for Apollos, and I for Ce- phas." Nor would I to-day have deviated from my p.ast course if it had not been my oivn opinion, as well as the opinion of those friends who requested me to address you on this subject, that our silence is construed to imply that we were unable to defend our practice on Scripture grounds. And in the very commencement of my re- marks, I wish distinctly to state, that it is my desire and prayer that brotherly kindness and ch'irity may mark all my words, and that nothing savoring of bitterness or con- tempt for my immersing brethren may be found in any of my arguments; and if in the warmth of discussion any word or expres- sion may seem in the least uncharitable, I wish before hand to distinctly disavow any such intention. My own opinions are firmly fixed. I do beHeve sincerely that we practice- the mode of baptism practiced in the New Testament times, and that not only have we good author- 10 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. ity for infant baptism, but that it is as much our duty to consecrate our children in bap- tism as to consecrate ourselves. There are however good men and wise men, men whom I delighted to call brethren, who differ with us on these points, and though I believe them to be in error I still believe them to be sincere in their profession; and if they have the siibsta7ice, baptism with the Holy Spirit, I do not believe that God will reject them because of an error concerning the xn^YQ/orm of the shadow. If God's Spirit has been ponied upon their hearts I welcome them as' true members of the Church of Christ, even while I think they have selected a very im- proper mode of baptism with which to sym- bolize the pouring out of that Spirit upon them. If by faith they rest upon the Sav- iour for salvation, I am glad to welcome them as members of the body of Christ, and cordially invite them to sit with me and partake of the emblem of that precious blood, although I cannot help thinking that they have selected a mode of baptism which very poorly and iraproperly symbolizes that SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. I 1 "blood of sprinklmg that speakelh better things than that of Abel." THE QUESTION. My first desire is that we distinctly under- stand the question which is before us. It is not whether baptism is a duty or not — this all admit — nor whether immersion is one mode of baptism or not. It is not whether im- mersion, or any other mode^ is more or less convenient; nor w \clher it is or is not a cross\ nor whether it is shame, or fear, or pride which keeps men from being immersed; nor whether immersers are good men or bad, whether wise or unwise. These are not the questions. The one at issue at the present time is, whether immersion is the only mode of baptism? Whether all who have never been immersed are unbaptized, and there- fore out of the church of Christ, and there- fore entitled to none of the promises which God has given to his professed followers?' Whether these Methodist, and Presbyterian, and Cumberland and Episcopalian christians are usurping privileges which do not belong to theip when they come to the table of the 12 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. church's Lord ? Whether they are ''aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenant of promise," and therefore have no right or title to the children's bread ^ which the Saviour has provided for the mem- bers of his household. It is because the question has assumed this form, and because our immersing breth- ren have so stated it, that I have felt con- strained to comply with your request and hold up its answer before you this day. If our immersing brethren had only said "we have the best mode of baptism," or "the most impressive mode," or if they had only said "our mode is nearest to the scripture model," I could not have complained much of their opinion, for their belief concerning their mode would have been just the same as my own belief concerning our mode. The question at issue then is whether im- mersion is the only mode of baptism, and whether none but those who are immersed belong to the visible church of God, and are entitled to any of its privileges or authorized to administer any of its ordinances. SCRIPTURE BAKTISM. I 3 And this question becomes the more im- portant because it not only expels from our Father's house and excludes from our Fath- er's table i9-20ths of the Christian world, but it declares that 99-iooths of all that have ever professed love for the Saviour and re- verence for his name have died out of the visible church of God. Nay, more; if these assertions are true, and immersion is the only- mode, and if all not immersed are unauthor- ized to administer church ordinances, then we have no baptism, no Lord's supper, our immersing brethren themselves are not bap- tised, and the church of Christ has long since passed away. The prophecy has failed and "the gates of hell have prevailed against her " For to claim an unbroken succession for baptism by immersion is to fly in the face of all evidence both divine and human. Let us look then to the law and the testi- mony on the points at issue. PLAIN PROPOSITIONS. I would in the Jirst place lay down a few propositions which I think none here will- 14 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. deny, and therefore I will not stop to argue them. ' '^ I St. The Bible came from God, and it Cv-»ntains all that is essential for man Xoknow concerning God, and enjoins all that it ig essential for man to do in order to be sav^ ed. 2d. God knows the force of all lano-ua^e and the meaning of all words. 3d. Any article of faith which is not plainly enjoined, cannot be essential to calva- tion. "^ 4th. If any particular/^.^r;;/ is essential to the validity of any ordinance, then the mode ot observing that ordinance will be fully and clearly de-ftned by God in his word. Now if these propositions are true, (and I do not think any Christian will deny them,) then we are driven to this conclusion, either the book which we call the bible is not from God, or God did not intend to teach that immersion in water is the only true baptism. Nineteen-twentieths of those who love the Bible and who prayerfully seek to know and to do what God has commanded in his book, SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 1 5 after carefully studying what it teaches, have come to the conclusion that baptism by im- mersion is not the only baptism, and almost all of this nineteen-twentieths of the Christian world will cordially unite with me in the fol- lowing summary of my belief on this point : WHAT I DO NOT BELIEVE. 1st. I do not believe that baptism by im- mersion is any where taught in the word of God, either by the meaning of the word baptizo or by the use of the words transla- ted "in," "into," or 'fout of" in our English version of the scriptures. 2d. I do 7tot believe that the design of the ordinance points to immersion as the mode of baptism taught in scripture. 3d. I do not believe that the circum- stances recorded point to a single instance of immersion either by John, or by Christ, or by His apostles. 4th. I do not beheve that there is any- thing in the Bible which is opposed to the right of the believing parents to bring their children with them into the Church of God by baptism. l6 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. WHAT I DO BELIEVE. But on the other hand, I do believe that the word baptizo is in several places in scrip- ture used in the sense of sprinkling or pour- ing; and that the words translated "in," **in- to," and "out of," could with more propriety- be translated to, at^ dind from. 2d. I believe that the design of this ordi- nance of baptism points to sprinkling or pouring as the proper mode. 3d. I believe that the circumstances re- corded in scripture make it certain in sever- al instances, and probable in every instance, that sprinkling or pouring was the mode used. 4th. I believe that the scriptures plainly teach that it is not only the privilege but the duty of believing parents to consecrate their children by baptism to God. And these are the positions I purpose to maintain and defend. BAPTIZO DOES NOT TEACH IMMERSION. Baptism by immersion is not taught in the word of God by the meaning of the word "baptizoJ' I know that I am met here by SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 1/ our immersing brethren with the assertion of just the reverse of this position. Let us appeal to scripture, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. In our English New Testament the word Baptize in some of its forms is found eighty- nine trnics, and in the Greek ninety-three times, and in not one of these places is there anything w^iich implies that immersion is the only or the true meaning of the word. In classic writings the word has various mean- ings; but the common meaning attached to it in scripture is zuashing or cleaning, without any reference, in the word, to the manner in which that cleaning is performed. / _ , It is true there are some places where the baptism might have been performed by im- mersion, but no place where it is said that it was so performed, and no place where the sense would be injured if we should prove that it was hy sprinkling or poiirijig, while on the other hand there are several places;where it is easy to show that the word does not and cannot mean immersion. Immerser Instructed, p. 85. l8 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. Take for example, Mark vii : 4, where in the Greek this word is used twice, and see if it does not mean something else than im- mersion. Speaking of the Pharisees when they "come from the market, except they baptize they eat not, and many other things there be which they receive to hold, as the baptiz- ing of cups and pots, and brazen vessels, and tables (or couches)." How absurd to say the Pharisee must immerse himself every time he came from market^ or that he im- mersed his couch. Let us look at another passage. This is 1st Cor. X : i, 2. Paul says the the Israel- ites were "all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Here immersion is impossible, for they went through on dry ground. Hence baptized does not mean immersion here. Turn now to the 9th chapter of Hebrews, and i®th verse, where Paul speaks of "divers washings." In the Greek it is dca(poiioc(; f-ian- ztaiiocQ^'diverS' baptisms'' No one acquaint- ed with scripture will deny that Paul is re- SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 19 fcrring to the Jewish ritual. Now, what were the divers baptisms of which he speaks, and how performed? A reference to the Old Testament convinces us that almost all were by sprinkling. When Aaron was consecrated a priest Moses must sprinkle blood upon him. When the Israelites entered into covenant with God at Sinai their vows were conse- crated by sprinkling. When the people w^ere to be cleansed from any uncleanhness the blood of their sacrifices was to be spjijikled upon them. So might I go on and quote scores of pas- sages, all showing that almost all the divers baptisms of the Jews were by sp7 inkling. In Hebrews, 9th chapter, the 13th, 17th and 2 1st verses, Paul speaks of three of these diverse baptisms. One is as follows: ** If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of -he flesh, etc." A second IS : ** When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with wa- 20 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. ter, and scarlet wool and hysop^ and sprink- led both the book and all the people." The third instance which he gives is : " More- over he sprinkled likewise with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the min- istry." Surely Paul did not believe that baptize always meant immersion. Another proof that the word baptizo does not always mean immersion is found in the history of the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The promise had been given by John, and repeated again and again, that the disciples should be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Joel in his prophecy referred to this bap- tism twice, under the expression "I will/^?/r out my spirit upon them." When the pre- dictions of John the Baptist, and of Joel, and of Christ himself, came to pass, how were the disciples baptized ? Not by immersion, for the Spirit wdiS potired ont upon them, and the cloven tongues of fire descended, and rested upon them. Surely it is another place where baptism does not mean immersion: Thus I think I have established my first SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 21 position, that the word baplizo, as it is used in scripture, does not always mean immer- sion, and that, therefore, nothing can be proved from the meaning of the word. Nor in the second place can anything be determined by the use of the words trans- lated "z;/," ''into;' and ''out of!' These words are sv, e^c, £^, and u-tzo. The first of these, used relative to John's baptiz- ing m Jordan and in Enon, is used about 3(X> times in tfie Greek Testament. More than lOO times it is translated *'at," and more than 150 times it is translated "zt/zV/^."* It does not signify and is not translated under in the whole New Testament. '- ' ^ Etc is found more than 600 times, and has at least twelve different meanings. It never means ''tinder'" in the New Testament. It might with just as much propriety be trans- lated "to" or "unto" as ''in" or "into." To say that Philip and the Eunuch went down cis the water does not imply that they wet even the soles of their feet. It might with *Bible baptism. 22 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. equal propriety be said, they went down to the water , as to say into the water. So tx. defines nothing as to the mode of baptism. It is found more than 300 times in the New Testament, and nearly 200 of these times it is translated "from ," and where it is translated "out of" the water, it ought to have been ''from'' the water, if a majority of tzvo cases out of three is any test of its meaning. And the word a;ro, translated "out of," is in the same condition. It literally means from, and in 250 out of 300 times is so trans- lated. Surely we cannot unchurch i9-20ths of the Christian world on such uncertain grounds as the meaning of these words. Having thus seen that nothing can be de- termined relative to the mode of baptism from the meaning of the word baptizo, be- cause it does not always mean immerse, and in most if not all the places used in the Bible cannot mean immerse, and having proved also that nothing can be determined by the use of the words translated "in," "into," and "out of," because in a large majority of SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 23 places in the New Testament they mean simply **to" and "from," let us see if any- thing can be determined from the design of baptism relative to the mode. DESIGN OF BAPTISM. The design of baptism is to signify the necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. There were two sacraments under the Old Testament form of the Church, each of which had its distinct signification. One was the Passover Supper, which was designed to foreshadow in an especial manner the work of the scco7id person of the trinity. It point- ed to the Son's work in providing salvation by His blood. The lamb must be s/ai;i, the blood must be sprinkled and the flesh must be eaten, and thus was the Church taught the great truth of the gospel that Christ, the second person of the trinity, would give His blood and body for the redemption of His people. In the place of that Passover Sup- per Christ gave us the Lord's Supper, where the sprinkled blood is set forth in the cup, and tlie flesh that was eaten is set forth in the bread, and the great truth is held up 24 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. that Christ, our Passover lamb, is slain for us. The other sacrament of the Old Testa- ment was circumcision, and it was designed to foreshadow the work of the third person of the trinity. It pointed especially to the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. In the place of this, Christ instituted bap- tism, and by the application of water He taught the necessity of the cleansing of the heart by the Holy Spirit. Its primary refer- ence is to the work of the third person of the trinity, which He performs upon the heart of men ; but it has a secondary reference to the blood, by the sprinkling of which the right to the regenerating influ- ences of that Spirit has been purchased for the believer. Now the first sacrament Is beautifully and exactly symbolic of what it is designed to teach. The body was broken and the blood was shed — so the bread is broken and the wine poured out. Through this broken body and shed blood the believer receives his life and nourishment SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. ^5 and strength. So in the sacrament he must eat the bread and drink the wine, thus sym- boHzing that he must feed upon his Savior. Now this same analogy will run through the second sacrament if it is observed accord- ing to the scripture model. It is designed to symbolize cle arising. Hence zvater must be used, and that the shadow may fully re- present the substance, it must, according to the prophecy concerning it, be clean water. It is designed to symbolize the work of a pure spirit in contradistinction to a bodily form, hence a fluid is used. To symbolize bUtod He uses wine. To symbolize Spirit and blood, both participating in cleasing, He uses water. Now another thing is necessary beside symbolizing the tiling to be done and the instrument of doing it. How is it done ? The body was broken, therefore break the bread. The blood, the hfe, was poured out; there- fore pour out the wine. The beHever is to be nourished and live through the broken body and shed blood, therefore eat the bread and drink the wine. 26 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. So here in baptism the Spirit is the instru- ment — tise water. The heart is to be cleans- ed — use clean water. The Spirit is to be appHed to the heart — apply the water to the subject. The Spirit is always described as poured out, and the blood by which he has been purchased is said to be sprinkled, there- fore, \YQ pour 02tt the water and sprinkle it upon the subject. Now with these facts before us I candidly ask whether I am not right in my second position, that the design of the ordinance does ;/^/ point to immersion as the oiily mode, or as^ mode taught m the scripture. When the subject is said to be cleansed by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into his heart, I do not symbolize either when I immense him under water, THE CIRCUMSTANCES POINT TO SPRINKLING. But this brings us to my third position. I do not believe that the circumstances re- corded point to a single instance of immer- sion either hy John, or by Christ, or by His apostles ; but on the other hand I do believe SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 2/ that the circumstances recorded in Scrip- ture make it certain in several instances, and probable in every instances, that sprink- ling or pouring was the mode used. The first passage which I notice is John's baptism of the multitude who came out to him. Here the probabilities are all against immersion, and nothing is in favor of it ex- cept the use of the prepositions translated into and ont of, the first of which I have shown is in two cases out of three rendered " at," and the other in five out of six ren- dered ''from!' The multitude was too great, even at the smallest computation, for immersion to have been the mode, and then no changes of rai- ment are mentioned. John's ministry was only about one and a half years, and yet it is said that Jerusalem and all Judea were baptized of him. One writer computes that if one half of ''all" came to him, he would have had to baptize 5,000 daily for 500 days. I rely however very little upon such argu- 28 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. meiits as this, although they have some force in confirmation of other arguments. BAPTISM OF JESUS. John baptized our Saviour, and as there is no mention of any change of mode I suppose He was baptized in the same manner as the multitude who crowded to John's baptism. Concerning Jesus' baptism it is plain that it was by sprinkling. Look at the facts. WJiy was Jesus baptized at all ? He had 110 sin, and therefore He was not baptized for the same cause as the rest, " unto repent- ance," and lest we might make a mistake here, God as well as John bears testimony. John says: " / have need to be baptized of Thee," and God said : *' This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!' The design of His baptism must, therefore, have been different. What was it? Jesus was just about to enter upon His public work as priest for His people; He was preparing to offer the great sacrifice, which all the sacrifices which had gone before had fore- shadowed. The law of sacrifices, which was still in force, had certain forms which were SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 29 essential to the legal preparation of any priest for his office. One thing was — proper age. He must be thirty years old. Num. iv : 3, 35, 39, 47. Luke says of Him, where he records His baptism : " He began to be about thirty years of age." — Luke iii: 23. An- other important thing is: He must be washed. It is this washing preparatory to His work to which He alludes in His conversation with John. The whole question of the mode of our Saviour's baptism by John, and of vas very hard for the j ew to give them up. Hence many ignorant teachers sprang up among them, who taught the multitude that they must still observe these things. This was the trouble with the Galatlan converts. False teachers taught them that they must be circumcised. How easily they could work upon the fears of these Gentile converts. They would say : " The only way of admission into the church has been by circumcision. If then ye would be the seed of Abraham you must observe this rite." In this epistle, and especially in the text, Paul overthrows such reasoning. They are not to look to the forms of the ceremo- nial law. Faith in Christ's blood was their only hope ; and lest any might fear that they were not as sure of salvation as the believ- ing Jew, he tells them that the Church is the same ; that all tliat have been baptized have put on Christ, are in the true Church, the true Spiritual seed of Abraham, of which 5 2 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. Christ is head. " Ye are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. — There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus, and if ye, be CJirist's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." The apostle, therefore, teaches this truth: That the Church to which faith unites these Gentile converts, into the true membership of which they have been brought by the bap- tism of the Spirit and into whose commu- nion they are admitted by baptism with wa- ter, was the same Church as that to which the circumcised seed of Abraham belonged, and that all in it were alike heirs according to the promise. The duty of believing par- ents to bring their children and consecrate them to God by baptism is fully established by this truth. Let us see whether we have any ground from other parts of the sacred volume to believe that the Old and New Testament Church is the same. feCRiPTURE BAPTISM. ^3 THE JEWISH CHURCH NOT COMPLETE. It is evident from the whole history and design of the Old Testament dispensation that it was not intended to be a Church complete in itself. It was instituted as a type of better things to come. By itself it was an unmeaning- form. What were the sacrifices or the feasts and the festi- vals, nay, what the temple itself, with its high priest, and priests, and Levites, and victims, if not typical of something yet to come ? The evident necessity that some- thing must come after to which they point- ed, proves that that dispensation was not perfect in itself It was only the dawn of the day of which Christ's coming was the noon. 2d. The covenant made with Abraham shows that the Jewish dispensation was not intended to be a Church complete in itself The promise was made, that others beside the Jewish nation were to reap the benefits. "' In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." " I will make thee a father of many nations." 3d. That the Church is the same is evident 54 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. from the fact that nothing has been changed but those things which were from their very nature changeable. The head of the Church is not changed. It is the same " God over all and blessed for ever more." The Purifier is not changed. The same spirit regenerates. The Redeemer is not changed. The same Savior that was wounded for Isaiah's transgressions is ^2/r Savior. The Law is not changed. The same two tables, whose sum is perfect love to God and man, are still binding. Repentance for sin, and faith in an aton- ing substitute, and love to Him by whose stripes we are healed, and that true obedience y which is the offspring of love, have not changed. Nor has the true worship of God changed. We mu^)t still worship in spirit and in truth. Nor have even the two sacraments chang- ed except in their external form. We have already seen that their meaning is the same; that the supper is the same as the passover SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 55 in meaning, and that baptism is the same as circumcisfon in meaning. Where is the difference? First, the typical ceremonies are laid aside because they have done all they were designed to do — pointed to Christ until Christ came ; and secondly, the door has been opened wider so that the Gentiles might come in. BIBLE TESTIMONY. But look at the scriptural testimony to the identity of the Church. The Bible declares it to be the same. Besides the fact that the covenant made with Abraham was to embrace all nations ; besides the fact that all the faithful are call- ed the seed of Abraham, it is taught in many ways so plainly that it seems hard for any to mistake who will give it their candid at- tention. Christ said He came not to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfill. He said this to the Jews, who feared that He was destroy- ing the church they loved, and if He did de- stroy it and on its ruins build another church, what could His words mean? If 56 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. the church was overthrown and a new one set up, then both the law and the prophets were destroyed. But other parts of scrip- ture tell us plainly that He fulfilled the law and prophets in all their predictions and re- quirements, and types and shadows. And lest any might think that He was establishing anntlier church, He plainly said that there was to be "but one fold, even as there was but one shepherd." And so also in the text, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." In Hebrews, also, the apostle dwelling upon the faith of the patriarchs, says: "They received not the promises, God having pro- vided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Surely he does teach that the gospel Church is but the completion of the Jewish Church. They did not receive the promise. It was not completely fulfilled in them, but it was to find its completion when in accordance with the prediction of Isaiah, "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. ^^ the top of the mountain, and shall be exal- ted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." Was the promise fulfilled in them ? No. Is it completely fulfilled in us ? No. When will it be fulfilled ? When under the beams of the latter day glory "many people shall go and say : Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths." It will be fulfilled when ''every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.' It will be fulfilled when **Zion shall arise and shine because the glory of the Lord is risen upon her. When the Gentiles shall come to her light and kings to the bright- ness of her rising." Then will the Church to which Isaiah belonged become perfect and receive the complete fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham : " In thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed." And this conviction that the Church is the 58 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. same only becomes the stronger when we remember for what these glorious predic- tions were given. They were given to com- fort and strengthen God's ancient people. The prophet saw the Church that he loved in a languishing condition. Ungodliness was triumphing over her, but "by the eye of faith and spirit of prophecy" he saw the same Church revive and shine, and spread throughout the whole earth. Jerusalem was then in affliction, but with prophetic eye he saw her wave her banner from the top of the highest mountain. He saw all nations flowing like water toward Zion, the Zion that he loved. Under her hallowing influ- ences he saw all nations converting their spears into pruning hooks and their swords into plowshares ; and it was in view of these animating visions, that, even in the midst of the desolation of Zion, he took his harp from the willows and tuned it to these exulting strains. But 2/the Church is different, //"the Zion that noiv is is not the Zion to which the prophet belonged, then he rejoiced too soon. SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 59 It was not his Zion that was to be thus ex- alted. Who iL'ill, who CAN beheve it ? Not I. The same Zion concerning which Isaiah uttered these glorious predictions is the Zion that is now flourishing. Let those who will, unchurch these old patriarchs and prophets. Let them declare that the sweet singer of Israel was not one of them. That he, to whom God gave the two tables of the law, was not one of them ; that the sublime Isaiah was not one of them; that the weeping Jeremiah was not one of them ; but it will ever be my pride and delight to belong to the Church which claims among its members Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Samuel, •and David, and the prophets, and all those bright examples of faith and good works who lived when the Church was yet 'in her infancy. It will ever be my pride to belong to the Church built upon the prophets as well as apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, for such a Church is the New Testament Church. It does not supersede the Old. This the Savior ex- pressly declares when He tells the Jews that 60 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. the kingdom of heaven, meaning the Church, should be taken away from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. Surely the Church given to us Gentiles is the same Church which was taken from the Jews. But the a;^ostle puts it beyond any possi- bility of mistake. He says that we Gentiles are cut out of a wild olive tree and grafted into the good olive tree. By the good olive tree he undoubtedly means the Jewish Church. By nature we belong to the wild oli\ c tree, but by faith we become *'the seed of Abraham," and are grafted into this "good olive tree." What can it mean unless it is designed to teach that the tree remains the same ; that the old Church is not destroyed, but we are joined to it and made heirs of its promises? The grafting on of the Gentile branch has not destroyed the tree. Nay, it is still the Jew's olive tree and says Paul, if he continue not in his unbelief, he shall be '•grafted back again on to his own olive tree." Can Paul have thought that the Jewish and Christian churches were different ? That the SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 6 1 Jewish church was rooted up and the Chris- tian planted in its stead ? He asserts just the reverse. He knew the Church to be the same, and his whole argument is based upon the fact that it is the same ; and in that illustration of the ohve tree he is only teaching what he teaches in my text: "If we are Christ's we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." I have dwelt the longer upon this identity of the Church under both dispensations, be- cause it demonstrates that it is the duty of all believers to bring their children into covenant relation with God. If we are in- deed Abraham's seed then it is our duty to do what God commanded Abraham to do — consecrate our children to God, If the Christian church is essentially the same as the Jewish cJinrch then the duties en- joined and the /; ivileges enjoyed in the one will still belong to the members of the other unless formally repealed. This my text asserts as the apostle's con- clusion of the whole matter. If we are 62 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. Abraham's seed we are heirs according to THE PROMISE. In the covenant made with Abraham, God gave him a gracious promise : " I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee." Among the Jews this was called, by way of distinction, " the promise y and when Paul says we are heirs according to the promise, he teaches that the promise belongs to us which was given to Abraham, " I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after th*",e." He tells us the same thing in Romans, where he says " the promise was not to Abraham or his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. And it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed, and not to that only which is of the law, (that is the natural posterity, the Jew,) but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham." What can the apostle mean if he does not teach that the promise given to Abraham belongs to all of us, who by true faith be- come the true seed of Abraham ? SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 63 SEAL OF THE PROMISE. The seal of this promise under the Old Testament was circiwicision. The seal un- der the New is baptism, and as the first was to be applied to the children of all the seed, so the second is to be applied to the children of all the seed, unless there is some com- mand formally repealing the duty. Has such a command been given ? Or is there the least intimation that the duty has been revoked ? Nobody has been able to find the command. Nobody has been able to find the least inti- mation that the duty has been revoked ? Nay; instead of being revoked, we find it re-enacted in more places than one. INFANT MEMBERSHIP RE-ENACTED BY CHRIST. When the parents brought their children to the Savior, and the disciples, who seem to have doubted the right of infant member- ship were about to forbid them, what did our Savior say? Did He say the children were embraced under the old covenant, but not under the new? Nay ; but just the re- verse. He rebuked His disciples. He was much displeased, (Mark x: 14,) and said: 64 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the King- dom of God." PETER so TEACHES. When the Savior had ascended up and sent forth the Spirit to qualify His apostles for their work, and they began their public teaching with that powerful discourse by which so large a multitude were converted, was there any intimation in that first sermon that the duty had been repealed ? Nay ; just the reverse. Listen to Peter : ** Re- pent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." As soon as he tells them of their duty to be baptized, he tells them of their duty to bring their children also, quoting that pro- mise with which every Jew was familiar, and, lest they might think that it was only for them and their children, he adds, that it is SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 6$ "to all who are afar off, (us Gentiles,) even as many as the Lord our God shall call." The Savior was once displeased with His disciples (and Peter was probably with them) for trying to keep the little children back ; and when, after His resurrection, He gave his parting command to Peter to feed His. sheep, He commanded Him also to feed t/ie lambs ; and Peter did not forget it; but in his first se»mon includes both, and in effect says to each one that was touched by his powerful discourse, *' come thou and all thy house into the ark." PAUL TEACHES IT. When Paul wrote his epistles of instruc- tion to the churches, did he revoke the com- mand to bring the children ? Nay ; but in several of the epistles he repeats it, as we have already seen. THE APOSTLES PRACTICED IT. In the practice of the apostles was there anything that looked like a revoking of the duty ? Nay ; but the contrary, for they bap- tized households — the household of Step- hanas^ the jailer and his house, Lydia and 66 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. her house. I can take time only to dwell upon one of these. Take the case of Lydia and her house, as we find it in Acts i6: 14. She is the only person mentioned in the narrative, except at the time of baptism. She was a seller of purple; slic worshiped God; she heard the apostles ; the Lord opened lier heart ; she attended to the things spoken of Paul ; she besought the apostles if they h^d judged her faithful to come into /z^r house and abide there, and she constrained them. Nothing is said of any other person, ex- cept where her baptism is mentioned, and then it is said, ** when sJie was baptized, and her household, she besought the apostles, if they had judged her faithful to the Lord, to come into her house." If her children hadbeen adults and had been baptized on their own faith, as our immersing brethren try to think, surely they would have been mentioned in some part of the narra- tive. Lydia would at least have said, '' if ye have judged tis faithful," but she said '*me" plainly teaching that she alone had believed, SCRIPTURr: BAPTISM. 6/ The Greek word used f(;r her household deservx's a passing notice. It is or/oc, and means the cJiildren of the family in distinc- tion from the servants. When others than children are included or/du. is used. When the children are meant, it is the "or/.o-^'' as the house of God, or the house of Jacob, or the house of Israel, or the house of Judah. When Peter is said to dwell with Simon, or/.ca is used because Peter was not a child of his. When our Saviour speaks of the servants not abiding in the house or household he uses or/ca. When some of Caesar's house- hold are said to have believed ocxk/., is used, for none of Caesar's children are meant. To the jailer it was promised,"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be sav- ed and thy house [or/nz), and the same hour of the night he washed the stripes of Paul and Silas and was baptized he and all his straightway." Soof Lydia, it is said she was baptized and her household {or/.n-.) Surely infant baptism is not forbidden by Christ or by the apostles, but rather established and confirmed both by precept and example. 6^ SCRIPTURE BAp-riSM. FAITH NOT REQUIRED OF INFANTS. But says one/* do not the scriptures invaria- bly teach that baptism is to be administered to those only who believe? Why then should it be administered to one not capable of exer- cising faith ?" I will answer this question by asking another. Do not the scriptures invari- ably teach that heaven is to be given only to those who repent and believe? How then can heaven be given to any not capable of exercising faith ? The demand for repent- ance and faith in the subjects of baptism is not near so positive as is the demand for re- pentance and faith in those who would enter heaven. No passage says no7ie may be bap- tized but those who repent and believe, but it does say in many places that none shall enter heaven but those who repent and be^- lieve. If on this ground you prove that none of our children are fit subjects for baptism, on the same ground, only more clearly, I will prove that not one of our dear little ones, who have gone before us, can ever enter heaven. If the scriptures exclude them from baptism because they cannot repent and believe, then SCRlPrURK BAPTISM. 69 there is no hope that any of them can be saved. Away, my brethren, with such horrible logic as this. The Bible does not speak to babes and sucklings when it says repent, believe or be lost. Nor does it apply to babes and sucklings when it says repent and believe and be baptized. Both classes of texts mean adults, and to adults our Church applies them both. We do not believe that adults can get to heaven except they repent and believe, and we do not think them fit subjects for baptism unless they repent and believe, and we are very careful to examine them as to these graces before we baptize them, more careful I believe, than any other denomination. But we do not believe that either faith or re- pentance is necessary in infants that they may enter the church above, and there- fore we do not require these graces, in order that those descending from believing parents may be recognized as members of the church below. Faith was required of all adult Gentiles who professed Judaism before they were ad- 70 Scripture baptism. mitted Into the church, but it was not required of the children of such parents. So now we require it of the parents but not of the children. True, we open the door a little wider now than then. Under the old econ- omy both parents must belong to the house- hold of faith. A Jew with a Gentile wife, or a Jewess with a Gentile husband, could not bring their children into covenant ; but un- der the gospel, we permit the children of only one believing parent to be brought. We open the door a little wider because the apostles so taught us. Paul says the unbe- lieving husband or wife is sanctified by the believing wife or husband, so that the chil- dren are not tmclean, {i. e., not unfit to be brought to God), " but now," he says "are they holy," i. e.,fit to be brought and offered to God under this covenant. TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS. Nor does our evidence stop with the New Testament times. The practice of the Church for more than a thousand years con- firms me in my opinion. SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. 7I I have only time to allude to a few facts from the history of the Church. The first I mention is the testimony of Ireneus who was born in the year 97. He says " infants, little ones, children, youth and persons of mature age, were reborn to God ; that is, set apart to His service by bap- tism." He argues the propriety of it from the fact that Christ came to save "infants, little ones, &c.," and declares positively that "the church learned from the apostles to baptize infants." * TertuUian was born in the year 147 — He says " that our Savior comviandcd little children to be baptized" — that " if either parent were a Christian, the children were enrolled in Jesus Christ by baptism." Origen was a Presbyter of Alexandria, the son of a Christian martyr, and was born about the year 175. He declares that "the Church received the injunction from the apostles to give baptism to infants" — that * For these quotations from the fathers, see BibJe Bap- tism, pp. 325-327. 72 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. *'the custom of baptizing infants was re* ceived from Christ and His apostles." In the year 253 a council of sixty-six ministers was held at Carthage. The ques- tion arose whether infants might or might not be baptized before the eighth day after birth and it was unanimously decided that they might be baptized before the eighth day. Augustine was born about the year 330. He says that infant baptism was not insti- tuted by councils but was always in use, and says "the custom of the Church in baptizing infants must not be disregarded." Pelagius was a learned man who wrote about the year 410. He was very erroneous in many of his doctrinal views. Some said that his doctrines militated against infant baptism. In reply he said, '*men slander me as if I denied the sacrament of baptism to infants, which is a thing I never heard : no ! not even any wicked heretic say." "Ireneus, about the year 176 wrote an ac- count of all the professedly Christian sects that had sprung up between the death of Christ and his own time. Epiphanius who SCRtPTURt: tJAPTiSM. ;^3 wrote about the year 370 describes 80 sects of professing Christians. Augustine, about the year 400, mentions 88 sects and Philos- trius, shortly after this enumerates 100 dif- ferent sects. But in neither of these cata- logues, is there to be found the least intima- tion of any, (except such as denied water baptism altogether,) who did not hold to the baptism of infants as a Divine institu- tion."* About the year 1 1 10 a small sect among the Waldenses called Petrobrussians, who imagined "that infants could not be saved,'" denied to infants baptism. They only con- tinued about forty years, and for 350 years more, no writer opposed it. Thus for 1500 years infant baptism remained in the Church almost untouched by any opposers. CHILDREN ALWAYS INCLUDED. There is one other argument I would like to touch if time permitted. I can only al- lude to it. In all God's dealings with men the chil- dren are included. * Bible Baptism, p. 330. 74 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. When Adam and Eve were placed in the garden of Eden their children would, with- out doubt, have been partakers of its bless- ings if our first parents had not sinned, against God. When the parents were driven out the children were excluded with them. When the death of the parents was pronounced, the death of the children was pronounced also. When Noah was saved, his children were saved also, although says God, " thee only have I found righteous." When all the parents, except Noah, were drowned in the flood, their children perish- ed with them. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroy- ed, the children perished also. When Abraham was chosen, his children also were chosen. When Lot was rescued, his children also were rescued. But I will not dwell. The New Testa- ment is a ''better covenant with better pro- mises — reason says it canrot exclude our children. SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. ^^ THE SUMMING UP. Look in conclusion to the summing up of the argument. See how it rises step by step until we are driven to the conclusion that duty requires that believing parenty should consecrate t/ieir children by baptism to God. 1st. The Church is the same. 2nd. Infant membership was commaitded under the Jewish form of the Church. 3rd. The command has never been re- voked, and therefore it must be our duty still. Open now the New Testament and see how it confirms this conclusion. There is no intimation of any who doubt- ed the duty, except the apostles, on one oc- casion, and with them the Savior was "much displeased" on this account, and command- ed that none should forbid, but suffer the little children to come to Him. When Jesus had gone up and sent down the Spirit which was to fully qualify the apostles for their work, hear Peter in the first sermon repeat it : *' The promise is to you and your children'' 76 SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. Look into Paul's epistles and see how often he repeats the promise and shows its ap- plication to us gentiles. See how the right of infant membership agrees with the analogy of the Church in every age. See the apostles practicing it in every case when any family is mentioned. Add to all this the wiivcisal practice of the Church for 1 100 years, and, with but one exception, for 1500 years, and say what evidences could be stronger or more con- clusive ? It is inesistable. Every believing parent ought to have the seal of the covenant af- fixed to his child, and thus claim the pro- mise of which we are heirs, " I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee;" and it is a sin to neglect it. And now may God's blessing be upon us all, without regard to names or denomina- tions. I have defended our opinion because I believed the interests of truth demanded it; but I bear no unkind feeling toward any; I have carefully tried to avoid every un- SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. // charitable word or thought ; and my sincere prayer is that the controversy of this day may be so blessed of God that we may have more charity about these noii-essoitials of our faith, and more cordially embrace each other in Christian fellowship and love. ,If such an end shall be accomplished, I will have my reward, and to God will I give the praise. FINIS, Date Due 1 Mi 2 7'.S-> MLZLu, ^A^^^l %> J Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Ubrary 11012 010214700 _^^