'Mi^ 
 
^ PRINCETON, N. J. -^^ 
 
 Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 'Agneiv Coll. on Baptism, No. 
 
 
 f^ 
 
£/, 
 
 a// 
 
SERMONS, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MODE AND SUBJECTS 
 
 OP 
 
 chbistiAjY baptism, 
 
 OR 
 
 AN ATTEMPT TO SHEW THAT POURING OR SPRINK- 
 LING IS A SCRiPrURAL MODE; AND THE INFANlS 
 OF BELIEVERS ARE PROPER SUBJECTS OF 
 THE BAP 1 ISM INSTITUTED BY 
 CHRIST ; 
 
 WITH AST 
 
 EXAMINATION OF VARIOUS OBJECTIONS, 
 
 Particularly those contained in a Course ©f Anonymous 
 Letters to Bishop. Hoadly. 
 
 BY JOSEPH LATHROP, D. D. 
 Pastor of the First Church in West-Springfield. 
 
 THE FOURTH EDITION, 
 
 NEW-YORK : 
 
 •Printed and Published by ROBERT CRUMBlB^ 
 
 Ao. 305 Greenwich' Streets 
 1808. 
 

 % - 
 
 
 SERMONS. 
 
 EPHESIANS IV. 5. 
 
 ONE BAPTISM. 
 
 DISCOURSE I. 
 
 T 
 
 O persuade the Ephesians to keep the uni- 
 ty of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Apos- 
 tie urges this, among other arguments, that they 
 had received one Baptism. If tJiis one Baptism 
 was designed to be a bond of peace and unity a* 
 mong christians, how unhappy it is, that it should 
 become an occasion of division and separation ? 
 Some will say, * It is not one baptism, but differ- 
 ent baptisms that cauie divisions. * It is true, bap. 
 tism is administered in different modes, and to 
 different subjects j but stiil, I hope, it will appear 
 to be one baptism ;^nd if so, then this differencQ 
 js no just reason for disunion. 
 
 You are sensible, my brethren, that I hare 
 not been wont to bring controversies into the 
 
(4) 
 
 pu'pit. I have purposely avoided the controver- 
 «y conceirmng hanflsm in years past, and should 
 have done so still, had itUQt been lately revolved a- 
 mong you. — It is not any prejudice against our 
 brethren who differ from us, but a regard to your 
 present circumstances, and to the desire of many 
 among you, that now induces me to enter upon 
 it ; and I hope to handle it in such a manner, as, 
 at least, not to offend, if I should not convince. 
 I shall not call in question tlie validity of the bap- 
 tism of our brethren : I only aim to vindicate our 
 own. And surely when we are charged w ith hav- 
 ing essentially changed a divine instituion — - 
 M'hen we are represented as being in an unbap- 
 tised state — when v.'e are treated as unfit for 
 christian communion, we have a right to plead 
 in our defence. 
 
 There is a late pamphlet which many of you 
 have read, writt<*n by way of Letters to Bishop 
 IloacUy, the author of which labours to dis- 
 prove the validity both o^ sprinklings and ofzV?- 
 fant baptism, and treats them both with great 
 tontempt. I shall pay particular attention to 
 this piece, and take notice of every thing that 
 is material in it. 
 
 The questions before us are two ; whether 
 sprinkling is a scriptured mode : and whether in^ 
 /ants are proper subjects of baptism? These 
 questions have no necessary connection with each 
 other. But as the validity of our baptism is denied 
 on account of the mode in^which it was admin- 
 istered, as well as of the age at v;diich we receiv- 
 ed it, I shall distinctly consider both questions^ 
 and shall begin with the former. 
 
PART l^f- 
 
 E will first enquire, whltlV'lhe'tri^f ,se%-. 
 tural mode of Baptism ? />> / ^ n 
 
 There are two Wavs, in which .this ordi- 
 cance is administered; one is immer sioi} ^ ox^Xmw.-^ 
 ging the whole body into water : The other is 
 affusion^ which is pouring or sprinkling water up- 
 on the subject. We do not deny the validity of 
 immersion; we only deny the /^^fre^.^-iVj/ of it : 
 But our brethren (at least many of them) deny 
 the validity of aifu$ion, and represent it as 
 no baptism to whomsoever administered. It is 
 therefore of some importance that we enquire, 
 whether there be not such evidence, that affusion 
 is. a scriptural mode, as may justify our use of it, 
 and satisfy those who have received baptism ia 
 this manner. 
 
 I shall first examine the import of the Greek 
 word used for baptism — then consider the uses 
 of baptism and the allusions of scripture to 
 these uses — next enquire what was the apostolic 
 practice — Rnd lastly take some notice of the 
 usage of the church afrer the apostolic age. 
 
 I. We Will examine the import of the word 
 batitizn^ which is the usual, if not the ou/i/ word 
 by vvhich the writers of the New Testament ex- 
 press the christian ordinance of ba[)tism. 
 
 It is agreed, that tlie word bapfizo, signifies 
 to ivash by the application of water: But then> 
 how the water is to be apj)lied, whether by pfung- 
 %u% the subject iri'o water, or by pouring or 
 sprinkhng water uponihe subject, is ihe question: 
 This w^ill best be determined by considering how 
 the word is used uporicomniou occasions. 
 A 2 
 
(6) 
 
 The a>iMior of the Letters to Bishop Iloadly 
 tells us^ « ti.at the writens of the Mew Festanient 
 borrowetl rlieirphrases from the (ircek tratishitioii 
 off he O.d Festamecit, caliecl the Srp/w gint.' He 
 refers us to this for the sense of the wurds, which 
 thej have used for baptism. He allows that 
 *: baptizo is the offspring of bapfo ;' aud conse- 
 quently may be taken in the same sense. Zeal- 
 ous as he is for immersio!), he is constrained to ac- 
 kacwledge, that ^bapto is never used in the Sep- 
 tiiagint for the rite of washing a person*s ivJwlc 
 body:* But on the contrary, is sometimes used for 
 wetting the body by sprinkUng; as in Dan. 4. S3, 
 and ciiap. 5, 21. where Nebuchadnezzar' f; body 
 is said to be ivet ivith the dew of he are a Now he 
 says, *We all know, that a person is wet with dew, 
 not by immersion into it, but by its distillation in 
 j^entle drops 5 we are sprinkled with it/ And if 
 bapto is never used fbr plunging the whole body, 
 but sometimes forsprinkling it probably baptizo^ 
 'its ofFspringj'is generally used in the same sense. 
 Accordingly this author concedes that ' the word 
 hapiizoy is Dever but 07?cd' used, in those very nu- 
 merous places of the Old Testament, where bath- 
 ing the person is commanded/ Theone instance 
 be mentions is in "^King.^. 14. where Naaman is 
 said to have dipped(or baptised) himself sevtii 
 limes in Jordan, ibr the cure of the leprosy. 
 But this one instance, at best, is but a doubtful 
 «ne ^ for the law prescribed that the leper.should 
 hesprinkb'd seven times for his cleansing. - The 
 Prophet sayt, rt;6'^// seven times and (ho2i shaLt 
 be clean. If the Prophet had any respect to the 
 law, as it seems he had, by his enjoining him to 
 wash seven times, then by wasliing he meant 
 
( 7) 
 
 Sprinkling ; so that this example will by no 
 means prov, that the word ba-'i/izo, signiiies to 
 plun^f'^ We hav-e the« no instance of b<ipto^ and 
 bsit one (an.d thai, a very doubtful instance) ot' 
 bupfizoy used in all the Old T^^stament for im- 
 mersion or bcithuig tlie body : But some instan- 
 ces of the former's being used fo; sprinkling. 
 Thus the matter stands according to tlie conces- 
 sions of this writer. 
 
 Let us now consult the New-Teitament. — 
 There we shall (aid cleai* and direct evidence, that 
 the word baptizo, signifies to p(}:'r or sprinkle. 
 
 It is said, in the beginning of the 7th Chap, 
 of Mark, That the Pluirisees-^zoben they saw some 
 of the disciples eat bread zvith dtjiled (thai is to 
 saij, zvith unwashen) hands jound fault ;for the 
 Pharisees and all the Jeics, except they w^ash their 
 hands oft, eat not. AndivJicn theijconiejrein the 
 Vtarket, ejccept /^d;v wash, (can me bapti%.ontai^ 
 except they are baptised) they eat not. What in 
 the former clr.iisej is called tt-ai-Zz/z/o- the hands, is 
 here called being baptised. The usual manner of 
 washing hands among the Jews, we learn from 2 
 Kings 3. 1 ] , where it is said, El is ha poured water 
 on the hands of Elijah. Here then you see, per- 
 sons aresaid to be baptised, when only a part of 
 the body is v/ ashed by the /)o^/r/;2^" c;/? of water. 
 It is SLdded,Ma?iv other things there are, xvhick 
 (hey have received to hold, as the washings [bap- 
 tismoiLS, baptisms) of brazen vessels and tables or 
 beds, i, e. the seats on which they used to recline 
 at meals, which were so large, that they could be 
 washed only by pouring water on them. 
 
 It is said, Luke 11.37. A certain Pharisee 
 asked Jesus to dine with him. And he iventinand 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 sat down to medf, Andivhen ike Pharisee saw it^ 
 he inarvelled that he had not first washed before 
 dijincr': Not washed his whole bodily but only his 
 hands, ^ccord'mgto the Jewish custom mentioned 
 in the before cited passage in Mark\ And this is 
 expressed by the same word, vvhieh is used for bap- 
 iis/Ng. He marvelled that he had not bee?i bap* 
 tised, ebaptisthe, before dinner. 
 
 The Jews, by divine appointment, observed di- 
 Terskindsofpurificationsjthe greater part of vvhieh 
 were sprinklings. And these are expressly called 
 baptisms. The Apostle, in the 9th chap, to Heb. 
 10th verse, speaking of the Jewish ritual, says, 
 Itsfood only in meats and drinks and divers wash» 
 ^Xo-^"' f diaphorois baptismois, divers baptisms.) 
 hy these divers bap isms, phunly means the vari- 
 ous ceremonies of sprinkling ; for so lie explains 
 them in tliefollowing verses. Hic blood of hulls and 
 of goats', and the ashes of an heifer sprmkhng the 
 nnclean, sancti/ieth to the fmrij\png of thetiesh, 
 Aloses took the blood of calves and goats wifli wa- 
 ter — and S;;rinkled the book and all the people. lie 
 sprinkled tikeivise with blood both the taberna- 
 cle and all I he vessels of the ministry. And al- 
 most all things are, by the law, purged wiHi 
 blood, i. e. with tlie sprinkling of blood. Now 
 as the Apostle speaks of divers baptisms, and 
 then immediately illustrates them by divers 
 sprinklings, and mentions no other purifications, 
 but sprinklings, as instances of these divers Z)<;//?. 
 tisws, it is evident, that if the sacred writer un- 
 derstood a reek, sprinkling is baptism. 
 
 Ami since the word, wherever it is used in scrip- 
 ture for any thing besides the christian ordinance, 
 plainly sigiwii^s ponring or sprinkling, except in 
 
(9) 
 
 the singlf" in«»^anre of \anmans clipping himself 
 in Jordan, which at most is a very doubtful onp, 
 we must namially suppose, it is used ui the same 
 sense, wlien it is apphed to the christian ordm- 
 ance. This conclusion may have themore weight, 
 because it is deduced frofn the cor. cessions of a 
 critical writer on the other side of the question. 
 
 Tliere is another Greek word, louo, supposed 
 to be sometimes used for baptism, on which the 
 autlior of the letters lays more weight : for, 
 * This, he tells us, is ahnost the constant word of 
 the Sep-uaginf, in those very numerous places 
 where bathing, or washing the w'iok body is 
 commanded. ' 
 
 This word is indeed frequently used for wash- 
 ing the body ; sometimes for w^ashing the zohole 
 body ; And if this were the constant ?.nd a/; /^ word 
 for baptism in theNew Testament, here vvoul<f:l be 
 a plausible argument for washing the whole body 
 in baptism. — But it should be observed, that this 
 word is very seldoni, If ever usedfor baptism. The 
 author of theletters has cited about sixty passages 
 in the New Testament, as speaking of baptism : A- 
 mong all these, there are hwi four where this word 
 is used. It is not certain, that baptism is the 
 thing intended in ihcse : But if it is, yet no ar- 
 gument can be drawn from them in favour of 
 immersion ; but perhaps the contrary. Let us 
 consider them. 
 
 One is in Heb 10. 23. Let us draw near hav- 
 ing our body washed, (leloumcnoi soma, being 
 washed in the b(jdy) ivlth pure water. Now a 
 person is washed in his body, though water be 
 poured only on a part of it. Thus when the wo- 
 naan poured ointment on Christ's head, she is 
 
{ 10) 
 
 said to have anointed his body. And this washing 
 is, in the preceding clause, expressed by 5/;r//z/^- 
 ling. — Having our hearts ii\)X\\\k\e^ from an evil 
 conscience, and our body washed loifh irure water. 
 
 Another passage is in Thus 3. 5, He hath sa- 
 ved us [dialoutroii] by the xcasliing of regencra-- 
 tion^ and renezving of iJte Holy Ghost, which he 
 hath shed, or poured on us. Now if baptism is here 
 intended hyihe ivashing of reginerafion,i\'\\siext 
 affords a plain argument for affusion, cr pouring 
 in baptism : For this washing denotes the reneiV' 
 ing of the Holy Ghost, which \s poured o?i us ; 
 and therefore, that there may be some resem- 
 blance between the sign and the thing signified, 
 baptism should be performed by pouring. The 
 phrase of the pouring of the spirit is an allusion 
 to the pouring of water in baptism. 
 
 A Third passage is in Eph. 5 26. That he 
 mi^ht sanctify it (the church) having clcayised it 
 with the TV ashing of xvater by' the word. Now if 
 baptism be here intended by washing, then the 
 church is said to be sanctified and cleansed by the 
 baptismal washing: But how this washing is per- 
 formed, whether by sprinkling or plunging, is still 
 the question. The Apostle s^ys,^ sprinkling— 
 sanctifieth fo the purifying of the flesh. If then we 
 will allow theApostle to interpret his own phrases, 
 \t\s sprinlding ih^t sanctifies and cleanses the 
 flesh, and consequently is the washing intended, 
 when the church is said to be sanctified and clean- 
 sed by the xv ash ing of xvater. In the 51st Psal, 
 2d verse, the Psalmist prays, Wash inethorougti- 
 ly frommine iniquity and cleanse me from sin^ 
 
 • Heb. 9. la- 
 
{ 11 ) 
 
 He adds Ter. 7. Purge me, (in the Greek it is 
 sprinkle fUc) arid I shall he cleansed. What in 
 the 2d ver. is called washing thoroughly^ is in the 
 7th ver. called sprinkling ; and the latter is said 
 to cleanse y as well as the former. The other pas- 
 sage is in 1 Cor. 6. 1 1. But ye are zvashed, but ye 
 are sanctified, &c. This is so nearly parallel to the 
 former, that the same remarks are applicable to 
 both, and thereforenothingfurtherneeds to bead- 
 ded. It appears, I think, that the word which our 
 author chiefly depends on to prove immersion en- 
 tirely fails him, and finally determines in favor of 
 affusion. 
 
 This now is the result of our enquiry. The 
 v/ordbapfizo, kbuf once,and perhaps iiever used 
 in all theOld Testament, where bathing the body 
 is commanded. It is often used, in the New Tes- 
 tament, for sprinkling or pouring. This is the 
 ?isual, if not the only word for baptism. It is used 
 to be sure, in near sixty passages. The word, 
 louo, is sometimes used for bathing the body, but 
 never certainly used for baptism : There are but 
 four passages, where it is pretended to be so 
 used : And even here it is plainly synonymous 
 with pouring or sprinkling. 
 
 It is mdeed very remarkable, that the writers 
 of the New Testament, when they speak of the 
 christian ordinance of baptism, havegeneraily( if 
 not always) avoided that word, which in the Sep^ 
 tuagint is used for bathing the body; and chosen 
 a word of a more general signification ; and if 
 they have ever used the former, they have joined 
 with It j^r inkling or pouring as if it were on 
 purpd, p teach us, that plunging the whole bo- 
 dy is a ceremony not required under the gospeK 
 
( 12) 
 
 II. I apprehend we may obtain some satls- 
 factiun in the point before us, if we attend to 
 those passages of scripture, in which the uses of 
 bapt sm are manifestly alhKledto. 
 
 1. One use of it is to represent the sanctifying 
 influence of the spirit. Christians are said to be 
 bon? ofwaf('rand oflhe sjiiril ; and to be saved 
 bij the zvw^fuJig of regeneraticn and ?-e?2nving of 
 the Holy Ghost. Peter says to the convicted Jens 
 Be Baptised and ye shall recehe the gift of the 
 Holy Ghos'* 
 
 The influence of the Spirit represented in bap- 
 tism is often expressed by pouring and sprink- 
 ing ; as in the before cited passages to T/Z^/.v, and 
 to the Hebrews, lite renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost which he hath poured on us. Having the 
 heart sprink1e?i from an evil conscit^nce. This 
 pouring out of the Spirit is called, being haptis^ 
 ed with it. That promise. Ye shall be baptis- 
 ed zvith the H'dy Ghost, is said to have been fid- 
 filled v\hen Cinist shed or poured forth theSinnt'f. 
 
 2. Baptism represents the forgiveness of sins. 
 Hence these directions. Be baptised for (he re- 
 7niK^ion of sins-Be bat^tis'd and wash azcay thy 
 sins \ our sins are washed away inChrist^s blood. 
 Th e hlood of Ch rist cleanseth , fro m all sin. He 
 hath zvashcd us from, our sins in his ozvn blood, ^ 
 And this applicaHon of Christ's biood is expressed 
 by sprinfilino^. Ye are come — to Jesus the me- 
 diator of the new covenant and to the blood of 
 sprinkling. Elect according: to the foreknow- 
 ledge of God th rough sanctifcatibnofthe spirit 
 unto — sprinkling rj/' Me blood of Christ, 1^^^ 
 
 * Acts, 38 , t ^^"^^ 1- 5, and.h 2 .>1." 
 
 X -rt. 2 38. ancUh: 22 16. § 1 JoU. X. T, and Rev. 1. 5. 
 
 II Heb. 12.24. 1 Pet 1.2. 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 3. Baptism with clean water may denote the 
 Si'm/)licinj oi' the Gospel dispensation. 
 
 The writer of the letters says, * There does not 
 appear, in all the five books oi' Mo-^cs, any rite of 
 spriakhng 7ner€ water, but it was water mixed with 
 blood, ashes, &c." The Mosaic institution was of 
 a niixed nature : It consisted both o^ moral and 
 ceremonial precepts. And the rites of purificaiion 
 were of a piece with the dispensation itself; for 
 they were {)erformed by water mixed with other in- 
 gredients. But the Gospel dispensation is pure and 
 simple, char^^ed with few external rites, and these 
 plain and easy. Thus. Ezek. 36, 25. God, fore- 
 telhng the happiness of his peo[)Ie in the Gospel 
 times, says, llien u-ill I sprinkle clean wafer upon 
 you and ye sh ill be cl an. ' 1 his expression,* says 
 the author before mentioned, ^alludes to some xva- 
 levy purification in the law of Moses.^ But he says, 
 ' Til e re w as n o c e r e m o n y of u n m i x ed v\ a t e r . * H e 
 thinks, '^t alludes to the water of separation.' And 
 yet he says, ^ This was a composition of various 
 ingredients.' 
 
 Tije meaning of the passage then must be this. 
 In the latter times I will give youa/;,77'<" and spirit- 
 ual dispGnsaiion, not burdened with such rites 
 and cei^emonies as the present. The simple nature 
 and spiritual design of it sliail be re[jresented by 
 the great rite of initiation, which shall be tlje 
 sprinkling of pure water, and not the application 
 of such mixed compositions as are now in use. 
 
 Observe here : Sprinkling is said to cleanse the 
 
 person. I zvill sprinkle cLan water upon you and 
 
 ^ ye shall be clean, and from all yourfiitlnnets will I 
 
 cleanse you. So washing Peter's feet only, was 
 
 w-ashing him. Peter says. Thou shall iitver ivash 
 
 B 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 ■my feet. Jesus replies. If I wash thee not, thou bait 
 iio part in me. Wljen he moved, that his hands 
 tnui head might be vvaslied too, Christ answered. 
 He that is washed, need not save to tvash his feet, 
 but is cLan everj whit.* 
 
 It has been said, * A minister may as well wash 
 the hands or feet, as sprinkle the (ace of a person, 
 in the name of the Trinity, and call it baptism.' 
 I am far from asserting, that the validity of bap- 
 tism depends upon the part to which the water is 
 applied. There is however an obvious propriety in 
 applying // to tlie head^ This is the principal part 
 ottiie bod3^ It is the part which is usually uncov- 
 ered ; and the water doubtless slioiild be applied 
 to the person, rather tlian to his clothes. The 
 ceremony of benediction was performed by laying 
 tiie hands on the head. Unction was performed by 
 pouring oil on the head, wliich was called anoint- 
 ing the bodi/. The Holy Ghost was communicated 
 by the imposition of th« Apostles hands : And they 
 who had the Spirit eommunicated to them, were 
 bix\d to be baptised with it ; which makes it highly 
 probable that baptism, the token of this commu< 
 nicatiun, was perforuied by putting water on the 
 /leads oi the persons baptised. Accordingly, the 
 A[>ostle to the Hcbr-ews speaks of the doctrine of 
 , Baptisms and laying on of hands f 
 
 4. Tf^e Apostle, in 1 Cor. 10. speaking of the 
 Jews who came out oi' Egypt, says, ^J)'}ej/ mere all 
 baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 
 the Apostle here undoubtedly alludes to christian 
 bciptlsm, and therefore we may suppose there was 
 some resemblance between baptism unto Christ 
 and that ancient baptism \xi\io Moses. — Now how 
 
 * John 13.8,9, 10. t Chap. 6. 2. 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 were they baptised in the cloud and sea ? Surely 
 not by being pli/nged all over in water ; for /hey 
 xvenl over dry shod ; but only by being sprinkled 
 with some s[)raysorthe sea and drops from the cloud. 
 This appears to me the most natural sense of the 
 expression. The author of the letters indeed ridi- 
 cules such an interpretation, and says ; Here is an 
 allusion to the custom oh'mmer'^ioji, the Israelites 
 being covered by the cloud over, and by the water 
 o?t each side of them.* But I think he has. not 
 mended the matter; for though the waters sur- 
 rounded them, yet (as he would have it understood) 
 not even a spray touched them, nor a drop fell on 
 them ; for then they would have been sprinkled. 
 It was a dry baptism : A baptism without water. 
 Jonah might as well have been said, to be baptis- 
 ed in allusion to immersion^ when he went down 
 into the sides of the ship, and there lay, while <t 
 storm hung over him 
 
 5. Baptism signifies our obligation to renounce 
 sin and put on the character of Christ. 
 
 The Apostle says, Rom. (k 4. We are buried. 
 tvilh Clirisf by baptism info his death , And Col. 
 2. 12. Buried xvith him in baptism. The plain 
 meaning is ; by baptism we are bound to die to 
 sin, and walk in newness of life, in conforniitv to 
 the death and resurrection of Christ. Oiir breth- 
 ren imagine, these two passages aiujrd a strong 
 argument for immersion. They tell us, * The 
 phrase of being buried zvith Christ in baptism, al- 
 hides to the manner of baptism, which was a buri- 
 al in the water ; for if there were noth'ng hke a 
 burial, the phrase would be very improper. But 
 as well might they say, ' The mode ofbaptism must 
 resemble his crusifktion ; for in the same passage 
 
( J<5) 
 
 the Apostle snvs, JFe arc hapfiscd info his dx?alli, 
 pidiifcd /i^i^e/iidr in tiie Lkeness of his death — our 
 old man is cmcificd :ci;h him. But i am willing 
 theif argument ^(louM have its i'wW weight; fbnf they 
 tii Ilk immersion can be proved from tlitse (cco pas- 
 sages, \\ here eur conf trinity to Christ is expressed 
 bv our being buried icilh him in brpiism, tliey must 
 if they will be consistent with themselves, allow 
 that sprii/kUng can be more clearly proved from 
 those numerous passages, where our justiiication 
 through Christ's blood is expressed uy the sprijik- 
 lino- of his blood ; and our sanctification is expres- 
 sed by the sprinklino- of clean tcattn'-hy the hearths 
 beins^ spriii'hled — by the spiri/s /?r?/;<,' pcurtd rii 
 ns, &c. The conclusion then from this argument 
 will be, that both modesvvereadmitted by the Apos- 
 tles-both are valid ami agreeable tothe institution. 
 Let us no longer contend. This argument bids 
 so fair to reconcile our brethren to our practice, 
 that I could willingly leave them in full possession 
 of it. — I wish it good success. — But if it be attend- 
 ed to, I am afraid, it will appear to have little 
 WT-ight. 
 
 How was Christ buried ? Not as the dead are 
 usually buried among us, but as rich men were 
 among the JeicSy in an apartment cut out in the 
 side of a rock. Such tombs were called sepulchres 
 on high;* because they were made above ground. 
 Lazarus' s grave w^as of this sort ; and he was laid 
 in it in such a position, that, upon his revival, he 
 came forth while he was bound hand and foot j but 
 he could not walk, till he was loosed. ' Loose him 
 and let him go.'f Plunging then no more resem- 
 
(17) 
 
 bles Christ's entombment than spruiklhig does. It 
 tliere were any circimistances in his burial, which 
 baptism can resemble, it must be his enibalmmenf. 
 It I's said, Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh 
 and aloes, and zvound the body of Jesus in linen 
 clothes with the spices, as tJie manner of the Jews is 
 to bury,'^ And after this, the women prepared spU 
 ces and ointments and came to anoint his body. The 
 expression of being buried with Christ in baptism, 
 may allude to his bod3''s being anointed with aro- 
 niatic ointments at the time of his burial ; and this 
 wasdone hy pouring and rubbing them on tiie bod 7. 
 Accordingly when the wommrpoured the precious 
 oiiitment on Christ's head. He says, In that she 
 poured it on my body, she did it to" my burial. She 
 is come to anoint my body to the burying.^ Ob- 
 serve; her pouring it only on his head, he calls pour- 
 ing it on h.'s body -, as on another occasion, a wo- 
 imiu\sdroppmg tier tears on his feet, he calls wash- 
 2?jg his feer ; and washing Peter's feet was washing 
 Jjjm.S'.^w in allusion tothis manner of anointim^ 
 cbnstia.n, are said, /(; be anointed zvith the 
 sptrif, aoil to have an union from the Holy On- 
 which fcaehestliem all things. % Whatiselsewhere 
 called the pouring ofthespuit on them ; and beincr 
 b^ipfised with i\\e spirit 3 is here expressed by the 
 anoiuimg of the spint, in allusion to the maimer 
 of anointing \)y pouring q\\ on the head. 
 
 Ills It is time tliat we proceed to enquire, \n 
 what manner baptism was administered \\\ \he 
 times or' on Saviour and his Ap.jstles, 
 
 Owv br-th:en, and particularly the gentleri^aTi 
 berore menLioaed, think it sevy mamiesr, mat 
 
i 18 ) 
 
 vnmers'ion was the mode practised in those times, 
 because the persons baptised are, in one or two 
 instances, said to go into, and come out of ihe wa- 
 ter ; because some were baptised in a river ; and 
 because places abounding, with water were chosen 
 for baptising. 
 
 But let us not be carried away by the meer 
 soiiicdoi words without examining their sense. 
 
 It is said. Mat. 3, 16, Jesus b lug baptised 
 came up out of ilie water. The Gieek phrase 
 [apo udafos) properly signifies, yn??;i the zvater-, 
 and therefore implies no more than, that he went 
 down to it; which he might properly be said to 
 do in what ever mode he was baptised. And as all 
 natural collections of water are in low p'aces, ^o 
 the motions to ^mXfrom them, must be descend- 
 ing and ascending, which is sufficient to account 
 for the expression, he zvent up frovi the zvater. 
 
 As Christ was Without sin, his baptism could 
 Jiot be in token of repentance and forgivene«s ; 
 and, as he came to Jtfh.i after all the people were 
 baptised, it could not be an example of baptism 
 to them : but it was evidently his public consecra- 
 tion to the ministry, on whieh he was now enter- 
 \x\)l. He chose tliiscere.nony of consecration, in 
 couformitv to the law oi'Go<i, wiiich hud institut- 
 ed a similar form, for the separation of the high 
 priest to his oflice. And therefore he says Thus it 
 benrmefh us to ful^l ail righteousness. 
 
 The priests under the law, were to enter on the 
 public ser-v ice of God at the age o. thirty years ; 
 Christ, It hen he began to be about thirty years of 
 a e was baptised. Tiiey were consecrated to their 
 oOi e by zvashing with zvater, ixwd by anointing 
 zvUhoU: fie was publicly inaugurated uito his 
 
( iO ) 
 
 tn'mhtvy y by dap f ism and the miction of fJie JIoJij 
 Glii'tt. God says to tvloses ; Aaron and his sons 
 sliait thou bring to the door oj the tabernacle, and 
 shall wash them ivifh zvater ; — and Ihoit sh a If pour 
 the anointing oil on his head. Thou shalfmakea 
 layer of brass and put xvater therein ; far uiaroii 
 and his sons shalt wash their hands andlhcir feet 
 therein. And Closes brougJit^Aaron and his sons 
 and washed them zcith zcater, and he poured the 
 anointing oi' on Aaron s head, and anointed him 
 to sanctify him.* 
 
 The priestb were \va«hed, not by tlie immersion 
 of their boo'ies into a fountain, but by tlje apphca- 
 tion of water to I lieir hands SLudfeet irom a laver : 
 they were anointed by oil poured on their Heads ; 
 thus they were pubHcly instated in their office. 
 Christ was baptised at Jordan ; ^fter his baptism 
 he was anointed with tiie Holy Ghost, whicii visi- 
 bly descended upon him ; and then he was declar- 
 ed from heaven to be the Son of God, and the peo- 
 ple were commanded to hear him. Alluding to the 
 manner, in which the priests were consecrated, the 
 prophet in the person ot'Christ, says, 'I Jic spirit of 
 the Lord is upon m(\ because he hath anouUed vie 
 to preach ih.^ gospel.-\ Peter, speaking of the word 
 which God sent to Israel by Christ, says, That icord 
 ye know, udiih b(^ganfrom Galdee, after the bap- 
 tism which John preached how God anointed Jesus 
 of Nazareth witti the Holy Ghost, and with power. 
 
 Now as in the account given by the Evangtiists 
 concerning Christ's baptism there is nothing which 
 necessarily imports an immersion ; as his baptism 
 was in compliance with the instituted usage of 
 
 * Exod. 29. 4, Sec, Chap. 30, 19, ccc. Lev. 8, 6, 12, 
 tls^ii, 61, 1, 
 
{ «o ) 
 
 consecrating the ancient priests, and as there is no 
 inenLon ofiljelr ro/^/Zitiuneision, but exprcijs men- 
 tion of thcii partial washing ; we may, with great 
 probability, conchide, that his baptism was by the 
 application of water to d, part of his body.* 
 
 But though he had been washed l)y immersion, 
 this would no otherwise be an arguraeiit for immer- 
 sion now, than as an instance ofthe use of tiie u ord 
 baptise^ because his baptism was adillerent thaig 
 from that which he afterwaids instituted. — And 
 as it appears highly proDable, that his baptism 
 v^'asdi partial washing, it was an example in favour 
 of our opinion, that baptism does not signify a total 
 immersion; but may properly be perlbrmed by 
 pouring or sprinkUng water on a part of the body. 
 
 Again, Acts 8, 58. They (Phihp and the 
 Eunuch) went down both into the water, and he 
 baptised him, and they came up ont of the water. -- 
 Til is passage is thought to favour mKiiersion : But 
 it no more proves tljat th« Enniich w as covered \\ ith 
 ■\\ ater, than that Philip was ; for one is said to go 
 huo the water, as much as the other. They might 
 be said to go into the water, if they only step into 
 the ecXxe of it. The words do not necessaril}- im- 
 pl}^ even so much as that ; 'S or the particles render- 
 ed into and out of, very often signify no more than 
 to c\i\>\ from ; as where Chriiit bids reter, go to the 
 sea and cast his hook — and where the Queen of the 
 South is said to com:' from the lUm'.st narts of the 
 earth. Now no man sJippose.s,that Pettr plunged 
 hiinseU'hitu'he ^e'd ; or ihat the Quren ofthe Si»uth 
 cre])t npfro?ri under ground; and yet the Gaek 
 
 * The l?ver in wlucb the priests were washed was a portable ves- 
 sel of brass, st-ndjiig- oi a sm^^-'c iho:-. aiid nut ui' eutFicient c&nacity 
 fur the imTueT:,ion ofa. Lai^uu body. 
 
( 31 ) 
 
 particles here rendererl to cicA from are llie samf; 
 which iiithecaseof tlie Eunuch are rendered i/it^o 
 and out of. All tiierefore that we can conclude 
 from this passage is, that they went down from the 
 chariot to the water, tlicre F/u'lip baptised him, 
 and tlien they returned: But in what m.7;2/KV he 
 baptised him we can no more learn from thispas- 
 sau:r, tlian from anv other in the bible But if the 
 accounts of ancient and modern writers are true, 
 he could baptise him onlv bv nGurin^GV iDvinklins' 
 water on him; forthey saj, thr.t in the jjlace here 
 menirioned, notliing more than a smidi spring caa 
 be found. 
 
 li is said, ]>.Iark L 5. They were baptised of 
 John in the river of Jctdan. Hence some have 
 concluded that they were plwigerl in the river. But 
 this 13 a forced ccnclasion. Ciirist snys to the 
 blind man, whose eyes he had anointed with clay. 
 Go Tvash in the pool of Sibam* I'Tere the phrase 
 of washing in the pooh intends no more than wash- 
 ing his eyes with tlie water of the [)OoI, And with 
 equal propriety Johns hearers may be said to be 
 baptised in J or don ^ if o^^jy ^ome of the u ater of the 
 river was /?o?/r^r/ on X\\^\\^ faces. 
 
 We read John 3, 23, that John baptised in 
 Eiion because there was much water there. It is 
 asked, * Why should he chuse a place abounding 
 with water to baptise in, if he did not baj)tise by 
 immersion r' I answer. These words fpol/a udafa) 
 rendered murk water \ivo\^Qv\y signify many wa- 
 ters^ and may be understood of various rivulets 
 or springs, which, travellers say, are the only 
 waters there to be found, and not any large col- 
 lections convenient for immersion. \i John baptisr 
 
 * Jolin 9. 7 
 
( ^2 ) 
 
 cd only by affumn^ a considerable qnantitr of 
 water would be necessary lo baptise such multi- 
 tudes, as went out to him from Jervsalem and all 
 Jiideay and all the region round about Jordan. — 
 Yea, though ever so few of them had been baptis- 
 ed, there was good reason w by be should chuse a 
 place to preach in, that was well sup]'lied with wa- 
 ter; for the multitudes that attended on his 
 preaching, in the wilderness at a distance from 
 their homes, would need much water for their re- 
 freshment. It is by no means suj>poseable, that 
 such numbers could, here in thedesart, be provid- 
 ed with change of apparel proper for immersion; 
 and surely, in such a yiumerous and mixed assem- 
 bly, they were not bar>tised ?z«/:eY/. The circum- 
 stance of the case therefore lead us to suppose, 
 they were baptised by affusoin. 
 
 We read, AcA. 2. Oi three thousand baptised, 
 in only part of a day, at the feast of r entecost. 
 It cannot rationally be thought, that these were 
 jdunged. There does not seem to have been 
 time for it ; nor is it likely they had change of 
 raiment, as tiuy came to the feast v.itliout any 
 expectation of such an occasion ; nor is it proba- 
 ble, they could be accommodated there with any 
 convenient | lace for immersion. If there were 
 baths suilicjent for the |>ur; ose in the temple, yet 
 it is very incredible, that the priests and officers 
 of the temple should be willing to accommodate 
 the Apostles with them, in order to initiate these 
 converts into a religion, vb'cb they were endea- 
 vouring by all means tfOsurpress. 
 
 When v.e read of ^ b(de familes bapt'sed in 
 their houses, particularly of the Jailor and h's fa- 
 mily baptised at home, and at midnight too^ in 
 
( 2S ) 
 
 the same hour m v liich he believed, we cannot 
 think, that a sufficiency of water, and other con- 
 veniences for a decent immersion, could be pro- 
 cuied on so sur]«len an occasion. 
 
 When Cornelius and his friends received the 
 gos-el, Peter asks, not v.hother ^.ny man could 
 hinder them from goint^ to a fonntam or river ; 
 but rchether anij man could forbid xvatcr, i. e. 
 hinder water from being provided, tliat they 
 should not be baptised /** 
 
 Paul seems to have been baptised in the house 
 o{ Judas. There Ananias found him, delivered his 
 message to him, and laid his hands on him ; And 
 he received-sight forthwith and arose andicasbap- 
 tised.\ 
 
 It is worthy to be remarked, that though we 
 read of baptisms in various places, yet we have 
 no account of any person's goim^ from the place 
 Vv here he was, in order to be baptised in a foun- 
 ta n or river. They who were baptised in streams 
 and natural collections of water, are such as uere 
 found abroad, either in the wilderness, or on the 
 road, when they first discovered their desire to be 
 baptised. 
 
 IV. It now remains, that we consider, what was 
 the usage of the primitive Church, upon which our 
 brethren lay great weisrht, in this controversy. 
 
 The anther of the letters says, *The wdiole 
 christian church, for 1300 years successively from 
 the time of the Apostles, nndtrstood by baptism, 
 immersion^ and so practised ; Sprinkling being only 
 'permitted on exlraordinanj occasions ' TliiS argu- 
 ment he often repeats, and depends much ur:>on, 
 as do most of the advocates for immersion : ^or 
 they reckon, that the early practice of the Church 
 
 *AclslO. 4r. t Acts 9. 18v 
 
( 24 ) 
 
 in this inrUfermay shew, what was thepract'ce of 
 the Apostlesj because it is not hkely, the apostolic 
 practice v> ould be early and generally clisused. 
 
 Tiie truth is. The manner of baptisino- among 
 the ancients was looked upon circumstantial, and 
 no \\ ay essential to the vahdin^of the ordinance. 
 In the times near the Apostles, immersion \vas 
 much practiced, but never asserted to be necessa- 
 ry : Far from tliis ; sprinkling was expressly allow- 
 ed, and frequently used, especially in cases of in- 
 firmity, haste, or want of water or other conve- 
 niences. This the Author himself concedes, that 
 from t[]e Apostles times for 1300 years/ sprink- 
 ling was permitted on extraordnary occasions.' 
 Cyprian [v^ ho wrote within about 150 years of 
 the A[)ostles) speaking of sprinkling, says, « in the 
 vSictament of salvation (i. e. baptism) when ne- 
 cessiry compels, the shorfest ways of transacting 
 divine matters, do, by God's grace, confer the 
 whole benefit,' And it may not be impertinent to 
 observe, that the ancients, who practiced immer- 
 sion, did usually, after the body had been plung- 
 ed, ap[)ly water to the face. So far therefore as the 
 practice of the ancients is of weight, it proves all 
 that we contend for. We do not say, immersion 
 h unlawful, or a meer nullity: We say, it is not 
 necessary, but affusion is suQicient and agreeable 
 to tiie divme word. And so said the ancient 
 church. 
 
 I ho| e what has been offered is sufficient to 
 justify the mode of baptism admitted in our 
 cliurches, and to satisfy all who have received 
 baptism in this mode, that they have no need to 
 seek immersion. Tlie question concerning the 
 mode is really of small importance m itself, and 
 
25 
 
 -nothing but the eontroversy about it has marie it 
 otherwise. If our baptism is treated as a nuHity, it 
 is of importance to satisfy our minds : And if any 
 have been thrown into doubts, I hope, the consid- 
 eration of what has been said, will give thenri' 
 satisfaction. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 DISCOURSE II, 
 
 X. COME now to the second part of my desigu, 
 whichisto vindicate the rightof Infants tobaptism. 
 
 The method in which I shall proceed is as fol- 
 lows. I shall first consider the usual objections a- 
 gainst infant-baptism. — Next produce our argu- 
 ments in vindication of it. — Then briefly touch up- 
 on the reasonableness and usefulness of it. — After 
 which I Shall give a short view of the practice of 
 the church soon after the Apostles. — And then by 
 way of conclusion shall shew the absurdity of se- 
 parations in churches on account < f differences 
 respecting baptism, the unwarrantableness of re- 
 baptisa; ion, &c. 
 
 I. I will distinctly consider all the material ob- 
 jection- of our bretliren against infant baptism, as 
 I collect them from their writers, and particularly 
 from the author of the letters before mentioned. 
 
 I. It is said, 'Chnst Ims fully and plainly de- 
 clared his mind about baptism ; and because; he 
 has not co7?zmanded the baptism of infants, he has 
 Virtually forbidden it.' 
 
 Now though it should be allowed, that there is 
 
 C 
 
(26 ) 
 
 lao^irprif.yj command, yet if we can find avirti/al, 
 consequential comniand for it, that, 1 trust, will be 
 a sufhcient warrant : Otherwise w hat v\'arrant shall 
 we have to admit females to the Lord's Supper ? 
 To observe the first day of the u eek as holy ? To 
 maintain public ^vorship ? These and many other 
 things, are no v. here enjoined, in so many words ^ 
 but yet can clearly be shewn to be agreeable to 
 the w ill of God. What command have our breth- 
 ren to justify their practice ? WMiere is the passage, 
 which tells us, that baptism must be confined to 
 tlie adult ; and infants, though formerly admitted 
 to the seal of the covenant, must now be admitted 
 no more ? They can find nothing of this sort. 
 But, I trust, it will appear, that there is what may 
 properly be called a command for our practice. If 
 that passage in Isaiah^ JLo^ I have set thee for a 
 light to the Gentiles, was a command to the Apos- 
 ties, tn go and preach to the Gentiles, as it is said 
 to be ;* then the direction given to Abraham our 
 Father, to affix the token of the covenant to his 
 infant seed ; the commission given to the Apostles 
 to disciple all nations baptisi g them; and the ex- 
 hortation of Peter, he baptised-^for the promise is 
 to you and to your children^ are commands to admit 
 infants to baptism ; as we shall endeavour to shew 
 hereafter. 
 
 2. It is objected, * that in all the history of the 
 
 * New Testament there is no example of infant- 
 
 * baptism ; but the baptisms we have an account 
 ' of, are the baptisms of professed believers.' 
 
 But if there is no express mention of infant bap- 
 tism, yet we cannot hence conclude, it was never 
 practised ; any more than we can couclude, that 
 
 * AcUxiii. 4€. 
 
( 27) 
 
 some whole churches were formed w^ithout any 
 baptism at all, because it is no wh -re said, vhey 
 "vvere b.iptised. If a plain direct ex unpie be in ist- 
 ed upon, our brethren must certainly give up their 
 notion of baptism ; for they can find no e xample in 
 their favor, whatever we can ; as will be evident, 
 if we only consider what is the uiesiion between 
 us. It is not, whether adult proselytes should be 
 baptised ? But whetherthe infants of professed be- 
 lievers should be baptised ? There are, it is true, 
 instances enough ol the baptism of id'jlts, w^ho had 
 been converted from Judaism or Paganism : But 
 tht'se are nothing to the point ; for we allow b.ip- 
 tism to all adult believers, who have not been bap- 
 tised in infancy. And the apostles' baptising suck 
 is no argument, that they did not baptise infants^ 
 nny more than our missionaries' baptising i^dults 
 among the natives, is an argument, that they do 
 not baptise infants. The question is merely this ; 
 are the inflmts of baptised believers to be admitted 
 to baptism ? Or to be rejected ? If you say, they 
 must be rejected and suffered to grow up before 
 they are baptised ; 1 ask, Where is your example ? 
 Did the apostles refuse to baptise such ; Or among 
 the adults wh jm thfy baptised, do } ou find any 
 that were born of christian parents? The history 
 of die Acts contains a period of above thirty years, 
 and the New Testament, a much longer period. 
 There was time enough for two or three genera^ 
 tions of infants to grow up.to adult age. ^Ve have 
 all along accounts of baptism. But it is remarkable^ 
 that in all this time, there is no intimation, that any 
 one of the children of the early believers w^as bap- 
 tised after he grew up; or that any one of those 
 adults whom the Apostles baptised, was bora of 
 
( ^8 ) 
 
 believing parents. It is plain t.hefi, there is fiot one 
 example, which in the least, favors \he opinion of 
 our brethren, vUiich is t!as, 77iat thechildreii of be- 
 Jicvers nutst bt Itjt togi'Dw up before they are bap- 
 ti&erL 'VhQ\ ask , ' Is it not a little strange, that we 
 no where find ehiidren mentioned, if it were the 
 Apostles' custom to baptise them with their pa- 
 rents?' Ai,-d I ask ; is it not very strange, thatweno 
 where find the children of believers baptised after 
 they ^\t\v np, if it was the Apostles' custom to 
 leave them unba|)tised till they j^row up? There is 
 no exc-mpleof this kind. But, we diink, we have 
 examples, and just such examples in favor of our 
 practice, as we should have, upoii supposition, the 
 Apostles did baptise children with their parents. 
 
 Let us suppose infants were barjtised : Ar^d 
 what account should wt have of it ? Would the 
 history tell us, such an infant by name of such an 
 age, dnd such an one of such an age, was baptised? 
 No : This minuteness could not be expected con- 
 cerning infants, who are seldom known, by theic 
 names or ages, out of the families, to which they 
 belong. All we could expect to be told is this ; 
 such a man was baptised and his famil}' — such a 
 woman and her households And this we are told ; 
 Stephanus's household, Lydia and her household, 
 the Jailor and ail liis were baptised; which are 
 plain examples of families baptised upon the faith 
 of tlieir respective heads ; as 1 shall shew mora 
 fully licreaftcr. 
 
 3. It is lu'gued, * that faith and repentance are 
 the conditions of baptism ; infants are not capa- 
 ble of these, ipid therefore not capable of baptism.' 
 
 But as well might our brethren say, * Faith and 
 repentance are conditions of salvation, and there- . 
 
( 29 ) 
 
 fore infants, beiRg incapable of these cannot be 
 saved.' It is express!) said, lie that believeth not 
 shall be damned. It is no where said, He that be- 
 lieveth not, or repenteth not, shall not be baptised. 
 Faith and repentance are required on several par- 
 ticular occasions, when baptism was to be admin- 
 istered to^dult persons ; but we fmd no general 
 rule given to exclude from baptism such as are ii> 
 capable of faith and repentance. Our brethren will 
 not exclude infants from salvation, upon the autho- 
 rity of those texts, which make faith the condition 
 of it; and surely, if diey will be consistent with 
 tlR-mselves, they cannot cx^ lude them from bap- 
 tism, upon the authority of those texts, which make 
 faith the condition of that ; especially since these 
 texts plainly respect adult proselytes. That such 
 must profess their faith we allow. But the apos- 
 tolic practice shews, that upon their profession, 
 not only they^ but their households also should be 
 baptised ; as under the ancient dispensation^ \\ hen 
 a Ge7jtile became a proselyte, not only he himself, 
 but all his male children were circumcised. 
 
 The instances in which fluth, or repentance is 
 enjoined previously to baptism, are only when 
 adult persons enquired what was necessary for. 
 themselves. The.juestion was not concerning the 
 qualification for baptism m general; but v.hvat was 
 requisite in their mvji case. * Wbj t shall we do ?' — 
 * What hinders me to be baptised V The Apostles 
 gnsvv'cr the question, as it respected those Vvho 
 pi'oposed it. Nepent i/e andbe baptised — Jjthou he- 
 licvest, thou mat/cst be baptised. These directions 
 only prove, that a proiession offaith and repentance 
 is necessary to the baptism of adults, whidi none 
 deny ; but, in no degree affect the right of infants. 
 C 2 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 Faith was as much required under the Oidl'^es- 
 tament in order to circumcision, as it liy under the 
 new in order to baptism ; but still infants were . 
 circumcised. The Gentile proselyte was not ad- 
 mitteS to this rite, till hu professed his faith in the 
 God of Israel ; neither was the adult Jew. Durinir 
 the forty years that circumcision was intermitted 
 ill the wiidt^rness, a ne\y generation came on the 
 stage. These were circumcised, soon after they 
 passed over Jordan. --^ But previously to this, they 
 had solemnly avouched the Lord to be their God. 
 Now because flnlh was a pre-requisite to the cir- 
 cuu^cision of adults, shall we conclude that no in- 
 f4nts were circumcised ? This would be contrary 
 to known fact. But this conclusion would be as 
 i_ust as the other, which determines against the 
 baptism of infants, because a profession of faith 
 was required in proselytes. The truth is, all argu^ 
 ments dnsu n h om special and particular cases, are 
 i,mi)ertinent to an enquiry concerning a general 
 rule of practice. 
 
 Tlie author of the letters lays particular w^eight 
 upon that passage, I Pet. iii. 21, 7 he like figure 
 whcreunto^ even baptism^ dothncw save us^ not the 
 ■put ling away the filth of the jieshj but the imsrwer of 
 a qood conscience towards God, ' Here,' he says, 
 \ such a condiuon of baptism is required, as infants 
 * aFC not capable of. The filth of their fiesh may 
 ^ b.^ put away: Bi;t h.ov/ shall they answer the 
 fgood conscience ?' But it should be obserxed, 
 that the ariswer of a good conscience is made the 
 condition of salvation : Not of baptism. He might 
 therefore rather have said, such a condition of eal- 
 
 * Josh. -5. 
 
( 31 ) 
 
 vathn is required as infants are not cnpablc of. 
 7/j/6' is a condition of salvation andixiptism too in 
 adults, but of neithtT in infants, wlio are not yet 
 moral agents. The Apc:::tle say^, Circumcision is ' 
 thai of the heart; but surely he did not mean, 
 that Jezvs were incapable of the fieslily circum> 
 cision, until ihey were capable of professing the 
 circumcisfon of the heart. Baptisni, whicli is ex- 
 ternally the putting axvay the filth of the flesh, sig- 
 nifies our obligation to answer a good coriscience 
 toward God. This obligation immediately takes 
 place with respect to all, who are moral agents, and 
 with respect to infants^ v. h.en they become such. 
 Here is then no argument against the baptism of 
 infants. 
 
 Let us see if there be not a p!ain argumentyZ^r it. 
 The Apostle is here speaking of the preservadcn of 
 AocA iuid his fomily in the iiood by means of the 
 ark. The Apostle to the Hebrews ba} s, Ihjfiith^ 
 Aoah, prepared an ark to the saving of hjs house. 
 It was by A'oah'^s faith, that his tanniy was trc.ught 
 into the ark, and preserved in the fl<) d. The like 
 figure whereuntOy even baptism doth now save us. 
 Where is the likeness ? Plairily litre As A oah by 
 faith iTcpared an ark, b} which liis house was sav- 
 ed ; so the faith of the christian parent brings hig 
 family within the pri\ ileges of the covenant. Sal- 
 vati' -n came to Zaccheus's house, in consequence 
 of his believing./ Thet/ enjoyed some special pri-- 
 vikgv^s on accoupt of his faith. 
 
 4. We read, Acts viii. 5. iXvdX when the Sama- 
 ^^itnns bt'lieved Phi'ib, preaching the thinv^s con- 
 cernirig the kingdom of God., they were baptised 
 both men mid women. Upon diis our author ob- 
 ser\e .^ * The history is so j;articuhii" as to rncfttion 
 both men and women, but there ?.tops. — Had live 
 
( S2) 
 
 sacred historian been a little more explicit, and said, 
 men women and children, it the fact were ; ealiy so ; it 
 would have prevented much doubt and contro- 
 versy..' 
 
 h\ answer to this, it is sufficient to say ; as the 
 seal of the covciiant under lonner dispensations 
 had been aliixcd o;//.y to males, so there was good 
 reason, why tlie historian should be so particukir, 
 as to meniion both mcji and ivomen, i. e. males 
 and females, (for these terms are in sci'ipture ap- 
 plied to persons of all agesj that it might appear, 
 tliut the covenant-seal vvas, for the future, to be 
 afiixed to persons of both sexes. But as the seal 
 had ahv'.iifs bee n pppiied tn children, there was no 
 occasion for his beiU;:; so exjihcit, as to say, vioiy 
 U'umen and children, if ihe fact were really so ; for 
 crrJdi en's right to the covenant-token had not then 
 been made -a question; and t lie v who knew the rm- 
 memorial and unireisal usage of ^(\xn\x'mgJextdsh 
 iujlints by ("ircinncision, and tlie infui^s of Gentile 
 proselyt rts h\ bapti-m, did not need t? be histruct- 
 ed, that infants were entitled to t>aptism, under the 
 c!iristian fijspensa^ion. Tliey must naturally sup- 
 pose it, unless t xpressly told the contrary. 
 
 5. It is urged by some, * that Jesus Christ, who 
 caiue to be our example, was baptised iit adult age, 
 and ;hat we ought to imitate him herein/ 
 
 B.it ids example is no more an argument against 
 infant baptism, than agamst all baptism under the 
 nge of thirty years ; for this was Iris age, when he 
 v;as bapt ised, though he was certainly capable of 
 understanding the natnreof baptism before he was 
 ixvelve Do our bret bren think, t hat all are bound, 
 in imitation of Christ, to live, unbaptised twenty 
 years after they arrived to the age of understand- 
 in l^ ? 
 
( 5S ) 
 
 The objeclion before iis is fouiided in the sup- 
 position, that the baptism which Christ received. 
 was the same, m its nature and design, with that 
 which he himself afterwards appointed. If it was 
 a different thing-, no argument can be drawn from 
 it in the present question.. If it was the same, then 
 it at once removes the principal ui>jcc;tion against 
 tlie baptism of infants, taken from their incapaci- 
 ty for faith and repentance. For Jusus was as 
 incapable of faith in a mediator and repent^ 
 ance of sin, as infants are; though from a different 
 cause. 
 
 But, as I have before shewn, Christ's baptism 
 was his public inauguration into his ministry, and 
 therefore is impertinently adduced to disprove the 
 baptism of infants. When we are asked, why 
 Christ was not baptised in his infancy, it is su/li- 
 cient to answer because he did not lake on him hla 
 public ministry in his infancy. To argue, that be- 
 cause Clirist was publicly consecrated to hts priest- 
 hood at the age of thirty years, there.ore none 
 should be given to God by baptism in their child- 
 hood, is an inconclusive way of reasoning. 
 
 Let it, however be observed, that though he 
 was not baptised m infancy, yet he was dedicated 
 to God, by such rites as were then in use. He was 
 circumcised on the eighth day ; and on the fortieth 
 day, he w'as brought by his parents into the tem- 
 ple, and there presented to God, according to the, 
 law, which required, that evQvy first-born male 
 should be holy to the Lord. This ess ample 
 shews, that parents ought publicly to dedicate 
 their, children to God in his appointed way ; and, 
 since baptism is now the appointed ceremony of 
 
(34 5 
 
 dedication, It s!»evvs, that they should present 
 their chihireii to him in baptism,* 
 
 * If it could bo pr(A*ed, which certainly it never can, 
 that John baptised only adults, yet no arg-umeni; could hence 
 be deduced against the right of infants to briptism under the 
 gospel dispensation ; for the baptism which John adminis- 
 tered, was not prop'^rly christian baptism. 
 
 Though before Christ's time, biptism was in use amongf 
 the Jews, yet it wa^ not made tJie only iniliaiing seal of the 
 covenant, untii after his resurrection, 
 
 John was sent to preach the baptism of repentance fo? 
 the remission of sins, and tlms to prepare men for that 
 new dispensation of God'b kinp;dom, which was not yet 
 come» but Wt>s then at /;a;<f/.— Christ instituted his baptisni 
 after this dispensation w.is come. John*r. baptism mate; i- 
 ally differed from this. The bapdsm which (Christ institu- 
 ted was, in the name of the Father, cf the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost. John did not baptise in the name of the Holi/ 
 Ghost ; for some who had received his baptism, confessed 
 th:^t they had not so much as heard, nvh^Aher there tverg 
 amj Holy Ghost. He did not baptise in the name oi the Son^ 
 or in the faith, that T^-^wv nvan the Christ ; but nvith the bap- 
 tism of repentant, saying to theficofde^ that they should bilicve 
 en him t'jho should come aff/r him ; that is, oti Jesus Christ, 
 Nor did he baptise into Chrisfs death, for this event had 
 not then taken piuce. Had John taught that Jesus of Na- 
 zareth v/as the Christ, and baptised the people in his name, 
 and into this faith, they would not have mused in their hearts 
 %'Lihcthvr John ivt-re the Christ ; nor have asked him, Whykafi- 
 tiscst thou, if thiu art not the Christ? Nor would Jesus 
 have cautioned his disciples, to tell no man, that he ivas the 
 Christ, till after his remrrection, John's baptism was de- 
 signed to prepare men for the faith in Christ, when he 
 should be made manifest to Israel. 
 
 But what is decisive in the Ccise is, that some who had 
 received John's Bapti;>m, were c/Zerz^'i^rJ^ baptised in th« 
 name of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 Among the many thousands/rcr/2 all Judca and Jeruscdcm, 
 to whom Peter preached on the day of pentecost, it cannot 
 be doubted, that there were multitudes, who had been bap- 
 tised by John ; for there 'went out to him all the land of 
 Judea, and they of Jarueakm, and mil the region rozind aliOt0- 
 
1 S5 ) 
 
 "0. The incapacity of children for the ends of 
 baptism or for an*- benefit from It, is often urged 
 as an argument against tiieir being baptised. 
 
 But really the question is. Whether there be 
 any divine warrant for their baptism? If there is, 
 it becomes us to practise accord mrifly, and not to 
 arraign the wisdom of God. That there are some 
 rational ends to be answered by infant baptism, 
 and that it is a graclons and benefioai instilution, 
 I trust will appear under another liead, where this 
 
 fordan, and were baptised of him. And yet Peter says to 
 •them, without distinction, Kehent mid be baptised^ every 
 one of you, in the name of Jesus »hrist. 
 
 An instance still more pluin we have in the beginning of 
 Ihe 1 9th Ch. of Acts. Paul finding at Ephesus twelve 
 disciples, Sciid to them, Have ye received the Hr.hi Ghost 
 since ye believed ? And they said; to him. We have not so 
 "much as heard ivhethtr there be any Holy Ghost. — And he 
 said to them, Unto what then were ye bafitistd? And they said 
 Unto John's bafitiam. Then %aid Faul^.Johii verily baptised 
 fvith the baptism of refientance, suyhig unto the ptoplc^ that 
 they should believe on him^ who should corne afcr him^ that 
 is on Jesus Christ. When :hey heard this they v-re bafititsed 
 ■in the name of the Lord Jesus jind when Paul had laid his 
 hands on them^ the Holy Ghott came upvn them, is'c. 
 
 When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus. The me^uiing cannot be, that when the 
 people heard, John, they were by Mm baptised in the 
 name of the Lord Jesus; because then it will follow, that 
 Paul laid his hands on all the people whom John ba])dsed ; 
 fciPthey, who are here said to be bafitised, are evidently the 
 persons on whom Paul laid his hands. But the sense nvjst 
 be, that when these twelve disciples wix) had been baptised 
 by John, now heard Paul, they were baptised by h.im. It 
 follows then that John's baptism, being neither in the name 
 of Christ, nor of the Holy Ghost, was difterent from that 
 which Christ instituted ; and no argument cun be drawn 
 from the former, to determine the mode, or subjecf^ of the 
 latter; nor can the repetition of chn»tian baptism be justi- 
 fied froiu this example of Paul. 
 
( 36 ) 
 
 objection will receive a full answer. In the mean 
 itime it may suffice to observe, Hiat infants are now 
 as capable of the ends of baptism, as they were 
 ancieHtly of the ends of circurncision. They 
 may be brought into co?enant with God — may 
 have privileges made over to them — may receive 
 the seal and token of privileges — may be laid 
 under obligations to obey- the gospel, as the Jewhk 
 infants by circumcision became debtors to obey 
 the law — and may become subjects of that justi- 
 fication through Christ^s blood, that renovation of 
 theS >irit, and title to eternal life, which are signi- 
 fied and represented in baptism. 
 
 I have now given you a view of all the material 
 arguments, which are brought to disprove infant 
 baptism. And what has been said in answer to 
 them is, I think, sufficient to shew, that they have 
 110 real weight. The way is now prepared to 
 bring forw?.rd our arguments in vindication of this 
 point, which was the second thing proposed. 
 
 II We will here take a distinct view of the prin- 
 cipal arguments in defenceof the right of believer's 
 infants to baptism, and endeavour to establish them 
 agamst the cavils of our opponents, and particu- 
 lai ly the author of the letters before mentioned. 
 
 1. Our first argument shall be taken from the 
 Abrahamic covenant together with the Apostle's 
 explanation of it 
 
 In Hie 17th chap, of Gen. we find, that God 
 made acovenant vv th Abraham and his seed, into 
 which lis nifiuts were expressly taken, together 
 v^ith himself, by the same rite and token: This 
 coven-mt comprehemied not onl\ h ? natural sted, 
 but the sf ranger W'ho was not of his seed. It wfis 
 a spiritual covenant. The capital prorn.se of it w as 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 / -rill he a God iirJo (hee and fhy feed af>er fhee. 
 This was the same covenant, which nnv subsists, 
 a>V'l which we are how under in this ^ospei-age, as 
 the apostle exoressly teach.<\<^ ns, in the 4th chap, 
 to RoiTi. and 31 chap, to Gal. where' he argues 
 from the covenant with Abraham, to shew the na- 
 ture anrl extent of the gospel-covenant. He tes- 
 tifies, tlVit all believers under the gospel, whether 
 Jews or Gentiles, are the spiritual seed o^ Ahra- 
 him and c<m^ec\\\2-\i\y heirs of the prow's;^ made 
 to him tliat the covenant mai.le -with Abraham 
 was confirmed of God in ChrisJ— that the la\y 
 wliich was given afterwards did not disTJiinul tjie 
 covenant, or vacate the promise — that the gospel 
 was preached to Abraham, in that prom se ofthe 
 c >venant, w th him,-//? thee shall all nations be 
 blessed — -that the blessing of Abraham is come 
 UMon the Gnitil :s through thrst — that the pro- 
 mi ;e made to Abraham is sure to, all the seed, not 
 onlvto that which is of the law, J>ut to liiat also 
 which is of the faith of Abraham, who is tlie 
 father of us all, as it is written, / have made thee 
 a falher of many nations— {.\\<X they vho are of 
 fiiih are the children o\ Abraham, and to Abra- 
 ham and his ?eed were the promises made — and 
 maidi more to the satne pairpose. 
 
 No V if vvo are the seed i){ Abraham, for vd)pm 
 the coven:.int with hmi v as establ.shed, and are 
 stil! under the set! same covenant, then the sau]© 
 prudegesthU were her^^n ,u;ranted tq him, l)e- 
 lo'^.{^ to us. One grant of tliat covenant .^ as, that 
 infint5 should be received ■ ith their j.arents by 
 tlje s<^me s <r;! aid s(»al ; and tlieref ;re v. e, as the 
 seed (){' Abraha?n, may cla m this ■ r;vilege (or a>ir 
 mf'-iut^. Yen, G.;d not only allc e<i, but r.>m- 
 mahded^ i\mi the appointed token ol the covenant 
 
 D 
 
( S8 ) 
 
 sh^^iilrl be affixed to every male chjld who vas not 
 under eight diiys old. Here then is a plain com- 
 mand fTiven to Abrahcnn our father, and con- 
 sequently to us his children, to a[)ply the to- 
 ken of this very covenant, uhich '. e are now 
 under, to our infant seed. The only questioa 
 is, whether there be now any token of the 
 covenant? Had circumcision been continu- 
 ed, none could doubt but infants were still si/b- 
 jectg of it by virtue of the command given to 
 Abraham^ unless they wouid expunge the 4th ■ 
 chap, to Rom. and 3cl to Gal. Circumcision has 
 ceBsed. But has Christ appointed any token of the 
 gospel covenant ? Baptism is certainly such. 7 his 
 then is to be applied to the same Fubjectsas that 
 was. If there was an express command to affix 
 the covenant seal to mfants in Abraham s time, 
 and the covenant still remains; then the covenant- 
 seal, whatever it is, ought to be affixed to infants 
 now, unless the command has been repealed. The 
 change of the .v<^r// makes no change of the subject. 
 There must be a command to warrant our reject- 
 ing the old subject, as well as to justify our drop- 
 ping the old seal. If our brethren ask. Why we 
 have discontinued circumcision, and n»'W make 
 UJ-e ofbaptissm ? We answer, Christ has so com- 
 manded. Let them produce as go -d authority 
 for affixing this new .eal of thej^ame covenant to 
 believers r)?//. , and not to their children, and we 
 wjU comply with tliern. We demand of them to 
 shew u*» some plain, positive order of Christ to 
 deny the seal of the covenant to those subjects, to 
 Tvhom it was first ordered to be applied. Until 
 such order appears, \^e b- Id'y affirm, tha: the old 
 command remams, and to act in disobedience to 
 it IS presumption. 
 
(39) 
 
 To evade the force of this arorument, our breth- 
 ren assert, that ' the christian charch is an institu- 
 tion entirely new; astractnre erected on a new 
 foundation, distinct 4" oin, and unconnected with 
 the foundation of the patriarchal and Jewish 
 church;' for they easiiy ste, that if the christian 
 church IS the ancient ciiurcii, continued under the 
 sa Tie covenant which was made in ancient times, 
 then the adin^s^ion ofchildren with their paicnts 
 into ih.s church, wiil stand s(X'ure on the foot of 
 the former institution. It in ay not therefore he 
 itiif)r(>|)er to pursue our present argument a httle 
 farther 
 
 Tiie foundation of the ancient cluu'ch is, the 
 (lis'' ov^ry of God's mercy to fallen men fliroiigh a 
 redeemer. This discovery was fust made to Adam 
 in the sentence on the tempter ; and after\vard 
 more fully tvj Ahraharn in the promise already 
 mentioned. This God expressly calls his ever* 
 Ids'Wni^ covenant. Tin's is always consivdered by 
 Aloses and the prophets, as the ground on vvhicii 
 the fa.th and hope of the Jewish church rested. 
 Moses says,* * Ye stand all of you before the Lord, 
 your zvives and little ones^ that thou shouldst enter 
 into covenant witli him, that he may be a God to 
 thee, as he lia^lt sivorn to Abraham : 1 he pro- 
 phet Jeremiah,f foretelling the gospel dispensa- 
 tion, describes it by an allusion to the covenant 
 with Abraham, which he distinguishes from the 
 covenant of peculiarity made with the Jews at 
 Sinai, when they came out of Egypt. The apostle 
 to the Hebrev^sJ applies the prophets descriptiou 
 to the gospel-state. The old covenant, which, he 
 says, was decayed and ready to vanish, is not the 
 
 * Peut. 92 t Chap. 31. 31. % Chan. 8. 
 
( 'W ) 
 
 cor<^n;int 'vUh Abrahani', for thh he calls the qq^^ 
 a.v-i ,^ .\h;ch G ^1 would aiake in the laHrrduvs^ 
 Or w.,-ulil «-xpr.citi)' reue^ iii the gospel t me^ 
 p*orn?s:no^, / ivill be ilieir God ; bnt tlie old coy- 
 eii.ir;- , u liuii Has to viii^ish auay, no more to be 
 reijevtd, js the ccremoiiial covenant, or thafe 
 winch (jod nmde w:Hj the Jews, rt;//i'« /i<r brought 
 i ii € m o'il o f E X V''>^' 
 
 Whf^!i tlie ' r<j|)hets foretell the call of th* gen- 
 tlh's, they ,s|>eak of ihern as j-jitiing th.emselves to 
 theciju;<!j tiiesi hu!>sistlng. In the49'h chap, of 
 I ;aii^h, G >d comforts vSion, tiie Jewisli church in 
 her di'Si>r!M<lfn' V, with a piomise that he will 
 Tseyer hws, k- he:, init her walls shall be continu- 
 aliv beibrc^ luin. ' I Jit up thine e\es round about,* 
 says lier i^n!, ' and btdiold ! All these gather 
 thenn^i^K'.^ \'K;en!er, and r'ome Uiito rH£E. The 
 chidien, vwiuh iiiou slialt have afer thou hast 
 lost the oHiei', shall say, The place is too strai- life 
 loj r;;,(,^ — Tiicn shah thou say, Who hath begot- 
 ten me these, seeini'; I liave lost my other chil- 
 dren ? Thus saith tlie Lord, Behold, I will lift 
 tip my hand to "the Gentiles — and they ihall 
 briiii* ihv sons, in their arms, and thy dau-hters 
 shall' be carried on their shoulders.' — The chil- 
 d-en of these Gentiles proselytes are called the 
 soas and daughters of the church. They are 
 brought in the arms of their parents to the 
 fhurch ' to be nursed at her side.' — No words can 
 more plainly describe the admission of Gentde 
 pre.->elUes into the very church which was then 
 in being, and the solemn dedication of their chil- 
 dren, as meml'ers of the church vrith them. Sim- 
 ilar representations aie frequent hi the prophetic. 
 vvritJDgs. 
 
The wonls of our Saviov.r, in 1 0th chap, of 
 J'jliii, are full to ©ur puriiose, 'OtiiCr sheep I 
 {i;i?e which are not of this fold ; them also I must 
 bring.' I must bring them into this fohl, the 
 Je.vish cliurcl) ; for what other io!d was there then 
 existing ? ' And they shall heir my voice -, and 
 tiiere shall be one fold and one shepherd/ 
 
 The Ai;o.stle Peter,* exhorting the Jews to 
 repentance, posnls them to the -aviour, whom the 
 prophets foretold, and nays, *Ye are the children 
 of the pror^iels, and of the covenant, which God 
 ninde with our fathers, saying, In (fry seed shall 
 all flie fainilie^ of the tarfh be blessed: unto 
 you first God hath raised up his son^ and sent him 
 to bless you.' 
 
 Paul, m tiie epistle to the Epiiesians, trectts ex- 
 plicitly on this subject. 1I« say^:, ' Ye were oncj^ 
 afar off, without Christ,, alieus from the Com- 
 monwealth of Israel, and stjangers from the co-^ 
 veuHnts of p?'om,se. But now in Christ ye are 
 niiKh- ui:^r}i. Ci)nst is our peace, who hath mads 
 b ^fh ne ;' i.e. hath un'ted both Jews and Gentiles. 
 Now therefore ye are * no more strangers and 
 fo e!'4uers, but fell-w- itizens with the sain LK.aiid 
 0) the ti)'t^tn di <)f God ; and are built on the 
 foHiiatton ol the ajyjsiles and prophets, Jesus 
 C-jnst himself being the chief corner stone,' The 
 prophets au I apo^uf^uid the same foundation. 
 Tne nroph?-ts fore' old a Saviour to come; Tjje 
 predictions of the foriuer, and tije doctrmes of the 
 latH-r are the ^^i.ue foinidation, trlie corner-stone 
 of wnich is Cfin^t himsHf^ The apostle adds, 
 * Y '.-ive he iMJ of tiie d?spensat:on of the grace 
 01 God, ih^i ti:ie GciUilc:. should h^ felloe heirs, 
 
 * Ads 5. 
 
( 4.2) 
 
 ani of the same body and partakers of his prb^ 
 "inisc hi Christ by the gospel. 
 
 I'liejcnvs who were baptised on tlie dny of pen- 
 tecosr, bebeved that Jesus was Lord andChrist, on 
 evidence derived from th^- prophets; and were ad- 
 nutted^ to !>apt,isn-j on the loot of the promise made 
 to their /-rz/Z/eTv. Ilie sann^ promise which was the 
 foundation of the ancient church and of which 
 circiniicision was the seal, is alledged by the apos- 
 tle, ab a rc-ason Ilt the baptism of theije Christian 
 Jews and thtir children, and as many as God 
 should call from among the Gentiles. The chris- 
 tian churcli here stands on the old foundation ; 
 and to this murch were added those who after* 
 vvaidb were baptised. 
 
 In the 1 lib <'hap to the Roman«^die apostle ex-* 
 press!) dechire-,, that the Gentile believers are 
 giaf'td miothe same olive-tree from w liich someoi 
 thi^ Jev\5 the natural branches, were broken oft' by 
 unbelief. ' if some of the branches, were broken 
 off, and thoi!, beini^ a wild olive, wert grafted in 
 am.>ngthLm/ the branches tliat remained, * und 
 Ti ith the m partakest of ihe root and fatness of tlie 
 elive tree, boast not against the branches ; for 
 thou beaiest not the root, but the root thee. They 
 were br(;ken olF by unbelief, and tiiou standest by 
 fairh.' It is the same root, which beareth tiic natu- 
 ral, and the ingrafted brand »es. So7ne of the natu- 
 ral branches \m re broken off — not 'all — The be- 
 lic^ ii)g ]evvs continued still in the same dd stwck, 
 in 'vliich tlicy had l>efore stood, and in w iiich be- 
 lirvin;^ GfM(tiles.\vere ingrafted. TliC Genules 
 wtic r r -..ited in|^o a /lezv stock, a tree la/c/>^ 
 grozvn up ; nor «^ere believing Jews lopt oft iriuu 
 tlic M lite to he in^^erted ith Gt nliies niro a new 
 out : bat ihc fuiincr remained hi tac old stock, 
 
e 43 ) 
 
 and the latter were grafted in among them, to par^ 
 take with them of the root and latnebs of the same 
 olive, which had formerly nourished them. And 
 it is observable, that the'je Jews, who immediately 
 and readily submitted to the gospel, on its being 
 propohed to tiiem, seem not generally, if in any 
 in^'aace,to have received christian baptism. Hea- 
 thciis and Samaritans, who vv-ere not of tiic chuich 
 of God,aiidtiiose Jews, who by obstinate unbelief, 
 and open opposition to the gospel, had broken 
 themselves olf from tlie <:hurch were on their pro- 
 fessed repentance, baptised. The other continued 
 in G':)d's covenant and church. 11ns thought, we 
 shall have occasion to resume hereafter. When 
 the unbelieving Jev/ssfiail, in the latter days, turn 
 to the L^K'd, they shall be grafted again — into 
 what ? — mother tree ? no ; into i h e iR own ojive- 
 tree ; for tiic covenant which God made with their 
 fatiiers, is the same, whicli he will mai;e with thcvt 
 in tiie latter days, when he sliail take away their. 
 sin-.. 
 
 We have now an obvious answer to a question, 
 which our brethren often puts to us. • If tl-e chil- 
 dren of believers are sui:>jectsof the covenatu seaf 
 under the gospel, as they ue: e u ider tormerdi^peu- 
 satfon-j, why have we notsnmedirect, positive iur^ti- 
 tuti(>n,whica might have prevented ail controversy?^ 
 
 The fact is.tiie gospel found the child; en of God*s 
 people already in covenant by viraie o'f the ancient 
 institution: and a new instituuon of tha% which 
 had been pialnly instituted before, and WLt^not tUen 
 so {nacn a^ questioned, would have been super- 
 fluoub : not to say, absurd. Tne gospel has made 
 it as plain as language can jnake an) thing, that 
 the -mcient c'>vcnanf wiih Abraham is stiii conti- 
 nued : Jind if chiidrea were, by divine command-, 
 
( u. ) 
 
 to receive the seal of the covenant formerly, they are- 
 to receive it siill, unlcbs the command is some- 
 Avhcre in the i^ospel expressly revoked. We need 
 no new inhtiiution to warraiU our applying the 
 seal to them; but we evi iently iwQd a new insti- 
 tution 10 jubtily our excluding them from it. 
 
 Infant baptism stands on the same p^round as 
 the christian sabbath. If it be asked, why the 
 gospel has not, in so many words, iiistliuted a 
 Avcekly sabbath, the answer is, it found a weekly 
 sabbath already instituted; and a formal institution 
 e-f that, whieh had been instituted before, was 
 wholly unnecessary. Tl^e apostles took the sab. 
 bath as they found it, onl)^ observinji,- a different 
 day, after Christ's resurrecti<;n, in memory of that 
 glorious event. So th.'v c Miti-nicd the ancient 
 tnv!ge of applying?: the seal of Cr^d's covenant to 
 chi'dren, as well as p-nents ; only they eh^nged 
 the extetiial form of tiie beal, substituting bapiisni 
 for eireumcision. The ancient ins>iituiion unre- 
 Vfiked, :f we had nothir;g more, would be sufiici- 
 ent u> jir^fifv the appiieaiion of tl^e seal to iniliuts. 
 But we h.ve btill fiitiier warrant. 
 
 Let us view the a^gument in another light. 
 
 2. Circumcision was of old, by divine com- 
 mand, .;p^>ii':d to mjliuts : Asid if baptism stands 
 now in tiie place of cncunicision, then this is also 
 to be app'ied to the same subjects. The conse- 
 queure i-. plain and und; hi. ibie. Theorily cpies- 
 tiun is, Whether baptivm dt^es now stand in the 
 ]>laee T)f circumcision? This is the point to be 
 proved. 
 
 I'hut cireumeision was the seal of th^e covenant 
 W]th Ahrcilunn, and was, by divine ap|)()intment, 
 v.C.i'M ■■■■<.■'■] ,(.. i',;::r.t-, is well kilo^^ n — tiuit t!ie 
 JO. iJ.u/j.'C ej\'cnah;. siili Lubsists, andii the same 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 as the Goffnel covenant; tlic apostle plaliily teaches, 
 that bapti-iin is now ihc anp')inre<l token of the 
 g')s;)el coveaaiit, none will cltTi}- : Tiieconsequevicc 
 iia obvioQb ; baptism now stmicltj in the place o/cir- 
 €;imei^ion, I^)r it i« the initiiiting seal of that vtrry 
 c.)venap.t, of which circumcision was the seal for- 
 mer h'. 
 
 Again. The Apostle says, Rom. 4. 11. Abra- 
 ham received the sign of circumcision^ a seal of the 
 righteousness vfjaith. It is plain fn^iu this [)asS' 
 age, that circumcision was a sign of spiritual bles- 
 sir)gs, the blessings of tlic covenant of grace : 
 And not (as sonic absurdly pretend) merely a sign 
 of worldly privileges, such as a right to the land 
 of Can-uDi, a nurnerous issue, Sec. There were, 
 it is true, temporal blessings promised to Abra- 
 ham and his seed. But toargue from hence, that 
 the covenant with him was a meer temporal cov- 
 ejumt, and that circumcision was only a seal of it 
 as such, is as absurd, as it would be to say. The 
 gospel is a meer worldly institution, because it has 
 the promise of the life that now is, and of that 
 which is to come. The apostle, in this passage, 
 represents cu'cumcision in quite a diiTerent light, 
 as especially and eminently a seal of sfnrituat 
 blessings. — That baptism is such, all allow : And 
 tlicrcfore it comes in the room of circumcision, 
 and stands in the place in which that. once stood. 
 - Farther ; These two rites, though different in 
 their outward form, are the samt in their spirituai 
 use and significancy. Circumcision signified our 
 native corruption , so does baptism. Circumci- 
 sion pointed out the necessity of niward purity and 
 spiritual renovation : so does baptism. That re- 
 presented our justification by the blood of Christ : 
 iio does this. That was a ceremony of admission. 
 
i 46 ) 
 
 into God's church : so is ////.?. TJ^af denoted 
 men's nMation u> Gud and (ibiigation to obev his 
 law. T/ns also df notes onr relation to Christ and 
 obligation to obey his gcjsp-i. 
 
 Bni the apostle puts this nuuter r)ut of a'l doubt, 
 vhen he calls baptism the circuvicisiuJi of Christ ^ 
 and urges chiibtians bcuig tyanfistd. iS a reason 
 why they need not be circumcisi d 
 
 He says. Col. 2. 11, \2. Ye are complete in 
 hijn, (in Christ) in :choj7i ye also are circumcised 
 uith the circumcision made ividiouf hands, input- 
 tint:, off the body of the sins of tlu jledi hy the cir- 
 cumcisiun^of Christ, buried ailh hiui in baptism. 
 Buf. he calls it by this r.aip.e -^ ithour any pupritty^ 
 unless it stands in the pL.cr i f cifcunicision. 
 
 The author. v\h<:nn I f>a\'e -evtral rimes men- 
 tioned, lab .urs much to evjrle die fbrr< (/!' this 
 passage. He sa^ b, B\ ih^- circumcisii.ii of Christ 
 is mcaiit, * die spin I nal •\XK:M\i\\.\^\in\,'' or renova- 
 tion of the heart, \x\ diNlintiitm from * the literal 
 circumcision.' But this caiin(it be the meaning 
 of the phrase : For tlie inward spiritual circum- 
 cision is mentiorjed in the preceding branch of 
 the sentence, under the name f^f the circumcision 
 made without hands. And if we take both phrases 
 to signify the same ; then we shall make die words 
 to run thus. Ye are circwncised zvitli the spirits 
 ual circumcision, in being circuincised by the spi- 
 ritual circumcision. Such an unmeaning repeti- 
 ' tion never dropt from the apostle. 
 
 The w riter says, * That to gua' d the Colossians 
 against the danger of being seduct d to the observ- 
 ance of Giicumcision, the apostle tells them.' 
 ' Thev had received the spiritual circumcision — 
 and therefore the literal circumcision was not ne- 
 
{ 47 ) 
 
 cessary ' But how did this spiritual circumciJ^ioKi 
 or inttrnal renovation prove, tiiat the literal cir- 
 cumcision was not necessary *? Circumcision used 
 to be necessary for good men : Why not now ? 
 According to this interpretation, external ordinan- 
 ces arc not needful for true christians, but only for 
 sinners. Those among the Colossians, who were 
 not sure they had received the spiritual circum- 
 cision, could not apply this argument ; and there- 
 ffjre, according to our author, must still observe 
 the //7dTa/ circT-imcision. Besides; the same ar- 
 gument would prove, that they need not be bap- 
 tised ; for if they had received the spiritual wash- 
 ing of sanctificat-on, what occasion was there^for 
 the liteial washing of baptism? And yet, accord- 
 ing; to him, none must be baptised, but actual be- 
 lievers ; so that, if we admit h\s construction of 
 the passage, we must disallow of all baptism. 
 
 Our author says, * in the apostles days, the 
 christians converted from Judaism were zealous to 
 incorporate circumcision v^ith Christianity. — Do 
 the apostles instruct them, tliat ihey need not be 
 'SO tenacious i^{ one ri^e, sinct^ another is appoint- 
 ed in its stead? Such an observation woukl have 
 been much to the purpose — but nothing qan be 
 ff und of it in their reasonings to dissuade chris- 
 tians fr,)m circumcision.' 
 
 But the grnuenuui is under a great mistake. 
 The Jeuusti converts were Zf-alous to incorporate, 
 not merciy circumcision, but the whole ceremo- 
 nial law, with Christianity, They contended for 
 circumci^^ion as a rite bindiiig to the observance of 
 the whole law, without which, they imagined, chris- 
 tianity would be incomplete. Fr-.-m ilus noiion Paul 
 labors to reclaim them, and secure others. He does 
 not oppose orcujncision sinipff: ; if he had, he 
 would not have ciicumci^jcd rimuthy ^uor haveap- 
 
( 48 > 
 
 proved infant eircuir.cisVon amone; the Jewish be- 
 iitvcrs; bin he oppostd it, in the sense above n'icn=- 
 tinned as binding nie*n to keen the ceremonial law iti 
 order to acceptance v^l'h G-d. 7'hoiigh h*" had, 
 upon prudeiiUa! reasf.ns, ciicumcised Timothy^ 
 -yet he i>\ive no place to those who wouid com- 
 ]^rl Ti(us to be circumcised; thiut thev might 
 J)ring him and others into bondage to the law. 
 !NoAt, ,\^ hat ar,<5^i?t> ent does he use to dissuade 
 the C'llossi in believers from circumcision and 
 the observance of the law ? It is this ; They iiad 
 received ban/h^m, the christian circumcision, and 
 "vverenow bound to obey the gospel, which, being 
 a complete institution, had superseded the Idvv. 
 Thus he reasons with them in the place before 
 •reieired to. Beware lest anij ma?i spoil you (h rou^h 
 'philosopjty and vain deceit, alter the rudimejits of 
 ttie.z&or/d and not after Cirr'ist—~Jor ve are co??u 
 plcte ill hiu}^ and so need not add ti>e ritna! law to 
 hiN tfo^pel : in whom, ye arc circumcised — ivilhtlie 
 circunwisii^it of Christ, < r ch'islian C'rrunteisiesft, 
 bei??i^ buried a //// him .in ba/itistn — Wherefore if 
 ve be dea i xcith Christ tfom the rudiment.s of t fie 
 IV or Id ; (f [)y b^iptl^Sfi int-) iiis death }e are feed 
 fiom the rites of the Mosaic dispensation, ivfii}^ as 
 tfiough livintJi in 'he world, or uncier that dispensa- 
 tion, are ye s//b;^'ct to ordiuanres? You see, that 
 the Apostle uigch tiicir l>apasm into Christ, as a 
 reason v, hy th.cs should not be subject to drcum- 
 cisi'-t), and the litesof the Ceremonial law, for 
 vvhich the Je'i\ s contended. He uses the very ar- 
 £?:nment to di--nade tliem from circumcision, 
 ^vhich this author - avs, he would u-^e, if baptisiii 
 came in its place: AvA therefore. b\ his own eon- 
 ctbion, baj'tismdoescoutc hui^piace. And if tO, 
 
( 4^ ) 
 
 then it is nndeniably to be administered to the 
 same subject's, even the infants of believing parents. 
 
 We are told, ^ that some of the believing /<frt'^ 
 at Jerusalnn were much displeased, uhtn they 
 heard thai Pa?J taught the Jeivs, who were among 
 the Gfntiles, that they ougiu not to circumcise 
 their cliildrtn* Would it have satisfied such zea- 
 lous contenders for infant circumcision, to hiivc 
 told them, baptism now came in the place of that 
 ancient ceremony, but yet must not be applied to 
 their children? This would but have provoked 
 them tiie more. Had it not been the usagc^of the 
 apostles to admit civildren vviih their parents into 
 covenant by the simie rite, certainly the Jrws 
 among other objections against the gospel, vvou d 
 have uged thib, thajt it excluded their chiidt en 
 from covenant privileges. They were apt enough 
 to make o!)jections, and since we find none of this 
 sort, vv^- may c"nciude,ihere was no o^anforany. 
 
 Trsat iniciuts, under the mtriarcnal and mosaic 
 dibpensations, were admitted into covenant by a 
 pcHticular token, is certain. It is evident, this 
 wab ctmsidered as a privilege. U i^allov^ed, that 
 tlie gospel conferb greater privileges than ff»rmcr 
 dispensations: But if children a»e now shut out 
 of covenant, then the gospel, instead of enlarg- 
 ing, has in this re^pec^ dimmished our pt ivileges. 
 
 But says our author, ' The infallibility of the 
 Boman church may be proved in the same man- 
 ner; a^ :hu^: Th^ people of God under the Old 
 Trbtament enjoyed the benefit of infaliibilitv . Tiie 
 High I*rie:>t had the Urim and Thum. ;im, by 
 which the mind of God was kno\vn. See. c«/n^.e- 
 tjuep.tly there inust be infallibility in the christian 
 
 * Acts xxi. 31. 
 
( 50 ) 
 
 cliurcli; otherwise the less perfect dispensation of 
 Moses vviii have a great privilege beyond the 
 Citristian, 
 
 The truth is, The ch'tslian dispensation has 
 this privilege far beyond the mosaic. The addi- 
 tional revelation of the gospel discovers the mind 
 of God as infallibly, and far more fully and exten- 
 sively than ever it was discovered by Urim and 
 Thummim. Such occasiojial discoveries now are 
 not needed, since we have a complete^ standing 
 revelation. 
 
 The author of the letters tell us, that circum- 
 cision, * that Old Testament rite, was a useless^ 
 hirthensome^ ijijurious ceremony, and treated as 
 such by the Apostles.' And hence he concludes, 
 baptism cannot come in its room to be adminis- 
 tered to infants, as that was. But where do the 
 Apostles treat circumcision in this manner ? The 
 ceremonial laxv indeed is considered as a yoke of 
 bondage ; as burthejisome, not injurious, for it 
 would ill become the teachers of religion to re- 
 present God as injuring his people by his insti- 
 tutions : But circumcision^ consideied as a token 
 of the covenant, is treated as a great privilege,*" 
 What advanfage hath the Jeivs P And what profit 
 is there oj circumcision ? Much every way. It was 
 .a great priviltge for the children oi Jews to have 
 God for their Gad, in such a sense as he was not 
 the God of heatiien children ; to be born to the 
 enjoyment of the oracles and ordinances of God ; 
 and to be under the care of parents, who were 
 solemnly bound to bring them up in the know- 
 ledge and service of the God of Israel. And if 
 the profit of circumcision was much every zvay^ 
 
 * Rom. iJi. I. 
 
( 51 ) 
 
 then the loss by its abolition is much every zvat/^^ 
 unless there be something appointed in its room. 
 It is often said, ' Circunici iicn was applied 
 only to males: Baptism is designed for both 
 sexes^ therefore they are not paralle! ordinances, 
 nor can we argiiQ from the one to the other.* 
 
 But it is certain, tliey are parallel in tlieir main 
 design, as initiating seals of the same covenant. 
 And, females uere admitted into covenant, as \vc\l 
 as maleSy though no vi.-,ible token was appointed 
 for them. ]it\iir\\first.-b()rn male was to be pub- 
 licly presented to God in token of the obligation 
 of the whole family to be holy to him ; for if the 
 \first fruits be kobi, sa is the lump So the parent's 
 dedicaiirig his males to God by circumcision, 
 W'as a token thar all his children belonged'to God. 
 Accordingly God equally claims an interest in 
 children of both sexes, by virtue of the covenant 
 relation of their parents. God says to the Jeivisk 
 church, Ezek. 16. 7. / entered into covenant' 
 with tJite^ and thou becamest mine. And then he 
 complains, ver. 20. ' '! hou hast taken thy sons 
 and tJiy daughters, zvhich thou hast born unto 
 uz^ and these thou hast sacrificed. Thou htist 
 slain MY CHILDREN. So beut. 29. 10. Ve 
 stand this day before the Lord — all the mQn of 
 Israel, your litde ones, and your wives, that thou 
 shouldst enter into covenant^ that he may be unto 
 thee a God — as he hath sworn to Abraham. 
 They were all admitted into covenant, though 
 the males only received the visible token. But 
 under the gospel there is no distinction of male 
 and female, but allsire one in Christ, the visible seal 
 being affixed to one as well as the other. In this 
 n^spect the gospel dispensation is more large and 
 free than the former, that it makes no distinction 
 
( ^2 ) 
 
 ofnaficp. or se.r. And shall we think It was intend* 
 ed to be contracted in another respect, by cashier, 
 ing rt//c/i?/(i;'^;z,-.v ho ure nriore than half oi mankind? 
 
 The auihor before mentioned tells us, thai 
 * children v, ere adniiued to the passover ; and 
 hence we may infer their right to the Lord's 
 Supptr ; as well as from their circumcision infer 
 their right to baptism.' 
 
 It seems probable, that persons of all ages par- 
 took of the./n^/ passover mentioned, Exod. J 2. 
 which was in sonie respects singular, and difieren 
 fiom s^nccecih^g passovers. But it appears froni 
 Luke 2 42.. that itVas not the customof the feast ^ 
 for parents to bring tlieir chiWr^-^ t . Ij-^ until they 
 were about /re^r/i-fT y^-fz/-^' (;/;/ ; Jiage, they 
 
 might be able to enquire of their parents, What 
 mean rje by (his service <" And at this age, ria 
 {.'.■ 1 :' , riianj' are c-ipabie of understanding the 
 natijie and fcvA oi ii^^^ L'-Td's Supper. ^- 
 
 * ' Children attKe ai^j? of \l years were brought by their 
 parents tf> the temple : K\\(\ tVoin that time thc^y be,8;an to 
 eiit ')]' thf pa si^vt;' j-d olit r i.actificci'. Hyrcanus in Jo- 
 5e[)!.us, B. 13. Ch^pr4. s;iys, The Jewish law tbrhitls the 
 so:) to e.U of ""the sacrifices, befoie he has come to the tem- 
 th.ere him-^-lf mesentcc! an offering to God.* 
 .p. in:- 'j60 
 
 > piehc. ...■...,- .. .1 '.vhen the Jews v/cre come into 
 ch God would g-ive them alt their niales should 
 ■ AC him eveiV year a\. the passover in the place 
 ^\ c i '.t. ipi):)inted. Bui it is added, Thiy s!:atl 7iOt alr/iear 
 o i/jrc nic (:}]:Jit!j^b'ut every one according to the ^ij'l oj his Juind. 
 (Dent. ii5. 16. and alibi, vide. Marg.) 
 
 Tiie m,»h, or men cliildrcn, who were to appear before 
 (^od 111 t'p.eir app<)inl<;d place, to eat of the passover -were 
 only suci) as could bring a ti,-iil in thci» iiand ; or ]i!t.-ent an 
 offering for themseivts. "I'bis probably is ihc law to which 
 Hyrcaiviis alludes. II). Patiick, u ho was very learned in 
 the Jeu sh Jasvs and customs, say?--, * V\ htn cldldren were 
 twche years old, their parents we^e buuad to bring thtm 
 
 p'e, and 
 
 (Fo^ ovn 
 
 the ^ 
 
( 5-S ) 
 
 But if infants had been usually admitted to the 
 passover, it would not in the least weaken our ar- 
 gument from circumcision ; for the passover was 
 not a seal of the Abrahamic covenant (it being 
 appointed more than 400 years after that coven- 
 ant was made) but one of 'the mosaic rites. Now 
 the ritual law is superseded by the gospel ; but 
 the Abrahamic covenant remains. The Lord's 
 Supper is a commemorative sign, intended to 
 shew forth Christ's death, and bring him to our 
 remembrance. But baptism is a token of ad- 
 mission to the vissible privileges of God's peo- 
 ple i and therefore infants are capable of this, 
 though not of the other. 
 
 Some perhaps will ask, How could baptism 
 come in place of circumcision, when it appears 
 to have been in use before circumcision, ceased ? 
 
 to the temple, at the passover, where, seeing what was dona 
 in this festival, they wouiil be led to enquire, what mean ye- 
 by this service ?' (Coniment, in Exod. \l) 
 
 As the end of the passover was to perpetuate the memory 
 of the deliverance from Egypt, and as the express reason 
 why children were to attend it in the appointed place, was 
 that they might be instructed iji thatwonderfuideliverance, 
 parent? could not view themselves as bound to bring; their 
 children to the solemnity, before they were capable of en- 
 quiring and understanding what v/as meant by it. Luke 
 tells us, (Chap. 2. 42.) that the parents of Jesus v/ent up 
 every year to Jerusalem at the feaat of the passover : ami 
 when he was 12 tjears o/t/, they went up after the cuoloni r.f 
 the feast. Their going after ihecu^Jtcm €f the feast ^ doubt- 
 less intends their taking their son with them, \Yho was now- 
 Vi years old : for it appears that he accompanied them ; 
 and this is the first time wchear of his going.to the festival. 
 It may also be observed, that the malei only were requi;ed 
 to appear before God at the passover ; and none can ima- 
 gine, that infants and sucklings were takt:n from their mo- 
 ther's arms to be carried to, and detained at the temple, 
 during the coniinuunce of so long. a bokimVuy. 
 
 i. m 
 
[ ^4 ; 
 
 Let me ask another cjuestion, H- w comM Solo^ 
 mon fign in the pl^ce "f David ; h h., Cts or, 
 wluii he btgaa to r cr., hcio c Davui w^.cie.d? 
 Tiicrt: i:-, iw) more dJiiiciilty in oik question, ilian 
 in tile o'iic.. Tiiougli baptism was in ust, ytt it 
 \vu:s not made the peciili^ r n;ltlatiiig btai . f the 
 gospel-covtnai^t iinlii idki Christ's Vesu^ rrt ticm. 
 
 It has been enquired, Mfbapti? m ^uceeeds cir- 
 cumcision, \vl,y 'vere ri]i)se baptised, wiio had al- 
 ready beea circuni;-h.ed V W^ ans\^er, 
 
 1. We think it hjs been proved, that b' th these 
 ordiiuinces were instituicd a^ ^^cals •;;;.- vi;me gra- 
 cious covenan? ; and thtref^^.e tise i igui <;f iniants 
 to baptism will nut at aii depend on the solution 
 of thi's qnesti ^n. 
 
 ^ 2^ It is evident from the 15th, v.v.d 21st, chap- 
 ters of Acts, that infant ci re umci^^- 10 li vvaspjaetis- 
 ed, with apostoHc ap.probation, L^y tlie Jcivish be- 
 lievers in the Christian chnrch in Jcrusaitm, and 
 in other churches, by xh^Jcws who v\ert nienibt rs 
 of them. For thoug^h the apostles and elders 
 agreed, that infant circnmcision (ught net u> be 
 required of (>V?2///<- believers; yet ti.ey alioved 
 and approved it dmong the Jeivisk converts, w ho, 
 having been accustomed to it, and knou iiig it to 
 have been a usage from the time of Abraham, 
 could n>'t at (^nce, be persuaded to relinquish it 
 for another rite. 
 
 That infant circumcison was not now regarded 
 by the apostles merely as a certmouy < f the Mv'..aic 
 law, is manifest ; because, in this viev\, as vve have 
 before shev\ n, they utterly disalhm ed it. and soen- 
 iiously opposed those who contended for it. They 
 must therefore have oregarded 5,t, a^ that * seal of 
 the righteousness of faith,' which v\as appointed 
 to Abraham, and continued under the patriarchal 
 
{ 55 ) 
 
 arid mosaic dispensations. In the christian c^iirch, 
 it ior a ;ime heul the ^arne piace arooog :hc Jeiv^ 
 h/iy lib ba| lism i.c:d anichg ibt 6'c7i/77(? besu vers, 
 llciue it uA-.ov. s, that tht ^t•al id 'he Ci^vtnunt \Vc-s 
 Sjjphed to the infants ui belitvers, in tiic time, 
 i.'nd with tie ■.;ppr«)bat!on of the a|K?sdes, ^nd ihat 
 baptism succttded in the p{.i(,'r of circ;imci:>ion ; 
 as a seal (tf the sau^e crweiiant. 
 
 it lb no objection to -this cir?!;nn5ent, that the 
 apobtkb, in some instanC(\^, comphed \^ i^h Je\« !sh 
 ciistonis, for these coir:phances wee o?d •'vccasi- 
 onal : B t the observance of iivfaui ciicniT)(ii>i«>ii 
 am(>ng believing Jews ^^as general an(J cons tii tit 
 itjv <\ course oi' years, probably f c r thiuy yt-ars* 
 toi.;ethei, and this under the eye, and uith tlie ad- 
 vice of all the apostles. 
 
 They reconinK-nded to the Gentile belicveis a 
 charitable and pacific condcscentiorj to then Jew- 
 ish brethren in matter-., which interfered notv\ith 
 the institutions or doctrines of the gospel, particu- 
 laiiy, in an abstinence from offensive meats, aiid 
 in the observance of fevorite days.- Bu^ they ne- 
 ver required or advised the Gentiles to. conform 
 to tlie Jews in the observance of tlfe Abrahamic 
 rite of infant ciicumcision,, though this vvas a rite, 
 ot which the Jewish christians were as tenacif^ns 
 as u any other. The reason is obvious: rr«e 
 Gentile believers observed another rite instituted 
 in its pLice, namely, infant baptism. 
 
 If luider the christian di'-prnsation, infant cir- 
 cnmcision had bebn, in it Self, w?ong, it would 
 not have been allowed to the Jeivish btlirvers. If 
 it iiad been, under present circumstances,, an 
 indifferent ceremony, like abstinence from nseats, 
 shavmgthe head, and purification in the temple, 
 it would, for peace sake, have been recomnuiidtd 
 
( 56 ) >^ 
 
 to the Gentile belleverb. But as another ordinance 
 was by tricm used in its place, there would have 
 been an irnpropriety in their adopting this, and 
 therefore it was not required of tlicm. 
 
 3. It is an undt-niable (act, tliai circumcised be-' 
 lievers wtxt frequently, if not gciierally, received 
 to fellowship, in the christian church, zvilhout bap- 
 tism ; for all churches have fellowship with the 
 church in Jerusalem, and Jewish and Gentile 
 believers had communion in the same churches. 
 That Christ's first disciples were baptised, 
 we have no evidence. That the tzvclve par- 
 took of the first supper, before christian baptism 
 was so much as instituted, is undeniable ; for it 
 is evident from Acts 19. 5. and the author of the 
 letters himself concedes, X\v<\t JohnP s baptism was 
 not christian baptism. Now if circumcision was, 
 in the case of the disciples, sufficient for their ad- 
 mission to the great gospel ordinance of the sup- 
 per, then certainly it was a seal of the gospel-cov* 
 enant ; and therefore the baptism of believers, al- 
 ready circumcised, was a matter not of universal 
 necessity, but only of particular expedience. It 
 seems to have taken place chiefly in the case of 
 the Jews, who after Christ's resurrection, had for 
 a time openly ^opposed the gospel, and the supe- 
 rior evidence which then attended it. Now 
 
 4. There was a manifest propriety in baptising 
 some who had been circumcised, although baptism 
 and circunicision arc supposed to be seals of the 
 same covenant. 
 
 The long expected Messiah had now appeared; 
 a clearer dispensation of the covenant of grace, at- 
 tended with larger promises and more liberal pri- 
 vileges, was noW introduced ; XhQ way was open- 
 ed for the admission of all nations into the church 
 of God : and baptism was insituted to be a seal of 
 
(57) 
 
 the covenant, and a badge of distiction betweea 
 thechurchand theunbeiieving world. Tlioiu^h cir- 
 cunicisioa had been, and still might be a mark of 
 discrimination between the worblTippers of the 
 true God and idolatrous heathens, yet, after the 
 institution of bantism, the former rite would not 
 so clearly cyscriminate between chribtians a!)d un- 
 believers in general ; for unbciifving Jews would 
 still use circumcision. It was theref )r$ proper, 
 that the circumcised Jew, when he embraced, the 
 gospelj if he had before openly opposed it, should 
 sutimit to baptism, to testify his belief that Jesus 
 of Nazareth, whom he had rejected, was the pro- 
 mised Messiah; that the doctiine preachtd by 
 the apostles, in his name, was diviiic ; and that 
 the ancient distinction of Jew and Gentile, male 
 and female, was abolished, and all were to becouiC 
 one in Ci)rist. Had none ot the believing Jews 
 been baptised, there might, have remained too 
 great an appcar;jnce of a distinction between thcTn 
 and Oejitile believers ; a dist;inction which, aher 
 ail, many of the Jewish cliristiaas were strongly 
 inclined to preserve, and which the ap^^stles were 
 Hi) less soiiritous to extinguish. It uas Cljri^t's 
 design, that his church should be, and appear to 
 bf one ; that, while it was distinguished from the 
 world, it should harmonize with itself, and keep 
 a u:iiiy of sj)irit in the bond of peace. 
 
 Siippose a prince, who had appointed- a parti- 
 cular uniform for his solditrs, should think pro- 
 per, OP. the introduction of a new discipline, and 
 the acquisition of new subjects, to appoint for 
 tkrse another uniform ; niighi we n,ot expect, that 
 he would allow, and in ca.se of a rebellion raised 
 on this occasion, v.ou'd icqune menu of his yc/r- 
 mtr subjects to adopt the same, tiiat there nu^^ht 
 
f 58 > 
 
 Be no distinction kept up between old subjects, 
 and new, but all might become one harmonious 
 body ? And would any man, in this case, imagine 
 that the new livery cioie not in the place of' the 
 old? Or tliat the one had not bt^en, as the other 
 was now, a badge and token of allegiance ? — No 
 more can we, on this ground, pretend, that bap- 
 tism succeeds not in the place of circumcision. 
 
 It Will perhaps be asked, ' Why then ought not 
 baptism to be administered on the eighth day ac- 
 cording to the law of circumcision ?* 
 
 We answer ; It was not essential to the validK^ 
 of circumcision, that it should be administered on 
 the eighth day. It w^as not to be delayed beyond 
 that day without occasion ; nor ought we, with- 
 out occasion, to delay baptism. But where cir- 
 camstances admiited not so early an application of 
 the seal, the delay was not faulty then, nor would 
 it be now. Circumcision, indeed, niight not be 
 performed earlier than the eighth day : but for 
 this delay there were particular reasons, not appli- 
 cable to baptism. One reason might be the ten- 
 derness of the infant, and the weakness of the 
 mother, which would render an immediate ope- 
 ration of this kind dangerous to both. But the 
 prmcipal reas(m was t!ie legal impurity of the mo- 
 ther, a!id the consequent impurity of the child for 
 the first seven days. This reason is expressly 
 assigned in the divine law ;^ If a woman have 
 horn a man chihL she shall be unclean seven days, 
 and on the eighth day lie shall be circumcised. 
 But as the legal impurities have ceased under the 
 gospel, there is no such reason for the delay of 
 baptism- 
 
 * Levit. xii. 1, ^ 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 Thus, I think, it undeniably appears, that bap- 
 ti5.m stands in the place of circumcision, and that 
 the arguments to the contrary, are futile and im- 
 pertinent. And if it stands in. the same place, it 
 is certainly to be applied to the same subjects, 
 the infants of God's people— •! proceed to anothet 
 argument. 
 
 DISCOURSE III. 
 
 '3. X HE right of infants to baptism may be" 
 clearly inferred from the words of our Saviour, 
 Mark X. 14. compared with those, John iii. 5. 
 Suffer little children to come to me-^for of such 
 is the kingdom of God. — And, Except a man 
 (ean me tis, except any one) be born of tvater and 
 of the Spirit y he cannot enter into the kbigdom of 
 God. 
 
 By the kingdom of God must be understood 
 cither the Churcfi^ God's vis-.ible kingdom on 
 earth ; or Heaven, his invisible kingdom above. 
 Into the former we are admitted by baptism, 
 which is the sign of that spiritual renovation, by 
 which we are prepared for the latter. These little 
 children arc called infants ; they were br^onght to 
 Christ; were taken up in his arms ; doubtless 
 therefore tlicy were under the age of discretion. 
 They who brought them were believers j other- 
 wise they would not have sought a blessi?tg from 
 Christ for them. The phrase being born of xvatery 
 signifies being baptised : So the author of the 
 
( 60 ) 
 
 letters understands it,, -and numbers it among the 
 passag<is that speak of baptism.* 
 
 Now if, by the kingdom of God , we understand 
 the churchy then here is an express declaration, 
 that infants be}()ng^to the church, are C/?r/.9/'^ dis- 
 cip'es and visible members of his body : And 
 co^s^^quen'^iy h.ive a right to baptism, the Oiily 
 instirued sif^n (,>f adsnission into his kingd<jm. 
 Ex cent a m^m b> born of xoafer^ he cannot enter 
 into !his kh>:^dnnv. tieiice i\\^ christian church is 
 said to be cleansed bif the ivashmg of io<ifer,\ If 
 bv the inp'd ).rj of Gud, -ve understand the invi- 
 sihle kiiii: v , - ; • n here is a plain dcclara- 
 
 ti(.>n, 'dvdi uiia.^is oeK^ag to fhaf, and consequently 
 mav be born of t fie spirit-; f>? except one be born 
 of the apirit^ lie rwniof enter intn that tiin^idoM\^ 
 which Hesh and b nxi do not niii-e it. Ancfif 
 they may'' his born of the spirit, doubdess they 
 may be born of water ^ or baptised. A,s tiie chtrrch 
 \^ \\\^. gat t 6x heaven, so i)Hptrsm is the sign'oi 
 rec^encration. And if they may be admitted mto 
 fieaven by regcnerof ion, xh{^\t\\ii\ be admit-ed 
 into the church t\y baptism, if the things signi- 
 Jlcd belong to them, the sign zn^ token must be 
 su))po.sed to belong to them. The ap- stie Peter\ 
 plainly teaches us, that they, to wiiom the pro^ 
 
 * The author of the letters says, ' Christian baptism was 
 tiot ytt iM-ti:»r eJ. This is doubtJt-ss ouf : but John p* cach- 
 Cfl, sajiii^^- The kinf^dom of G'idi'i at hand ; and he- b.'ptiti.ed 
 with the buptisni of repenidnre to prcpaic the pcopi;. jTor 
 this kingdom. It was therefore very sea-on-ible fov Christ 
 n.>w to ini^lnlct J^ici^di^tmis^ that baptitim or brmg born of 
 tvawr Wa soon to be the rjieof admission into hi Uingiitira. 
 Bill w!u-thcr Wf* underj^aiid tht phrase of Qufwa^-d bapfiymt 
 or inward sancliiication, our atgutnbnt from it will be cqu- 
 fiUy conclusive. 
 
 «r Eh. V. 26. I Acts ii. 38. 
 
( 61 ) 
 
 mise of the spirit pertains, have a right to bap- 
 tism, the sign of the promise. In whatever sense 
 therefore we understand \\\c kingdom of God, the 
 conclusion is the same, That infants are subjects 
 of baptism. 
 
 It cannot- reasonably be said, that the words — 
 of such — intend only persons of a childlike dispo- 
 sition : For then how would this be a reason why 
 litile children should be brought to Christ, and 
 why he should be displeased with his disciples 
 for endeavournig to hinder them ? This makes 
 our Lord's argument run thus. SuiFer iixfants to be 
 brought to me, for my kingdom consisteth only 
 of adult persons resembling children in their dis- 
 position. He elsewhere makes Lambs and Doves 
 emblems of a christian temper ; and according to 
 this interpretation, he might as well have said 
 Suffer Lambs and Doves to come to me, for of 
 such is the kingdom of God ; i. e. it consists of 
 persons of a lamb-like and dove-like temper. 
 
 Well, ' but the christian rite of baptism was 
 not given to these children ; they were brought 
 to Christ for his blessings and prayers, accom- 
 panied with imposition of hands.' True: but 
 our Saviour declares, that such, i. e. the infants 
 of believers, belong to this kingdom, into which 
 none are admitted, but by being bom of wafer; 
 so that here is a plain declaration, that infants 
 were to be introduced into his church by baptism. 
 And by taking them into his arms, pra} ing for 
 them, and blessing them, he she\^ed that such are 
 capable subjects of the influence and blessing of 
 the Spirit, which are the things represented in 
 bapsism. He did not pour water on them; but 
 he perft>rmed a ceremony quite as sacred and so- 
 lemn, and thus shewed, thai infants are meet sr'^- 
 
[ 62 j-. 
 
 jects of that external rite, which denotes the con- 
 veyance of spiritual blessings; and biich a rite is 
 the ordinance of baptism. 
 
 4. The baptismal commission, Mat. yxviii, 19. 
 gives a plain warrant for adniitting infants to bap. 
 tism. It runs thus. Go,- and ttach all nations^ 
 baptising them in the name of the Father^ Son and 
 Holy Gfiost^ teaching thtvi to observe^ SCc. 
 
 Some will say, ' Infants are notexpiessly men- 
 tioned here.' True : neither are Adults, But 
 Christ uses the word, nations, which is a collec- 
 tive term, and must natuj ally be understood as 
 including hotJi, And had he intended to teach 
 his apostles, that persons of every age must be 
 admitted to baptism, he could not have chosen 
 any single word to express it better. Baptise all 
 'nations. The christian church is called a nation, 
 a people, because it consists of persons of every 
 age^^'- 
 
 But it is objected ; * Teaching is required previ- 
 (Uis to bapti:iin, which infants are not capahle of.' 
 
 Here let it be observed, that the word Mathe-^ 
 fijsate, rendered Teach, is not the same which is 
 i ommonly used for teaching, but of a more general 
 signification. The proper import of it is, to pro- 
 selyte ov make disciples. The commission the©' 
 ;s this. Go, disciple all nations, baptising them 
 --teaching them to observe all things, 8>cc. Here 
 i re two words in the commission rendered,/ 
 7\'aciiing, The latter didas kontes, signifies to. 
 indoctrinate ; the otlur is more general, aiid sig- 
 niiies to make disciples, which, may be done by 
 introduction ipto a school in order to future teach- 
 ing. 
 
 * 1 Pet. ii. 9. 
 
{ 63'. ) 
 
 Now if we can she'", that Infants are ever 
 considered as clLciples — -•■-> hc'lo?igifig to Christy 
 then it will appear ihai they come within the com- 
 mission, Disciple all nations^ baptising tiioii. 
 AVe are told Mar. xviii. 5. That Jesus having- 
 set a Utile child before him, said, IVhosoever 
 shall receive one such little child in my name re- 
 ceive th me. To receive one in C line's name, is 
 to receive him as being Christ's disciple and as 
 belongnig to him. So the plirase is exphiiiied, 
 Wa;k ix 41. IVhosever shall give you a cup of 
 ivater in my name, because ye beion^; to Christ. 
 And Mat. X. 42. Whosoever shall give to one of 
 these little ones a cut) of ivaler only in the name of 
 a disciple, sfiall not tone liis reward. It is phi in 
 here that injunfs, who are to be received in 
 Christ's name may be his disciples and belong to 
 him, to his church and kingdom. Accordingly 
 they who contended, that persons under tlie go:-:- 
 pel ought to be circamcised after the manner of 
 Moses, are said to teL^^pt God to put a yoke on tJie 
 ?iecks of the disciples, Acts xv. 10. Infants 
 ^vere to be circumcised after the m.anner of AIo- 
 ses, and therelbre are comprehended amon^z; the 
 disciples, on whom the yoke would belaid. The 
 commission then must rcipect inflmts as well as 
 others. Tlie apostles had before been i?istriicte<l 
 to receive not only adults, but also little children 
 in Christ's name, and as his disciples. Now a 
 particular rite is appointed, by which they should 
 receive or disciple them in his name. Dicciple 
 all nations, baptising ttiem in tlie name of the Fa- 
 tiier, and oj the Son, ^c. 
 
 But the author of the letters says. * The disci- 
 ples of Christ, during his ministry on earth, as 
 well as the disciples of Johnj were well acquaint- 
 
{ ^4 ) 
 
 «:(] wuh the institution of bapti&m, for they bap. 
 tised great niiltitudes; but they administtred a 
 haptisvn in wiiich infants had no part. When 
 ihciclbre our Lord iiistituted his sacrament of 
 baptism, if infants were to be rceeived into it, 
 it cannot be doubted but he declared ih'i^ ; other- 
 wise rnen, v.ho had been used to excUide infants, 
 would not tliink of them as coming within this 
 fresli commission-' 
 
 lie expressly allows, that the apostles \^•ou]d 
 be determined very much by former usa^^es, in 
 judging \vheil:er infltnts cam.e within this com- 
 niishion. ^>Vhelhcr the disci})les of John and of 
 Christ h.ad been VvCiit to baptise infants, it is not 
 ( xpressly said. And therefore to judge how the 
 apostles won id understand their commission, we 
 rnust go farther back tlum to John's ministry. 
 These apostles \^•c^e Jczcs. They had been edu- 
 rated in the Jczci's/t religicju. They knew, that 
 from the days of /Ibraham, anrl all along through 
 the Ivl:>saic dispensation, infants had been taken 
 into coven^int with their parents by the same in- 
 itiating rite. — I'hey knew, tliis had ever been 
 esteemed a great privilege ; and they would na- 
 turally suppose, the privilege was still to con- 
 tinue , as the Abrahamic covenant was yet in 
 i..;;rce. TIkv knew it had been the constant im- 
 memorial j)ractice of the Jewish church, to re- 
 4;eivc Geuiilc proselytes and tlieir infitnt children 
 with them by baptism. This the ancient Jewish 
 •iViiters testify. Baptism, we knov/, was no nev/ 
 thing in J&hiVs time. The Jews appear to have 
 been well acquainted with it. They don't ask 
 linn, What meanest thou by this new ceremony ? 
 But whj baptises t Zhou, if thou art not the Christy ^ , 
 n&i' EliaSj nor that Prophet f Their question im- 
 
(65 ) 
 
 plies, that the Prophets had been wont to baptise, 
 and they expected Christ and Ellas would do the 
 same. John probably took up baptism, as he 
 found it practised in the Jewish church, where it 
 had been constantly administered to the infiuits 
 of Gentile proselytes. And it is not only with- 
 out proof, but against probability, that this author 
 asserts, * Infants had no part in John's baptism.' 
 Farther, these apostles had been taught *o look 
 upon infants as belonging to Christ, and to treat 
 tliem as his disciples. They had heard Christ 
 pronounce them sebjects of his kingdom, and 
 give directions, that they should be brought to 
 him. They had been reprimanded for attempting 
 to hinder infants from being brought. They 
 knew, that Christ cam* not to lessen the privi- 
 leges of the church, (of which the adnriissi jn of 
 infmts was one) but to enlarge them ; and that 
 baptism was now the r//e^ of admission into it. 
 Under these circumstances, how must they un- 
 derstand their commission ? Certainly, upon this 
 author's principles, they must suppose it to in- 
 clude infants ; for he allows, they would under- 
 stand it according to former usage. We may 
 then retort his argument. When Christ institut- 
 ed Wis sacrament of baptism, if inflmis were noi 
 to be received to it, it cannot be doubted, but he 
 sufficiently declared this; otherwise men, who had 
 always been u^ed to .-^cc nnants admitted into the 
 phurch of God by the same token with iheir pa- 
 rents, would consider them as c^^ming '.vithin thin 
 fresh commission, Go, disaple all ncilioiis, bap- 
 tising them. 
 
 Be;->ides,'When they saw the doors of the church 
 now e:ilarv;ed to rxd.m\x nc.c subjects, even all na- 
 tioub, they would not imagine*, that th^e tjiibject.'^^ 
 
 F 2 
 
( 66 ) 
 
 who iiad ever been admitted, vrere in future to be 
 excluded. The commission theiefore must be 
 understood asa virtual command to baptise niiiants. 
 
 5 Children's right to baptism is very clearly 
 taught, in those word^ of Ftier to the av\akened 
 Jews, Acts ii, 58. Repent, and be baptistd tvery 
 one of yon, in the name oj Jesus Christ, Jar the 
 remission of sins ^ and ye shall receive the ti,ilt of 
 the Hdij Gliosis for the promise is to you and to 
 your children. Ke docs not say, The promise is 
 to you, and rc'/// 6^ to your children when they 
 become believers; but it is to both, to you and 
 the children which ) ou ?ioiv have: And to all 
 them that are afar off, as many as the Lord our 
 God shall call, i. e. vvheiever Gad sends the 
 gospel to call the Gentiles, it cairies this pn mi^e, 
 which is in like manner to them ard their chil- 
 dren. Tue pjomise being made to t/iem, is urgx d 
 as a reason why ^/?^j/ should be baptised. Aid 
 the same reason i olds for the baptism of ail to 
 IV hem the promibC belorgs? and consequently 
 -^r the bap i^m of iht^'n, children, for the promise 
 is to them. Be baptised — -Jar (he promise is to 
 you and to your children. The leason assigned 
 for baptism is such as equally takes place with 
 respect to both. If the parents interest in the 
 ])romise is a reason why he should be baptised, 
 his child^ens interest in it, is just as good a rea- 
 son, w'h} they should be bapii:-ed. To suppose 
 ibis promise is a just grouiid for the baptism of 
 hilieiers, but not for the baptism of f/ieir children^ 
 is to make the apostle talk ihus absurdly and in- 
 coherently. The promise is to you, thcrefoie be 
 ve baptised — inid the same promise is equally to 
 vour children, } or ihe} n usi hot bt bijtiscd. 
 
 Well, but our brethren say, ' You and your 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 enikUefi Is nothing more than you and 5^oiir"pos- 
 teriiv',* or ^^our ctiildren when they become adult. 
 Eui a ii'itie attention will convince us, this can- 
 not be the m^anins^. This is contrary to the na- 
 tuval construction of the wordb — The fyromise is — 
 toyoiir cliiUiren ; not shall be to the in, when they 
 become believers. The |>eople, to whom these 
 words were spoken, were Jezvs and Probclylcs^ 
 1^ ho had alwa\ s been used to see infants compre- 
 hended with their parents in covenant transactions, 
 and-theretbre vvou>d naturally suppose, their in- 
 fants to be intended. To suppose that by ijour 
 ch'idrcn, the apostle meant only their adult de^ 
 ^ceridi.nts, is to make him j-peak nonsense ; for 
 tliea he must be under^tood thus, * The prumise 
 is to you and your children, but not as yoiu' ch'iU 
 dien, or as being related to y»u, any more than if 
 they were children of Pagam ; but if ihey should 
 live to adu!i age, shi uld be called by the gospel, 
 and should believe, then the promise ivHt be to 
 them, as it is nnw to y< u.' 
 
 : Now why arechild ea j;>ined with their parents, 
 ?s joiat partakers of tiie same promise, if they de- 
 1 ve no benefit from this relation, but are to srand 
 V:pon precisel} the san)«; f)utin^ with the children 
 of healhe?is mid infidels P Farther; it sIk u ri be 
 remembered, that the great promise c f \he Abra* 
 /jt2v7//t covenant, whicJi probably is here refe^'cd 
 to, and culled by way of eniiiience, the prom se, 
 viz. / ivili be a God to you and your seed ; tiiis 
 pjxMiiise, { say, d)d certainly belong to the nifant 
 Q{ViVj.v^\\ o{ Abraham, and of \\\^ spiritual >.tiQd\ 
 and the seal of this promise was expressiy order* 
 ed to be applied to such But our biethren gene- 
 raiiy say, * The promise heie intended is the pro- 
 ,mise of the spirit, contained in the foregoing words, 
 
( 6S j 
 
 Ye shall receive the gift 0/ the Holy Ghost.'* Be 
 it so. It then it appears that the promise of the 
 Spirit is in flict made, not only to believers, but 
 also to their children ; even to infants ; the rei^son 
 will hold, why they should be baptised. It is 
 expressly promised, Isa. xliv. 3. I zvill pour 
 wi/ "spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon 
 thine offspring; i. e. thii linle ones^ as the fol- 
 lov/ing words shew; and they (thine ofFspsing) 
 sliall SPRING UP as among the grass and as 
 xvillozvs t)y the xvater-com\^es. They shall grow up 
 viiider the influences of my Spirit and ble.'rsaigs of 
 rny covenant, as grass under the kindly smiles of 
 heaven, and as wiilowsby the fertile banksof rivers. 
 There can be no doubt with any one who be- 
 lieves the scriptures, but the divine Spirit often 
 has great influence in fuming the mind into a pre- 
 paration for virtue and usefulness, even in its in- 
 fant state John w^as filled with the Holy Ghost 
 from his m. other's womb. Isaiah was called and 
 formed from the womb. Jeremiah was sanctified 
 from the womb. Samuel grew up before the 
 Lord. I question not but ail, who are born and 
 educated under the gospel covenant, have, even 
 in early childhood, some gentle excitations to vir- 
 tue from the Spjut of gr^sce, as a fruit of this pro^ 
 nii-e to belien'cri and dieir chi dren. Now since 
 the p omise of the Sj)irit docs in lact belong to 
 littler children, baptism, ihe sign of the promise, 
 belongs to them, i^et ihem l)e baptised — for the 
 promise is to them Nit-- here ; their receiving 
 the Sj}irit was not a conditio?!., but a eonseqiiciice 
 of their bapiism. />V baptised, and ye shall re- 
 ceive, Sec. S'^nn-mVlie 6'^./;2.'ir//^//2>' mentioni:*d, 
 Acts 8. the Spirit was poured out.,f r ili^jy were 
 baptised : So that hiidren arc t'^be oaptlscd upon 
 
( 69 5 
 
 thi3 general promise, even before they can, by a 
 holy iilc, give evidence of their having actually 
 received the Spirit. That in the gospel- age» as 
 Aveli as in former dispensations, children should 
 be received into covenant together with, and upon 
 the faith of rheir parents, is plainly foretold, isa. 
 Ixv 22. Tlif^y are the seed of the blessed of 
 the Loj^dy and tlieir offspring zvit/i them. A fid 
 chap. 49. 18. 2^2. " They \iht Gentiles) shall 
 gather themselves together, and come to thee—r^ 
 And they shall bring thy son< in their arm-, and 
 ihy daughters shall he carried on their shou:dtMs. 
 
 6. The accounts we have i}f some whole fami- 
 lies being baptised, upon the faith of their respec- 
 tive heads, afford an argument of considerable 
 weight, that the apostles understood their com- 
 mission as extending to infants, an i practiced ac- 
 cordingly. 
 
 If infants were baptised, it is by no means proba- 
 ble, we should be rnformedofilicir names or ages; 
 ue could expect only to be told in general, that 
 such persons v\ ei'c b..iptised and their families : And 
 so much we are tuld Paul baptised the houshold 
 o\ Stephanas^ 1 Cor. i. 16. Lydiay when the 
 Lord opened her heart to receive the word, was 
 baptised and her lioushold^ Acts xvi. 15. The 
 Jaylor, upon his believing vvas baptised, he and 
 all his, ver. 33. 
 
 Thib Lydia was of the city of TJiyatira ; but 
 she now dwelt at Philippi ; here she had a house, 
 in which she lodged the apostles for some time, 
 and she had a houshold with her. Whether they 
 were children or servants, or both, and what their 
 exact ages were, it is not said, nor is it material. 
 The story represents them as baptised upon her 
 Jaith ; and this is ail that is to the purpose. It wil4 
 
((^ ) 
 
 be sugs^j^ted perhaps, that they might be baptised 
 upon tlifir oxvii taiih. But the story gives no inti- 
 mation of any one's believing, but Lydia, Take 
 the account as Luke has iel't it, and they were bap- 
 tised upon her being judged taithiui to the Lord. 
 
 The story of the Jcujloi^ is to the .same purpose. 
 He enquired of the apostles, wkat must I do to be 
 saved P They say, Believe on (heLordJesnsiJhrist^ 
 and thou shalt be saved and thine house, 1 n the same 
 sense, salvation is said to come to die houseof ^i/c- 
 cheus, because lie vvas a son of Abraham^ i.e. abe- 
 Ji< ver. So sucha-s are added to the chui chare called', 
 -The saved There were doubtless some present 
 oil tiiis occasion besides the Jaylor's family ; and 
 some of his family might be adults ; and .Wicvq- 
 fore it is said, They spake the word to him^ and 
 to all that xvere in his house. It is added, He 
 zoas baptised. He and aii nr^ straitivay, it is 
 not aid. All that \\ ere in his house were baptised ; 
 but he and ail his, i. c. such as were at his dispo- 
 sal — under his government — subject to his com- 
 mand. These were properly his. No mention 
 is made of any one's believing, but the Jaylor 
 himself. But d ) not the next word-^, He rejoic- 
 ed believing in God iv'ith all his house ^ import, 
 that all hib family believed as well as he *? 1 think 
 not. The Gre^^k words egall/asato pa?wiki pepis- 
 teukos to fhco are literally rendered thus, He re- 
 joiced in all his house, having believed God, The 
 idea conveyed is ihib : Aner he had bel eved 
 God, he rejoiced and gave thanks in the presence, 
 and in behalf of his whole family. 
 
 Now as it had been the ancieni universal prac- 
 tice, to receive inflmts with their parents into the 
 church of God, they who should read these ac 
 counts of houshoids baptised, wouid naturally con- 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 dude, that infants (if there were such) xv^re bap- 
 tised as \\ eli as others. If a M issionary sent from 
 this country, where infant haptism is genemlly 
 practised, to gospelize the heathen, should write 
 back an account of his success ; and therein 
 s.hould say, he had baptised so many hundreds, 
 and amongst the rest, such a noted person and 
 his //<5W5"/io/t/— :>uch an one and all his j who 
 would doubt, but there were some children, under 
 the aee of discretion, whom he meant to include? 
 But if an Antipgedobaptist Missionary should pub- 
 lish an account of the housholds he had baptised, 
 he would naturally except infants, to prevent mis- 
 takes. 
 
 ^\7. The right of infants to baptism is farther con- 
 firmed by several particular passages of scripture. 
 
 It may be inferred from tho^e words of the apos- 
 tle, Rom. xi. 16, 17. If the root be holy, so arc 
 iha branches. And ij some of the branches (the 
 Jews) be broken off] and thou (a Gtntilt) being a 
 xvild olive, ivert grafted in among them, and with 
 tliem partakest of the root andjatness of the olive 
 tree, boast not, ^c, 
 
 Tiie olive tj^ee is the church of God, built on 
 the Covenant made with Abraham, Of this tree 
 the Jews were the natural j the Gentiles, the /// . 
 grafted branches. The root and fatness of the 
 tree, are the privileges and blessings of the cove- 
 nant. ^ It was one privilege of the covenant, that 
 children shou d be admitted into the clnirch with 
 their parents and consecrated to God as his chil- 
 dren. Therefore if the Gentiles are grafted into 
 the same stock, from which some of the Jews 
 are bj^oken off, and ivilh them who remain, partake 
 of the root and tafness, they certainly partake of 
 this privilege of having their children t^raftc^d with- 
 
( 72 ) 
 
 them. Accordingly the Geufiles are^ declared tn 
 be fellowJteirs, wiih the Jczvs — to be of the 
 S(7mt bodij — obe joint-partakers o^ ih^ prornise. 
 God proiPiised, that he would be a God to Ahra^ 
 hmn^n^ his seed. And is he a God of the Jews 
 only 1 And not of the Gentiles F Doubtless of the 
 Gentiles also. God appointed a token of this pro- 
 mise to be applied to Abraham'' s infants, and to 
 the infants of liis seed : An I if we stand in the 
 same place as liis natural seed, and are partakers 
 with thein of the same privileges, then the token 
 of the promise is to be applied to our/infants. 
 
 To this passage we may add . that remarkable 
 one, in 1 Cor. vii. 14 Vhc luiheliemng husband 
 is sanctified by the wife, and the unbeUeinng wife 
 is sanctified by the husband ; else were your chiU 
 dr en andean, but now are theu holy. It is piaiii 
 here, that the cluldren of believers- 'dvc, in some 
 sense or otlier, holy^ or sai?its, by virtue of their 
 parents faith. They are distinguished from the 
 children of unbelievers, who are called unclean, 
 in the same munner as christians tue dhtmgmnh- 
 ed from heathens. Now what is this intant-holi- 
 ness, which resuhs from the parents' f lith ? It 
 cannot be legit imacj/i as some pretend; for surely 
 t{]p apostle did not mean to bastardise all children 
 born of heathen parents. It cannot be real, inher- 
 ent holiness ; for in this sense, then are barn, 7iot 
 of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God. It 
 can then be no other, than relative or covenant 
 holiness. The children of believers arc holy, as 
 all the people of Israel were holy, by a special 
 covenant-relation to God. The christian church 
 is called a holif natiou and peculiar people, in the 
 same sense. They are hoiy, as all the first born 
 under the law are holy, by a solemn dedication to 
 
. . '(^73)) 
 
 ^od ill his temple. In aUiision to ihc dedication 
 W tht first, born infants, the christian church is 
 called^ Tne church of first'honi pa-sons. The} are 
 lioly, as being God^s. children, born to him of his 
 own covenant- peopje. Hmv if tltey are in this 
 sense holy, by what rite or ceremony are they de- 
 clared so, but by the washing of baptism? The 
 church is cleansed by tHe ivashing of xvattr. If 
 they arc holy as being Gods children^ and within 
 his covenant, ihty are certainly entitled to the 
 7nar/c of his children and the token of his covenant, 
 which is baptism. 
 
 The manner in which the author of the letters 
 endeavours to evade these passages, shews that he 
 felt himself embarrassed with them. 1 am ' very 
 willing, says he, that children should be as holy 
 ^s the most benevolent person can wish them. I 
 have no inclination to lay a stain upon that inno- 
 cent age. — But here is not a word about their 
 baptism.' The gentleman doubtless knew how 
 we argue from these texts to prove infant baptism. 
 Why has he not shewn, that they must, or maj/ 
 betaken in some other jcnse? Why has he not 
 told us, how the branches are holy by the holiness 
 of the root : how children arc holy by their pa- 
 rents faith, in some other sense than as being in- 
 titled to the privileges and seal of the covenant ? 
 How the Gentiles can be partakers of the .same 
 ^promise, and of the same root and fatness with 
 ' Abraham^ s natural seed, and yet not be ad- 
 mitted to the same privileges ? The truth is, the 
 argument from these texts is unanswerable,'* 
 
 * To evade the argument from this passage* some have 
 
 saiH * The s^^mc holiness, which is ascribed lo the childreno^ 
 
 ■ the helsever is also ascrihed to'the U7. believing partner^ Avi'.o 
 
 is said to b^santijicd as well as the offspring said to be holy. 
 
 G 
 
{{^:) 
 
 • Ag:\k>;> -TJicapostleg in the.4tlT disp. t6 GaL 
 tells us j th^Vlsadc wixk bornaffcr the Sm'rlt,'.m^ 
 born bi) prcmhc.-. 'By this he iilustra^es thetgospel 
 covenajiit'.; and savsy ^'^^s Isaac was^ so are we the 
 children e^ (rk^l^pr'omds'ffl i..e. ^we Ure' born chi!^ 
 ciren of the promisr^ai being born of covenanted 
 
 Why then is not the uhl)eJFevint>^ fiiisfeafid. or v/ife. a nitm- 
 ber of: the dniich by vhtue of the' faith of the corrV^late, a§ 
 Y/e]l:as Ijlie chiJdiftn. by virtire of the faith f>f this parent?? • 
 In answer to this 1 would observ.e ; ififynts^xjnder the-OM 
 TestnmenS, Had ever been received as memhep of God'^s^ 
 rluirch. But when the Jews, in the time cfEzrA, hai!l,;cori- 
 nary to an express law married strange wives,- by* ^h<yi^ 
 children were born to thenfl| ^ Avds^imered tha!tj:these. .chil- 
 dren, wiih ihclr heathen par^.Uts. should be put away, s^% 
 .unclean ; and tbt m^n, wjio refused to pii,taway their stran^i2 
 \vivos.weretheraselves tt^b'e ^epi'ar.ttcd from the congreg-ation. 
 In the Corinthian church a doUbt liad arisen, vihether'a 
 " ,] 'chever might jGontinue with^an unbrKreving correlate. T.ht& 
 question the a]:QiiiIe answers in ih^ afBrniative. l^or though 
 he advises chrisihus to marry on'ly in ihsvi^ordvyet a^rnar- 
 ' jinge. contrj^.cl-Vcl^Wfic^ Wt'h tlte parties v/erc unhelievers^, is 
 l^ot < lissol ve^l by xSifcl fe!iU)J^ccf u'e»t faith- df one of th'em'. ' ButiC 
 jiii>];ivt rati her be «nf|uiredi whether children bornof |>aveni|, 
 «>i v.'i)on^grie s\jas,^..heatliei)i ought not tOr|38,^xciu<9eiiffr6iii 
 l,!->,'.; chvirrh .w'it'li the unclean or heathen .parent, as had been 
 determined in^He'timfcof Ezra? To this the apostle ans\vci;s 
 ivii the ne'^ativ*. If d brother ' have a iviJTe \vho belietieth not^ 
 117] d •'she be fiJflsfii r& (Szvell with .hivfiy le-: him n'Qt fiuP her htt*ap, 
 iA\ d so gl t|\e itv,l|^>wKo.hfitl) an un^ciieyiiR^ h.u^baj)dv^^jPdr 
 ihc itribiUrvih^- hu^handis^ «r . h'ath be^n ^jictij'ie^ b.y 4 he wfet ; 
 ■ o r r > t h e r , 'j>d?icc{j^cjd ', «>2^'or id. ' the -jvi/t' j^^and' t/ie , un.beli^vzng 
 ' nvifi^haih bhh iikncf^Jiedm- h^ to rh'e livMraM The luibeiiev- 
 2!u; iiSfjucUiaed in-jrespedt 6f,iihd i'n- telAUofi'^<firtUef t]fe}i^vii^ 
 pjity, sd4h*t ihc latter has^ a: iawf^l use and 'enj'o^-fnentxjf 
 ihe lormer j' for/as the ..aposile.,say3 elsewhere,.: 'o ^/^<' /2?^rg 
 c^l tlsh:ii'i are jikre s ^dhxl every pteajure of God icSgood.for 
 ft i.i.sci^icnJiM^tjy k^hf^rhhT^'dofG^jdandjhmyer.-^Etse were.-gour 
 chUdrrn unclean, if the^unbe.heving partner -were not •?san- 
 tiAeVl to'lhe vi^V'6? live 'b'e^iever. both; the parents must.bqx^- 
 k'Cted uom tb'e c'hurch, the /former as a 'heathen :and.u;;i- 
 " Vlcari/the lawer^is crinTina'nJy.Jivuie in cohabitation v\^y:h:a 
 4K'^t!idi^,^^'^i*^''t{>eH\ht6''ot*i.:iia, tTio*se "^ho refuseu'to put 
 
p%?e^U. . Accor{lin£>4}^ tliooApo^tle'to tile 7f<f- 
 dre .)s,spe-aks of the privileafes of the coven an r , as 
 be«no^ the hirih-ri^hf of chrisf.an^i, and cant ions 
 thv-Jii, th^t they do riot profanely sell f//ar bnlh- 
 
 «■'■<'' 'J r-"^ •'•■■■''■■' . 
 
 afvay tl^e&tf^pgc wives, "whorrj^lhey bad llD]o^v^l■!!y tal.en, 
 w^Ve to"*be separated" from die congv-rgation.' Coiiscv^uer.iiy 
 ^h^-chilfFpen would be undean. trccaUse both' ilie purenls 
 ■^qulii.ipb ao«: But since vUc unbeliever is sanctified in re- 
 lation to the^.bcji.cvery the^cHi}d'ren)are /^o/j/, and so to be ac- 
 counied TTftesniNei;? of tbe church. .;, 
 
 'The* nnf5et]ev.eV is liere said to be sanctified,^ not in relation 
 to God but^only in relation to his. or h(^r yoke*fcIib\V'. Bui 
 ibc. childre.n:arvi.suid. to be /w///. in'to^pos'if.lon tothe nr^clcVTiy 
 Di: tOf4^t+Mi^w. .;>yj person's beirtg" sane li lied in a particular 
 re^peptyOir for a certain purpose,^ as the lu^^^ijijiever is iiere 
 ^crh!'t6b6 snnclin*^d only in velation, to tlic fiMsbdndn or ib.o 
 i^ifeit does not denominate h\\r\'ii' froly onr^^ \viuc\i is, iri scrip- 
 lure, the appropriate litkeof those wlio beionp; to the church. 
 'Jl'herefore though chikh'en are members of ihe cbuicii, wa 
 cTescended froin, anfjrwnder the ciu e and government of a 
 peiieving parent, yel*a lieatheh becomes'hot a rnem!)er cfe' 
 the cikuVbh-W M^rHlg*^ with 4 belieVer.^' The wordb ofVi/c 
 appA^ei. .Q*n^cna>'it|.'ido*SU{lh ideaLt* Foif'he ctiUa: ch-i?<4reu 
 holy 11^ opposition to the unclean; but he ^expreasiy depjies 
 and liu|its the sense .in- whigh.t_I]e unl>elitver i^iS,r.nctine<». 
 frvs merely in respect of, and in relation to Wc believir.g 
 correlate. ' . . . • 
 
 The^ense.whiab'we have'giyeh of the phrase, eancti/cd 
 ^l/i ov^ fo^L/^e.£t>ifeyis apf^iv>v.e<a by fiitical expositors, paiii- 
 cuhvly^ by 'tVhif. by i who says, it is the^sen^a given by tlv; 
 
 Greek interfireters ; and it iscertatnly a^rcs^able to il '-• 
 j5l^wide[fn the originu}.'^" ^rhe apostle cannot intend, that Xh'c 
 unbelieH^i^fiji convcrted'to thefaiih by the beHever ; for thU 
 ;5a!ictif|catioTi isspmething* wliich Was. v-l ready taken place, 
 \vh'.lc the subjec' was an unbeliever. Ttie conversion of the 
 iinbeliever by the influen'ce of the bel1ev?ng correlate, (l^e 
 apostle afterward mentions, as an addi^jon^^I reasdn For co- 
 habitation ; but he speaks of it as a change which h'jficfijMy 
 mniyi 0*01 as Whit already has^ or ce> tairdy-^ fjJll take j)! Jce. 
 
 IV/im kno%'Jmt thou, O w/f, sD/iecAcn ihoii &hdUaave thy hus^ 
 
 band P And hoy) kno'ive&t thou^ O man, %i>helliej- ihouihail- m^e 
 
 thy %vi/c ? 
 
Anr! it rs -^Vorthy to be noled^ that the same 
 titles, by wliicli christians are distinguished ironi^ 
 hcatht^ns are expressly applied to the children o^ 
 converted parents. Are christians called sainfsP 
 So are their chi]<h'en.* Are they called disciples P 
 So are their chiMren.f Do they belong to God's 
 •kingdoro ? So do their childreii.J Are' they ca]-^ 
 \<)d believers ? So christian fapiilies which wcf^ 
 :^r.}>porte(l l>y a conimon stock, in which irifants' 
 neie inchsded, are Q^\\t& the muUitude of them 
 that bt:licve.% And Christ speaks of those little 
 ones which believG in hi7n.\\ Are christians called 
 ihe children ofGod?: . So are the infants of pro-* 
 fessors.^[ They that belong to the church ard 
 railed ike saved; so salvation comes to the hous^ 
 of the believer.'! 4- Who, that considers, howithese 
 titles are promiscuously given to ^^^i// christion* 
 and ^';e/r children, can doubt, but that children 
 are brought into covenant v*^ith their parents ia 
 the gospel-time, , as they used^tp.be, befoj-e, and 
 consequently are subjects of baptism, the only 
 initiating seal ? ^*'* 
 
 8. I shall add to the preceding arguments, one 
 more taken from I Cor. 10. 2. The Apostle 
 here, speaking of the Jeza who came out of 
 Egypt, says. They were all baptised unto Afoses 
 hi I he cloud and in the sea, w,- 
 
 That this passage alludes to christian baptism, 
 our brethren, particularly the author of -the let- 
 ters, allow. The Apostle plainly confiders their 
 bajjtism into Moses as typical oiour baptism into 
 Christ', for he adds. They did all drink of the- 
 
 * 1 Cor. 7. 14. tAct. 15. 10. \ Mark 10. 14. 
 
 § Act. 4. 32. . \\ Mat. 18. 6. 1 Ezek. IS, 2K. 
 
1^7 ) 
 
 Ba?}i€ spirifual drink ; for theij drank of the rock, 
 which folloxved them, and that, rock h Christ, or a 
 type of Christ. All these things happened to than 
 .for examples, or types, and are written for our 
 admonition The Jewish writers say, ' The people 
 were baptised in the desart, and admitted into 
 covenant with God before the law was given/ 
 Now if the Apostle has any respect to christian 
 baptism, as it is plain he has, here is an undenia- 
 ble proof of the right of mfants to baptism. For 
 he says, Theij all, the xvhole congregation, of 
 which infants then in their parents arms were a 
 great part, they^ all were baptised into Moses. All 
 were under the cloud. AW passed through the sea, 
 •,&c, H'.:' repeats the nni versa! term all because it 
 ■is emphatical here. Now if this baptism into 
 Moses was a type and written ior bur admoni- 
 tion, it typically admonishes as, that we alt shonid 
 be baptised into Ch^ist5 not believers only , but 
 their c/n7^7v;i also; 
 
 As the whole congregation were ba{)tised and 
 admitted into covenant at the sea, v» hen Moses 
 'took the command of them^ so this covenant was 
 again renewed with a//, both men, women and 
 iittle o?ieSy just before h*^ left them. Dent. ^^9'. 
 10, Ve stand, all of you be/ore the Lord your 
 God, your EMers, your little ones, your wives, 
 that thou shoukUt enter into covenant ivith tJii^ 
 Lord, that he may establish thee for a people un- 
 to himself, and may be unto thee a God, as he 
 hath sworn to thy Father, to Abraham, &c» I'his 
 x:ovenai«it with Abraham, which is so expressh^ 
 j-enewed with iittle r-r^^s, is defended to as anrj 
 sour children. 
 
T shall now brie% reeapitoIat<^ rhe ^rguiTienU 
 that have been oiFered, .and present them in one- 
 view. ■ .. , '..',-'•... 
 
 The covenant, wjiich Gml rnatj^ mthJh7''al>am 
 and his^jS^edy expressly induded infants ; and 
 the sea It, hereof .vvas, by God's command, apphed 
 'lp J/ie7n,. W(^y believing G-tmtiks, are the seed /or 
 w'rho.ji)v;4he coven^^tr ■w^tk:,Ji)7'aJfa/n was made^ 
 and ther.efore c?/r infants a]s Will I as /a>, areeatitled 
 to the privileges of the. covenant, and subjects of 
 tiie.SGtd of it, by yirtne oj' tlte-.origjiml grant to 
 Abraham^ in r*s, niiiGii as that /grant jms never 
 jbeen recaHed. T^M^^ covenant ^^ as rerie\t ed at the 
 red sea—2iVi{[ agaiuvin the plains of ,M,oah^.'Si\\6. 
 still 4«fants are ejXpreshiy jncludrd;r~-A!l ^ along 
 ;un«e^r t he Old l^estainent, chiWren are compre- 
 hended ; with parents in all covenant-transactions 
 jbetvveen God and his people, and th'etoketi oithe 
 covenaift^is.still ^fjpli^i to tb'ejD. The Proplicts 
 often foretell, thai the case vAOuid be the same ia 
 |E,he gospel time;: that jChfisjt -should gather, the 
 Idintis with hji? -^r«is — 4;liar God ,wouldi potir hri 
 Spirit upquihe .off^p'- m^-oi h^sipeople, vnjho siTOtild' 
 |bj^ .the seed of thp.blcissed pf.the Loiti, and their 
 q0r>V4^igncitl^tIifm: ln%h^ Jeui-^hchu^'ch, itv\-a)8 
 ,a custom,, kng before our>Sayii)ui:'s .appea? anc^, 
 t.o .vQCi^-iVQ ■genUits proselytes- wuhjU^in-iCluUtrf t^^ 
 '^^ l^ifptjS4:a.,as-weU as Gircuq[u**ib'*oij. - Qirrst also 
 lij,tn^^U\took mfant^s. intQ bis, arms -and blessed 
 .t|ie4i^,'>am:l; directed that they shbuld t^ brought 
 .t:q h;m, ^bcieause c^[ such was his ktugdoni, that 
 kingdom, into which persoifts v/ere^to be:afl'mit>» 
 ted bjV being ;born of v^at.e/.' Me ordrred his Apos^- 
 ties to receive them in lii» name, aud treat^thcm 
 as h.s disciplesr When he gave the baptismal 
 
( '9 ) 
 
 t'ommiss'on, lie ex]}re>S'r(l it in such universal 
 terms lis nwwA naiuially iDilude infiiDt-' : And the 
 Apostles, knowing vvhat had betn ihe cons; ant 
 usa f^e concern ingit"ifi\nt>, dfid hu'ct Ciirist had ever 
 treated them, tnust understah<] iiie eomniissiou as 
 extending to sucU AceorUin^iy, ^oon alrer, wh^n. 
 thev invited the convicted /t^zr^ ^o bapnsin, tlie^r 
 placed their riglit to it u^on the footr^'arprorpise 
 Vihich equally belonged to Iheiii and. thefr, chil- 
 dren.' Wii&iY'tlie\r^ba}j>tjse'd the jiead ofanyi fl'mi- 
 ily in liis own. house, they baptised. Jns f^uiily; with 
 hitH; ' THK' 'cbristshtU tauglit^'ttatV^ 
 with Abraliam, of Avhicli circumcisTm^ the 
 
 -ie^aL' is tlie saitie Vi^hic'Fi \ie iile now under, an(i 
 ttiat t!ie'b!esV;hVgsot it are come u^ bii us G entiles 
 *— tiiat the Gentiles are grafted into the tiame 
 At<'ck,' from ^vilrich the /t'tt'y \ver^ ' br9ken off— 
 tljat chijdren are holy byf VJHue of t he iV jii,! rents 
 faith— timt baptism i.^ f he ^iirtsf ian icircunicijpion. 
 
 ill 
 
 li 
 
 'of- t^ie Ahra h dm it CiH*e vi'kwY, Was a g re a t^ p r i v dege ^ 
 hnt the goHpel-cli.-ipleil^cUioh coiiters greater,--— rr? 
 Thet^ dlustr^fe tire gpspc^l-cdvenant. hy an'cj.ent*^e^7 
 amtjlc^ of cBVenaiU-traiYsaC't»ons^ in w liich inlayts 
 were included; by K\\h ctLke'oV IsujdCy^\\\io y^^s 
 i)orn after tife nrciiyi/^e, by Spcih'^i ant, lu'wiiich 
 Ills Wliblc'fatniry wt^i'fe skved i^n'c6risc(|iiencc (>|" /i/f 
 fdit h',"tlie I ikeYi^u re \vhereimtb t^vei i I )arjf isu) now 
 saves US; ^arid by the biiptism of tfc. -^^^^ 
 fere^^rt^rf^'iiiffihtsaffld yi, at tSie Red'«ea/uliicii 
 \\'as a t vpeVaad ^\^ritten foi* ; ur a<j!r>oni! hjh'.' \\ [jeq 
 "\%'e Consider these- things, vve.triiiik' the evidence 
 
i ^0 ) 
 
 fc^bumlantly clear, that the iufaats of beiievers are 
 Entitled to baptism. 
 
 DISCOURSE IV. 
 
 H 
 
 AVING laid before you the arguments by 
 wfiiuh the right of infants to baptism is vindicated, 
 1 shrdl now, as I proposed, 
 
 III. Shew you the rational ends and moral 
 uses of infant baptism. 
 
 li baptism be a divine institution for the infants 
 of believers, it ought to be applied to them, whe- 
 ther we can see the uses of it or not:. But stijj 
 it may give us some satisfaction to understand 
 what good ends it can answer. /^ 
 
 ¥/e are often asked, 'What good can baptism 
 do to infants^* It miiiht suffice to reply. As 
 much good as circumcision could do them for- 
 iiierl} ; or as much as the public presentation of 
 first-born infants to God could do thtm. The 
 iApostle says. The protit of cirawicision, (which 
 Was usually adan in Mered to infants) was much 
 every way. The profit of injant baptism may 
 be as much. — Particularly, • 
 
 1 . It IS evident, that God treats infants as sin- 
 ners for Jda?n\s transgression. In consequence 
 of /iis apostacy, they suffer a sad variety of 
 pams and diseases, which often issue in early 
 'death. And from that 'bi^3 and inclination to 
 fevi), which they soon discover, there is reason, to 
 suppose they are infected with. some mopl disf 
 brder, which needs to be removed in order to 
 
their enlranee 4nto the world of glory. By one- 
 man, says the Apostle, sin entered inio thezvorld, 
 €71 d death by sin, ci7ui so death passes upon all 
 men ^ for that all have sinned. — -By one mans 
 •ffciice^ judgment came ifpon all to condemnation, 
 —In Adam all die, — By his offence many are 
 made sinners In this lariguage, he speaks in the 
 6th chap, to the Romans^ 
 
 . Now the gospel assures us, that Christ has ob- 
 tained redemption iVotn the condemnation of sin, 
 and that in this redemption, all who believe, are 
 unfaihngly interested. But we see, that a very 
 great part of the human race are cut ofF in infan- 
 cy, while they are incapable of actual faith. What 
 becomes oUhemP Is any prorision ma<le for their 
 r^alvation? Or must they perish and be lo*t for 
 ever ? This is a natural enquiry. Now to com- 
 fort our minds concerning such, God has seen fit 
 to assure uSj that they may become partakers of 
 redemption by Christ, and be made heirs of the 
 kingdom above, notwithstanding their incapacrty 
 for an actnal comphance with tiiose terms which 
 ^re proposed to the adult. And to confirm our 
 faith and hope in his promise, he has appointed, 
 that they shall be received with their beiieving 
 parents into his visible kingdom, the church, and 
 have the seal of his covenant affixed to them. 
 
 The great promise of the covenant is, that God 
 will be a God to believers and their seed, Hi is 
 promise is often explained in scripture to import 
 ihe happiness of the life to come. And God's ap- 
 pointing the seal of his promise to be applied lo 
 our infant seed, is a most comfortable gronnd of 
 our faith and hope, that if they should be removed 
 by an early death, they will be traasplant'dd intc; 
 
tJjAf ,l!Kippj. claGni5*. vfhere- trlifey >vill spring. «p> if* 
 everlWuB^i^','. life.* 
 
 V V 
 
 The children '"of believing paren-ts, may be said to bft 
 
 horn^'^^cGvcnanf^-dn tirey arc'borrl "I'lnd^r that promise of the 
 
 C«venaDt3,;\ fvxviU- bf. a- Xrod uiito-i^hH and rhy seed. ' A'QCor- 
 
 Ui'v-i^-lri^Oed cuUstH^)T> ifiss'chiTjdi^^H, fccvrii^lb i*\fr, .il'-oHhoser 
 
 V'-hQ cije in|j|:iftv',icy thi.a^pi^lfC J Tpfjy;beju)y^r^i;!^t(>94 %^.W^^ 
 
 prbrtinf^" a" 'fesuin-'ection tc? eteinal life. As th^. AposUe ar.i^-ue* 
 
 concerning tlie patriurchs, (Hob. IV.) so we m-n""' reason 
 
 concerninj^ thfc^s« ; ^sinkjc .trhey"en»oy TK)-distii%uT3hinf^ fifvciir 
 
 in tliisworid, there/ must be so.me go.od !itescrYc:i?fbr them 
 
 in another else the pcomisei^iils. Th.fr(J^.>';t G^ ^s^f[of: 
 
 ks-hamrd to bc'calh'd 1 ti'eiV'Ciyd,* ./or hf kath jin<'pa*--efl )J'or 
 
 f^itm a -fik/ To those who arrive* tb''m"oYa!ageiicy, the pro- 
 
 xaifie niviy ijlipoJt,' not oiilyiihe-'eivJriyKV^ht? m tlie xix'ternal 
 
 ir>;:an^ of <iJeiii^i^p, but ■the atitendapt inttntenoes <jf the. divyne 
 
 spiritj The^ Apostle tejis ns^.thut iviiiqng.the many advan-f 
 
 tai^es of circumcision,, this is 01^9 of the ch^of, i/iaf to th>cn\ 
 
 ard roMmit'l^d thf? w'aci('9 0^.^'idy CRoi-rt. 3>r.) And God 
 
 exp>re£siy promises to Ji'iSOb lais setvant, a>'id to Israel vvlioni 
 
 he haSvPhoben, / will pour my ^fhirii' on t-hy seed-, aJiuytntj 
 
 jhlsBsing on thine offsifiring^ and they eball tfiring ^iiji c« a77^p'AS 
 
 (fie _if'yfs8,'-(iTid as^wilto'ivs'by the xbatrrcQurscs {\s,k\ 44, o.j 
 
 'Xheh' i-7-it crest in tins- pronns^ras the clilldr'en of Gdcf'sifer- 
 
 v:'Uts is one .grrouiKl-^ofj their adniissibn to baptiklii, the tolieii 
 
 af God's f.dthfuincss, i*tvd of their kobiigcitioh to s^fM^hig^i'. 
 
 But then it is by baptism, that ther i^re declared to. be witjiiii 
 
 the church, and entitled to the vif<ibl^ privileges of it. Pers.ons 
 
 jnay be virtually in covenant by thir own or their parfntt 
 
 fciith ; but they are not rmv/t/ and fir'^jfss^dly in covenant, 
 
 or in the .chUrch, till they haiv^e p^ss^d y^ncipr the appoiiite^ 
 
 ceremony.. When wc speak of* persons -b^inj^ admltitijiliuto 
 
 the church of baptism, we rnedn'hot;,' tTiat 'this conveys.tiie 
 
 right of adoiiasioii ; for it presupposes tVie ^right^ Wnxl^the 
 
 qualification or reladof', in whicii tlie! right, by dlvine> iwsli- 
 
 tUtion IS tonnded: but that it declares tiiejr^giit, 
 introduces to -visiblr privilcp;cs.' God says, 'The uncnxuin- 
 cised m;m-child shall be cut off from among his people, he 
 hath broken my covenant.' He was preYiovsly-in cove'nint, 
 else .he could not be said tQ bie^^i. it by his uj,>rirGumdiiicm- 
 So also thd unbaptis^ed person is to bc^cut ptr,|ar-;e^cludc4 
 from the privileges of the chrisaah church.' 
 
Oodvlft Said to have (?sta]>rish^(i'M<^ C'orenant 
 with ihecattleand the fowls, when he engaged no 
 mpfeio'idiown the earth, with a iiood ; and as a 
 token, of this covenaat, he apponited hi^ bow in 
 tiie cloud. And srireiy he m'a}, in as just and 
 jational a senst?, ;^\stablish the covenant of grace 
 with iiifantJj, ^nga:grng: to pour his spirit? aVjd b'es- 
 .4ing Uj.i0.u them; siad appointing the s^;iT of this 
 C«wenjant:tavtre lifiixed to them, in token of his 
 ifaithfulness to fulfil his gracious promise. 
 'jo^-^. .The parent, by dedscating his children to 
 Xi<^\ in baptism, solemnly binds himself to give 
 ;;4tieHi a r^hgioirs arid christian - education, aiad tb 
 ^use his influence, that tfiey shall keefi the way of 
 .the Lord, and not put th(?tti8elves but of that co- 
 .venant, into which they have been thus vjsibly 
 , introduced. Now if it if any } rivilege for chil- 
 dren to have a Teligious education, it is a privi- 
 U\ge that such an education should be secftrrd to 
 • thecn-; anti consequently a pnvdege rh^V the pa- 
 rent, by this public transaction, shuiild covenant 
 ■ and ni^figc^ to bring them up lu theWrtiire and 
 admonition of the Lord. 
 
 It mjay be asked, perhaps^ Ho^v a parent can 
 t^povefi^iH for hiS children f Bnt the answer is ob- 
 ^^^ioijs, • He ran >:avci>ant 'for lihnsc^lf to discHarg:e 
 such and «uch (tuties to them, a^id can io%aihV(l 
 .-i^her'o to God, itr hope of the d'ivme bles:*invr uppn 
 '■■)^\^\ pji0as:iera:deavours luUlhvs^ s?^ris^'hiHy ev^ry 
 religions parent, as Joshua did, covenant- for his 
 ifho;Uc>^, ds'J^^r mcundmi/ ffetu^srive will serve ike 
 
 r 3* As, the parent, .iVho dedicate.^ his ohil<)re6, 
 .^.${iouhr consider hiinielf mHmd, by his ow'n.art, tro 
 
 educate tlieui dei.igi.oiisl} ; so. chfidren.thus dedi- 
 
( «4 ) 
 
 4?ated, when they come to the age of Felfccf »ob., 
 should realize, that, having hern given to Go(?, 
 they are not Ihei?^ owji, but his ; and are bound to 
 live, not to ihcmsdveSy but to him whose tlicr 
 are; and that a wicked, irreligious life is a prac- 
 tical renunciation of their baptism, and disa- 
 vowal of their relation to the God of their Fathers, 
 If the Jexoish parent, by circumcising his chil- 
 «lren, bound them to own and serre the God cii 
 Israel. — If the vow of ASampson^s parents bound 
 ,kim to be a Nazarite for ever — If Hanuah's vow 
 .t)ound Samuel to attend upon God in the sane- 
 ^tuary ; as well may the act of the chrisfia^i parents 
 iia bringing his children to baptism, bind them 
 to serve the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. The religious parent may urge hps chil- 
 dren to a godly life by this argument, that he has 
 given them to God. Thus the mother of king 
 /.^f 7??;/^/ expostulates with him.* TV hat my scni f 
 And xchat the son of my womb f And whaf fhc 
 .'Son of my vows? And this argument will have 
 weight with children of an ingenius temper. Thus 
 the Psalmist reasons with himself,f / will walk 
 before the Lord, I will call on his name, I will 
 pay my voxvs in the presence of his people. O 
 i ordy truly J am thy servant, I am thy servant ^ 
 
 the son of thy handmaid. 1 pass on, 
 
 IV. To consider the practice of the christian 
 church with resj ect to infants nnmediately after 
 the Apostolic age. 
 
 The author of the letters says, ' It is of small 
 importance to christians to knov. what the many 
 writers upon this subject^ since the time of the 
 Evangelistb and Apostles, have affirmed/ Biit 
 
 * Proy. 2 5.2. tPsal. n. 6. 
 
'( «5 ) 
 
 yet to know \vi);it they Iiave affirmed concerning- 
 the mode oi baptism, he thinks to be of no small 
 importance. 
 
 Ke asserts, noon their authority, that the church 
 for l.JOO years practised />72/7z^r5'/y/; ; though indeed 
 he allows that, sjirinkHng v/as practised too in ex- 
 traordinary cases Upon the same authority it 
 may be asserted that the 'liurch, k.v many hun- 
 dreds of years, practised infant baptism ; and not 
 ^single f>ersonj much less a church, can be produ- 
 ced which denied the Lm- fulness of it. And the 
 practice of the church is as good an evidence in 
 favour of i>//''7;;/ l)(iptisvi, 7is\\. \\^ouId have been in 
 favour o{ immersiun in ease that, alone ^ had been 
 practised. — This gentleman himself (perhaps in- 
 advertently) allows the early, constant universal 
 practice of admittmg infants to baptism. For 
 he adopts this passa,2;e from Dr. IVall, * /i// chris- 
 tians in the world who never owned thePope^s aa- 
 thority, do now, and ever did, dip their infants in 
 the ordinary use.' (Not universally, but ordi- 
 narilj) dip them.) It" they dipt infants, they bap- 
 tised\\\^xx\. This practice is of much more weight 
 to prove infanfs are the subjects than to prove 
 dipping is the /7Z£?^/r of baptism; because dipping- 
 was but the ordinanuse, whereas infant baptism, 
 for ought that appears, was the nrdversrd practicc 
 of the ancierjt church, except mc^s^sof prcsclytisvi , 
 We do not pretend to rest the proof of infants 
 right to baptism upon the practice of the church, 
 but upon th? authority of scripture' However ii^ 
 it apiif ars, that the church, soon after the Apostles, 
 did admit them, and there is no account of any 
 church that rejected them, or any person who de- 
 nied the lawfulness of the practice, or pretended, 
 
 u 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 that \t\v as aninjiovaiwrit this will be an argument 
 ofconsiderable weighty that it was derived from the 
 Apostles: For the early christians, they who liv- 
 ed in the ages next after the Apostles, must have 
 known what tl/elr practice was in such a matter 
 :is this, which wasof a most public nature, and con- 
 cerned the very being of the church. AVhatthe 
 nsage of the church was, in the earliest times after 
 the Apostles, we can learn only from the ancient 
 writers, who are here produced, not as cxcnnples, 
 but only as historians, or witnesses to a plain 
 matter of fact. 
 
 Justin Martyr^ who wrote about forty years 
 after the apostolic age, says, 'We have not re- 
 ceived the carnal, but the spiritual circumcision 
 by baptism — And it is enjoined to all persons to 
 to receive it in the same way/ Here he plainly 
 considers baptiim as succeeding in the place 
 of circnmcision, and consequently as being de- 
 sij^Aed for infants as tliat was: which opinion lie 
 could not easily have fallen into, if the Apostles 
 had universally, both in doctrine and practice re- 
 jected infants. In one of his apologies for the 
 christians, he says, 'Several persons among us, 
 of sixty and seventy years old, who xrere made 
 disciples (v Christ from (heir childhood, do con- 
 tinue urscorrupt.' Aladc disciples^ He uses the 
 same word wliioh is used in the commission; 
 Disciple all nations baptising them. U^ they 
 were made disciples, they vvere doubtless baptised. 
 
 Irenreus, wiio wrote about s-ixty-seven years 
 after the Apostles, and was born it ts'sair-, before 
 the death of St. Joh?!, nnd was acquainted with 
 Fclycarp, who was Johns disciple, 5^ays concern- 
 h.i^- Christ, ' He came to save all persons who by 
 
C87 ] 
 
 him are regenerated (i, e. baptised) unto God, 
 infcints, little ones, youths and elderly persons/ 
 Tliat Irenmus used tiie word regenerated to sig- 
 nify baptised^ is plain from his own words, \vlit?ie 
 he says, * When Christ gave his disciples the 
 command oi regenerating unto God, he said, Gq 
 and teach all nations, baptising them, &c.' 
 
 TertuHiaji, who flourished about 100 years af- 
 ter the Apostles, gives a plain testimony, that the 
 churcii admitted infants to baptism in his time* 
 It is true he advises to delay their baptism ; not 
 because it was ?/;;/(7rr////, for he allows it in c.ises of 
 necessity? not merely upon the foot of their in/an 
 Cj/, for he advises also, that unmarried \)ersons be 
 kept from this ordinance^ until they either mar- 
 ry or are confirmed in continence ; but because 
 the Sponsors were often brought into a snare ; 
 and because, he imagined, sins committed after 
 baptism were next to unpardonable. But his 
 advising to delay it, supposes it, to have been 
 the practice; for otherwise there would have been 
 no room for the advice. He does not speak of it 
 as an innovation, which certainly he would have 
 done, had it begun to be practised in his time. 
 Mis words rather imply the contrary. His speak- 
 ing of Sponsors, who et%gaged for the education 
 of tlie infants that were baptised, shews that 
 there had been such a custom. And his asking, 
 Why that innocent age made such haste to bap- 
 tism, supposes that infants had usually been bap- 
 tised, soon afier their birth. So that he fully 
 enough witnesses to the fact^ that it had been 
 the practice of the church to baptise infi.a)ts. And 
 his advice, to delay their b^-plism till they were 
 grown up and married, was one of tlioseodd and 
 
(■88 ) 
 
 . .ai,iaar no'-ons, for whicli this father was very 
 reaiarkable. 
 
 Orige?i, who was contemporary with Tei'ltdU- 
 .•/;, csprcssly declares infant baptism to have been 
 ine constant usage of the church from the Apos- 
 •fes. Vie says, * The baptism of the chnrcli is 
 ';iven lov the fon^nveness ofsins : But. wjjy are in- 
 iaiits, bjj the nsjg^c of (he church, Ijaptised, if 
 I here h- nothing in them4hat needs forgiveness ?' 
 
 Fartlier he says, 'Infants are l^aptised for the 
 remission of sins ; for none is free irom pollution, 
 * Ijongii his hfe b'- init the lengtii of one day upon 
 i'arth. And it is for that reason, l)ecause by 
 ';>aptisai the pollution of onr birth is taken away, 
 liiat i?ifiinfs are baptised,' 
 
 Again he observes^, « T[}e cluirch had from the 
 \postIes an order to give baptism to infants; for 
 ihey, to whom the divine mysteries were com- 
 initted, knew that there was in all persons the 
 natural pollution of sin, which must be done 
 away by water and the Spirit/ 
 
 Kow as Origen, in these passages, argues from 
 infant baptism to prove original sm, we may 
 <^oneliide, it was an uncontroverted usage of tlie 
 rhurch; for -otherwise he could not, with propri- 
 et}', have used it as an argument to establish 
 another point, 
 
 Cyprian^ who wrote about 150 years after the 
 Apostles, gives a fuller testimony to this fact. \n 
 this time a question was started by one Fidiis, 
 (not whether infants might be baptised, but) 
 whether baptism ought not to be gi^^en them on 
 the cightii day, according to the law of circum- 
 cision ? This qnestion was proposed to a council 
 of sixty-six Bishops convened at Carlhagey who 
 
( 89 ) 
 
 unjiiiimoiisly resolved, that the baptism of infants 
 out not to be deferred to the eighth day, but 
 mii^dit be given to them at any time before. And 
 a large Jet ten to this purpose, containing the 
 reasons of the resolve, was written and designed 
 by Cyprian^ in the name of the council. 
 
 Now in this assembly of ministers, doubtless 
 there were some sixty or seventy years old, who 
 could remember within less than TOO years of the 
 Apostles. And therefore, if infant-baptism had 
 been a usage lately introduced, some or all of 
 them must have known it. — And if so, it is very 
 strannre that not one of them intimated anv scru- 
 
 O 4. 
 
 pie aboul; it. Whether infants should be baptised, 
 seems not to have been at all a question, but only 
 whether their baptism needed to be deferred to 
 the eighth day, whirh, without hesitancy, ^was 
 determined in the negative. 
 
 A little more than 100 vears after \h\s tini', 
 Gregory Nazian:zen taught, ' that infar.ts shouM 
 be baptised to consecrate them to Christ in theii 
 infancy/ Ambrose, 'that the baptism of infuiit- 
 had been the practice of the Apostles and of thf 
 church till that time/ Crysostcm, ' \h:A\. baptis};^ 
 had no determinate time, as circumcision had, 
 but one in the beginning of life, or one in the 
 middle of it, or one in old age miglU receive it.' 
 
 But not to multiply citations; I shull add but 
 one more, Austin, about 500 years after the 
 Apostles, had a controversy with Pf/^'i^'itv/; about 
 original sin; and to prove it, he frequently urge^ 
 infant baptism, demaneing ^Why infants are bap» 
 tised for the remission cfsms, if they have none r 
 Pelagius though greatly puzzled wiili the ar- 
 gument, yet never preienls, that inllral baptism 
 
 H 2 
 
{ 90 ) 
 
 was an unscriptiiral innovatio7iy or a pa7^tial\isage 
 m the church 5 which, had it been true, a man of 
 his very extensive acquaintance with the world, 
 must have known, and had he known it, he doubt- 
 less would have said it, wlien he found himself em- 
 barrassed with the argument. But far from inti- 
 jiiating any such thing, when some charged upon 
 hiui the denial of infant baptism, as a consequence 
 of his opinion, he disavows the consequence and 
 complains, that he had been slandevQusly repre^ 
 sen led as denying baptism to infants. He asks, 
 ' Who can be so impious as to hinder infants from 
 being baptised and born again inCiiristr' And cit- 
 ing those words. Except one be born of xoater and 
 Ihe spirity he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
 God, he says, ' Who can be so impious as to re- 
 fuse to an infant, of whatever age, the common 
 redemption of mankind?* And many other ex- 
 pressions he uses, which plainly suppose, that 
 infant baptism had been practised universally, and 
 lime out of mind. 
 
 And from this time till the year 152^3, (as Dr, 
 JVatl, upon a most careful enquiry, assures us) 
 there is not so much as a man to be found, who 
 has spoken against, or even pleaded for the delay 
 of the baptism of infants, except a small number 
 in France, in the tv^elfth centur}^, who denied the 
 possibility of their salvation, and consequently 
 their right to baptism. But this sect soon disap- 
 peared. 
 
 Now if all the first churches were every where 
 established by the Apostles, upon the plan only 
 of adult ba])tism, and children were every where 
 left unbaptised, how could infant- baptism begin 
 soeaily, und spread so extensively as it seems Xo 
 
Tiavc doner How could such a speedy and tola! 
 alteration take place in a matter of such public 
 notice and great importance, and yet no noise 
 be made about it; no opposition raised against 
 it? Such a thing would be absurd to imagine. 
 The early and universal usage of the church is 
 then an argument of very considerable weight, 
 that infant baptism was an Apostolic practice. 
 
 To invalidate this argument our brethren 
 allege, that many corru[)tions were early admit- 
 ted into the christian church under pretence of 
 Apostolic traditions, and prevailed without op- 
 position; such as Infants Cumnuuiion, Exorcism^ 
 Trine- Immersion, Unction ^ after baptism^ &c. 
 But supposing these had prevailed as early and 
 universally as we find infant baptism to have 
 done (which truly was not the case) yet there is 
 this mighty difierence, Tliesc were but circum- 
 stantial errors, which did not destroy the being 
 of the church, or nullify men^s Christianity, and 
 therefore it is no wonder that we have no ac- 
 count of any warm controversy about them. But 
 infant baptism, in the opinion of our brethren, 
 does, so far as it prevails, unchurch the church of 
 Christ : For they look upon those, who have re. 
 ,xeived no other baptism, as being unbaptised, and 
 «i| unfit for christian communion. Now if the first 
 christians had viewed it in this light, would they 
 have sat silent, when they saw it get footing, and 
 prevail ? Would not some, alarmed at the dan- 
 gerous innovation, have borne their testimony 
 ao-ainst it? Would there not have been some 
 churches, which preserved the > imitive usage, 
 and renounced communion w;th such as had so 
 essentially departed from it? The difTereiu sects 
 
^ m 
 
 of, christians were often inflamed against each 
 other by smaller differences. It is tiierefore ut- 
 terly unaccountable, that there should be no dis- 
 pute, when this supposed /w«c/j/77f7wr^/ innovation 
 was introduced, nor the least remains of any 
 controversy about it, until within these two or 
 three centuries. 
 
 There were indeed some great corruptions in- 
 troduced into the church, which in time consider- 
 ably prevailed, such as Image-worsliip, Transub- 
 staniiafinu, &c. But these never prevaded so 
 unher.uilly, so earlijy nor so without opposifion, 
 a* we have seen infant baptism must have done. 
 A great part of the christian ciiurch has always 
 rejected them and protested against them. iMany 
 Synods and Councils have publicly condemned 
 them. And m the times when, and places where 
 they most prevailed, it was by the protection and 
 support of civil and military j)ower; which can- 
 not be pretended in the case of mfant baptism. 
 
 It is time that we draw to a conclusion. I 
 have only to lay before yon a few deductions 
 from what has been offered. 
 
 It has, I think, been proved, that our baptism 
 is one with that of our brethren^ andthat we have 
 neither changed the baptism instituted by Christ 
 into another rife, nor introduced a 7iew set of 
 subjects. And therefore, 
 
 1. I beg leave seriously to enquire. Whether 
 our brethren have any just occwsion to withdraw 
 themselves from our communion ? Surely the 
 candid among them will acknowledge, that, our 
 opinion is nc , ^o wholly without foundation, but 
 that it may consi<it with an honest and good heart. 
 And can it be for the interest of Christianity, 
 
( 93 ) 
 
 whicl; v>'C on both sides profess to reo-ard, tl.at v\e 
 should renounce fellowship with eaeh other on 
 account of tliis diiFercnce ? We are \n!ling they 
 should commune with us, and yet enjoy the Ifb- 
 erty of acting agreeable to their own principles. 
 
 Though we wish they might think with us, yet 
 we would bv no means conttrain them to brinej 
 their infants to baptism contrary to their con- 
 sciences. And, I apprehend, few ministers would 
 .scruple to administer baptism by immersion to 
 any suitably qualified, who choose to receive it. 
 For though they think aiTusion warranted by 
 scripture, yet they are far from denying the va- 
 lidity of immersion. Since therefore our breth- 
 ren may enjoy their own principles with us, what 
 occasion can they have to separate from us ? 
 
 Perhaps some will say. We cannot commune 
 with you, because, in our opinion, you are un- 
 baptised ; nor can we receive baptism from your 
 ministers, because thty have received no other 
 than infant baptism, whith is a nulhty : And 
 since they have not been regularly baptised them- 
 selves, they cannot administer valid baptism to 
 others. 
 
 It were to be wished, that persons of such nar- 
 row .sentiments would realize the consequence. 
 Infant baptism was undoubtedly the universal 
 practice of the christian church for many liund- 
 reds of years together. History does not inform 
 us, when it tlrst began to be practised ; but we 
 have particu'ar accounts when it was first op- 
 posed. And if it be a nullity, there is not, 
 nor can be again, any regular baptism in the 
 world ; for tliere is not the least ground to pre- 
 tend to a ,succc?>'ion of adult baptism. If wr 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 trace adult baptisms back, we must come to the 
 time when they were administered by those who 
 were baptised in infancy, and who, upon the 
 principles above mentioned, could not administer 
 valid baptism. Our brethren therefore, by nul- 
 lifying 0U7' baptism, nullify tlicii^ ozvn ; and by 
 unchurching us, unchurch themselves. Yea, up- 
 on these principle-s, there were no authorised 
 ministers, nor rugular churches, noi- baptised 
 christians, Tor many centuries together, nor are 
 there now, nor ever will be again, without a new 
 commission from heaven. Hovv then has Christ 
 fulfilled his promises, that he will be with his 
 ministers always to the end of the world, and that 
 the gates of hell shall not prevriil against his 
 church } We may rest assured, that these prom- 
 ises have not been forgotten, and consequently, 
 that baptism did not cease, nor the church fuii, 
 when infant baptism became so much the gene- 
 ral practice, that a succession of adult baptisms 
 was no where preserved. Our brethren then 
 must allow, that baptism, as administered in our 
 churches, is valid, and consequeully, that the 
 above mentioned plea, for declining communion 
 with us, is of no weigiit. 
 
 And indeed many among them, tlioiigb they 
 think infant baptism, especially when performed 
 by sprinkling, not regular, yet do so iar allow 
 .the validity of it, that they scruple not io hold 
 communion with us. Some baptist cliurches in 
 England are founded on this catholic plan, the 
 church of which the late celebrated Dr, Foster 
 was minister, received to her communion ^\xvh as 
 weve baptised in infancy, Vvithout requiring ihem 
 tp be re baptised. The famous Mr. Whis-lon^ vt^-s 
 
? 9-3 ) 
 
 admiitefl to the communion of this church, after 
 leaving the church of England^ without rebapti- 
 zation, wiiich he never would submit to; for 
 though he pronounced baptism in infancy^ and 
 b}?- sprinkling to be wrong, yet he declared it to 
 be * so far real baptism, that it ought not to be 
 repeated.'* Were our brethren ell (as indeed 
 viami of them are) of the same generous senti- 
 ments, we should hardly need to be knowaas 
 diiTcrent sects; to be sure there would be no oc- 
 casion for dividing communions upon our dilYer- 
 ent opinions. 
 
 Vv'idi those of less generous sentiments, I beg 
 leave seriously to expostulate. That you have 
 the same right as w^e have, to judge what are the 
 divine institutions, and to practise accordingly, 
 none will deny. But to differ in sentiment and 
 practice, is one thing; to renounce communion 
 on account of this difference is another. To jus- 
 tify this step, it is not sufficient to prove, that jou 
 may be in the right : It is necessary to prove that 
 we must be fundamentaUy in the wrong. You 
 suppose us to be in an error. But is this error, in 
 in your opinion so manifest and so gross, that 
 none who embrace it can be honest ciiristians r — 
 Can you demonstrate that the seal of the coven- 
 ant of grace was never appointed for the children 
 of believers ; or, if such an appomtment was once 
 made, it has since been revoked ? that baptism 
 always signifies immersion^ and that this mode 
 was invariably pursued by the Apostles ? That 
 the age and manner of admission into the church, 
 in nse ani<Mig you, is so essential, that the least 
 deviaiion nuiiifies our Christianity? Will you pre^ 
 * Clark's Defence, page 34. • 
 
C lit) ) 
 
 tend, that there are no real chri^lians in our 
 churches ? Th.at the word and ordinances ad- 
 min istv^^red m tliem, have never been blessed to 
 men's conversation and salvation? That there was ' 
 nothing of the power v;f godhness, in and after the 
 time of reformation? No true rehgion among 
 our fathers, and in thecluirches founded by them? 
 That there have been no revivals of piety ui these 
 churches since they were planted ? That God has 
 TiQwev o vued them by providential protections, or 
 by the effusion of his s]/irit ? Has their never been 
 iiwy real godliness, but what was confined to your 
 denomination; and noncat alluithat long period, 
 when your e-eet did not exist ? These thmgs, 1 
 know you will not pretend* Nay, I will enqiiire 
 farther ; do not manj of you date vour own con- 
 version at a time when you were m sentiment and 
 in communion with our churches ? Did not God 
 bestow this great mercy upon you, while you at- 
 tended on the ministration of his word and ordi- 
 nances among us? This I know, some of y> u 
 profess. You believe then, that God has owned, 
 and still owns these as his churches ; and will you 
 disown them ? Will von reject that which God 
 receives? If you think it most convenient to wor- 
 ship and commune urdmardy with tiiose of \our 
 own. sentiments ; yet why need you renounce fel- 
 lowship with us? are you domgGod service, when 
 vou cause divi>ion» and offences in his churches, 
 contrary to the doctrme of peace and unity, that 
 we have received ? Let us not my brethren, rend 
 the body of Christ by our divisions; but v ith uni- 
 ted zeal build up hiskmgdom in the world 
 
 3. The precceding disconrFe teaches us the un- 
 warrnntabieoess of rebapti?ation. It is agreed oa 
 
feotb$i(le;thatbaptIsniisnottoberepeatecl If'theu 
 ©ur baptism is valid, a repetition of it is contrary to 
 tlic will oi" God. In the baptism of an infant there 
 ib^ the application of water in the name of the Tri- 
 nity, as well as in the baptism of an adult. If 
 this baptism be not valid, it is ojihj 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 qualifi-. 
 cations, the want of them will equally nuiiify an 
 adult baptism'; but yet, I presume, none of our 
 bretiiren will carry the matter to this length. Let 
 us put a case (and such a one as doubtless some- 
 times happens.) An adult pcison makes a pro- 
 fession of fliith and obedience* and is baptibed. It 
 soon appears from the wiyikedness f)f his life and 
 the corruptness of his priiiciples, that he had no 
 faith in any rational sense, and never consented to 
 the baptismal obligations, but was influenced only 
 b) cainal vicv\ s. The man afrerw ard come to 
 repentance, confesses his hy poor is} in this afiuir, 
 and owns he had no religious views in the whole 
 transaction, lie now gives, sati-^factory procifs, 
 that he has become a real penitent and believer. 
 Ought this pefbon to be re-bapti^cd ? Ever\ one 
 wili say. No; because he hiis been hapiised, and 
 bis baptism Yvili save him, afe> he hns now the an- 
 swer { f a good conscici^ce tov>ard G^ d Wlien 
 Simon "the sorcerer, who had been baptised by 
 Philip^ discovered the vile hypocrisy of his heart, 
 Peter directs him to repent, that his sin might be 
 foigiven ; but says nothing of his being baf)tiaed 
 again : Wne ea5> he says t.> the unbapiised Jrus^ 
 Hrpt-nt, and be baptised Jor the 7rmis>io?i of sins, 
 B^it there i> just the ^anle reav,;n, v^. hv tlti /n/po- 
 crlCe tihould be baptised again upon his repent- 
 
( ^8 ) 
 
 "snce, as why the infant should ; because he n© 
 more hid f fith before baptism, and no mere con- 
 sented to any religious obligation,, when he was 
 bapti.vcd, than an infant. If a profession of rc« 
 pcntance is all that is necessary to our receiving 
 this Ixipiised hypocrite, a profession of faith and 
 obedience, at adult age, is all that is necessary to 
 our jccc iv-ng one ba]);:scd in childhood. So that 
 rc-h;^viisa<ion is unwarrantable and sinful even 
 v\:ov\ 'Ji,c I'rinciples of our brethren themselves ; 
 and much more upon supposition of infants right 
 to baptism, which, I think, has been abundantly 
 j)roved. Further, 
 
 3. I] c'li'dren aire the proper sulDjects of bap- 
 li;-m, tlicn it is the indispensible duty of parents to 
 present t-scm to God irt tliis ordinance, and there 
 iiiust he an inexcusable neglect in those parents, 
 vJu>. ''-.or oh convinced of their childrens right to 
 I y to procure it for them. 
 
 ^J -me ^ ill say perhaps, ' Though we dispute 
 rot tJieir ri^ht to it, yet it appears to us to be a 
 n; iucr of very little consequence.' 
 
 But certainly it is a matter of 4' re^// consequence, 
 thn< V( u comply with a divine iiistitution. He 
 1 ks tlie least comuiand shall be called least 
 
 dgm of heaven 
 
 P'-ri'L.ps vou will say, ' We can't suppose the 
 ^ our chiidrtn at all depends upon their 
 . . >.;, ;-,.ice it i^ a thini^ out of their' powder. 
 r : k ^o : Yet if ii U a duty incumbent on you to 
 briui^ theni to baptibui,- j/O?/?* happiness may de- 
 pend' on } cur eopipliancc with this as well as any 
 o:hci' diiiv But \\o\- are \ ou sure that their wcl- 
 il e no vv.iv depends*upon it f Tlieir welfare much 
 tU pi :j;ds on their Ixing religiously educated — iheir 
 ecfucatioa uiil chiefly lie widi you — b) tlicir bap- 
 
( 99 > 
 
 tism you engage to /give them a religious educa- 
 tion — and if your bringing yourselves under pub- 
 lic solemn obligations, will be any motive with 
 you to educate them religiously, then tlRir ^vel- 
 fare, in some degree, depends on their baptism. 
 Yon will say, ' You can do your duty as well 
 without such a prorriise as with it.' With ecjnal 
 reason miglit you say, you can live a religious life 
 without ever making a profession of religion, as 
 well as if you did. But God has required y »u to 
 make a profession, because this will be a proper 
 motive and inducement to you to live a religious 
 life; it is a suitable means of strengthening your 
 obligations and keeping them in your r-mem- 
 brance. And your dedicating your chi'dreii to 
 God in baptism is founded on the same reason. 
 It is a promise which you take on yourselves, and 
 a means of remi-nding you of your obligations, t * 
 educate them religiously. And this will be an ar- 
 gument, which you may use to good acvamag,' 
 in your addresses, to them. 
 
 With respect to unbuptised infants, we ;nay be 
 assured, God will do them no wrong. Hut if he 
 has made their baptism a conditiun of tlie besto.v^ 
 ment of some undeserved i^ivours, who cm say, 
 this is unjust? It would be presumpti-jii id assert, 
 that all who die unbaptised are lost. G jU's t-jri- 
 *der m.ercies are overall his works. Bu; the />;v^ 
 mise is to believers, and //?£-//• children. A-. 
 t.liould we suppose, that tiie baptised inunts of be- 
 lievers, have some advantages above other infant . 
 in another state, this could not be called absurd : 
 For it is certainly a part of the scheme of God' > 
 moral government, that some should be benefi-ul 
 by the piety of others. All intercessi mi is f'>un. 
 -d4n this principle. You doubtless somciim^:. 
 
pro,' fV T- ynnr inf'nt children. If y#n ^re tTicm% 
 *!- f (Icani, \.>u pri'3j not only that thtiit 
 
 Ihc:. ruj)' l)e spared, biit also that their so!}J€ 
 mifltt be- >u\ ed. But u hy do you pray fl)r thtmi, 
 II Y ■' ^- '--r ;; *:^:' . -■ eth-'und tf) them fi'ora 
 
 your iciiiiicUid pitiv r^ liow df^en did Christ txer^ 
 else his healifig meri.y ^^;uard thf" bick oii uccount 
 of the faith of otheis? How ( ftcn did he grent 
 ^iires to ciiildren upon the earnt-bt petitions of 
 ihf Ir parents ? It would then be extremely rash to 
 conclude, your inflmts cannot be benefitted bj 
 your dedicating them to God. Those believers, 
 who brought inlants to our Saviou'', that he should* 
 bless them and pray for them, entejtainedan()rher 
 sentiment. They thought the good of thrse MU 
 drf^v., in some measure, depended on f/teir bring. 
 hi"- tiiem to Christ. And Christ commended their 
 piety, and directed othe-s to do iike^ ise. 
 
 Some ptihaps will say, * We believe that in- 
 fjivs are suhjecus oT baptism, but we qu stion 
 our own right to give them up to God therein.* 
 But if you qu stion your own right, it must be, 
 becauSL^yon question whether you have any reli- 
 gion. And can you be contented s » ? ^ 
 
 Whatever the difficuity is, which lies in yout 
 wav, it should be yoi-r immediate concern to re- 
 move it. Is it not your in ention to live a life of 
 religion ? Is it not your desire that your children 
 should grow up before the Lord ? Is it not your 
 resolution to bring them up for him ? li' it is, then 
 say so, by a public dedication of yourselves and 
 your children to God. If it is not, then tremble 
 at the thought of your own impiety and careless- 
 ness. If you have n6 good purposes and desi»es, 
 you cannot consistently profess ..ny ; if you have 
 ^ooadeJiir«b and purposes, strengiheii and Goniirnfi 
 
f lei ) 
 
 them by bringing 3'oursclves under CMpIicit dill- 
 gallons to act agreeably to them. 
 
 Finally. Let such as have dedicated their 
 children to God, act under a sense of the vows 
 that are upon them. 
 
 If your children are removed by an early death, 
 quietly submit to the will of that sovereign Lord^ 
 uhuse property you have acknowledged thcni to 
 be, and entertain no anxious tJio'jghts about the 
 manner in which he has disposed oi' them. When 
 you gave them to him in baptism, you profcsbcd 
 your faith in his mercy toward them. If you 
 cannot trust him to dispose of them, why did voa 
 dedicate them to him ? If you can, why are yoj 
 anxious about them now since he has taken themi 
 into his own hands ? 
 
 If your children live, then bring them up in 
 tlie nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ijf 
 your worldly circumstances make it necessary, 
 that you shou d comaiit thtm to the care of others, 
 Stfe that you put them into families where vou 
 hive reason to think, they will be relifjioubly 
 cducattjd. If you keep them under your o\\i\ 
 immediate cire, train them up in the wa\ in 
 whi !i they should go ; and commend them to 
 G-^d, and to th.e woid *.f hi-^ grac s v. hich is able 
 to buik! thfMu up, and to give iheai an inberi:ani;e 
 among the Samts. 
 
THOUGHTS 
 
 UPOfJ 
 
 INFANT BAPTISM 
 
 BXTR ACTED 
 
 'imOM THE LONDON EDITIOlS? 
 
 ffr A lATE WRXTEK. 
 
THOUGHTS 
 
 BPOB 
 
 INFANT BAPTISM. 
 
 T 
 
 JL HE Baptism of Infants has been a trouble- 
 some dispute almost ever sHice the Reformation j 
 but I shall only rehearse a fev/ arguments com- 
 Dionlr used to vindicutc the practice of baptibing 
 children. 
 
 1. 7/ie Covenant made with ."Abraham, and his 
 
 se^d, Gen. wii. is the Covenant of Grace ; it in- 
 
 eludes, and vvasdesigiieu toextf-nd to all Believers^ 
 
 When God promised to be a GOD to Abi^ahavi^ 
 
 and to his seed, St. Paul assures us, that by /lbra» 
 
 ham's seed is meant ail that should imitate the 
 
 faith of Abraham, whether they be Jews or Gett' 
 
 Hies, Gal. iij. 7. Know ^e tlierefore, that they 
 
 Hho are of the faith, tiie same are the chiidrtu of 
 
 Abraham, ver. 29. If ye are VhrisPs^ then are ye 
 
 Ahraham's.ff'if^, and heirs according to the promise^ 
 
 The same spiiitual promises, and blessings., 
 
 which belonged to tiie church ur.der the Old Fes-. 
 
 iament, belong ako to it under the l^ew. Acts ii. 
 
 39. 2 Cor. i. 20. Abraham, is represented as the 
 
 root, OY stocli of the visible church, Rom. xi. 16, 
 
 17, &,€. Tne Jewish churcli are the natural 
 
 branches of it; the Gentiles are ingraj ted into 
 
 the sa?ne stock, ver. 17— i^4. and lartakc of the 
 
 feicsiingi^ of it. 
 
From tlirse tcxt^ (and many others mi q:ht easily 
 be DT educed) it seems evident, that the Jewish md 
 Christian ciiurch are but one and the same visible, 
 church in a continued succession, though under 
 dilTerent administrations, and ordinan'Xts. 
 
 li. The Coi^enant made with Abraham^ and 
 with his seedy is still in force. This is impHed ia 
 what has been already said : but it ought tn l>e 
 ])articularly considered. It is plainly asserted by 
 the Apostle, Gal. iii. 17. To the same-purpose 
 the Apostle speaks in Rom. iv. 14 — 16. Here he 
 declares, that the promise made to Abrabam, i« 
 Jiot made of rwiie e feet, or abolished, but is sure 
 to all believers ia all ages. 
 
 Ever since GOD called the flnnily of Abraham^ 
 and settled his visible church in it, He never suf- 
 fered it to fail. It was an everlasting covenant 
 that he made with Abraham., to he his GOD, and 
 the GOD of hls^eed, Gen. xvii. 7. that h^ might 
 he the father both oi Jews '^in^i Gentiles, who were 
 brought into the church, as in Rom. iv. Ii — IG. 
 
 Hi. The children of the Jezvs \v<.:re visible mem- 
 bers of the Jexvish church under the covenant of 
 Abrabam, and as such they were acknowledged^ 
 and received into it by circumcisions, as the door 
 fef entrance, Gen. xvii. 9—14. 
 
 IV. The children gf christians were izever cut 
 ©If from this privilege, \^hcn theii fathers were re- 
 ceived into the church, whether they were Jezv9 
 or Gentiles ; and thercfart t!K.y are members of 
 tl<e christian church also under ^:piritual promises 
 and blessings. When the fews\\\Q: natural branches, 
 were cutoff from the good oh ve- tree, their little 
 hiids were cut off v<idi them also; and when the 
 ircnliles, by a profession of faith, were grafted in 
 as Jordan branches, their little buds were grafted 
 
( 107 ) 
 
 in with th^m. €hrisl received f^^ children thai 
 fvcrr hrQii}^hf. by their parents, jH»d laid kis kind 
 071 (liem, and blc<:sed fhem, and s^^'id, of suck h 
 iki^ kingdom of heaven, M.uk x. 12— -16. Fhe 
 proinises of the Old Testament, wherein children 
 are i-icUidcd in some of the prophets, do refer to 
 the Gentile church, as well as the Jewish, isa. 
 xhv. :^—B. I:,a, xlr. 23. Joel ii. 28, 29. For// 
 is the blessing of Abr..ham which reaches to his 
 seed, that conies upon the Geritiles tkro-n^h J^^sus 
 Christ, Gal. iii. 14. Rom xv. 8, 9. that fhe 
 Gentiles may glorify Gv.>D jar his mercy, 
 
 V. Baptism is now (like circunricision of old^ 
 the sigji ot God's covenant. This is plainly inti- 
 mated by the apostle in Gal. iii 27— -29. Cir- 
 t^u incision being abolished, and baptism coming 
 in the room of it, baptism should be aj^piied to 
 nil those, who have an) interest in the covenunt,lis 
 circunicision was. Now that baptism is come in 
 the room of circumcision, ?ecms plain from Col. 
 ii. 12. where the apost'e a' goes, that being bap- 
 tised, we need not be circunicised : and besidel, 
 baptism and circumcision signify the same thing, 
 i. e. the remnval of sin; one by culling otF, and 
 the other by washing away. 
 
 Vi. As this seems to m^ifest the right of the 
 children of christians to these bicssings, or that 
 they have an interest in this covenant, ^o there 
 lire some considerations, whi«h render it \txY 
 probable, that children should be admitted into 
 tlie vliible church, by the christian door of cn- 
 trailce, that is baptism. As for instance : 
 
 First, the Gospel, v/hich is a dispensation 'yf 
 gr^'ater grace, does riot lessen, hm inerease the 
 privile.^rs of the church : it takes awL(y y kes a-vl 
 buAucas itidccdj such as circumcisioii wa:?. Acts 
 
( 108 5 
 
 XV. 10. but docs not dimmish its honors or pri- 
 vileges. 
 
 Again, when the Rither or mother of a family 
 believed in Christ, their hoiisholds were baptised 
 together with themselves, even rvhere there is no 
 mention, that the houshold believed in Christ 
 also ; as in ti.e case of Ltjdia and Stephanas^ 
 Acts xvi. 15. 1 Cor. L 16. Now children arc 
 tisuaiiy a con&idercrble part of the hoiishold. 
 
 Yet further, children under the New Testament 
 arc as capable of receiving the blessings signified, 
 and fulfillini^ the duties enjoined, as ever they 
 T\ere under tl (- Old. It is granted, that ther 
 •TReither could thai, nor can iwiv understand the 
 blesvsings nor the duties ; yet they niight receive 
 llic Seal of Circumcision, or of.Ba|>tism, as a bond 
 laid upon them in infancy, to fulfil the obligations 
 £nd the dulies i/f riper year.^, and as an encou- 
 ragement to wait, and hope for the blessings. 
 T' is was tlie csise of Jewish infants, and why 
 Ijii.y not christians be favoured with it also ? 
 
 The Covci.ant made with Abraham, and with 
 his seed. Gen. xvii. 7. included infants. This 
 Covcrii>i t is not rc})f aled or disannulled (II. Ar.) 
 It v» as intendi d to extend to Christians^ and their 
 seed (I.) ]( is confirmed by God to Christy (Gab 
 iii. 17.) i. e. It vvft> made with Christ, consid- 
 ered iss including all his mt mbc; s in him. As Cir- 
 cumcisic n of old was the signoli^dmittuig persons 
 into tliis Covenant ; so now Baptisin is the sij^n of 
 adm-ittins^ persons into tlic samt individual Cove- 
 naiit (V.) du-.refoie it must be administered tiahe 
 same persons^ i. e. infants ^ as weU as to the adult. 
 W' en h Coveiiant ihthe .^ame^ the privileges aud 
 piomists I e same, the stai must have bt^n the 
 *««mc> li It riaa not been char.ged, and the seed of 
 
{ log ; 
 
 ■Abrdhayn to inherit must be the so}7ie also, unless 
 there is an aUeration made in the Gobpel. The 
 seed in Covenant included Infants are still part 
 of that seed of Abraham. The seed of Abraham 
 had a right to the seal of the covenant ; their ri^ht 
 still continues as the covenant docs ; and therefore 
 the}' are to be ad?nittcd. Infants; in particular, 
 to Baptism, the present seal of this covenant. 
 
 If God thought fit to make any alterations in 
 any circum&tancc of this covenant, it seems ne- 
 cessary, tnat he should give notice of it in the 
 Gospel. Accordingly as he t;;ought fit to change 
 the old sign of circumcision for Baptism, so he 
 ha:> in ti-»c gospel, expressly warned us of tlie 
 change, Acts xv, 24 — xxi. 'il-— .;.!)'. Gal. v. 2, 3. 
 And as he chose to make one alteration, with re- 
 gard to the persons to n honi the seal o.i the said 
 Covenant should l;e applied, and to ordain that 
 females, as well as nialcs, should be baptised, so 
 he has expressly told us of this alteration iii the 
 gospel, Aas viii 12. xvi. U, 15. Gal. iii. 27, :28. 
 In like manner it must be concluded, that if G'id 
 Would have had a fuither alteration made, if In- 
 Jaiits of believing parents, that were formerly to 
 partake of tiiC seal of this Covenant were upon the 
 coming of Christy to partal^e of ii no more ; un- 
 doubtedly God would have given us express 
 warning of it, and have told us in the gospel, that 
 though Infants^ before Christ came, were in the 
 Covenant, now they arc to be shut out of it. But 
 as the gospel says no such thing, it seems to me 
 certain, It cannot be true. It is then incumbent 
 upon those ^vho oppose Infant Baptism, if t'iry 
 would make their point good, posiliv-lv to prove 
 this by texts Vvhich expressly deciare, that Christ 
 
{ no ) 
 
 .-has cast Injants out of the Covenanty though be- 
 lore they wtrc in it. But no such texts Cim be 
 produced : therefore it appears the^ continue in 
 Covenant, and have still a right to the seal of it, 
 which is Baptism. 
 
 it will be in vain here to urge, that the Scripture 
 suiiicicntly declares against applying this seal of 
 the CoveiHVit to infants, by mixkm'g faith and r<r. 
 pentance the conditions of Baptism. F.-r this kir.d 
 of arguing would as well prove, that Infants here- 
 tofore Avere not qualified for Circumcision ^ which 
 yet no man will assert. As this argument would 
 prove too much, it must be looked upon as prov- 
 ing nothing. It will be needful to add as a dis- 
 tinct head, that 
 
 Vil The texts wiiich speak of faith as the 
 term of Baptism, do not at all imply, tlu\t Infants 
 ^re not to be baptised. In tlie case just now nicn. 
 tioned, ther<^ is a parallel bctv\ccu Baptism und 
 Circumcision. If a heathen heretofore s\{\% pro- 
 selyted to tlic Jewish religion and did hereupon 
 desire to be circumcised, he was admitted to Cir- 
 cumcision upon the account of his iaith in the 
 God of israci. And till he professed this faitfi, 
 he could not lawfully be circumcised. And if a 
 ieuibh prophet had been inviting a set of heathens 
 to Judaism, and Circumcision, he would have 
 been forced to talk in such a manner as this, viz. 
 ** Believe in the one true GOD and ye shall bo 
 circumcised. He that believeth, and is circum- 
 tii.id, shall be saved : but he that believeth not, 
 hhall be condemned. Repent of your idolatry, 
 aiv^d other sins, and be circumcised. Cireumci* 
 sion now saveth us not, the putting away a bit of 
 i|s:Ui, but the answer of a good cousciencc to- 
 
( 111 ) 
 
 ward the true God. Arise then and be circum- 
 cised, and put awa}^ your sins.'* In this manner, 
 the Jewish prophet must have spoke to his Hea- 
 then audience. And if he had succeeded^ and 
 made proselytes, the history of it must hare been 
 expressed in such language as this, viz : ** Whea 
 the heathens believed the prophet reach n 
 the things concerning the kingdofii of God, they 
 were circumcised. A certain convert said to thfr 
 Jewish proj)het, what should isindcr my bcin<j. 
 circumcised? The prophet answered, If you be- 
 lieve vvilh all your heart, you may. He replied, I 
 believe that there is one GOD, and that Moses is 
 his prophet. And hereupon lie circumcised him* 
 Others hearing, believed, and were circumcised.*^ 
 This, I apprehend, must have been the language 
 in case the prophet had preached to a heathen na- 
 tion, and proselyted them. And yet, 1 suppose, 
 that no one would, from this kind of language, in. 
 fer, that Infants were not to be circumcised, ar 
 that actual faith in God was so universally neces- 
 sary to Circumcision, as that infants were not to 
 receive it, for want (jf actual faith. As this will 
 be allowed by evei y one, it must be acknowledged 
 also, by parity of reason, that the very same e£~ 
 pressions, when in the same circumstances appli- 
 ed to Baptism, cannot imply that Infants are not 
 to be baptised. All I now contciKi for is, thit 
 they do not even seem to imply, that infants ore 
 not to be baptised ; f^r this they cannot do, unt- 
 less in the case above represented, tiiey did also 
 imply, that infants were not heretofore to be cir- 
 €innciscd. As it will be allowed, they would not 
 have imiylie-d tliis, they cannot coiisistently be 
 Thought to imply the other. 
 
( 112 i^ 
 
 ilk bad been fit to have contmued Circumchtou 
 as the sign of God's Covenant, and Christ had afc*. 
 »ya!ly coiitiinicd it, v»'hcn he gave his apostles a 
 fj-ommisbioii to proselyte the Gentile nations, I do 
 not see how Ire could Iiave expressed his thoughts 
 better tha{\ this ; Go proselvie all nafions, circiim^ 
 Q'hijig them in the navic of the Father, and of the 
 aSou, and of the Holy Ghost, i. e. prove to the 
 Gentiles, that Jesus is the Ciirist, and when they 
 profess to believe this^ circumcise them. Would 
 the apostle, or any one else, have inferred from 
 thence, that infants, not having actual faith, v^ere 
 not to be circumcised? Nay, rather on the other 
 hand, the apostle would have reasoned thus : 
 "' The sign of GOD's Covenant Circumcision^ 
 lias hitb-crto been confined to one nation, even that 
 ofihe Israelites : but now Christ has command- 
 ed us to extend it to all the nations oi the earth. 
 He has ordered us to go and proselyte all nations^ 
 and circumcise them. Surely it is his intention, that • 
 we should take our pattern from the practice of 
 Circumcisiou aftiong the Jews. He cannot there- 
 fore be supposed to mean, that we must only cir- 
 cumcise grown men, who are capable of believing 
 the gospel and profess so to do. It is evident he 
 intends, that when we shall have circumcised 
 such we should next circumcise their male chiL 
 dren ; and that in after generations, the males 
 i«mong them should be circumcised the eighth 
 day. Thus it was at the first institution. Abra- 
 ham was first circumcised, then his children, of 
 whatsoever ages they happened to be ; and in af- 
 ter generations their children were circumcised 
 on the eighth day. ' This is a direction to us. 
 And when wc arc bid to go^ proselijte all nations , 
 
( 113 ) 
 
 eircumcising them^ wc plainly see, we are not for- 
 bidden to ciiGumcise infants; but, on the con- 
 trary, are ordered to imitate this example of our 
 Father Abraham^ I observed, if Circumcision 
 had been retained, as the seal of th(^ Covenant, 
 and the same commission had been given to the 
 apostlcs, as now was given them, only the woid 
 circumcise used instead of baptise^ no one would 
 have imagined, that form of expression wonid in 
 .the least have interfered with the circumcision of 
 infants. It is as certain then that the same form 
 of words, applied to Baptism, cannot in the leasit 
 interfere with the Baptism of Infants. 
 
 Thcie considerations, I ihiwk.f ullij take off the 
 force of all the objections that men think they find 
 in the scripture against the baptism of infants. If 
 there be any thing in the nature of baptism, as a 
 ^^a/ of the Covenant, which confines it to such as 
 believe, there must have been the same limltin^^ 
 nature in Circumcision, which was a 5^^/ of the 
 same Covenant, But as tJiis is certainly false, the 
 other cannot be true. If an infant v. as not by rca- 
 son of his age, unqualified to receive the signpf 
 Circumcision^ a seal of the righteousness of Jaith^ 
 an infant cannot now by reason of ins age, be con- 
 sistently thought unqualified for Baptism, which 
 is a seal of the same. 
 
 Farther to confii m this point, if it needs confir- 
 viation, it may be observed, that the sanie forms 
 of expression, whitjh are urged out of the Nei'j- 
 Testament, to prove that infants are not qualified 
 for Baptism, for want of actual faith and repept- 
 ance, would equally prove them unqualified for 
 salvation. From Christ's saying, he that believes^ 
 and is baptised^ shall ^e saved^ some have inf^pr- 
 
 K 2" 
 
e n4 ) 
 
 xody thixt a person must actually believe, or eke he 
 c^miot be baptised. With as much strength of 
 reason the} miglit infer, that a person cannot be- 
 savecl, unless he actually believe ! especially since 
 it is added,' He thai believe fh not skull be damn^ 
 ed. Yet it is acknowledged, that though infants 
 do not believe, yet they shall not be damned, it 
 is evident then to all, that this text must be ia- 
 tetpreted, as speaking only of the adults^ wh© 
 ■were capable of hearing and believing the gospeL 
 Since then it does not at all speak of infants, they 
 anay be saved, and may be baptised too, notwith- 
 standing they are not believers. The method of 
 provirig that they may be saved ivitlwut Jaith^ 
 will as nccessarilj demonstrate, that they may be 
 kapifsed ivlthout their oivn faith, notwithstanding 
 any thing that is laid down in this text. Thus all 
 the objections against Infant Baptism arc at once 
 out off. 
 
 VIII. In the Christian Church from its earli- 
 est ages, and zve think from the Apostles time, ii 
 ^as been the custom' to baptise the infant childrctt 
 &f professed christians. 
 
 To prove this, I shall produce a few witnesses, 
 
 ynono: manv. 1. Jut tin Martyr, who wrote 
 
 XiuX forty years after the apostles, in his dialogue 
 
 with TripJio the Jew, page 59. plainly speaks of 
 
 Baptism, as being to Christians in the stead of 
 
 drcumcision. And in his Apology for the chri». 
 
 tiians, near the beginning, he says, " Several per^ 
 
 ..Sions among us of ^ixty and seventy years old, of 
 
 hoth sejfcs, were discipled [or made disciples to 
 
 Christ in or from itieir childhood,''''^ Please to 
 
 •bserve, that Justin's word *y^*^nrtver.rM were dii- 
 
 cipUd oi made discifles^ is the very same word 
 
thai had be<?ii nscdby Si. Mat. xxvill. 1^ in ex^ 
 prrs-siuv^ OJr Saviour's command, M*3-»Tf»T«t7e ^//>, 
 cipk ail nations. And it was done to thcbe per- 
 epny, Justin says, in, or from their childhood. 
 And he wrote that apology within forty years of 
 the death of the apostles : and seventy years reck- 
 oned back from that time, do reach into the midst 
 of the apostles* time. 
 
 2. Irctu^tts, born about the time of St. JoriN*s 
 death, in his treatise, Jdv, Hcercs. lib, 2. cap. 5. 
 speaking of Clirist, saj.s, '*Nol disdaining nor 
 going in a way above human nature, nor breaking 
 m his own person the law which he had s^!t for 
 mankind : but sanctifying every several age by 
 the likeness it has to him. For he came to save 
 all persons by himself: yi//Imean, who by him 
 are regenerated unto God ; Infants, and little ones 
 and children, and youths, and elderly persons. 
 Therefore he went through the several ages : ior 
 infants being made an infant, sanctifying in- 
 fants, &:c." 
 
 This testimony which reckons infants among 
 tliose that are regaicrafed^ is plain and full. Dr, 
 Wall has largely shewn, that the word regenrra* 
 ting does particularly in the writings of Irenaeus, 
 and in ihe usual phrase of those times signify Bap^ 
 tisi77g : he mentions some places, which expressly 
 declare, that Christ was regenerated by John i 
 meaning that he was baptiscdhy him. 
 
 Near the time that Irenaeus wrote the above 
 treatise, Clemens Alexandrius wrote his Pceda^o^ 
 wherein he expressly says, " The word rr^^/ieTi/- 
 ^/^/iin the name of Baptism^* [\. L c. 6. near 
 the beginning : ) his thus plainly declaring, that 
 regenerating is the common name for Baptising^ 
 
( lie? ) 
 
 ioesi very much contlrm the argument taken from 
 Irenaeus, who asserts, that Iniants were regenera- 
 ted unto God, 
 
 Please to take notice, how near this man wa« 
 to the Apostle's time. Irenaeus himself says, 1.5. 
 c. SO, that the revelation made to St. John in Pat- 
 mos, was but a little before his time, and that rev'- 
 eiation was five or six years before St . John's death. 
 In an age so nigh the aposrie, and in a place 
 where one of them had so iatelj hved, the Chris- 
 tians could not be ignorant what had been 
 donejjn th.eir time, in a matter so pubhc as the 
 baptising, or not babtising of Infants. 
 
 3. Origen is not only express for baptising of 
 Infants, but gives his reasons for it : in iiis eighth 
 homily or sermon on I evitlcas\ c. 12 he thuff 
 says, " Hear David speaking ; / was says he, sha- 
 ken in iriiquili/y and in sin did my mother conceive 
 me : shewing, that every soul that is born in the 
 flesh is polluted v/ith the filth of sin and iniquity : 
 and that therefore that was said which ue mention- 
 ,ed before; that none is free fr<;vi pollufwrf, though 
 his life he but the length cf one day. 
 
 Besides all this let it be considered, what is the 
 reason, that whereas the baptism of the church is 
 given for the forgiveness of sin.^, Infants arc tilso 
 by the usage of the churchy baptised : wlien if 
 there was nothing in infants that wanted ff)rgive- 
 ness and mercy, the grace of baptism would be 
 needless to them." 
 
 Again, m his Homily on Luke xiv. he says aS 
 follows ; *' Infants are baptised fo/ the forgiveness 
 of sins. Of what sins ? or when have they sinned } 
 Or how can any reason of the i&Tcr ia their case 
 
( ^7 I 
 
 hold goon, but according to that sense that we. 
 inentlonerl even now; none in free from poUution^ 
 tlw* his ufr. be hut tJte levgfh of one day upon earth f 
 And it is for that reason, because by the sacraraenfe 
 of baptism the poL'iuion ofourbirth is taken away, 
 that I'lfa'tits are baptised." 
 
 Yet. farther in tlie fifth book of his commentary 
 on the epistles to the Romans, he says thus : "Ami 
 also in the law it is commanded, that a sacrifice 
 be offered Up for every child that is born ; a pair 
 of turtle dov^s, or txvo yonncf pigeons ; oftchich 
 ene is for a sin offeriiy^, the other for a burnt 
 offering ; For what sin is this one pigeon offeied? 
 Can the chi^d that is new born have cominitted 
 any sin ? It has even then sin, for which the sacri- 
 fice is commanded to be offered : from whicheven 
 >he, ivhose life is but of one day, is denyed to be 
 
 For this also it was, that the church had from 
 THE Apos TLhs AN oRDEK to givc Baptism to Infants. 
 
 For they to whom the divine misteries were 
 •committed, knew that there is in all persons the 
 natural [)o]iution of sin, which must Ut done awky 
 by water and the spirit." 
 
 The reader is desired to observe, that Origen 
 not only says that it was the custorn of the churchy 
 to baptise Infants, but he expressly affirms, " That 
 (he church received an order from the aposilbs 
 te give baptism even unto infants.'* 
 
 There is one circumstance that makes Origen 
 a more competent witness to ^ive evidence, whe- 
 ther the baptising of infants luid been in use time 
 out of mind, or not, than most other authors that 
 we have left to us of that a^e ; because he »'as 
 
(118) 
 
 bimseff of a flimil/ that iiad bee» ckrisfiansLor 
 a long time. The other witnrs«es tiiat 1 men- 
 tioned, except Irenaeiis, must have been them- 
 selves baptised in adult age; becnuse they were 
 of hcafhen parents. But Origen's father wag 
 a martyr for Chrjst in the persecution under Se- 
 vrrus, the year after the Apostles, 102. And 
 E;isebius (in his history, book 6, ch. 19) assuros 
 ns that his forefathers had been christians for se- 
 veral generations. 
 
 Now since Orig n was born on the eighty-firtb 
 year after the Apostles (for he was seventeen years 
 old when his father suffered martyrdom) his grand- 
 father, or at least his great grandfather, must 
 have lived in the Apostles time. And as he 
 could not be ignorant whether he was himself 
 baptised in infancy, so he had no farther than his 
 own family to go, to enquire what was practised 
 in the times of the Apostles. 
 
 Besides that, he was a very learned man, and 
 could not be ignorant of the usage of the church- 
 es ; in most of which he had also travelled ; for 
 as 1)6 was burn an-i bred at Aiekandna, so it af)- 
 pears out of Easebius*s history, B. 6 that he had 
 lived in Greece, and at Rome and in Cappadocia, 
 and Arabia, and spent the main part of his life 
 in Syria anrl Paiestine. 
 
 5. What I apprehend very much strengthens 
 , the truth of iniiint baptism, that it is of a divine 
 gri^inal, is this; *' About one hundred and M\y 
 years after the death of St. John the Apostle, 
 there was an assembly of sixty-six Bishops, who 
 spoke of infant baptism, as a known, establish(^d 
 aad UBCoctested practice,*' Oao Fidu^ ques- 
 
(119) 
 
 ttoiied, whether infants were to he baptised so 
 soon a? within two or three days after their birth, 
 and whether it would not be better to defer their 
 baptism till the^^ were eight days old, as was ob- 
 served in circumcision ; which scruples he pro- 
 posed to this assembly, and in which he desireJ 
 their resolution, which they sent in a letter to 
 him : part of whicli I shall transcribe. 
 
 "Cyprian and the rest of the Bishops, who 
 were present at the council, sixty-six in numbec, 
 to Fidus our brother, greeting, 
 
 *' We read your letter, moat dear brother,— * 
 ^ Bat as to the case of infants : whereas yon 
 judge, that they must not be haplisrci zvithin tw9 
 ^r three days after ihey are born; aiid that the 
 rule of circumcision is to be observed so that none 
 should be baptised, and snjictified before the eighth 
 day afirr iie is born : we were all in onr assenjbly 
 oi the contrary opmion. 
 
 " We judge that no person is to be hindereii 
 froin obiain;ng the grace, by the law, that is now 
 appointed ; and that the spiritual circumcision 
 ©ugtit not t(^ be restrained by the? circumcision 
 that was accor(hng to the fiesli : but that all are 
 to be admitied to the grace of Christ : since Peter 
 epeakm.^ of the Ac s of the Ap©«t!es, says. The 
 Lord lias slienm me^ that no person is to he called 
 com.mn7i or unclean 
 
 "' Thib therefore? dear brothtr, was our opinif^a 
 in the assembly ; that it if not for us to lunder any 
 person from baptism and « ^*»^ ©race of Goi, ^^.^ 
 \% nercii'ul, and benign, and affectionate ro all — 
 Which rule, as it holdji tor ail, so ne think it more 
 o^pedaliy to be observed la lefereace to Inlants 
 
(ISO r 
 
 wewh^born^. to whom osir help and the divine 
 urierey isratiier to be granted: because \yy their 
 cries and tears iit theirfirst entrance into the world 
 they do intimate nothing so much, as that ihty 
 implore compassion '* 
 
 From this piece of history it nppears, that both 
 the persons that moved the doubt^ and jlW the per- 
 sons who resolved it, uruirmrKUishj agreed in this^ 
 that Infai'.U xoerc to be hapfised, and tliat it vvas 
 the settled cnstom of the church to baptise them. 
 If the assembly had been against Iniani Baptism, 
 they would h'ave ansvvered ; It is so far fruin 
 b'^ing necessary to baplisr diUdren on the eighth 
 day iifitr their birth, that tliCh ought not to be bap- 
 ■ii.''etl at all, hll fhey are of age to judge and act for 
 themsetv: s. But none of those bishops was 
 in this sentiment. They all looked upon it, as a 
 tiling unconiested, that inlkn'^s were to be bapti- 
 sed. 
 
 If we look back from this time to the space that 
 bad passed from the apostles time, which was but 
 150 years, we must conclude, that it was easy 
 then to know the practice of christians in the 
 iipostles davs. For some of these (S^ bishops may- 
 be thought to be at th?s time sixiy or seventy 
 •years eld themselves, which reaches almost to 
 ialf the .space : and at that time when they were 
 Infants, there mu!«:t have been several ah re, that 
 -were born Aithin the apostles a^'e And such 
 could not be ignorant, w ht ther infants were bap- 
 t\^r\ m tliat age, w ben they themsc-lves were some 
 of those infants. And as there was no dispute, 
 or difference of opinion, (as tliere must have been 
 wawaaong »• man/, if* any innovation had h^en 
 
( 121 ) 
 
 made : for it is here expressly saicl, there zvas hoi 
 one of Yidus's mind J that infant baptism must be 
 delayed till the eighth day ; much less then was 
 there any of opinion that it was not to be at all, 
 
 " In a doctrinal point, as Mr. Baxter well ob- 
 serves, a mistake is easier, than in a bare narration 
 of some one fact ; but in a matter of fact of so 
 publick notice, and which so many thousands 
 were partakers in as baptism was, how could they 
 be ignorant ?" 
 
 Suppose it were a question now among us, whe- 
 ther persons were baptised at age only, or in 
 infancy also, eighty -years before we were born : 
 were it not easy to knovv the truth, what by report 
 and what bj records ? 
 
 I shall conclude what I have to remark on this 
 testimony with observing, that we see here con- 
 firmed, what was said before, that baptism was 
 reckoned to be to christians in the room of cir- 
 cumcision. For it was upon that account, that- 
 Fidus thought it must be the time of the old cir- 
 cumcision; and the Bishops of the eouncil, tho' 
 denying that, do call it the spiritual (or christian) 
 circumcision, 
 
 6. Ambrose commenting on these words, Luke 
 i. 17. where the angel prophesies of John the 
 Baptist, he shall go before him in the spirit and 
 power of Elias, after having shewn in several 
 particulars, how John, in his office, did resemble 
 Elias, and having mentioned that miracle of Eh^is 
 dividing the river of Jordan, adds thus ; *' But per- 
 haps this may seem to be fulfilled in our time, and 
 in the apostles time. For that returning of the 
 river waters backward toward the spring-head 
 which was caused by Elias, wLen tlie riv§r was 
 
 L 
 
cfividefl ( as the rcripture says, Joi'dan was driven 
 ^rtrX:) signified the sacrament of the laver of salva- 
 tion, which vvaf afterwards to be instituted : by 
 which those Infants thai are baptisedy2^ve reform- 
 ed back again from wickedness [era corrupt statc^] 
 to tbe primitire state of their nature." 
 
 He means thej are freed from the guilt of ori- 
 ginal sin, and in some sense reduced back to the 
 primitive state, in which man was, before that 
 happened. He plainly speaks of Infants as bap- 
 tised intlie Apostles time J diSv^eW as in hisown; and 
 makes St. John, in baptising infants for the re- 
 formation of their nature to the primitive purity of 
 it, to resemble Eli as in turning back the waters 
 to their spring-head. 
 
 Austin, in his treatise De Baptismo contra 
 Dinatistas y lib. 4. C 23. having had occasion 
 to speak of the penitent thief, who obtained sal- 
 vation without baptism, shews that is no more an 
 argunienr, against the necessity of baptism where 
 it may be had, than the example of baptised 
 Infants obtaining salvation without /«f//M, is an 
 argument ag^limst the necessity of faith, where the 
 Subject is capable of it. Near the cowclusion of 
 the fourth book he says, " And as the thief who 
 by necessity went without bapiism was saved, be- 
 cause, by his piety, he had it spiritually: so where 
 baptism is had, tho* the party by necessity go 
 without that [faith] which the thief had, yet he is 
 saved, Which the ivlwle body of (lie church holds, 
 as delivered to them in the case of little infants 
 baptised : who certainly cannot yet believe with 
 the iieart to righteoijsness, or confess with the 
 mouth to salvation as tte thief coul<l : nay, 
 by their crying and noise, while the sacrament 
 fe administering, thev disturb the- holy myste- 
 
-( I^^ ) 
 
 xiea: and yet do christian man of aaj sort wlil 
 say, tliey are baptised to n.' puroose. 
 
 And if any one do ask for divine authority iii 
 4his matter, though that which the whole church 
 practises., and which has not been instituted by- 
 councils, but was ever in use is very reasonably 
 believed, to be no other than a thing ordered by 
 the authority of the Apostks: yet we may besides 
 take a true estimate how much the sacrament of 
 baptism does avail infants by the circumcisioa 
 wliich God's former people received." In what 
 follows, he most plainly declares, that baptism 
 is to the Christian infants^ as circumcision was to 
 the Jewish. 
 
 Though Aastin spealcs of Infant Baptism in this 
 place but occasionally, his words are a full evi- 
 dence, that it was then universally practised, and 
 had been so beyond the memory of any man, or of 
 any record: that they took it to be a thin^ that 
 had not been enacted by any council hni had been 
 in use from the beginning o/Chrlstianity, — .And 
 they had then but 300 years to look back to the 
 times of the Apostles, whereag we now have up- 
 wards of] 600. And many writings, and records 
 which are now lost, were then extant, and easily- 
 known; 
 
 It deserves a particular remark, that most oF 
 these witnesses for infant baptism, were not only 
 faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, but were faithful 
 unto death, joyfully suffering martyrdom for the 
 truth: surely this is a great accession to the strength 
 of their testimony. 
 
 All these things put together, seem to prove, 
 lAat infant baptfsnt Viras practised \x\ the church' 
 
( 124 ) 
 
 of Christ from the beginning, and conscqucntlj 
 that it is of an apostolical and divine original. 
 
 As for Ihe^firstfour hundred years, there ap- 
 pearii only one man, Tertullian, that advised th^ 
 delay of infant baptism in some cases and one Gre- 
 gory, that did perhaps practice such delay in the 
 case of his children ; but no society of men so 
 thinking, or so practising : so in the next seven 
 hundred years, there is not so much as one man 
 to be found, that either spoke for, or practised 
 such delay. But all the contrary. And when 
 one sect among the Waldenses declared against 
 the baptising of infants, as being incapable of sal- 
 vation^ the main body of that people rejected their 
 opinion: and those of them that held that opinion, 
 quickly dwindled away, and disappeared -, there 
 being no more heard of holding that tenet, till 
 the rising^ of the German Antipaedobaptists, in 
 the year 152^2. "And all the national churches 
 voiv in the world do profess and practice infant 
 baptism." 
 
 ThivS brings to my remembrance a very clear 
 proof for the baptism of infants, which much sa- 
 tisfied the mind of the great and good Mr. Bax- 
 ter ; I shall relate it in his own words. ** 1 am 
 fully satisfied, that Mr. Tombs cannot shew me 
 any society (I tliink not one man) that ever open- 
 ed their mouths against baptism of infants, till 
 about 200 years ago, or thereabout which con- 
 firms me much, that it is from the apostles times, 
 or else some one would have been found as an op- 
 poscr of it ; even as I profess seriously , that it 
 much satisficth my conscience, that Christ and 
 his apobtks did nevei' shut the infants of believing^ 
 
C 1S5 ) 
 
 Jews ("and consequently not of believing Gentfle^- 
 from being members of his visible church, in that 
 1 never iiKcl in all the New Testament one word 
 fef exception, arguing, murmuring, or dissatisfac- 
 tion against it ; when as it cannot possiblj^ be con- 
 ceived, but those Jews who kept such a stir be- 
 fore they would let go ((prcumcision , the sign of 
 church membership, wlien yet they had bapr2!»m„ 
 another sign, would, undoubledly have been 
 much more scandalized at the unchurcliing of all 
 their children, and would have, mucli hardiier 
 have let go that privilege of their church mem- 
 bership, or at least have raised some scruple about 
 it, which might have occasioned one word of sat- 
 isfaction from some one of the apostles ; especi- 
 ally when Paul calls them holy, and Christ, iSuf- 
 fer ihejn to come to me, ajidjorbid them not, Jar 
 ef such is the kingdom of God. I know not how 
 
 Air. T J and such others think on these 
 
 things ; but, for my part, they stick so close to 
 my conscience, that 1 dare not say, Christ would 
 have no infants received into his visible church 
 among the number of Christians, when I find he 
 once placed them in the church ; and neither 
 
 Mr. T , nor any man breadiing, can shew 
 
 me one word of scripture where ever Christ did 
 put them out again ; and yet these men pr ;tend- 
 ed to stand to the determination of scripture. I 
 would this one thing were im.partialiy corisidered.'* 
 With regard to the mode of baptising, I would 
 only add, Christ no where, as far as 1 can find/ 
 requires dipping but only baptising ; which word> 
 many most eminent for learning and piety, have 
 declared, signifies to pour on cv sprinkle, as well 
 a.s to dip. As our Lord has graciously given v^ 
 
-a word of such extensive meaninf^, doubtless the, 
 parent, or the person to be baptised, if he be adult, 
 ©light to choose wliich way he best approves. 
 What GOD has Mt indifferent it becomes not 
 »ian to make necessary. 
 
 I think it proper in tliis place to subjoin what 
 Dr. Watts has declared^ncerning the significa* 
 tion of this word. *' fne Greek word Baptise^ 
 jsays he) signifies fo zoash any thing properly b^ 
 wafer coming over it: Now there arc several 
 ways of such washing, (viz.) sprinkling water 
 on it in a small quantity, pouring water on it in a 
 larger quantity, or dipping it ur^der water, 
 either in part or in whole : And since this seems 
 to be left undetermined in scripture to one parti, 
 eular mode ; therefore any of these ways of wash- 
 ing may be sufficient to answer the purpose of 
 this ordinance. Now that the Greek word signi- 
 fies ivashiiig a thing in general by water coming 
 over it, and not always dippings is argued by lcarn« 
 cd men, not only from ancient Greek authors, 
 but from the New Testament itself, as Luke xi. 
 38. Tilie Plmrisee marvelled that Jesus had not 
 first ivashed before dinner. In Greek that he 
 was not first baptised j and can it be supposed, 
 that they would have him dip himself in water? 
 Mark, vii. 4. The Pharisees, when they come' 
 from the market, eat not except the\j are washed. 
 In Greek^'iip^^ept they are baptised ; surely it can- 
 Rot mean except they were dipped. And if this 
 should be restrained to signify washing theii^ 
 hands only, \^i it does not signify necessarily dij)- 
 ping them ; for this manner of washing their hands 
 of oid,t^vas by pouring water on them as Elisha 
 poured' water on the hands of Elijah, 2 Kings ii. 
 II. Yet further they practised the washing ^ 
 
f I27V 
 
 tables (in &ree!c, baptism of bed si as^ well as cuj^sh 
 and veswls. Now beds could not usually be 
 vvashtid by dipping , Hcb. ix. 10. The Jews had 
 divers washings prescribed by Moses, (in Greek, 
 baptisms) which ^vere sprinkling and pouring 
 ^Wuter on things, as well as phinging them all over 
 in water. The childrel$oj Israel xcej'e baptised 
 vnto Moses in the cloud a^d the sea. in their paS' 
 sage through the Red sea, at their march from 
 Egypt ^ 1 Cor. xii. 2. Not that they were dipped 
 in the v/ater, but they were sprinkled by the clouds 
 over their heads, and perhaps by the water which 
 stood up in heaps as they passed by. 
 
 Besides, pouring or sprinkling more naturally 
 represents most of the spiritual blessings signified 
 by baptism (viz.J the sprinklii^g the blood of 
 Christ on tlie conscience, or the pouring out of 
 the spirit on the person baptised, or sprinkling 
 him with clean water, as an emblem of the influ* 
 «nce of the spirit ; all which are the things signi- 
 fied in baptism, as different representations of the 
 •Icansing a^vay of the guilt or defilement of sin, 
 thereby. 
 
 1 conclude, since this controversy has difficult 
 t^ies attending it, persons of an honest and sincere 
 soul, in searching out the truth, may happen to 
 run into different opinions : but the things y.^here ^ 
 in we agree, are so important, as should not suffer 
 lis to quarrel about the lesser things wherein we. 
 difl'er. Our brethren, who, reject inilint baptism, 
 as well as we v\ ho practise it, all agree in a belief 
 ef the sacred institution of this ordinance : we all 
 agree, that children should be devoted to God; 
 and should be p:4rtakers of all the privileges wliicfe 
 Siiripture adu^its. aiid that ih^y siioxid grov^ nf 
 
( m ) 
 
 tinder all possible oblie^ations to duty : and since 
 each of us desires to find out the will of Christ, 
 -and practice it accordingly, it is a most unreason^ 
 able thing, that we should be angry with each 
 other, because some of us are devoted to God 
 and Christ by this ceremony, a little soojier or a 
 little Uitifr than others, #r because some devote 
 their children to God in baptism, as a claim of 
 privileges, and an obligation to duties, before they 
 can do this for themselves, and are capable of act- 
 ing therein : or because some of us thiiik, this 
 ordinance requires much water, and that the whole 
 body be immersed in it ; others suppose, a little 
 is sufficient, and that he who hath the fice or head 
 washed in this solemnity, has as true a significancy 
 •f gospel benefits and obligations, as he who has 
 his whole body put under water, since our Savi- 
 our thought so when he washed 1 eter*s feet, John 
 xiii. 10. In short, when faith in Christ, and love 
 to God, and obedience to the sanctifying opera- 
 tions of the spirit are made necessary to salvation, 
 and agreed upon by us all, it is pity that these 
 lesser things should raise such unhappy contentions 
 among the disciples of the blessed Jesus, the 
 rrincii 0f Peace. 
 
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