PBINCETON, N. J. ^ PBINCETON, N. J. -^^ Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. Agueiv Coll. on Baptism, No. /O 102.. THE NATURE AND DESIGN OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, BY R. A. ''LANCASTER, " One Lord, one faith, one baptism."— Ephesiaiis iv. 5. "And the scripture, foreseeing that God ■would justifj' the heathen thi-ough faith, preached hefore the gospel unto Abraham, saj-ing, in thee shall all nations be blessed." — Galatia>is iii. 8. MANCHESTER: FLETCHER AND TUBES, JOHN DALTON STREET. 1855. V -'-' >>. % \' PEEFACE. In submitting a few thoughts on the Nature and Design of Cheistian Baptism, I would not have the reader to think that I am the opponent of those who hold Immersion to be the fulfilment of the command, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It is not with the people distinguished by the name of Baptists, but with the doctrines they teach, with which I have to do, as being contraiy, and opposed to the Word of God; and if I should succeed in proving this, I shall feel satisfied that I have not established any doctrine of my own, but such as is taught in the Word of God. I am grieved to learn that many Baptists are offended, because they are classed with the rigid, or Antinomian sect of Baptists, in my Infant Baptism Scripturally Defended; but on examination of the matter, they will see that the blame must be attached to them- selves — both sects calling themselves, "Particular Baptists." But, in order to avoid confusion in the IV. PREFACE. following pages, I shall distinguish the rigid, or Calvinistic sect of Baptists, from the general body. A Reply having been pubhshed to Infant Baptism Scripturally Defended, by Mr. Peice, many friends have been anxiously expecting me writing again; however, on carefully examining the publi- cation, I find that it would be useless to reply to one, who has admitted more than I could have expected from a rigid Baptist, and therefore I shall content mj'self with just noticing those admissions as I proceed, hoping that Mr. Price will, ere long, carry his new faith into practice, by becoming a Paedo-Baptist. For this cause I am thanlifid that my publication has been useful in obtaining from an opponent, important concessions to the truth, which enable me to conclude that I have not laboured in vain ; and that those humble services have been of use in the church of Chiist, in estabhshing the doctrine of the inseparable connec- tion of the child ^vith the parent, as partakers together of the blessings of the gospel, through the ordinance of Christian baptism. My object in sending forth this Work, is more particularly to refute the presumptuous doctrines of the rigid Baptists, who frequently advertise in their leading Magazines for situations where they may hear "the gospel," and "the truth," as advo- PREFACE. V. cated by those IVIagazines. They do well m saying *'tlie gospel," and "the truth," as advocated by those Magazines, for it will enable me to show tliat such a " gospel and truths " are not the " gospel and truths " of the Bible. Trusting that I sliall do this with all Christian forbearance, and gentleness of spirit, becoming one who professes the name of Christ, yet faithfully and openly deahng with the arguments of those who would shut us out from the gospel and the truth, because we do not see it, as advocated in their Magazines ; and I sincerely hope that the following pages may be the instrument in the hands of God, of leading many to a serious and thoughtful reflection, concerning the Nature and Design of Christian Baptism : then we shall ascribe all praise, glory, and dominion, to Him who is "over all, God, blessed for ever. Amen." R. A. LANCASTER, Moss Side, November, 1855. ERRATA. In page 75, line 3, read and the opening of the prison, for "and open the prison." X THE *% NATUKE AND DESIGN OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM Know ye therefore, that they that are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scriptui*e fore- seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed.'" — Gal. iii. 7, 8. Thus the gospel of Christ was preached to Abraham, and the covenant established as an everlasting covenant. Such being the case, the gospel is no novelty, but the "everlasting gospel," [Rev. xiv. 6.] by which, God is pleased to make known His w^ill, to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," Saying, %\ith a loud voice, " Fear God, and give gloiy to him ; for the hour of his judgment is come : and woi'ship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." This is the gospel which was "preached unto the spirits in prison ; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." — 1 Peter, iii. 19, "20. It was the gospel preached to Abraham ; including Jew and Gentile in the covenant through faith. It was the gospel preached by Moses in the wilderness. 2 THE NATURE AND DESIGN " but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." — Heb. iv. 2. It was the gospel preached to the noble Bereans, which they proved from the Old Testament scripture. [Acts xvii. 11.] It was the gospel preached by the apostle Paul, of which he said, ''though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." — Gal. i. 8. Therefore, thus saith the Loed, "Take heed how you hear : for whosoever hath, to him shall be given ; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken, even that which he seemeth to have." — Luke viii. 18. Seeing then, that " AU scripture is given by inspiration of God," and " able to make vase unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus," and is " profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness : That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works," [2 Timothy, iii. 15, 16.] so that there can be no doctrine in the New Testament, but may be found in the Old Testament; and no ordinance in the New Testament, but is typified in the Old Testament; we are justified, therefore, in taking the Old Testament as the basis of our rule of faith, which is confirmed by the New Testament. "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect," [Heb. x. 1.] but by faith, which "is the sub- stance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." [Heb. xi. 1.] "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to eveiy one that believeth," [Rom. x. 4.] being " the substance of things hoped for in the law." Thus he came "not to destroy the law, but to fulfil," [Matt. V. 17.] and to establish the covenant with His people. " I will put my laws into their mind, and write OF CHEISTIAN BAPTISM. 8 them in their hearts : and I will be to them a God, and they shall he to me a people." — Heb. viii. 10. Hence we see that the law and promises are combined in one " everlasting covenant," as given to Abraham : "I will be a God imto thee, and to thy seed after thee." — Gen. xvii. 7. " For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this ; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." — Gal. v. 14. "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scriptui'e hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith through Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." — Gal. iii. 21, 22. "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and un circumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." — Rom. iii. 30, 31. Therefore, having such scriptm^e testimony as this, we are bound to conclude there is no proof of repeal in the principle or design of the Abrahamic covenant and the law, whatever change may have been effected in the ceremonial application of the law, by the coming of Christ. This, will lead us to consider the Nature and Design of Christian Baptism, in the following order: — I. — The Covenant of Circumcision, viewed in CONNECTION WITH CHRISTIAN BaPTISM, AS A PERPETUAL ORDINANCE IN THE ChURCH. II. — Infant Baptism, practised by the Jews, a SUFFICIENT GUARANTEE FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF THE SAME IN THE CHRISTIAN ChURCH. III. — Baptism by Affusion, the only Scriptural Baptism acknowledged by Christ, and practised BY the Apostles. IV. — The practice of Dipping, inconsistent and contrary to the word of God. b2 4 THE NATURE AND DESIGN First. — The Covenant of Circumcision, viewed in connection uith Christian Baptism, as a jperpetual ordinance in the Church. "Now to Abralmin and liis seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to tlij seed whicli is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was fom' hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." — Gal. iii. 16, 17. Having such evidence as this, we must come to the conclusion, that there has been no repeal of the cove- nant given to Abraham, but is still in force in the church, being confirmed by Christ himself. " Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the chcumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." — Eom. xv. 8. Here then we have the truth of God in the covenant of circumcision confirmed, not abohshed. Therefore, there can be no just grounds for us to set aside what it teaches, in connecting parent and child mth the blessings pertaining to that covenant, for in so doing, we should be preaching another gospel, and refusing the truth confirmed by Christ. It behoves us, therefore, to be mindful how we handle the word of God, that we bring not upon us the dreadful curse, named by the Apostle Paul. [Gal. i. 8, 9.] In the confession of the Baptist Churches of the Norfolk and Sufi'olk Association, we find the follomng declaration — "We are kept by the power of our covenant God, steadfast in the great and glorious truths of the everlasting gospel."-'' Here we have men professing to be "kept in the great and glorious tiTiths of the ever- lasting gospel:" yet, denying in part that gospel, by ♦Baptist Re^ster, Vol. 4. 1801-2, page 81. OP CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 5 refusing infants the rights and privileges connected witli the gospel through baptism, on the ground of their unconsciousness and incapabihty of distinguishing the Nature and Design of Christian Baptism. Hence, they admit adults only to the ordinance of baptism. But, on close examination into the nature and design of circumcision, we find that it was not only designed for the infant, but the adult. The language of the covenant being addressed to the parent and not to the child; "I will be a God unto thee, and ye shall circum- cise the flesh of your foreskin ; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwLxt me and you. And the uncir- cumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, tliat soul shall be cut off from his people ; he hath broken my covenant." — Gen. xvii. 7, 10, 14. Now, the child would be totally unconscious of this; therefore, it could only be intended for the adult ; yet, notwithstanding, the child was to be brought into cove- nant relationship with God, by the token on his flesh ; to be instmcted as he grew, in the nature and design of that relationship with his God. Hence, we read when God was about to destroy Sodom. " Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do ; seeing that Abraham shall sm^ely become a great and mighty nation, and aU the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him ? For I know him, that he ^vill command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do. justice and judgment." — Gen. xix. 19. Again, the covenant of circumcision was designed to teach a sanctification of the body, by the token in the flesh of the child ; and a sanctification of the soul to the adult, through faith. On comparing the scriptures, it will be found, that all things were considered unholy until they were sanctified, or set apart : thus in Lev. xix. 23, 24, we read — " And when ye shall come into the land, and 6 THE NATURE AND DESIGN have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised : three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you : it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof, shall be holy to praise the Lord withal." From this we learn, that all things were considered as holy when cir- cumcised. Therefore, circumcision must be a means of sanctification. Again, we are told this was not the only means of sanctification, for the same idea is taught by sprinkling, pouring, and anointing. Hence, we read in Lev. viii. 10, 12, "And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him to sanctify him." Thus, the oil sym- bolized the descent of the Di\dne Spirit, as in the case of David when anointed by Samuel, it is said, "And the spirit of the Lord came upon David, from that day forward." Here we have sprinkhng, or poming set forth, as the outward means of sanctification, and confirmed by the descent of the Holy Spirit. Then, if we compare this with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, we must come to the conclusion that his descent must be symbolized in no other way, than sprink- ling or pouring. Hence, we learn the idea of sprinkling, as a means of sanctification, in the same sense as circum- cision; and adopt it, not as a matter of "convenience," as some say, but because it is from heaven, and taught to us by God^ for He himself hath declared, "For all the first-born of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast : on the day that I smote every first-bom in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself." — Num. viii. 17. Seeing then, that God is pleased to sanctify, or set OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, 7 apart the infant for himself, have we not direct proof for our practice, in setting apart the infant for God, by follow- ing up the ancient faith commanded by God? " And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord. And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them : sprinkle water of pmifpng upon them." — Num. viii. 7, 13. Now, as this sprinkUng of water, was so important a part of the cere- monial service connected with the Jewish Church, and attended with the same consequences if neglected, as in circumcision: [Gen. xvii. 14, Num. xix. 13.] it is not very likely that the Jews would refuse their children the water of purifying, since they were obliged to purify by sprinkling all things, both animate and inanimate. [Num. xix. 18.] Hence we leani, that this sprinkling of water, did not disannul the covenant of circumcision, that it should be of no effect, though it conveyed to the mind of the Jew, the same idea of sanctification of the flesh, and also gave the same judgment as on the uncircumcised. "That soul shall be cut off from Israel, because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him." — Num. xix. 13. Then may we not adopt the language of the poet and say : — "Abraham believed the promised grace And gave his son to God ; But water seals the blessing now, That once was seal'd with blood." Mr. Price believes this, when attempting to refute Infant Baptism Scripturally Defended. He gives us the following in page 6 — "It is true that circumcision and baptism both teach and represent a change of heart and life, and therefore agree in tliis particular." — Col. ii. 11, 1'2. Now this is all that I want, and more than I could have expected from one, who professes to write against Infant Baptism. For if circumcision and baptism con- 8 THE NATURE AND DESIGN vey to the mind of the adult, the same idea of "a change of heart and hfe," and if circumcision was commanded to be given to the infant, why not baptism which precisely teaches the same thing ? Therefore, all other arguments Mr. Peice may advance against Infant Baptism, will be superfluous — the inseparable connection of the Abrahamic covenant, with the ordinance of Chiistian baptism, being fully proved. Yet, there are some who deny that baptism takes the place of circumcision, because the token was given to males only. Hence, we find Mr. Alcorn saying, " This notion of baptism coming in room of circumcision, carries its absurdity and refutation on the very face of it. It was only the male children among the Jews that were circumcised. Now, if this proves anything at all about baptism, it proves that only the male children of behevers ought to be baptized. "^S' This may appear very plausible in the eyes of some, but on a careful examination of the scriptm-es, such arguments appear very shallow; for if circumcision was given as a seal of the covenant to the male alone, then the female must be excluded from all the blessings included in that covenant. Before we adopt such a mode of reasoning as this from Mr. A., let us see what God says. "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Here we see the promise was to be fulfilled through the woman. Therefore, the promise given to Abraham, could not be fulfilled without the promise given to the woman, so that the " seed of the woman," has just as much to do with the promises, as the seed of Abraham, though the seal of the covenant is only given to the male ; which could convey no blessing to the infant, beyond that of a sanctifi cation of the body, of which the female was not deprived during the separa- tion and purification of her parent. [Lev. xii. 5, 6.] * Lectures on Christian Baptism. OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 9 Once more, the female was not altogether deprived of a participation in the covenant of circumcision ; since the language of Moses, was as applicable to her as the male. *' Circumcise therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stifFnecked." — Deut. x. 16. Also, Jeremiah addresses not only the males, but all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, " Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem : lest my fmy come forth hke fire, and bum that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." — Jer. iv, 4. Seeing then, there were given to the people of Israel such exhorta- tions as these, from two of then' greatest teachers, can we refuse to the female, that which circumcision was designed to teach, namely, "a change of heait and life," of wliich the apostle Paul, when addressing the church at Rome, says, " He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is that ckcumcision wliich is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly ; and cii'cumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of God." — Rom. ii. 28, 29. Here we have the design of circumcision distinctly taught, by the apostle of the Gentiles. Then do we err, if we maintain the doctrine of a spiritual ckcumcision in the church of Christ? When the same Apostle says, *'We are the circumcision which worsliip God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in tlie flesh," — Phil. iii. 3. "If the uncircumcisiou keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?" — Rom. ii. 26. This being so, we shall by no means be justified in setting aside the doctrine taught by the Apostle, but rather seek to •estabhsh it, by the corresponding rite of baptism, which the apostle also teaches tln-ough faith. [Col. ii. 11, 12.] Then there wiU be no difficulty in the way of baptizing b3 10 TfiE NATURE AND DESIGN either male or female, both being one in Christ. — GaL iii. 28. Keeping these things constantly in view, we shatl be careful how we deal \vith the everlasting covenants of Grod, "With whom is no variableness, or shadow of turning." — James i. 17. Then it is for those who contend for the "everlasting counsels of Jehovah, everlasting love," and, in fact, every- thing that has everlasting about it, but the covenant made with Abraham, to show us, when God repealed any of His everlasting covenants, and, if they cannot do this, we shall claim the only right, of perpetuating the everlasting counsels and purposes of Jehovah, in giving to the child, the seal of the covenant ; though we do not strictly adhere to the letter, but maintain the spirit, as taught by the apostle Paul. [Rom. ii. 29.] And in doing so, do we more than the Baptists, who profess to be guided by a " thus saith the Loed," for their faith and practice, and yet hold the first day of the week, instead of the seventh, as the sabbath? Is it because it is more " convenient? " If they take the " example of the apostles for their faith and practice," why do they set aside the "holy kiss," and the "kiss of charity?" — [Rom. xYi. 16, 1 Peter, v. 14.] and be content with the custom of embracing the hand. Or, why do they not anoint the sick "with oil in the name of the Lord?" — James v. 14. Is it because it is inconvenient? Then are we more guilty than they, because we maintain the spirit, instead of the letter of the law? Surely, when they seriously reflect on these things, they wiU see that these are neither matters of convenience nor inconvenience ; but wiU agree with us, that "Wisdom is justified of her ehildi-en."— Matt. xi. 19. Again, Mr. Alcorn asks, "why do the Psedo-Baptists not allow their ' holy ' children to participate with them in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper?" Here Mr. Alcoe-i* OP CHEISTIAN BAPTISM. 11 supposes, because we baptize children, we ought also to allow them to partake of the Lord's Supper. But, had he carefully examined the natui'e and design of the Jewish Passover, as a pei-petual ordinance, I am convinced he would never have sent forth such a supposition. For do we not read "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are ; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shaU be unto you for a memorial ; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your gener- ations ; ye shall keep it a feast by an orcUnance for ever." Exodus xii. 13, 14. Here we seethe token of this ordinance was given to the adult only ; the child bemg totally unconscious of what was going on around liim, therefore could not be a partaker of the feast, neither was it intended that he should be. For we read, that Moses "Thi'ough faith kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood."' Heb. xi. 28. When our Lord partook of the passover, he said, " I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom." — Matt. xxvi. 29. Here our Lord does not abohsh the passover, but institutes His supper upon it, which is to be continued in heaven, and so con- hrms it "an ordinance for ever." "Christ our passover, being sacrificed for us." — 1 Cor. v. 6, 7. Therefore, there must of necessity, be a change in the token, or sprinkling of blood, wliich does not affect in the least, that which the ordinance was designed to teach — "the sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter, i. 2. Then, " Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, ha\'ing our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." — Heb. x. 22. Hence, the sprinkling of the heart was only intended for 13 THE f?ATURE Al«) DJESlGfl* the adult, through faith. Yet by the same token of the gprinkUng of blood, God was pleased to save the little ones of the children of Israel, though they were uncon- scious of it. And he was not unmindful of their instruction when He commanded His servant Moses to speak unto the people, saying, "And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, what mean you by this service ? That ye shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt^ Avhen He smote the Egyptians, and dehvered our houses." — Exodus xii. 26, 27. A "thus SAITH THE LoKD," for the faith and practice, of all rigid and paiticular Baptists. Then, look at the characters to be admitted to this ordinance. " No uncii'cumcised person shall eat thereof." Exodus xii. 48. Hence, we learn the two ordinances ai'e linked together ; and they must stand, or fall together. Whatever alteration may have taken place in the token, we are bound to maintain them in the church, "by an ordinance forever." And there is no one more particular in observing thiSj than the Baptists by theii' practice ; "no unbaptized person shall eat thereof." But the validity of that baptism, we question, as Christian baptism. Had ]\Ir. Alcoen been particular in examining his Bible, he would have found that cu'cumcision was not the only qualification, for admission to the passover; but some knowledge of the natiu"e and design of that ordinance, according as they had been commanded to be instmcted. Hence, we find om' Lord HimseK did not go up to Jerusalem, until He was "twelve years old, after the custom of the feast."— ^Matt. ii. 42. So that, circum- cision was given as a token, or seal, of the sanctification of the body, to teach a sanctification of the soul of the believer, which would enable him to discern through OP* CfitllSTlAN BAPTISM. 13 faith, the keeping of the passover, and the nature of that redemption that was to be accompHshed by Christ, for Israel. Therefore, the token of cii'cumcision given to the infant, bestowing no quaUfication during infancy to partake of the passover; and baptism teacliing the same, there can be no argument in favoui' of infants being admitted to the Lord's Supper. Circumcision was not given to distinguish the Jews as a nation, nor did it entitle them to the possession of the promised land. This is evident from the command given to Abraham, "he that is eight days old, shall be cir- cumcised among you, every man-child in your generations ; he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.'' — Gen. xvii. 12. Here we find circumcision was designed not only for the Jew, but for the Gentile, who should acknowledge the faith of Abraham, and enter into covenant relationship with God ; and so be separated from heathenism by cir- cumcision. In this we find the type of baptism. " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." — Matt, xxviii. 19. "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Cluist by the gospel." — Eph. iii. (3. Then this promise, of wliich circumcision was the seal, contained sometliing more than the possession of tempo- ral blessings, such as being distuiguished as a nation, or possessing "a land flo^ving \nth milk and honey." Since Abraliam was not permitted to possess the laud, though, '•By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise : For he looked for a city wliich hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." — Heb. xi. 9, 10. "By faith he saw the day of Chiistand was glad." — John viii. 50. It was 14 THE KATtJRE AKD DEStcJN^ that which was "reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.'' "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncir- cumcised : that he might be the father of all them that beUeve, though they be not circumcised; that righteous- ness might be imputed to them also." — ^Eom. iv. 9, 11. Such was the everlasting purpose of God, in giving circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith Abraham had. Yet, he fixes that seal on the infant without faith. Therefore, it is for the rigid Baptists, who hold the everlasting purposes of God, to be fixed before the foundations of the world, to show us, when God repealed His everlasting covenant with Abraham, which embraces parent and child through faith, and by faith, as heirs of the same promise. Until they do this, we dare not change our faith and practice. For in so doings we should be guilty of a breach of the covenant of God, and of breaking the seal He has afl&xed, as the token of His covenant. We feel persuaded, that anything contrary to the seal, that would embrace the infant in the Gospel covenant made with Abraham, would be a forgery, or counterfeit, imposed on the church without Divine authority, calculated to mislead the enquirer, and prove injmious to the general welfare of Zion. Were we to follow up the histoiy of the Jews, we should find the fulfilment of the promise, depended on the faith they exercised in the covenant God; "to whom sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that beHeved not? So we see, that they could not enter in because of umbehef." — Heb. iii. 18, 19. Moses, their great lawgiver, warned them of the consequences in depaiting from the covenants of God. " It shall come to pass, if thou ^^ilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do aU his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day ; that all these OF CHRISTIAI? BAPTISM; 15 curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee. The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth as swift as the eagle flieth : a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand ; And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come do\vn, wherein thou trustest throughout all thy land ; and He shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee. And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee : And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have knovai, even wood and stone." — Deut. xxviii. 15 — 64. All these curses came upon the Jews, because they would not heai'ken unto the prophet, who came to confinn the "covenant with many." — Deut. xxm. 18, 19, Dan. ix 27. "And when he w^as come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it. Saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least, in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace I but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee romid, and keep thee in on every side. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that Idllest the prophets, and stonest them wliich are sent mito thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not I Behold youi' house is left unto you desolate. Woe unto' them that give suck in those days!" — Luke xix. 41, 43, Matt, xxiii. 37, 38. What Moses had prophecied should be the consequence of unbelief, the Lord declares shall take place ; and ero that generation passed away, all these things were ful • 16 tHE NATUtlt; AND DfiSlGlt filled. By "a nation from far, from the end of tlie earth;" and, "as swift as the eagle flieth," so did destiniction come upon the Jews. Being compassed round by a wall, built by Titus the Roman general, and nothing being left in the straitness of the siege, as Moses had prophesied, so they fulfilled, by eating of " the fruit of their o^vn body," the flesh of their own sous and daughters. Josephus, who was at the taking of Jerusalem, in his history of the Jews^ relates a most unnatural cncumstance which took place, of a rich woman who had come up to the feast, slaying her infant son because of the famine. " Snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, — " thou miserable infant ! for whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and this sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they presei-ve our lives, we must be slaves ! This famine will also destroy us, even before that slaveiy comes upon us. Yet are these seditious rogues more tenible than both the other. Come on ; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these seditious vaiiets, and a by-word to the world, which is all that is now wanting to complete the calamities of the Jews." " As soon as she had said this, she slew her son ; and then roasted him, and ate the one-half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed."'-^ The same liistorian also informs us, that during the war, "ninety-seven thousand persons were carried captive ; and such as were sold w^ere very many, and the buyers very few." Thus, was fulfilled, what Moses had told them should befall them. [Deut. xxviii. 68.] During the whole siege, eleven hundred thousand persons perished by famine and sword, and the soldiers grew weary in kiUing them. And now, where once stood the temple, the glory of the nation, stands the mosque of the false * Josephus' War, 6, Chap. iii. OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 17 prophet, as a memorial of God's vncsLih. ; when he caused "the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations, made it desolate." — Dan. ix. 27. That "one stone was not left upon another." How truly were the words of our Lord verified. " And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." — ^Luke xxi. 24. And, why all these calamities upon the Jews ? But, because of their hardness of heart and unbehef, in trusting to the out- ward sign of the law for justification, saying ^vithin themselves, " Abraham is our Father," [John viii. 39.] yet they did not the works of Abraham, and now they are a scattered people among all nations. " They abound in Poland, in Holland, in Russia, and in Tm'key. In Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and Britain, they are more thinly scattered. In Persia, China, and India, on the east and on the west of the Ganges, they are few in number among the heathen. They have trodden the snows of Siberia, and the sands of the burning desert ; and the Em^opean traveller hears of theii' existence in regions which he cannot reach, even in the very interior of Africa, south of Timbuctoo. From Moscow to Lisbon, from Japan to Britain, from Borneo to Ai'changel, from Hindostan to Honduras, no inhabitant of any nation upon the earth would be known in all the intervening regions, but a Jew alone."- Thus, are they driven from the land of promise, and enjoy no more the service of the temple, as prophecied by Hosea ; " the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and \rithout a prince, and witliout a sacrifice, and without an image (or altar), and without an ephod (or priest to wear the ephod), and without terapliim (or divine manifestation) : • Keith on Prophecy, p. 76. 18 THE NATURE AND DESIGN Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king ; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days." — Hosea ui. 4, 5. Then the Lord will revive his "work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." — Hab. iii. 2. *'I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee : but I will not make a full end of thee. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as com is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." — Jer. xlvi. 28, Amos Lx. 9. Thus shall the Jews be restored, and " graffed into their own ohve tree, if they abide not in unbelief, for God is able to graff them in again," [Rom. xi. 23, 24,] when they shall come to him beheving " that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dihgently seek him." — Heb. xi. 6. However, this shall not be, " imtil the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." — Rom. xi. 25. Then they shall say, "Blessed is he that comethin the name of the Lord." — Luke xiii. 35. Then, "the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads : they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." — Isaiah xxxv. 10. It would be superfluous to enter into any lengthened argument in favour of the Jews retm'ning to possess the land, from which they have been driven ; for it is enough for us to know, that aU ha\ing the faith of Abraham, will look "for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God ;" and will " desire a better country, that is, an heavenly : where God is not ashamed to be called their God : for he hath prepared for them a city." — Heb. xi. 10, 16. Therefore, they will not seek to go up to build again Jerusalem, or the temple to worship God, for " it shall come to pass in the last days, OF CHBISnAN BAPTISM. 19 that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the tops of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills ; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many- people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us ^o up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and he sliaU teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask their way to Zion with their faces thither- ward, saying. Come, and let us join om'selves to the Lord in a pei'petual covenant that shall not be forgotten." Isaiah ii. 2, 3 ; Jer. 1. 4, 5. Then shall be accomplished, that which the Lord had spoken by his servant, Moses, " If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee. And the Lord thy God will cu'cumcise tliiue heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." — Deut. XXX. 4, 6. Here we have circumcision connected with the return of the Jews. A cii'cumcision exactly coiTesponding with that taught by the apostle Paiil. [Rom. ii. 28, 29.] A circumcision belonging to the everlasting gospel, which the Jews shaU embrace, when they shall be constrained to say with their kinsman, and apostle to the Gentiles, "We are the circumcision which worsliip God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confi- dence in the flesh." — Pliil. iii. 3. Making such a confession as this, they will maintain the covenant of circumcision as a perpetual ordinance in the Church, as designed to "teach, and represent a change of heart and life," though they received the sign in infancy. Then we may safely come to the conclusion, that as baptism is designed to teach, and represent the same change of heart and life, there is no more need of the circumcision 20 THE NATURE AND DESIGN of the flesh, and, therefore, it is abolished for the more convenient mode of baptism designed for male and female. Are we asked for " direct proof ? " We give it, from the authority of the apostle Paul : " For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Eor as many of you as have been baptized into Clnist have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female : for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. hi. 26, 29. Hence, what a sphitual circumcision of the heart once did, baptism now does ; seals them "heirs according to the promise. " Therefore it matters not if the outward sign be administered to the infant or adult, for it is only by faith they become heirs with Abraham of the promise ; and as cu'cumcision was to be given to the stranger, so is baptism to be given to all, male or female, Jew or Gentile, bond or free. Such was the design of God when he gave the seal of his covenant to Abraham, which was not forgotten when our Lord was about to come into the world : for we read, " Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost," when John was cir- cumcised, " and prophesied, saying. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began : That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us ; To perform" the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant imto us, that we being dehvered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear. In holiness and righteousness before him, aU the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the OF CHEISTIAN BAPTISM. 21 prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways." — Luke i. 67 — 76. Hence, the coming of John was identified with the coming of the Messiah — in preparing the way of the Lord — by the baptism of repentance, wliich baptism, though not Christian baptism, must necessarily be connected with it ; as Chiysostom says, " It was as it were a bridge, which from the baptism of the Jews made a way to that of our Saviour." Though there is no direct proof that John baptized children, we have positive evidence that they were acknowledged by the Old and New Testament dispensa- tions, and that they shared along \rith their parents the blessings thereof. For, did not the compassion of oiu: Lord reach them on more than one occasion : when he fed from his o\N'n hand in the desert great multitudes, including, " men, women, and children." — Matt. xiv. 21, XV. 88. And how solicitous he is that the little ones should be cared for, when he affectionately embraces them, lays his hands upon them and blesses them, sapng, " Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me : for of such is the kingdom of heaven." — Matt. xix. 14. At another time, " he took a child, and set him in the midst of them : and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them. Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me : and who- soever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." — Mark ix. 36, 37. Some, no doubt, will tell us, that our Lord only placed the child before his disciples as a type of humility, and, therefore, was only a figurative way of instructing his disciples. But, can it be possible, that he who had created the living type, should object to that type on account of its unconciousness, when he knew the object for which they were brought unto him ; *' that he should put his hands on them, and pray." — Matt. xix. 13. And, if he rebuked them not, would he 22 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN refuse to pray for them, when "he blessed them, and laid his hands on them ?" Surely not ! for if the prayer of the righteous availeth much, so would the prayer of our Lord, accompanied with his divine blessing, be effectual on behalf of the child. Here we have our authority for our faith and practice ; havings " thus saith THE LoED," we dare not shrink from our practice in dedicating the child to God, and " baptizing it in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" because "it is written in the law of the Lord, eveiy male that openeth the womb, shall be called holy to the Lord." — huke ii. 23. This law was not abolished, but continued in the gospel dispensation ; or why should the apostle Paul tell us, " the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelievmg wife is sanctified by the husband : else were your children uuclean ; but now are they holy." — 1 Cor. vii. 14. In what sense these children of the behoving Corinthians were holy we cannot understand, unless they were sancti- fied, or set apart by baptism, when " they were presented to the Lord." — huke ii. 22. Such being the case, we must continue in the apostohc faith and practice, in admitting infants to baptism, and thus set them apart for God. " Then let the children of the saints, Be dedicate to God ; Pour out thy Spirit on them. Lord, And wash them in thy blood. Thus to the parents and their seed, Shall thy salvation come ; And numerous households meet at last, In one eternal home." Those who object to infant baptism, can only do so by setting aside the perpetuity of the Abrahamic covenant. Thus, Mr. Peice labours to nuUify the arguments of the apostle Paul, when addressing the Galatian Church ; OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 28 " Brethren, I speak after the manner of men ; though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and unto seeds, as of many : but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Chiist, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." — Gal. iii. 15 — 17. Mr. Peice says, page 4;-^ " If scripture chronology is worth anything, it ^vas not 430 years from the covenant of circumcision, refeiTed to by Mr. L., to the giving of the law. The one vcsls e.g. 1898, the other e.g. 1491, so that the time between these two was only 407 years." The covenant of which the apostle speaks, [Gal. iii. 17.] which the law, being 430 years after, could not disannul, is evidently not the covenant of circumcision, but a manifestation of the covenant of grace given to Abraham twenty-three yeai*s before the covenant of circumcision, [see Gen. xii. 1,3.] We need not say a word in defence of what has been advanced in Infant Baptism Scrijjturally Defended on the covenant of circumcision, for the apostle plainly tells us, that Abraham " received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised : that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised." — Rom, iv. 11. Therefore, the sign of circumcision had to do with the faith Abraham had, twenty-three years previous to his receiving the sign, and also had to do with the same promise given to Isaac and Jacob. If God was pleased to defer the sign, until twenty-three years after the promise to Abraham, and, on more than one occasion, give him the same promise, after he had received the ♦Infant Baptism Scripturally Refuted. 24 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN sign, [see Gen. xii. 3, xvii. 5 — 20, xviii. 17, 19, xxii. 16, 18, xxvi. 4.] it does not effect the covenant that it should become null and void, but confirms the faith, and establishes the covenant of grace as an " everlasting covenant." — Gen. xvii. 7. That Abraham " might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised ; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also : and the father of circumcision to tliem who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of owe father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised." — Rom. iv. 1 1 , 12. Here we have behevers in Christ, called the children of Abraham ; having the same faith he had, for which he received the sign of circumcision : therefore, circumcision must be connected with the gospel dispensation, or there must be some other " seal of the righteousness of the faith " we now have, as a substitute for circumcision. Then, if we take baptism as that substitute, we cannot be far wi'ong, seeing, that those who differ with us on baptism, admit " it is true, that circumcision and baptism both teach and represent a change of heart and life ;" so that, if Abraham gave circumcision to the infant, without faith, we may safely follow in the same course, and give baptism to the infant, both being designed to teach the same thing. Therefore it is absurd, and altogether contrary to the reasoning of the apostle, to introduce twenty-three years of delay between the promise and the seal, as an argument against the per- petuity of the covenant of circumcision ; especially from those, who, above all men, ought to know that God is not confined to twenty-thi'ee years to effect his purposes: seeing, " that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day-" — 2 Peter, iii. 8. Because we have contended for the continuance of the covenant given to Abraham, in the Christian Church, OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 25 we are charged with ** the very Judaizing spiiit, which hindered the Galatian Church from running well." But, having carefully examined the writings of the apostle Paul, we have nothing to retract, but much to strengthen om' faith in the perpetuity of the covenant given to Abraham : for can it be possible, that the apostle who circumcised Timothy, [Acts xvi. 3.] in so doing, acted contrary to his own teachings, or violated any principle? when he says, "circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law : but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy ckcumcision is made uncircumcision." — Eom. ii. 25, 29. Then it is not in the letter that we are to understand circumcision, but in the spirit, because he who may be circumcised in the flesh, may be a "breaker of the law," and uncircumcised in heart. Therefore we have done no more than the apostle, in maintaining a spiritual circumcision ; " For we thi'ou,f?li the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any- thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." — Gal. v. 5, 6. Hence, the circumcision of the flesh is not essential to the fulfilling of the covenant, but is left open, which justifies Paul in circimicising Timothy. But when the Galatians used " their liberty for an occasion to the flesh," then the apostle speaks out : — " Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Clmst shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no eflect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." — Gal. v. 2 — 4. This is the error into which the Galatian Church had fallen — justification by works : trusting in the circumcision of the flesh as a means of salvation : and teaching a doctrine of men. " Except ye be circumcised after the mamier ^6 THE NATTJEE AXD DESIGN of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Ye must be circumcised and keep the law." — Acts xv. 1, 24. Of which doctrine Peter was not free at Antioch, for Paul " withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed." — Gral. ii. 11,16. Such a doctiine is being taught in the present day — namely, Baptismal Ptegeneration, a trusting to the out- ward sign for justification and salvation — developing itself in different denominations of professing Christians, not exempting rigid Baptists ; for if what we have given us, in Infant Baptism ScripturaUy Refuted, be a specimen of the faith of that denomination, we have Baptismal Regeneration taught, not only in theoiy, but in practice, inasmuch as the author of that pamphlet sets it down as sound doctrine, that baptism is "the means of giving the answer of a good conscience toward God ;" of course, omitting "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh," for this does away with the outward sign having anything to do with " gi'^ng the answer of a good conscience toward God." Tiie baptism which the apostle speaks of is entu-ely of a spiritual character, having notliing to do with the flesh; or why "the like figure whereunto baptism doth now save us ?" The apostle was evidently giving a figure of the past, which was the means of salvation through faith alone. But on taking the Baptists' translation of this passage, we find that the sense is changed, as ha\'ing to do with the baptism of the body, and, in consequence, is the " means of giving the answer of a good conscience toward God " — then the Baptist translation will read thus,* "the like figure whereunto dipping doth also now save us." Now, there can be no dipping of the soul ; yet, if we are to take the Baptist translation as "the truth," then we have a salvation by dipping. Hence, the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration is fully established, which is contrary to the sense tu which the apostle is to be OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 27 nnderstood, when he says, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter, iii. 21. Therefore this baptism cannot have to do with the flesh, but with the Spirit, in sprinkling " the heart from an evil conscience." — Heb. x. 22. Again, were we to practice dipping, we should give an undue prominence to works, when faith should take the precedence, as the only means of justification. It was this that hindered the Galatian Church from running well ; that they "should not obey the truth," concerning which the apostle questions them ; " This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? Are ye so foolish ? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, w^hosoever of you are justified by the law ; ye are fallen from grace." Gal. iii. 1,3, v. 3, 4. Then if baptism and circumcision were designed to teach " a change of heart and Hfe," they must be equal, so far as regards the law. And, if dipping, which Baptists say is Christian baptism, be essential to church fellowship and salvation, as we have seen from their o^vn translation, they are chargeable with the same Judaizing spirit so manifest in the Galatian Church. " Therefore thou art inexcusable, man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself ; for thou that judgest doest the same things." — Rom. u. 1. Then let us hear no more of dipping being " the truth," as though "the truth" was confined to the narrow limits of the baptistry ; " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature," — ^Gal. vi. 15. So is it with baptism. " Where c2 98 THE NATURE AND DESIGN is boasting then ? it is excluded. By what law ? Of works ? Nay : but by the law of faith ; Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law." — Rom. iii. 27, 28. This was no new doctrine taught by the apostle, but one that must be known to the Jews, if they understood the law and the prophets ; for Jeremiah more than 600 years before had prophesied, — " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised ; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and 5 the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness : for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart." — Jer. ix. 25, 26. Here we have a "thus saith the Loed," that the outward sign was never intended to distinguish his people from the idolatrous nations of the earth, but all are placed on an equality when they are destitute of the vital principle of godhness, namely, circumcision, or the baptism of the heart, which alone can distinguish the people of God, and seal them heirs "according to the promise." Then let us hold fast the beginning of our confidence, and be no more "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive," — Ephesians iv. 14. Second. — Infant Baptism, practised hy the Jews, a sufficient guarantee for the continuance of the same in the Christian Church. God at all times has given manifestations of his love towards children, and has commanded that they shall be cared for, and trained to walk in his ways. Hence, Moses addressed Israel — "Hear, Israel: The Lord OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 29 our God is one Lord : And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall he in thine heart : and thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." — Deut. \i. 4 — 7. Here is a "THUS SAiTH THE LoRD," that children shall be instructed in the first principles of the service ordained by God in his church ; a service that was not intended for the synagogue, or temple alone, but for the domestic circle, "when thou sittest in thine house." The youthful mind was constantly to be exercised in the command- ments of God, that the outward sigu of the covenant might be turned to a spiiitual account, so as to under- stand the nature of that service God requires. " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God wdth all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." In teaching this, we teach an important truth to the child, that of love and obedience commanded by God. Thus parent and child are to be interested in the service of God by the same process of teaching, and receiving the com- mandments of God in the heart, which unquestionably is what our Lord intended, when he commanded his disciples, sapng, " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." — Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. This is Christian baptism, designed for infants and adults. But, say the Baptists, "you must teach them first ! " And so say we, when the gospel is, for the fii'st time, preached to an idolatrous nation, for we cannot expect them to receive baptism 30 ' THE NATURE AND DESIGN until they shall have some knowledge of the nature and design of that ordinance. Then they will admit their children to baptism. Thus adults will be taught previous to baptism, and infants after baptism, which is all that is required in the command, when we compare Matthew xxviii. 19, 20, where our Lord tells his disciples in the nineteenth verse, to teach all nations before baptism, and in the twentieth verse, to teach them after baptism. Hence, children must be included, since we know of no nation existing without them. Therefore it would be more to the purpose if our Baptist friends, who are so tenacious about teaching before baptism, would baptize the children they teach, and not require of them what the commission does not demand. In this they go beyond what is required in the commission, by demanding faith in all cases as essential to baptism — thus making baptism of primary importance, and equal to the salvation of the soul. "Thus saith the Lord," — "He that believeth on him is not condemned : but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." — John iii. 18. *' He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark xvi. 16. It is impossible for children to exercise this faith. Therefore if faith be essential to baptism, and infants are refused the ordinance because they have not that faith, so in like manner they must be refused salvation, because they have not the faith that is necessary. Then we ask, how will the Baptist, having lost his child in infancy (behoving that it has gone to heaven), reconcile his practice with his faith, in denying to that child that which is not essential to salvation, because it had not faith, when he believes it has obtained salvation without faith ? Surely, after calm reflection, he must come to the conclusion, that when our Lord OF CEKISTIAN BAPTISM. 81 cominaiided his disciples to baptize all nations, ho included children in the commission, as infant baptism had been for ages practised in the Jewish Church. This we have from the apostle Paul, when he says, — "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed tlirough the sea ; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." — 1 Cor. x. 1,2. Here the apostle speaks not only of a few, but all were baptized unto Moses ; infants and adults, for all alike " were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea." Then "all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea." Some, however, wiU object to the baptism of these infants, on the ground of their unconsciousness and incapability of exercising faith ; because the apostle says, "our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea." But were we to take this only to prove who "were baptized unto Moses," we should do it to the disparagement of other portions of scripture. Therefore it is only by comparing the Old Testament with the New Testament Scripture, that we learn, and ai'e able to prove, that infants w^ere baptized along with their parents. When the children of Israel were about to depart from Egyj)t, it is said, " Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharoah : and he said unto them. Go, serve the Lord your God : but who are they that shall go ? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and ^^dth our herds will we go ; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I vdW let you go, and your little ones ; look to it ; for evil is before you." — Exodus x. 8 — 10. Here we have sufficient proof that infants were included in the number wlio 32 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN passed through the sea, and were baptized unto Moses. But the rigid Baptist will tell us, " that none have a right to the ordinance of baptism, unless they are made partakers of the Holy Ghost." Hence the children of the Jews are excluded from the baptism spoken of by Moses, " in the cloud and in the sea." This same people, holding high CaMnistic doctrines, say, " baptism ought only to be administered to the behever, or the elect." These are only assertions, without a scriptural foundation whereon to stand ; for when tested by the word of God, we are able to discover their shallowness, and prove that they are not of God, but of men. For these people must admit, according to their o^Yn faith in the doctrine of election, that the apostle in directing his epistle to the church at Corinth, addressed the elect of God. And when he reminded them of their fathers being baptized unto Moses "in the cloud and in the sea," tJiej vdW. also admit, that the apostle only spake of the elect being baptized unto Moses. But, when we examine the character of these people, we find their hardness of heart and unbelief prevailed, so as to hinder them from inheriting the promises; "they could not enter in because of unbelief." — Kom. iii. 19. Therefore there is no alternative for the rigid Baptist, but to believe they were not of the elect ; so that if the apostle spake only of adults being baptized, then these unbehevers " were baptized unto Moses," but if he spake of the elect, as these Baptists would have us particularly to keep in mind, then he evidently included children, for they entered into the promised land, and were the fathers of those who possessed it ; and if they were baptized unto Moses, it was " in the cloud and in the sea," when they were infants, for these are they, whom God permitted to enter into rest, but rejected the adult, when he said, " Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 33 prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and e\'il, they shall go in thitlier, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the ^vildemess by the way of the Red sea." — Deut. i. 39, 40. Hence we conclude that Moses baptized infants and adults, which the apostle confirms, and the faith of the rigid Baptist establishes : " that the purpose of God according to election might stand." — Rom. Lx. 11. However inconsistent their faith may be with their practice, they must admit the baptism of these elect children " unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." That baptism was known and practised among the Jews is e\ident ; for when " Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Jesus answered. Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be bom of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. - - * Nicodemus answered and said unto liim how can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him. Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these tilings?" — John iii. 2 — KK This question at once suggests, that Jesus was setting forth no new doctrine, but a doctrine well known to those who "waited for the consolation of Israel," although Nicodemus, a master in Israel, displayed so much ignorance concerning its truth. If there had been n(» such doctrine taught among the Jews, it would have been superfluous to put the question, " Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these things?" There- fore it must follow, that the same doctrine taught in the Jewish Church, is retained in the Christian Church. *' Except a man be bom of water and of the Spirit, he saying, — "Come, holy Spirit, heavenly dove, With all thy quickening powers ; Kindle a flame of sacred love In these cold hearts of ours." But we proceed to notice the many definitions given to the term baptize, which Mr. Thobne has collected from several Baptist wiiters. " They assure us," says Mr. Thorne,* " that the Greek verb Baptize, means always and only to dip, or that, according to the usual arrangement of the definitions of it in most lexicons, tliis is its literal and primary meaning — -proving, beyond all doubt, that the apostles really dqjped their converts under water in baptism. This assump- tion is deemed the stronghold of our opponents, who, consequently labour to defend it with their utmost skill and perseverance. But that it is utterly un- tenable will be apparent by the subsequent remarks. To show the fallacy of the former assertion, I shall give you, in the first place, an alphabetical list of the translations or adopted renderings of this word, by four or five of their own leading writers ; who, you may naturally suppose, have not selected passages nor given versions more to the damage of their own cause, than they were absolutely compelled by controversial necessity : — • Dipping net Baptizing, page 7. D 3 58 THE NATURE AND DESIGN Bathe Imbue Quenched Besmear Immersed Kedden Caused Infected Run through Coloured Involved Smeared Covered Laid under Soaked Crushed Let down Sprinkled Daubed Oppressed Stained Dip Overhead and ears Sink Drawing water Overwhelmed Steep Drank much Plunged Swallowed up Drowned Pour Thrust Dyed Purify Tinged Fill Put Washed Given up to Put into in all 42. Wetted: Observe, secondly, that in seven Greek lexicons and Montanus' version of the scriptures, no less than 23 Latin words are employed to express the import of the the term Baptize in its various connexions. Abluo, wash away Colo, colour Demergo, dive Duco, lead Figo, pierce Fuco, paint Haurio, draw up Irribuo, imbue Immergo, plunge Impleo, fill Intingo, dye Lavo, wash Madefacio, wet Maculo, pollute Mergo, dip Mundo, cleanse Obruo, overwhelm Pereo, perish Purgo, purge Muhesco, redden Submergo, put under Terreo, affright Tinge, stain Again, the Baptists say, 'that Tingo and Baptizo signify the same thing ' — and in four Latin Dictionaries Tingo is explained by no less than 14 different English verbs : — Bathe Dye Colour Imbue Dip Immerse Moisten Stain Wash Paint Tincture Wet Sprinkle Tinge They also tell us, that ' The Hebrew Tahal is of the same signification as Baptizo ' — and in five Hebrew OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 59 lexicons this word is defined by no less than ten distinct terms: Baptize Dive Immerse Merge Plunge Dip Dye Infect Intinge Tinge And these definitions of the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew verbs, are not only various, but the majority of them is greatly in favour of applying the element to the object. Now, it is clear if tliis word have so many applications, and represents actions so opposite to that of putting a person under water, and instantly raising him out of it, or if it be synonymus with Tubal and Tingo, with what propriety can our opponents assert that it means always and only to dip or immerse?" Mr. Alcorn is very stubborn on this point ; in page 24, he says, " Dr. Carson obseiTes, that ' bajjto signifies primarily to di}),' and as a secondary meaning, obviously derived from the primary, it denotes to dye. Every occurrence of the word may be reduced to one or other of these acceptations. * * * That baj^to is used hi the New Testament in the sense of dipping, and in this sense only, I shall now proceed to show. 1. In Matthew xxvi. 23, it is wTitten, — ' And Jesus answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.' Now, suppose we substituted the word sprinkleth for the word dipjyeth^ and then see whether the sense will be alike good. 'He that sprinkleth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.' How could a man sprinlde his hand in a dish ? We Imow well that he could dip it in ; but to sprinkle it in would be impossible. Our excellent translators knew this ; and therefore they were compelled to give the word in this passage its correct and legitimate rendering. 2. In Luke xvi. 24, we read, — * And he cried uud said, Father Abraham, have mcrcv on me, and send 60 THE NATURE AND t)ESlGN Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame.' Now, were we to read, ' That he may sprinkle the tip of his finger in water,' would it be ahke intelligible ? It would be impossible to sprinkle the tip of his finger in water ; but it would be quite easy to di}] it in. Bapto, then, must mean to dip.'' Such is the conclusion come to by Mr. Alcorn, which he thinks shows the absurdity of sprinkling, but which, in reaUty, proves that dipping is not baptizing, for there is not the remotest idea given in the text, that our Lord meant to say, *'he that baptizeth or immerseth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me." Neither are we to under- stand, that the whole hand was dijjped in the dish, in the sense Baptists understand their dipping. Hence immer- sion, as understood by Baptists, is a straining of the term dipping, (merely to suit their practice) for when taken m its proper sense, it means, as Mr. Alcorn gives it from Dr. Carson, to " dye.'' Therefore, a piece of cloth undergoing the process of dying, must be well soaked in order to be well dyed ; which will correspond with the list given from Baptist writers, in which they say, the Greek verb Baptizo "means always to dip;" from which the terms immersed and soaked are derived. So that the Baptists will not feel angry with us, if we say, that they would not like to carry out their faith to the full extent in their practice, and be well soaked before they are baptized. Thus, we can do no other than agree with Mr. Alcorn, that " our excellent trans- lators have given the word dip its correct and legitimate rendering," because it does not mean "always" to baptize. And this we have from another portion of the word of God ; when Naaman the Syrian was healed of his leprosy, according to the saying of the man of God— *' Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 61 Jordan." — 2 Kings, v. 14. This dipping was not baptizing — being very different to the practice of Baptists in one man dipping another, yet the same term is used for the dipping of Naaman, as Baptists use for their baptism. Therefore, prefering the scriptural sense of the term, we come to the conclusion that the practice of dipping is the invention of men. But once more : Mr. Alcorn goes on to say, *• In John xiii. 26, we read, ' Jesus answered, he it is, to whom I shall give a sop (or morsel); he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.' Now, let us try whether we can substitute for dipped, the word poured, and still presence the sense. * He it is to whom I shall give a sop (or morsel) when I have poured it. And when he had poured the sop (or morsel), he gave it to Judas Iscariot.' You at once perceive that a sop (or morsel) could not be poured, but that it could be easily dipped into some sauce. In Revelations xix. 13, it is written, *And he was clothed with a vestm-e dijjped in blood.' That a vesture might be dipped in blood, is obvious; but that it could be poured or sprinkled in blood, is by no means credible. In every instance in which hapto occurs in the New Testament, our Translators have rendered it by the word Dip.'' Such are the arguments Mr. Alcorn advances to prove his practice of dipping. But what the dipping of a sop, and a vestm-e dipjjed in blood, has to do with Christian baptism, I am at a loss to know — for there is not the slightest reference to baptism in the passages quoted — dipping ha^dng nothing to do with baptism, which is by sprinkling or pouring. There- fore, Mr. Alcorn has done more to damage the cause of dipping, than it were possible for us to do by all the arguments we could advance against the system. How- ever, there is one passage in Eph. v. 25, 26, which none wiU deny hat> reference to Chiistian baptism : " Chiist 63 THE NATtJRE AND DfiSIGK also loved the Church, and gave himself for it ; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." In Lev. viii. 10 — 12, it is written : " And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and aU that there was therein, and sanctified them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels; both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." Thus we have pouring and sprinkling commanded by God, as the outward sign of sanctification. Therefore, if there is no sprinkling, or pouring in the Christian church, Christ did not sanctify and cleanse it, in the sense in which it is to be understood in the scriptures. If bapto signifies primarily to dip, and has a secondary meaning obviously derived from the primary, it denotes to dye^ and "every occurrence of the word may be reduced to one or the other of these acceptations." Mr. Alcoen would not object to our trying the passages he has quoted, to prove the foolishness of sprinkling and pouring, according to the principle laid down by himself in the definition of the term bapto; and, as dip and immerse is generally admitted by Baptists to have the same meaning, none will object to our using immerseth instead of dippeth, in the following passage : — " And Jesus answered and said, he that immerseth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me." Now, as the terai immersion is given by some lexicographers to mean " to sink deep, to keep depressed, and to saturate," which agrees with the tenn soaked, we must conclude that Judas immersed his hand in the dish, or he dipped it without immersing it. Hence, dipping and immersion have not the same meaning, for the hand can be dipped without being immersed ; therefore, it is OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 63 contrary to all sense to suppose, that the hand must be immersed before partaking of a sop. Again, if " bapto has a secondary meaning to dye,'' and is to be found in the passages referred to by Mr. Alcorn, then we have in Luke xvi. 24 — "And he cried and said, Father Abra- ham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dye the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame." Such a translation of the passage is not only uninteUigible, but sheer nonsense. For I must confess, that I never heard imtil now, that Christian baptism was to be compared to a dying process ! It is true that " divers washings " were practised by the Jews, such as washing the head, the hands, and the feet, also bathing the "flesh in water," [Num. xix. 19.] but the most frequent of these wasliings was by pouring or sprinkhng; and never in any case was it known that one man dipped another. Therefore, when Baptists prove to us, from the scriptures, that John and Christ dipped their disciples, then we wiU receive their testimony as the truth. But at present we content ourselves with sprinkling, as the scriptural mode of baptism, behex-ing that nothing more is requii'ed by Christ, in the commission given to his disciples. Mr. Price objects to the idea of washing by sprinkling, when he says, " Mr. L.'s idea of washing is quite a novel one. He asks. Did not the Psalmist understand sprinkling, when he said, ' Purge me \\ith hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.' — Psalm U. 7. Whatever others may have done, I confess that I never till now heard teU of washing by sprinkling!" Wonderful discovery, for one professing to write on Christian baptism ! Yet, it is as much as may be expected from those who cannot rise above the surface of "the water," as though all the washings mentioned in scripture consisted in bathing or dipping 64. THE NATURE AND DESIGN the flesh in water. But, can we come to such a conclusion, when we have such evidence as the following from Christ? "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet : but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head." — -Luke vii. 44. Another novel idea of washing for Mr. Price. Again it is written, •' He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash his disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel where- with he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter ; and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith rnito him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." John xiii. 4 — 10. This also may be a novel idea to Mr. Price, but it is a thus saith the Lord, that his washing of the feet, hands and head, is not required in the ceremonial service of the church, and, therefore, on Christ's authority, we dispense with it. Above all men it is expected that " the elect " should know how to " sanctify the Lord God in" their " hearts : and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh " them " a reason of the hope that is in them." — 1 Peter, iii. 15. Sometimes^ however, we hear men boasting of their being of the elect, yet displaying much ignorance respecting that which can only distinguish them as such, namely, "the washing of regeneration and renew- ing of the Holy Ghost ; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Sa\iour." — Titus iii. 5. Thus, if we are regenerated and washed by the Holy Ghost, it OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 65 is not by dipping, but pouring ; as Titus says, " shed on us abundantly," which corresponds with another portion of scripture : — "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground ; I ^\ill pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." And because such passages are introduced to prove the washing of regeneration, or baptism, they are ridiculed by Mr. Price, page 13, "as the blessings of grace set forth under the idea of sprinkhng and pouring," as though there was no reality in the pouring out of the Holy Ghost, because it does not correspond ^vith his practice of dipping. Therefore, quoting his own words, we say, " Hence we see the folly of all such carnal reasonings." Had Mr. Price been acquainted with the scriptures, I feel persuaded he would not have allowed the following sentence to appear in his publica- tion : — " I confess that I never until now, heard tell of washing by spiinlding ! " For henceforth he must loose all confidence as a Cliristian teacher, until he can appreciate the language of the Psalmist, — "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." — Psalm li. 7. Then, so soon as he shall experience the same washing by sprinkling, the " idea of washing " will not be " a novel one," but such as may be found on comparing the scriptures. For THUS SAiTH THE LoRD, " As for the hving bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bu'd in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water : And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the field." — Lev. xiv. 6, 7. Here we have a person pronounced clean, so soon as he had been sprinkled ; therefore the cleansing, or washing by sprinkhng, was no "novel 66 THE NATURE A:^?D DESIGN idea " to the Jews. Nay, the apostle reminds them of the fact. " For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh ; How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ?" — Heb. ix. 13, 14. Here the apostle uses the same term as the Psalmist, and expresses the same idea of sprinkling, or purging the conscience. Then need we wonder that the Psalmist should say, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, God ; and renew a right spirit within me." — Psalm li. 7 — 10. The Jews being accustomed to the sprinkling, or washing of water, could not mistake the words spoken by God, through the prophet Ezekiel : — " Then \\ill I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you." We may be told that "the blessings of grace are set forth under the idea of sprinkling," but it refers to the time when the Jews shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Then being buried with him in baptism, they will experience the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as promised by God. " A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you : and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." — Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 27. That this has yet to be accompHshed is evident from the following passage : " Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions : but I will save them out of all OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 07 their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them : so shall they be my people, and I vdW be their God. And David my sen-ant shall be king over them ; and they all shall have one shepherd : they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." — Ezek, xx.wii. 23, 24. Here are shalls and wills, which the Particular Baptist would do well to notice, as coming from God ; having to do with the shepherd of the flock, of whom it is written, " his visage was so marred more than any man, and his foi-m more than the sons of men : So shall he sprinkle many nations." — Isaiah lii. 14, 15. Hence we learn, that this sprinkUng is not for the Jew only, but for the Gentile, and, therefore, if Cliiist sprinkles his people at all, it is, as we have before observed, to sanctify his church with the washing of water by the word. Thus the church is " baptized into Christ," [Gal. iii. 27.] not dipped into Christ, but baptized into the faith of his visage, being "maiTed more than any man," and that " he poured out his soul unto death." Hence the apostle says, " For by one Spirit are we all baptized (not dipped) into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." — 1 Cor. xii. 13. Once more we have to notice the arguments of the Baptists, in favour of theii' practice of dipping, from the prepositions in, into, and out of. These prepositions, they say, " are sufficient to prove beyond all doubt, that the disciples of John were dipped under water ;" of course forgetting that they might be in the water, and yet not ujider the water. Therefore, in the water, and under the water, have different meanings, as will be seen from the following quotation. " The prepositions in question are translations of four Greek words: — Apo, rendered out of, in Matt. iii. 16; En, rendered 68 THE NATURE AND DESIGN in. Matt. iii. 6 ; Eis and Ek, rendered into and out of, Acts viii. 38, 39. Perhaps the reader will be surprised to learn that in Schleusner's celebrated lexicon of the Greek Testament, the first is said to have 20 different senses ; the second 36 ; the third 26 ; and the last 24. Again, the translators of the English Testament have rendered the first by 24 different words ; the second by 32 ; the third by 36 ; and the last by 32. Finally, the word Apo is translated by from 374 times ; En, by at, on, or with, 313 times ; Eis, by to or unto, 538 times ; and Ek, hjfrom, 186 times. And it may be added, that learned men deem such to be the current senses of these respective prepositions, especially of the first three of them.* One passage of scripture will be sufficient to prove, that the preposition in, is not to be imderstood always in the sense Baptists would have us to understand it, in making out their dipping. " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit down in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." — Kev. iii. 21. If we are to exercise our senses on this passage, we shall come to the conclusion that Christ sat on the throne, and not in the throne. Therefore, because it is said, " and they of Jerusalem were baptized of John in the river of Jordan," we are not to conclude that John dipped his disciples under the water, for if so, our Baptist friends must allow us to use the preposition, when it is said, " John did baptize in the wilderness," [Mark i. 4, 5.] which is not composed of water, but sand. Hence we must conclude, that John dipped his disciples in neither, especially when we read in the eighth verse, that he baptized them *' with water," and not in water. But, their is one historian who says, concerning John the Baptist, " The exhortations of this * Thome's Dipping not Baptizing, page 9. OF CHRISTLiN BAPTISM. 69 respectable messenger were not without effect; and thos© who, moved by his solemn admonitions, had foraied the resolution of correcting their evil dispositions and amending their lives, were initiated into the kingdom of the Kedeemer by the ceremony of immersion, or baptism. Christ himself before he began his ministry, desii-ed to be solemnly baptized by John in the waters of Jordan, that he might not in any point, neglect to answer the demands of the Jewish law."* So says Mosheim, but his evidence is contrary to the law, for there was no such demand in the law as one man dipjnng another.f And John being of the priesthood, would understand the law, and would baptize according to the law, by sprinkling his disciples. This we shall endeavour to prove — of course, taking the same privilege as the Particular Baptists in proving their Particular Redemption — from the law. I Some will say, that John was the first Baptist; whereas baptism was known long before, according to the apostle Paul, when he said to the church at Corinth, *' Moreover brethren I would not have you ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea ; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." — 1 Cor. x. 1, 2. Then, • Mosheim, Cen. i. chap. 8. + In a Tract, issued by a sect of Baptists calling themselves " The Disciples of Jesus," written in the form of question and answer, there is the following: — " "Who was the most distinguished person whom he (John the Baptist) baptized ?— The Saviour of the world. For what purpose was he baptized ?— Neither for confessing his sins, nor for receiving remission of them, but * to fulfil all righteousness,' or to honour the righteous institutions of God. ' Thus ' said he, ' it becomes us to fulfU all righteousness,' or observe every divine institution." Now, if immersion was a (h^'ine institution, those who hold it as such, as given to John, ought in all justice to tell us where there is such a *' divine institution " in the law, for until they do this we must abide by our faith and practice— believing our Lord fulfilled the righteousness of the law, when baptized by John. t Rushton on Particular Redemption. 70 THE NATURE AND DESIGN because some were baptized " in the cloud and in the sea," are we to take the preposition as meaning, that the J were actually dipped " in the cloud and in the sea?" Certainly not ; for it is written, " The children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea ; and the waters were a wall mito them on their right hand, and on theii* left." — Exodus xiv. 29. Thus, they were in the midst of the sea, yet upon dry land. There was no dipping here. Then how were they baptized unto Moses? The Psalmist says, "the waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee ; they were afraid : the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water, the skies sent out a sound." — Psalm Ixxvii. 16, 17. Now, as it is not said that Moses baptized the people, but that they " were baptized unto Moses," they could be baptized in no other way than by the pouring out of water from the clouds ; yet, though I take this view of the baptism of the children of Israel, I would not deny to our Baptist friends the right of making out their immersion from the same chapter ; for it is written, ** And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the hosts of Pharoah that came into the sea after them ; there remained not so much as one of them." — Exodus xiv. 27, 28. Thus the Egyptians were immersed in the sea, but there is nothing said of their being baptized, which proves that immersion is not baptism. If this should not be con- clusive evidence against immersion, for those who say that a person must be "overwhelmed" before he is duly baptized, then we refer them once more to the scriptures, for it is written, "And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies." — Psalm bcxviii. 53. Hence the Egyptians were immersed or overwhelmed, but not " baptized unto Moses." On the OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 71 contrary, the children of Israel were not immersed or overwhelmed in the sea, yet they were baptized ; plainly showing, that immersion has nothing to do with baptism. And this is more clear from the command given to Moses on the mount : " And the Lord said mito Moses, Go unto the people and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they w^ashed their clothes." — Exodus xix. 10, 14.* Now, it would be impossible for Moses to sanctify the people in two days, by dipping * "The Disciples of Jesus," professing to advocate *' the Restoration of Primitive Christianity," have, for some months past, been seeking? to establish themselves in Manchester, and for this purpose have been very diligent in distributing Tracts, and delivering Discourses on subjects relating to what they call "a Cliristian Church on the Apostolic basis." Some of these Discourses I have attended, particularly one on "Christian Union," by Mr. J. B. Rotherham, in which he said, " before there can be Christian Union there must be one baptism." I could readily understand what this "one baptism" was, from their Tract, entitled Questions on Baptism, from which I give the following : — *' How do you view all Paedo-Baptists, with regard to this ordinance of baptism ? Can you, according to the scriptures, consider them as unbaptized ?— There is but one baptism ; and all who have not been immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, after professing the faith of the gospel, have never been baptized, and are now in an unbaptized state." This being their view of " all Psedo-Baptists," I undertook, at their Conference on the subject, to prove— 1. That there was no such baptism as iromersion taught in the scriptures. 2. That John never baptized his disciples by immersion, but by sprinkling according to the law. Also, that John was not the first Baptist, as baptism was known to the Jews 1,500 years before he had an existence. 3. That Christ never sanctified his churcn by dipping or immersion. Time would not admit of any lengthened remarks, as only ten minutes was allowed to each speaker ; whilst Messrs. Kino and Bothbrham, who had pre^^ously given the Discourses, occupied one hour and a half in opening and closing the Conference ; therefore, giving no chance of a reply to any arguments advanced by them. However, Mr. RoTHEKHAM, whcu replying to the various speakers, very graciously passed by my arguments, by saying, *' Our friend has taken gieat pains in bringing his artillery to bear against immersion." In responding to the compUment, I could but recommend Mr. R. to peruse these arguments, as they appear in a more lengthened form in this book. Mr. King, in his reply, only took up one argument in reference to the passage of the children of Israel through the sea, by saying, "The Israelites had the sea on each side of them, and the cloud over them, so that they were immersed unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Thus Mr. Kino admitted the fact that baptism was known to the Jews 1,500 years before John had an existence, contrary to their Qiiestiom on Baptism, which asks, " "VNTio was the first Baptist ?— John the harbinger of Christ." And again, Mr. Kiag is ut issue with this Tract, 72 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN them under water, therefore he sanctified them by sprinkling water of puiifjing upon them, in the same way Aaron and his sons were sanctified. [Lev. viii. 10 — 12.] Then let none ridicule the idea, as a " novel one," but let them enquire what saith the Lord, and then they will learn that the Lord commanded Moses to ** Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus thou shalt do to cleanse them : Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean." — Nmn. viii. 6, 7. Therefore, having so clear a description of the Jewish mode of baptism, or purification, can we for a moment suppose that a priest would act in any way contraiy to the law, by dipping his disciples in the river for it says, baptism is being "immersed in water and completely over- wbelmed in it." Now the Israelites did not touch, the sea or the cloud, therefore they were neither immersed nor overwhelmed ; for " the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them." So that it would pass over them, and thus pour down water, according to the Psalmist, to baptize them. [Psahn Ixxvii. 16, 17.] But, on the contrary, thatcloud was *' darkness" (or mist) to the Egyptians, so that they were "overwhelmed " in the cloud, and " immersed " in the sea, and so received the baptism taught by Mr. King, [see Exodus xiv. 19—22, Psalm Ixxvui. 53.] On another occasion I attended two Discourses, one by Mr. Kotherham, on " the Institution of Circumcision," and the other by Mr. King, on •' the Institution of Christian Baptism." In the first of these, we had very little of the " Institution of Circumcision," and nothing at aU about the circum- cision of the heart, which the covenant was designed to teach. Therefore, I could not help remarking, that if Mr. Rotheeham knew anything at all about Primitive Christianity, he ought to teach it as Paul taught it, when he said, " For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."— PhU. ui. 3, Rom. ii. 28, 29. Mr. King's Discourse consisted altogether of raillery against aU who practised Infant Baptism, which he denounced as the •'master curse." However, I am glad to find that they have been so well met by the working men of Manchester, which Mr. King appeared to feel, when' he said, " You have not dealt handsomely with us ; aU have spoken against us, and none for us." This goes to prove, that the people of Manchester know more of Primitive Christianity, than those who come from London and Nottingham to teach it to them. We are informed in their British Evangelist, that, from the 1st of July to the 16th of September, " six individuals have been immersed into Jesus' death ;" and they have formed a church of " trvelve in all." Surely, it will not be said of theni, they have " turned the world upside down." OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 73 Jordan ? John came not to introduce a new baptism, or to introduce a new law, but to preach repentance. Neither was there anything startHng to the Jews, when he told them of one who should baptize them "with fire," knowing that it was written in the law, "Everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water of separation.'* — Num. xix. 13, xxxi. 23. Thus the articles purified according to the law, were t}TDical of the work assigned to Christ by the prophets : "And he shall sit as a refiner or purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Le^d, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer imto the Lord an offering in righteousness. " — Mai. iii. 3 . "He shall baptize you \rith the Holy Ghost, and \\ith fire : whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly piu'ge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he ■will bmii up the chaff with unquenchable fii'e," — Matt. iii. 11, 12. God was pleased to fulfil these promises in the hearts of the first Gentile converts, by pmifving them " with the Holy Ghost and v»-ith fire," before they had received the baptism of water, that " one jot or one tittle should in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Thus, when Peter saw " that on the Gentiles also was pom-ed out the gift of the Holy Ghost," he knewthat it was not enough, but knowing the requu'ements of the law, (" nevertheless it shall be purified ^vith the water of separation,") said, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we '? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." Therefore what the water of separation once was to the Jew, baptism now is to the Gentile, in separating him from heathenism and setting liim apart in the name of the Lord. The Jews were commanded to sprinkle all things, whether £ 74 THE NATUKE AND DESIGN they had passed through the fire or not; so did oiir Lord and the apostles baptize those who had received the Holy Ghost, and those who had not, and conse- quently. Christian baptism may be called the anti-type of the water of separation in the Mosaic Economy. Again it is written, " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it be- cometh us to fulfil all righteousness: then he suffered him." Then this righteousness must be in accordance with the law, and was understood as such by John. There- fore, as there is no dipinng in the law, our Lord was not dipped by John; but was sanctified, or set apart according to the law, by pouiing or spiinkling, just as he was about to enter upon his public ministry. [Lev. viii. 9 — 12. "And lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him : And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." — Matt. iii. 16, 17. So that he was not only baptized by John, but by the Spirit; to which Mr. Price objects, when he says, " To this it is sufficient to obsei-ve, that throughout the whole of the New Testament, Chiist is nowhere said to be baptized of the Spirit. So that it will be soon enough to speak about "the manner of application " when we have scriptm'al proof that Christ was thus baptized." Here Mr. P. insinuates the superiority of the baptism of water, in order to fulfil aU righteousness;" and that it was not necessary for our Lord to receive the baptism of the Spirit. • But what saith the scriptm^es? "The Spuit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 75 the broken hearted ; to proclaim Hberty to the captives, and open the prison to them that are bound." — Isaiah Ixi. 1. "That word I say ye know, which was pubHshed throughout Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism John preached. How that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and ^vith power." — Acts X. 37, 38. If Mr. P. will only examine the scriptures, he vdR find that this anointing is by pouiing. [Lev. viii. 11. 12.] Therefore, if the Spirit is pleased to descend in the likeness of a dove on Christ, and as tongues of fire upon the apostles, and to faU on others, I cannot imderstand what difference it can make to Mr. Peice, unless he be like some of Johns disciples who said, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." — Acts xix. 2. But I proceed to notice a few circumstances connected with John's baptism, pro\ing, beyond all doubt, that John did not dip his disciples. And in the first place it is said, " There went out unto him aU the land of Judcea, and they of Jerusalem, and were aU baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing theii' sins." — Mark i. 5. Of the population of Judaea we cannot form a correct idea; however, Josephus says, " So these high-priests, on the coming of theii' feast which is called the Passover, when they slay then- sacrifices from the ninth hour to the eleventh, but so that a company of not less than ten belong to a sacrifice (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves), and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty six thousand, five hundred ; which upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast together, amounts to two million, seven hundred thousand, and two hundred persons that were pui'e."* Thus we • Josephus War, 6, Chap. 9. E 2 76 THE KATUEE AND DESIGN may have some idea of tlie population of Palestine, though what we have from Josephus, only includes the number who came up to the feast of the Passover, A. D. 70. Therefore, the greater number would not be estimated ; so that we are not to suppose, because it is said, •' There went out to liim all the land of Judaea," that John actually baptized the whole population, especially if we are to believe the Baptists, that he dipped them under tlie water. But, suppose we take the lowest estimate at two hundred and fifty thousand persons dipped — allowing two minutes for each, and ten hours each day, (including the Sabbath) for John to continue his dipping, and say nothing about time for preaching — more than two years would elapse before John could have completed the work given him to do by Baptists. But, say the Baptists, " could he not have assistance ?" As there is nothing said on this matter in the scriptures, and Baptists object to our inferences, they must be satisfied with the narrative as it is given. Indeed, there was no necessity for any assistance ; for, if Moses could sanctify all the people in the wilderness in two days, surely John could sanctify the whole popu- lation, by sprinkling upon them the water of purification, during the six months his ministry continued. There- fore, there can be no difiiculty connected with the baptism of John, only as men make it, for it is e^ddent that the baptism of John was according to the customaiy ablutions of the law, from tlie following passage : — " Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said mito him, Rabbi, he that was mth thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." — John iii. 25, 26. Hence we learn, that tliis purifying was baptizing according to the law, and, therefore, it is from OF CHEISTIAN BAPTISM. 77 heaven, which is confirmed by Chiist when he asked the question, " The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" To which the chief priests and scribes answered, "We cannot tell." Thus did Christ appeal to the teachers and wTiters of the law, who professed to be ignorant of the origin of John's baptism, but knew well that it was from heaven according to the law, against which they had rebelled — because they believed not Jolm when he came preaching the baptism of repentance. Again, if John's baptism was by dipping, then of coiu-se all the necessary arrangements must have pre- viously been made ; such as the erection of booths, and the preparation of dipping robes for the thousands who came to be baptized of John in Jordan, for it cannot be expected that John dipped them in the clothing in which they came, and that some of them should return home to Jerusalem, some thii'ty miles distant, dripping as "they came up out of the water ! " Neither can it be expected that John was provided wdth a Macintosh coat, or leggings, duiing the wet and weary work allotted to him by Baptists ; but, on the contrary, we know that John " was clothed with camel's hair, and vvith a girdle of skin about his loins." — Mark i. 0. Thus Jolm wore the loose robes usually worn by the Jews — requuing the girdle to gird them about their loins when on a journey, or engaged in manual labour. [Exodusxii.il.] Hence it was necessary that John should have the " girdle of skin about his loins," to prevent his garment being wet when stoopmg to obtain water to baptize his disciples. Had John dipped liis disciples in the midst of the stream, his clothing would have been saturated and heavy with water; and thus with the weight of his own clotliing, and the weight of those he dipped, it is questionable whether he could have stood the labour for a single day — whereas, according to the 78 THE NATUKE AND DESIGN calculation of some wiiters, it would have taken seven years to di}) all who came to be baptized of John in Jordan. Other circumstances connected with the river Jordan, prove that John did not dijp his disciples. The spot where John baptized has been visited by many intelhgent, and credible travellers, who tell us, that " Here the river Jordan is of considerable width — the water tm^bulent — the bottom rocky — the edges of the bank abrupt — and the depth about six or seven feet close to the shore." Yolney says, " Its breadth between the two principal lakes, in few places exceeds sixty or eighty feet, but its depth is about ten or twelve." Monro says, " The river here, at the baptizing spot, forms an angle, &c.; the width of it might be about thirty-five yards, and the Btream was running with the precipitous fury of a rapid — the bank was steep, shelving off abruptly into deep water." Thompson says, " It is exceedhigly deep, even at the edge of the inner bank." Dr. Shaw computes it " about thuty yards broad, and three yards deep." Chateaubriand found the Jordan to be " six or seven feet deep close to the shore." Therefore, having these facts before us, we must come to the conclusion that John did not dif his disciples in the *' river of Jordan." Seeing then, that there was no probability of dipping in the Jordan, we pass on to ^non, for it is said, " John also was baptizing in ^Enon near to Sahm, because there was much water there." — John iii. 23. A powerful argument for our Baptist friends, *' certainly," but not more powerful than the "much water" in the Jordan for dipping, for it cannot be supposed that John removed from the Jordan to the well of ^non, because there was much more water there for dijjping, for it is described by a Baptist writer as "a cavernous spring called the Dove's Eye ; and such were of great account in Judaea, especially in some seasons." Robinson says, OP CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 79 "It is remarkable that no such place, distinguished by an abundance of water, can be discerned at this day." Calmet also says, that " It is most likely that ^non was to Salim what Jacob's well was to the inhabitants of Samaria — a place of drawing water. At all events it is clear that John could not have quitted the Jordan for iEnon, on account of the quantity of water it contained ; for surely they had enough in the river, and more than in this insignificant well, — which, at best, must have been a most inconvenient place for immersing the people. " If our Baptist friends would take such evidence as this, there would be less quibbhng about the " much water," as though the water could not be used for another and better purpose than dippincj ; wliich is implied in the question asked by Mr. Alcorn, " If the Baptist only sprinkled his converts, what did he want with much water? A small quantity in a leathern bottle would have answered the purpose ; it would have been loss of time to go such a distance merely for much water, and would also have appeared exceedingly ridiculous." But is it not more ridiculous for a public teacher to talk thus, when he ought to know that the Holy Land is not to be compared with his own favoured country, which abounds with springs and rivers. Ought not he to know, that a small quantity " of water was not to be obtained, only at such places as the river Jordan, and the well of ^non, where there was much water?" However, there is this to be said of John's baptism, that there was not so much water required at ^non, as there was in the Jordan; therefore, John did not require the "much water" for dipjnnr/, so much as he required it for the refreshment of those who came to his baptism. It is also veiy unlikely that the inhabitants of ^non would allow a large quantity of water, to be used for the purpose of dipping, and, consequently, there can be no possibility of an argument 80 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN being drawn from the *' much water " in favour of dipping, for it would have been dangerous for a large concourse of people to encamp where there was little or no water. Mr. Alcorn appears to forget that the water would be required for diinking or cleansing purposes, as though John did not want the " much water " for anything else than diptping. Thus, the circumstances connected with John's baptism are never considered by om' Baptist friends, which when considered, must do away with all possibihty that John dipped his disciples. Therefore, it is in vain that Baptists attempt to prove then- practice of dipping from the baptism of John — which they say is Christian baptism — simply, because Christ was baptized by John, and said, "for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness;" though it is true, there was no difference between the baptisms of John and Christ, so far as the mode is concerned, for John's puiifying and Christ's baptizing were understood as having the same meaning. [John iii. 25, 26.] So that the question about pmifying, could not be respecting the mode of adminis- tration, but, because "all men" came to Chiist for baptism — concerning which, Jolm displayed no feeling of jealousy when he said, " He must increase, but I must decrease;" therefore, John's baptism was only for a time, which ended with his ministry, but the baptism of Chiist was to continue, as John bare record — " He that receiveth his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true." — John iii. 33. Hence we have Chiistian baptism as a seal "that God is true," which is the seal of righteousness received in the forehead, by those who are named in the name " of the hving God ;" [Rev. vii. 2, 3.] coiTesponding with the seal of righteousness received in the foreskin of the flesh by Abraham. [Rom. iv. 11.] Though neither seal may be visible to the eye OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 81 of man, tliey are known to God, who gave the seal, and commanded that it should be afifixed in the foreskin of the flesh of his people the Jews, and aftenvards in the foreheads of his ser\-ants in the church of Christ. Then it is clear if we receive the practice of dipping, as the seal of God, we must reverse the order of things, by placing the seal on the back of the head, because in dijyping, that part of the head comes in contact \\ith the element fii'st, and, therefore, it cannot be the seal of Christian baptism. Again, had our Lord practised dipping, there is no telUng when all who are said to have come to his baptism would be baptized ; for it is said, "All men come unto him," and, "that he made more disciples than. John." [John iv. 1, 2.] It is true, that Jesus had assistance, "for Jesus baptized not but his disciples;" yet, with this assistance, it was not possible for them to dip the multitudes, traveUing as they did from city to city through all the land of Judaea, Samaria, and Gahlee, where we have no evidence of there being " much water there," though we know that he was often where there was much more water than John had in the river Jordan, or at ^non, for his baptism. But, the great difficulty Baptists have in proving that Christ dipped his disciples is, because it is not said that he baptized in the sea. However, should they maintain the preposition to be in then- favour in this case, I do not envy them of it, for it is said, " that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea." — ]\Iark iv. 1. Of course we ai'e not to under- stand from this passage, that he sat in the water, (for that would be a contradiction to the preposition " into,") but, "that he entered into a ship," and the ship being on, or in the sea, he seated liimself down in the ship. Again, if the prepositions in and into are to be under- stood as refening to baptism by dipping, then the e3 82 THE NATURE AND DESIGN of the " impotent man " was of this description, for he said, " Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool." — John v. 7. This, certainly, is the nearest scriptural argument Baptists have in making out then baptism by diiyping. But "Jesus saith unto liim, Rise, take up thy bed and walk ;" so that here the preposition " into " was dispensed with, and the man was cm-ed out of the water. Hence, the main principles of Christian doctrine are not contained in the " much water," so often brought before us by Baptists, but in the teaching connected with the water, such as the " baptism of repentance " preached by John. Baptism could not be understood by Christ's disciples to be by clipping in water, when " Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of ; and with the baptism tliat I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized." — Markx. 39. The disciples would imquestion- ably understand the baptism as the suffering to which they should afterwards be subject — not that they should be dipped into suffering, but that it should come upon them, because of their profession of Christ, which all the disciples of Christ, since that time, have more or less experienced. Our Lord, when speaking of this baptism, said, " I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished." — Luke xii. 50. He was then looking foi-ward to the time of his agony and death, when he should partake of the c'.rj pom-ed out for him to drink. Thus the baptism, or sufferings of Christ, are set forth under the idea of a cup poured out. " my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." — ^JMatt. xxvi. 39, But there were none to share his sufferings, or to diink of the cup pom^ed out : *' He was taken from prison and from judgment : and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off OF CHRISTIAN BAPTIS>[. 83 out of the land of the li\'ing: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his gi'ave with the wicked, and \rith the rich in liis death ; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." — Isaiah liii. 8, 9. When this baptism was accomplished, with what propriety he could say, " I have trodden the \rine press alone : and of the people there was none with me : for I ^vill tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fuiy ; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." — Isaiah Ixiii. 3, 4. When our Lord commissioned his disciples to " Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," [Matt, xxviii. 19.] they could not understand him to say, that they must go, dipping all nations, because all the necessary arrangements would have to be made for that purpose; whereas, they had preN-iously been told to "provide neither two coats, nor shoes;" [Matt. x. 10.] therefore it is not to be expected that they would provide a dijjping coat, or high-boots, for the use of the baptistry. Nor can it be expected that they were to go, dipping all the nations, in the coat they had on, without the least expectation of meeting ^rith any who would have all things in readiness for the inconvenience of dipping. " And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear yom' words, wiien ye depart from that house or city, shake off the dust of your "feet." — Matt. x. 14. Thus were the apostles commissioned to go forth, preaching the gospel to all nations " beginning at Jerusalem," of which we have an account in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the 84 THE NATUKE AND DESIGN rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Kepent, and he baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your chHdren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Dr. Gill says, this *' Plainly points at and describes the persons intended, whether Jews or Gentiles effectually called by grace, who are encouraged by the motive in the promise, to profess repentance and submit to baptism; which can only be understood of adult persons, and not infants."* Here Dr. Gill passes by the " promise is to you and to your children," as though children were excluded from the promise ; however, be that as it may, it does not appear that the apostle preached the same doctrine as Dr. Gill, or his successors. For the call was preached and promised to " Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judsea, and Cappodocia, in Pontus, and in Asia, Phyrgia, and Pamphylia, in 'Eigjpt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyi'ene, and the strangers of Eome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Ai'abians." — Acts ii. 9 — 11. Yes, the call was intended for those who " denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto them. And killed the Prince of life." To such the apostle made the call : " Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ; and he shall send Jesus Chiist, which before was preached unto you." — iVcts iii. 14, 20. Such were the characters the apostles preached to, that they might repent and be converted; which is contrary to the Body of Divinity, Vol. 3, page 326. OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 85 practice of some in our day, who say, that the Lord -s^-ill call his own in his own good time, and therefore it is useless to preach to the sinner, " Repent and be con- verted, that your sms may be blotted out." Thus, being content with their own adoption (they say) as children, no effort is required to save a soul from death, and so liide a multitude of sins. [James v. 20.] Hence we conclude, that if men vrHl mistake one part of the commission in teacliing all nations, we may expect them to object to the other part of the commission, in refusing to baptize all nations. Therefore, their faith and practice is contrary to that of the apostles, when they baptized " about three thousand souls " immediately after they heard the first sermon, ^nthout any previous arrange- ment — so that, if all these were dipped, it is for the Baptist to inform us, how the apostles obtained the large quantity of water that would be required for the pui'pose. Dr. Gill says, *' The many pools and private baths, and various apartments and things in the temple fit for such a use, all which they might be allowed the use of — they having favour -srith all the people." Might he alloiced the use of, and having the use of, have different meanings ; for, though the apostles were favom'ed by the people, it is not said that they were favoured by the nilers of the people, who had all command of the temple. Hence there is a difficulty m the way of immersion being practised in the temple ; for it is not likely that the priests would allow the use of the temple and its utensils, for the purpose of dipjring contrary to the law. Nor is it likely the priests woidd provide tlu'ee thousand changes of dress for the people who were being prosel}i;ed from them, but rather than they should not be dipped, everything is conveniently arranged for them (accord- ing to the imagination of Baptists), and every difficulty, or improbability removed. Hence it is as 86 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN Mr. Thoene says, " To make immersion feasible, under certain awkward cu'cumstances, tkey draw largely upon their inventive faculties. Without the least liint of authority from the word of God, they find great waters where, for aught they know, there was scarcely any — erect large baths in all eastern houses and prisons — provide suitable changes of dress for people to be clipped in — construct a lot of tents along the banks of the Jordan — ^boiTow the brazen sea and lavers of the temple for Peter to baptize in — make John perform the work of fifty ordinary men — construe a case of drowning into an evidence of dipping — compare an instantaneous immer- sion to a final interment — designate baptism by pouring a figurative plunging — and so on almost to the end. They, then, gravely turn round and command us to keep close to the letter of scripture; at the same time declaring that in all positive institutions, reasonings, surmises, and fancy, must be banished from our investi- gations! In truth, however clear their cause may appear to partial and unenlightened partizans, their learned and best read advocates find ten-fold more difficulties in bending the circumstances of apostolical baptism to favour immersion, than we do in harmonizing them mth affusion — indeed we find none at all — while they are incessantly at fault." I now pass on to notice the number baptized by the apostles on the day of Pentecost. It is said, " Then they that gladly received his word were baptized : and the same day there were added imto them about three thousand souls." — Acts ii. 41. If the apostles dipped this large number, we may calculate upon their being up to the middle in water, at least eight hours ! Certainly wet and weary work — such as no Baptist minister of the present day would undertake, though he have his waterproof gown and boots, with which there is OP CHRISTIAN" BAPTISM. 87 no evidence that the apostles were provided. But here again the Baptist finds no difficulty. Mr. Alcorn, especially, has a novel way of lidding himself of the difficulty, when he says, " It has been further objected against immersion, that on the day of Pentecost there would not have been time to immerse the three thousand who are said to have been baptized. In reply, we would remind the objector that there was at this time ' above five hundred brethren.' There were then 'above five hundred brethren' at the day of Pentecost. But let us say there were five hundred, and let us calculate how many each of these must bapti:ze in order to get the tlnree thousand baptized in the day. Six times five hundred would be just thi'ee thousand ; so that each of those bretlu'en would only have to baptize six individuals ! Now can you see it possible for ' three thousand ' to have been baptized in a day ? " Yes, we think it possible for ten times three thousand to be baptized in a day ; but we think it impossible for the apostles to have dipped three thousand in a day. Hence Mr. Alcorn has done more to damage the cause, and increase the difficulty of dipping so large a number, than he has done to relieve it; for he increases 'the number of baptistries from twelve to five hundred. And, moreover, he has forgotten to record particulars where these baptistries were ; and how all the candidates were provided with dippnng robes, who came not knowing that they were to be dipped. If the three thousand baptized by the apostles were dipped, it would appear that they were dipped in the clothing j;hey had on : therefore, they would have to return to their various lodgings dripping from the baptistiy ! And three thousand in this state, going through the streets of Jerusalem, would certainly create some excitement; which would probably end in their being hooted, as drunken persons who laad fallen into 88 THE NATURE AND DESIGN the brook Kedron, or into some ditch in the neighbour- hood. Had Mr. Alcorn examined the law, probably he would have suggested a much easier way — that each one bathed himself in water; [Num. xix. 19.] which would be far more sensible than one man dipping another, in a good suit of black clothing, as practised by some Baptists of the present day. Again, Mr. Alcorn endeavours to m0,ke out his immersion from Mark vii. 4. *' And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables:" concerning which, Mr. A. says, "We verily beheve the Jews did immerse these articles." Granting the Jews did immerse these articles, for the sake of cleanluiess, which of course "is the common practice in our day," then does it follow that the Jews must do so in their rehgious ceremonies, when we know from the law that they sprinkled them ? " And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and spiinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there." — Num. xix. 18. Our Lord, when addressing those who obsei-ved this law, said, "Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but mthin they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." — Matt, xxiii. 24 — 26. Now, our Lord did not condemn the practice of 'cleansing these vessels by sprinkHng, for in that he would have condenmed the law he came to fulfil, but he did condemn the practice that the means justified the end ; and there- fore he said, " Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 89 which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." And, if he said this to those who did not requii'e " much water " for their sprinkling, what will he say to those who have so much to say about the " much water," as necessaiy for their external washing or dipping "> as though God had not ordained other means, con^esponding ^^ith those, by which he washes and sanctifies the soul. Tlierefore it becomes those who are the advocates of " much water," in adhering to what they conceive to be fulfiUing the letter of scripture in their practice of clipping, to be careful lest they fall into the same condemnation as the Pharisees, in making too much of the outward washing, instead of attending to the more weightier matters of the law. God is no respecter of persons, for what he said unto the Pharisees he says unto all who boast of fulfilHng the righteousness of the law : "Ye blind guides, wliich strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." Another argument brought forward by Mr. Alcorn, is taken from the Jewish Mishna : "A bed that is wholly defiled, a man dijys it part by part." Here Mr. A. thinks he has a powerful argument in favour of his dipping, which is nothing more than is required according to sanitary regulations, and which J\Ir. A. would attend to himself — of course being particularly careful that the feathers were not dippjed — thus Mr. A. fails to make out his dipping "part by part." In the next place we notice the mode of baptism administered by the apostles and evangelists, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. PhiHp, at Samaria, "baptized both men and women." Not a word is said about dipping them, for this would appear ridiculous when compared with other passages of scriptm-e ; for it is written concerning Christ, " He left Juda?a, and de- parted again into Galilee. And he must needs go through 90 THE NATURE AND DESIGN Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacoh gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there." And it was there Jesus preached to the Samaritans the word of life. And "they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode with them two days. And many more believed because of his own word." Then no Baptist will hesitate to say that they were baptized, because it does not appear that there was " much water " as a convenience for dipping, for " The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep;" [John iv. 11.] therefore it is not likely the Samaritans were dipp)ed in the well, nor is it likely that the large quantity required for the purpose could be spared, or carried from the well some distance into the city. So that the only conclusion we can come to is, that Jesus did not dip these behevers in Samaria; and Philip, \dsiting the same people, baptized " both men and women," [Acts viii. 13.] after the example of his master. Next we find Philip on his way to the desert, between Jerusalem and Gaza, where he meets with " a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch under Candace queen of the Ethiopians." This person Baptists say, Philip dipped, because he said after Jesus had been preached unto him, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou be- lievest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." Why it should be distinctly stated in this case and not in those we have already noticed — that they both went down into the water — I confess I cannot tell, unless it was an unusual occurrence, which was evidently the case ; for, OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 91 granting that the passage is to be understood in the strictest sense, which so far is in favour of the Baptists, it does not prove that the eunuch was dqyped, for he could go " into the water " \nthout being clipped, with much less inconvenience than any who practice dipping in the present day. If the Baptists ^nll contend that going down into the water means dipping over head, then he must also submit to this, that Philip was dipped over head as well as the eunuch. Nothing of course is said concerning the clotliing they had on for the occasion, 60 that we conclude there was no previous preparation for the dijjping: nor can it be supposed that the Ethiopian nobleman changed his clothing on the pubhc highway, in the presence of his attendants. The Baptists must also admit, though it is not exactly according to the letter of scripture, tlrnt this important personage would not travel wdthout his usual attendants through lands mfested with robbers, between Ethiopia and Jerusalem. Again, as we have seen that PhiUp and the eunuch "went down both into the water," ^vithout changing their dress, " and when they were come up out of the water," their does not appear to be any time allowed for changing their wet clothes ; for "the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more ; and he went on liis way rejoicing." Certainly not a veiy pleasant position to rejoice in, if dipping is to be maintained under the circumstances connected with the baptism of the eunuch ; for the scriptures are thereby perverted, the eunuch is made "to go on his way " diipping, and Philip is found drenched at Azotus ! N'ote.— On examining the map of Palestine I find there is a brook called Sareck, between Jerusalem and Gaza, where Philip was diiected to go to meet the eunuch. [Acts viii. 26.] "Jerome," who knew the spot well, " calls it a small brook," such as we often cross in a common road — a clear proof that in his time (about 370), it was not universally believed that the eunuch was dipped. The expression, see ! here is water ! indicates clearly, that it was arrived at without any previous expectation. 92 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN Again, we find Peter at Csesarea preaching to the Gentiles, on whom *' also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." Therefore Peter said unto them, " Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." — ^Acts x. 47, 48. Had these persons received baptism by clifpimig, it would have been superfluous for Peter to say, " Can any man forbid water," which implies that water should be brought ; also that there could be no objection to the administration of baptism, when the Holy Ghost had been given : so that if this baptism was by clipping, there was " much water " there in the sea, which no doubt would be preferred rather than the stagnant pool. However, as it does not appear that these persons were clipped in the sea, we must conclude that they received baptism by pouring, in the way Peter understood it ; as we liave already noticed in another place. [Acts xi. 15, 16.] Therefore, if Peter baptized by affusion so would Paul, after the mode of his ovni baptism, of which there was no delay ; for it was said mito him, " arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." — Acts xxii. 16. As a Jew, Paul would be familiar with the practice of the ceremonial washing away of sins, which was by sprinkling ; and this is more apparent when we take the circumstances of the case into consideration. Here is the persecutor with letters from the high-priests on his way to Damascus. He is arrested by the hand of God when in sight of the city, where he expects to fulfil his mission of tyranny and oppression — liis feet are swift to shed blood — and, as he had assisted at the stoning of Stephen, so he hastens to drain out the last drop of blood in the veins of those who had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus — ^he is struck OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 93 blind, and a devout man is directed to visit him in a strange house, ^Yhere he finds Saul of Tarsus blind and fatigued, which certainly could be no enviable condition for the baptistry. But he was baptized without any previous arrangement, and that by a stranger ; which is widely different to the practice of Baptists in the present day ; 60 that we must conclude that the apostle Paul received baptism by affusion, and that he would practice the same when he " preached Chiist in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." — Acts ix. 20. Then we follow liim to Philippi, in which he says, " we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat do^Yn, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Now it must be observed, that the apostle came to these women with no expectation of baptizing them, nor did the women come to be baptized, though there "was much water there." The purpose of the apostle was to preach Cluist unto them : [1 Cor. i. 17.] the result being as it is written, " And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of pm-ple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God heard us : whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, sapng, If ye have judged me faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there." — Acts xvi. 14, 15. Therefore, Lydia and her household evidently were baptized preidous to entering into the house, so that our Baptist friends surely will not contend that Lydia and her household were dipped in the river, without any mtimation that such would be the case when they arrived there. Indeed, had they been dipped, they must have been put to the necessity of being dipped in the clothes they had on, or to have undressed by the river side, contraiy to the 94 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN custom of the country — of which custom, the apostle approved, when writing to the church at Corinth. "For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn : but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." — 1 Cor. xi. 6. If the apostle wrote thus, it is not likely that he would command Lydia to uncover in his presence. Hence we come to the con- clusion, that Lydia and her household were baptized by affusion ; there being no just grounds for dipping in the river, although "there was much water there." The baptism of the Phihppian jailor and his household, is sufficient to prove that the ordinance of baptism is not subject to time or place, but could be administered at midnight without the least inconvenience or delay. Therefore, if there be any difficulties in the way, those difficulties are created by the Baptist, who, in order to make out his clipping, will very gravely inform us, " that at midnight the jailor and his family, along vnXh his prisoners, went down to a neighbouring stream; and there they might be dipped as conveniently as in a modern baptistry." But on examining the narrative it will be seen, that such a conclusion is wi'ong ; for all the circumstances connected with the baptism of the jailor and his household, took place in one hom% probably half the hour being gone. Dming that horn' there is an earthquake, which shakes the foundations of the prison — waking the jailor who had been charged to keep his prisoners safely, and for this purpose cast them into the inner prison. But the ten^or stricken jailor, "seeing the prison doors oj^en, takes his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried \rith a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm ; for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said. Sirs, OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 95 what must I do to be saved ? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." All this taking place " in " the same hour of the night, would not leave much time for going down unto the river ; indeed, it is not said that they left the prison until Paul and Silas were brought into the house, after the jailor and his household had been baptized. [Acts xvi. 27 — 34.] Therefore, if the Baptist will maintain his speculative idea, that these might be dipped in the river, we must also be permitted to give an opinion concerning the baptism of tliis household in the prison ; and we say, that the water usually given to the prisoners to drink, w^ould be sufficient for the pm'pose of baptizing a number of persons, so that there can be no difficulty connected with this baptism taking place within the prison at Philippi. Here again we are compelled to the necessity of belie\dng that the jailor and his household were baptized by affusion, and hence we ai'e led to the con- clusion, that the apostle would baptize the household of Stephanus in the same way; also the twelve men he met at Ephesus, who were Jolin's disciples, but after- wards received Clnistian baptism at the hands of the apostle. Here we may remark, that it is not said in the New Testament that the twelve chosen by Christ were baptized, which is no proof that they were not baptized, for there is evidence that two of them had been baptized by John. [John i. 35 — 42.] So that, if it was necessary for twelve of John s disciples to be re-baptized, it was also necessary that these two, who became the disciples of Christ, should be baptized by him along with the others ; and 96 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN as we have seen that the apostle Paul baptized by affusion, so those who had been baptized by John, and afterwards by Paul, could not understand baptism in any other sense : therefore there is not the least grounds for supposing that the apostles baptized by diiyping under water. Hence, in the absence of eyidence that such was the practice of the apostle, we are refeiTed to his writings, as " incontrovertible evidence, that he taught the practice of di})ping, in his epistles to the Eomans and Colossians ;" because he says, "Know ye not, that 60 many of us as were baptized into Jesus Chiist were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are bmied with him by baptism into death." — Rom. vi. 3, 4. *' Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, w^ho hath raised him from the dead." — Col. ii. 12. Now these passages do not teach the practice of dijyjnng, any more than the words of our Lord teach the Piomish doctrine of Transubstantiation, when he said, " Whoso eatethmy flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I ^vill raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and diinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." — John vi. 54 — 56. Oiu" Lord never intended his disciples to understand these words in theii' Hteral sense, for he immediately said unto them, " the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. " — John vi. 63. Then it is no matter of astonishment that men should err from the truths of the scriptm^es so as to estabhsh their own doctrines of " the real presence," for *' the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God : for they are foolishness to him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." — 1 Cor. ii. 14. But the Piomanists are not the only people who have mistaken the sense of the scriptures in OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 97 teaching their doctrines, for the Baptists are equally blamable in mistaldng the apostle in the passages quoted, to make out their dippinrj, when the apostle distinctly says, that it is by faith the believer is baptized into the death of Christ. Then if it be by faith, why any representation of the burial with Chiist by works? For if it be contrary to our senses to receive the Romish doctrine of Transubstantiation, it must also be contraiy to our senses to receive the Baptist doctrine that we are buried with Chiist, "by dippiny into death." Therefore, with the apostle, we say, that this baptism is by " faith of the operation of God ;" and hence it never was intended that there should be a literal representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Chiist, by the believer being " buried with him in diptpinrj,'' for that would transfer the di\ine power " thi'ough faith " to the human power of works, which is in keeping with the natm'e of man when he seeks to estabhsh a righteousness of his own. Therefore, those who ciy down " human agency," and "human inventions," should be careful lest they be caught in their own craftiness, for there is not a system in connec- tion with any chm'ch requiring more physical power, or human agency, than immersion — the death, burial, and resurrection, being performed by the officiating mmister, which Baptists say is according to the teaching of the apostle Paul. Hence it must follow, that they who hold such to be " the truth," should in all justice attend to tho instructions of the apostle when he says, " For if we have been planted together in the likeness of liis death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection : Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with liim, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not ser\e sin." — Rom. vi. 5, 6. Nothing can be more clear than this, that the believer is to be planted and crucified with Chiist. Then if there is to be a Hteral 98 THE NATURE AND DESIGN representation of this burial and resurrection of the believer with Christ, and human agency be employed for that purpose, there should also be a hteral represen- tation of planting, and crucifying the believer with Christ by the same agency ; which would lead us to a represen- tative system of teaching that the believer is buried, raised, planted, and crucified with Christ by works, and not by faith. But, when we are told by the apostle Paul, that the believer is planted in the hkeness of the death, and resurrection of Christ, [Rom. vi. 5.] it cannot be of works, but faith ; and, if he be planted in his death by faith, so must he be bmied with him " through the faith of the operation of God :" [Col. ii. 12.] indeed, the Romans could not understand the apostle in any other sense, for they disposed of their dead by burning them, and deposited the ashes in an urn, and therefore the burial of a body under water could not convey to the mind of the believer at Rome that it was " buried into death," such being contrary to the custom of the country. Yea, and it was also contrary to the custom of the Jews, who buried their dead in sepulchres hewn out of the rock ; so that the apostle could not recommend to the Romans a burial by dijjjying, contrary to the practice of the Jews. And, because of this, some Baptists will go so far as to admit that the burial of the believer with Christ is by faith, accordmg to the apostle Paul ; yet they will not abandon their works in the water. Mr. Rushton, a Particular Baptist, says, "believers are said tcJ be crucified with Christ, dead with him, bmied with him, and raised up together with him. For that spuitual or \dtal union to Christ, which believers enjoy by faith, is the effect of federal union, as the word of God abundantly teaches."* Others, on the contrary, * Particular Redemption, page 124. OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 99 make as much of the baptistry as "the grave," as though Christ had not been bmied in a sepulchre, but in "the water." Hence Mr. Kershaw, in a sermon preached in Zoar Chapel, London, pointed to the baptistry- saying, in the words of the angel, " come, see where the Lord lay;" as though his dipping had anji^hing to do with the sepulchre (in which the Lord lay) hewn out of the rock. Mr. Price says, " from what little I know of Mr. Kershaw I can venture to say, that he never intended to be understood literally." Again, in the same page he says, " Mr. L. does not like this literal representation of the death, burial, and resiu'rection of our Lord." Therefore, when Mr. Price knows his own faith, it will be time enough for him to defend others ; for wherever the following lines are sung, the thoughts of the worshippers must be canied from the place where the angel said, " come, see where the Lord lay," to a place where the Lord never lay. " Hear the blest Redeemer call you, Listen to his gracious voice ; Dread no ills tliat can befall you, While you make his ways your choice. Jesus says, ' let each believer Be baptized in my name :' He himself in Jordan's river, Was immersed beneath the stream. Plainly here his footsteps tracing, Follow him without delay ; Gladly his command embracing, Lo ! your Captain leads the way. View the rite with understanding Jesus' grave before you lies ; Be interred at his commanding, After his example rise." f2 100 THE NATURE AND DESIGN Such lines do not require much understanding, for it is easy to comprehend what is meant by them — teaching, as they do, to the mind of the behever, a false idea concerning his death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, which has a tendency to lead him to walk by sight and not by faith. This will appear more clear from the remarks of Dr. Carson, when he describes the burial of the behever with Christ : — " It is by burial that we die. We are supposed to be buried into death, and the figure is well fitted for the purpose. To immerse a li\ing man affords an emblem of death as well as of burial. The baptized person dies mider the water, and for a moment lies buried with Christ. Chiist our death was spoken of under the figure of a baptism." — ^page 157. Here we have " the truth," as Baptists teach it, that men are buried alive ! and die under the water ! And anyone dying under such circumstances are said to be drowTied, and if drowned by another, that person will be condemned for the awful crime of murder. Therefore, on examining the case of diioinng, when a person is said to die " under the water," we must come to the conclusion that he came to his death by dro^vning; so that all who practice dipping, according to Dr. Carson, stand charged with the crime of murder. Then sm^ely Christ never ordained such a practice in his church, for if the behever is not dead with Christ, before he dies and is buried in the water, most pitiable "^oll be his condition ; but if he be dead and buried by faith with Christ, then his dipjnng is nothing more than the enactment of a solemn farce without a meaning. Had Dr. Carson taught his doctrine that the "baptized person dies under the water," and practised the ceremony of a burial with Christ in the Church of Rome, it would not have been a matter of so much surprise, since there is a corresponding doctrine taught in that church, in the performance of a useless OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 101 tragedy, entitled ** the sacrifice of the Mass." But when we see him setting forth a doctrine similar to those which belonged to the superstition of the dark ages, calculated to increase a formahty that would give pro- minence to works, it is then that we are alarmed for the epmtual prosperity of the church of Clmst; for " the just shall live by faith," and being baptized by faith into the death of Christ, no baptism of men shall supersede that which is "by faith of the operation of God." Holding fast by this, the song of the believer continually will be — ' Tis by faith we are baptized, Into death with Christ the Lord ; And by faith that we are buried, To fulfil his righteous word. Hence through faith like him we're raised, By the power of our God ; Crucified, and with him planted, That our sins may be destroyed. Before closing this part of my subject, I would cite from Tertullian, hoping that what he may say, ^\•ill be sufficient to prove that baptism was administered by affusion ; for, when speaking of the heathen practices of sprinkling, he says, " Even the gods themselves they honour by wasliings. Water everywhere carried about maketh expiation by sprinkling for town and country houses, temples, and entire cities. Certainly they are baptized at the games of Apollo and those at Eleusis ; and this they suppose they do for regeneration and pardon in then' peijuries." Other Fatliers could be cited to prove these sprinklings of the heathen, as imitations of Christian baptism, but as Tertullian is so well known to the Baptist, probably what is said by him will be respected before all that might be said by others. Therefore I proceed to notice the next proposition. 102 THE NATURE AND DESIGN FouBTH. — The practice of Dipping, inconsistent and contrary to the word of God. This may be a startling piece of intelligence for the Baptist, but it is no less startling than it is true ; for "Thus saith the Lord, I will have mercy and not saciifice :" therefore it is not likely that he would institute in his church anything having the appearance of a sacrifice, he having been sacrificed " once for all." But the practice of the Baptist is opposed to the language of Christ, for they will have sacrifice and not mercy. We may be told that no one has been known to take cold after immersion ; if this be true, there are reasons to be assigned for it, such as wanrdng the water a Httle, and taking a glass of wine or brandy after coming "up out of the water," to keep the cold out; of course I do not condemn them for taking every precaution against taking cold, but would advise them, as "prevention is better than cure," to dispense with their dipjjing, and then they would not let the cold in. But should the Baptist contend that dipping is according to the practice of the apostles, they must at least admit that the apostles gave no such gift as fire-water, but the gift of the Holy Ghost; [Acts in. 6.] so that their practice does not exactly correspond with the apostoHc practice of baptism. In modem times there appears to be, even in the most rigid sect of Baptists, a desire to consult the human feehngs by departing from the running water, where many of their candidates have been carried down by the stream, and at other times both minister and candidate have lost their footing and fell with no small splash into the water; therefore it is no wonder that (for the sake of convenience) the river should be forsaken for the more convenient baptistry in the chapel, and those who do this (for the sake of convenience), ought never to OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 103 charge others with neglecting the ordinance of baptism, because they administer it by the more convenient mode of sprinkHng. This was miquestionably the practice of the apostles, accordmg to the New Testament. "As soon as the people were convinced of the truth of the report, and were rendered willing to be baptized, the rite was invariably performed upon them, and upon the spot. Wherever this occuiTcd, and whether the converts were two or thi^ee thousand, there were no removals or delays; water sufficient was always at hand. No difficulty was ever started about second suits of clothes — or indelicacy of being plunged under water — the coldness of the weather — or the presence of spectators. You never read of persons shifting theii' clothes — or of being baptized naked — or of taking up the cross of baptism — or of contracting colds, and sore thi'oats, or inducing apoplexy — or of large men and matrons ovei'poweiing little weak administrators — or of defening the ceremony through indisposition — or of fearing to be popped mider water by strangers — or of going home through shame of being immersed among their cmious neighbom's — or, in a word, of an}i:hing of the kind ; all of which are valid proofs that baptism, in the apostles' time, differed essentially from the dippings of the present day." — Thoene, page 17. We have, from the pen of the author of Confessions of a Convert from Baptism in Water to Baptism uitli Water ^ a few circumstances similar to those named by Mr. Thorne. Being brought up amongst Baptists of the most rigid sect, he had witnessed many immersions, and in describing some of these scenes he says, " although the entire spectacle was interesting, on one or two of these occasions there were some circiunstances which specially impressed me. One of these was the shiill scream of a woman, as she felt herself going under the 104 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN water. Another was the strugghng of a young person, who succeeded in \vrenching herself from the minister's grasp, and fell mth a loud splash into the baptistry. More than once I recollect that persons fainted in the water ; and I distinctly retain the image of the ghastly and death-like countenance of a woman, as her head hung back, wet and motionless, over the arm of the person who dragged her into the vestry. At another time Mr. B. who I have said, was a short, stiff, portly person, lost his balance and his footing, while attempting to immerse a man twice his own bulk, and himself fell sideways, and with no small stir and splutter into the water." Again he says, "Amongst the attendants at our chapel, there were two very intelligent and devout young ladies, who had three years before left the Estab- lishment,, in which they were brought up, because they could not profit by the preacliing which they heard there. As their hearts and their income were large, and thek habits inexpensive, their Hberahty was felt by a great number of the poor, and at public collections their contributions generally exceeded that of others. But their health was extremely delicate, and by most they were considered as destined to an early grave. One of them suffered from an affection of the spine, and serious apprehensions were entertained that consumption had commenced its fatal com^se in the other. By their perusal of books in favour of immersion, with which they had been copiously supplied, together with the earnest persuasives of Mr. B., the sisters were brought to beheve that it became them in this way to profess the gospel. About a month before their decision, a baptismal service had been performed at a small town a few miles from us; and amongst the immersed there was a young woman, at the time apparently in sound health, who caught a severe cold in the sei'vice, which speedily ran OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 105 on to fever delirium, and death. The cause was so evident, and the whole case so clear, that even the most contracted Baptist in our congregation (and there were those who seemed to think tliat God w^ould actually work a miracle to counteract what, in some constitutions, would be the certain consequence of immersion) were confounded ; whilst others confessed that ' it was a most mysterious pro\ddence.' This circumstance came to the ears of the two sisters, and it affected them deeply. Their first step was to send for Mr. B., but as he still assured them of their safety, without assigm'ug, as they thought, any reason for such assurance, or producing a divine warrant to that effect, they were not satisfied; and therefore they wisely resolved to do what they now perceived ought to have been done before, \'iz. to consult their medical attendant on the subject. His judgment was very strong. He said it would be peiilous in the extreme, and tliat he knew scarcely any cause more calculated to quicken incipient disease and accelerate death. This decided them. Convinced that He who desireth mercy and not sacrifice could not requii'e them in such a way to hazai^d their fives, they wisely declined the sendee. As their case had created considerable interest, and their expected accession to the church was deemed of much importance, then' withdra^^TQent caused more commotion than even my delay," And tliis in the nineteenth centmy ! Then, as Paedo-Baptists, we dai'e not sanction the sacrifice of human life, and gloss it over by calling it " a mysterious providence," for in that we should be little better than the founders of such a practice in the sixteenth centmy, whose fanaticism taught them to believe that wliatever came to pass, was according to the will of God. Hence we read of one slaying his brother in the presence of many spectatoi's, saying, " now is the will of the Father done." f3 106 THE NATUEE AND DESIGN On comparing the enthusiasm of some Baptists of the present day, it is questionable whether it be better than the fanaticism of their predecessors, who cast their their clothes into the fire and ran naked, saying, " woe ! unto the cities of Germany." The only difference now is, in some of the churches of the strictest sect of Baptists, that the males go down " into the water " in their usual apparel. Were we to see a man bathing with his clothes on, we should say that he would be a fit subject for the lunatic asyliun. Then what shall we say of a man, who is expected, above all men, to be in his right mind, when we see him going down into the water in a good suit of black cloth ? Such a scene I witnessed not long ago; being somewhat curious to witness an immersion, and being uiformed that there were two persons to be immersed, I went to one of the most rigid Baptist chapels in the city, where it was to take place. The sermon preached on the occasion, was, for the most part, everything that I could have wished, being according to what I have advanced in the first part of this book. But if the practice had been according to the precept, as laid down in the first heads of the sermon, I should have been the last person to complain, but the minister appearing to be conscious that a many had " come out of curiosity," he addressed us as sprinklers — not for- getting the case of the eunuch and the *' into " and " out of the water," with now and then a Httle brawling ** where is sprinkling now," and "who hath required this at yom' hands?" Then there was a pause, and an apology, as "no offence was intended," which of course was accepted with the best feelings, knowing that men are always the most clamourous, when their " craft is in danger." — ^Acts xix. 27. Because a few Independents and Baptists have agreed to build a chapel, and worship together, it was said, " The Independents will take all OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 107 fisli that comes into their net. They ai'e giving way under the powerful arguments of tliis ordinance." Had the minister said, the Baptists are giving way mider the powerful arguments of the Independents, then he would have been much nearer the mark; for it cannot be a mystery that the Sun of righteousness has arisen with heahng in his wings, []Mal. iv. 2.] and dispersed the mist which has arisen out of the baptistry — that we now behold the half dried baptistry, hoping to see the time when the other half shall have evaporated, that our friends may come over "on diy ground'' — then we shall be one people, ha^^ng " One Lord, one faith, one baptism." But to describe the scene which took place after the sermon. All appeared in a state of confusion ; eveiy one being anxious to have a sight of the " intennent," many took up theii' position near the " gi'ave." The deacons being more thoughtful of the matting than the candidates, carefully di'ew it aside. During the singing of a h}Tiin, the minister and candidates appeared. The minister wore water-tight boots (certainly not such as the apostles wore); the candidates were not so highly favoured — neither had they the bmial shroud usual for an intennent — but they went do^vu "both into the water," and he immersed the lady as she was the first to go down into the water. On coming " up out of the water," a cloak was immediately thrown over her, which at once convinced me of the folly of human systems, for I never knew of any defects in the Christian religion, requiring a cloak to hide them ; neither do I know of any such preparations being made by any of the apostles, who baptized thousands in a day. Therefore this practice must be set do^vn as of human invention. The other immersion was that of a young man, who went down into the water in his ordinary clothing ! Some of the deacons were stationed near to the baptistiy, as I 108 THE NATURE AND DESIGN suppose, to see that the " bmial " was complete. How- ever, there was no mistake about that, as I could not see the shadow of the person under the water, and therefore the sexton must have done his work well. This brought to my mind a circumstance I had read, in the Confessions of a Convert from Baptism in Water, to Baptism with Water, page 27. "At one of these seasons, my curiosity was keenly excited by seeing the same individual dipped twice ; I was much amused to find that an ofiicious little fellow, a shoemaker, whom we called ' Tim,' and who was standing near the baptistry at the time, positively declared to Mr. B., in a low tone, that he plainly saw the poor woman's nose high and dry above water, and that therefore she was not baptized, and should not sit at the table unless she was dipjped again, which was accordingly done." As this could not be said of the case before us, I suppose the individual was duly admitted to sit down at the table. However, on coming " up out of the water," gasping for breath, he appeared to stumble, but through the kindness of the deacons in attendance, he was prevented from falhng into the "grave" from which he had recently risen. Dripping with water, he was compelled to walk into the vestry before a gazing people ; and the service was then concluded by singing, " Praise God from whom all blessings flow," and in this 1 am Sony to say, that I could take no part, knowing that such scenes I had just witnessed, had been a curse to many in sacrificing theii' lives, and in hindering others from joining a Chiistian chmxh. This hinderance has been felt by many Baptist chm'ches to be an obstacle to the progress of truth, and therefore, as wise men, they have opened their communion, "that the word of the Lord may have free com'se, and be glorified." — 2 Thess. iii. 1. Then surely God has not instituted the practice of dipping as the ordinance of baptism, that his OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 109 word should not " have free course and be glorified," when we are informed by Baptists themselves " that it hinders their progress, and their converts are few;" yet, notwithstanding, it may be that many have been con- vinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come, through the faithful appeal of a Baptist minister, but when they have been pointed to the baptistry as "the place where the Lord lay," and been told that they must " follow the Lord," by going through the ordeal of a burial and resuiTection before an assembled congregation, probably more curious than interested in the ceremony, they have gone back with disgust detennined that they would not profess Clnist by taldng up what the rigid Baptist calls the " cross of baptism." Thus what the Baptist builds up in the pulpit, he pulls dowii in the baptistry ; for it cannot be possible tliat God should strive with men to convince them of sin, and then place obstacles in the way of their coming to the truth and joining his church. This would be contrary to his pui*pose, and inconsistent ^^ith his word ; for he has said, " So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth ; it shall not retm^n unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." — Isaiah Iv, IL Therefore the evil must be connected with men when they substitute for the word of God their own doctrines and inventions: and this evil, I am sony to say, is connected ^"ith some who profess the name of Chiist, and are veiy severe with their criticisms on the doctrines of those who differ with them, professing to repudiate " all human agency, of works and merit, tlie regenerating influences of the baptismal water," taught by a certain church, and this because they call themselves " the elect " — being led by the Spirit into all truth, and, of course, thcif only are in possession of *' the trutli," and cannot err from " the 110 THE NATURE AND DESIGN truth." Thus they claim the doctrine of infallibility, and to he the only people and church of God. But as the chiurch of Rome claims the same privilege, we must compare their doctrines and try them whether they be of God. The priest of the church of Rome blesses the water used in baptism, which is said to convey regenera- tion, or inward grace to the child : the Baptist trans- lation of the scriptures teach a salvation by dipinng to the adult. Then wherein do the Romanists and Baptists differ? especially, now the rigid Baptists have their blessed water, which we learn from the following hues — "Bless'd pool! in wTiicli I lately lay And left my fears behind ; What an nnworthy wretch am I ! And God profusely kind." Here is a tacit acknowledgment that the fears, which can only have to do with the mind, are left behind in the water; thus the "blessed pool" has its heahng virtues so as to remove all fear from the mind. Now this is all that the Romanist asks, and all he believes. Therefore, if the doctrines of the chm'ch of Rome be inconsistent and contrary to the word of God, so must the doctrines of the rigid Baptist be inconsistent and contrary to the word of God, when they gloiy and boast in theu' taking up the "cross of baptism." The apostle Paul gloried in no such cross ; for it is to such that he would say, as he said to the Galatian church, now that baptism is the seal of the covenant in the place of chcumcision. [Gal. iii. J27 — 29.] " As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be dipped; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are dipped keep the law ; but deshe to have you dipped, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. Ill I should glory, save in tbe cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." — Gal. vi. 1'2 — 14. Thus it was not circumcision, or baptism that the apostle preached, for that availeth nothing, " but a new creatui'e." And this is the cross we preach, seeing there are one thousand millions of human beings on the earth, and seven hundred millions have made no profession of the gospel; whilst God says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow% every tongue shall swear." — Isaiah xlv. 22, 23. And because this shall be so, shall we be indolent, and, like the rigid Baptist, make no effort to save the heathen ? Surely the man must be beside himself, who professes to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and does not understand the commission, " Go ye into all the w^orld, and preach the gospel to every creatm'e." — Mark xvi. 15. Hence the gospel is not intended for a sect who may call them- selves by a particular name, and have passed into the church through the door of immersion ; *' For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed '? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? And how shall they preach without they be sent." — Romans x. 13 — 15. And do we not leam that such have been sent who have preached the everlasting gospel, whose labours have been abundantly blessed ? And now the strongholds of Satan begin to shake. China is ready to receive the gospel. " Behold, these shall come from far ; and, lo, these from the north and I'la THE NATURE AND DESIGN from the west ; and these from the land of Sinim."— Isaiah xlix. 12. An effectual door is opened in British India ; there one hundi'ed and twelve thousand persons have been baptized, and renounced idolatry : the South Sea Islanders have cast their idols to the moles and to the bats ; and now we look forward, anxiously awaiting the time when the " glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together," [Isaiah xl. 5.] " For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." — Hab. ii. 14. Yes, and all this is being accomphshed without the assistance of the rigid Baptist ; proving, that God can carry on his work, and will accomplish aU that he hath spoken without their assistance. Shall we say let them alone, they know not what they do, for they have not the same gospel Paul preached, when he said, "Knowing therefore the teiTor of the Lord, we persuade men." — 2 Cor. V. 11. "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." — 1 Cor. ix. 22. What missionary zeal was displayed by the apostle, — how he longed to see the salvation of his Idnsmen in the flesh. " Brethi^en, my hearts deshe and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." — Eom.x. 1. It is impossible for a disciple of Christ to deny the gospel to the heathen, as though it was not intended for him, for God is " not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." — 2 Peter, iii. 9. Church of the hving God, " Arise, shine ; for thy hght is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy hght, and kings to the brightness of thy rismg. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged ; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." — OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 113 Isaiah Ix. 1, 3, 5. Watchmen in Zion, blow the gospel trumpet, warn the people, your master bids you. " Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and Hve : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die, house of Israel ? " — Ezeldel xxxiii. 11. " And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." — Daniel xii. 3. Then let us not be deceived by those who make bold pretensions to the truth ; who say in their hearts, *• The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these," [Jer. vii. 4.] and so deny to us the right hand of Christian fellowship, because we cannot see the truth in their dipping. Again, they will tell us that they are " the despised few spoken of in the scriptui'es. By one offering for ever perfected and sanctified." Hence their salvation is certam, whatever their back- Blidings or shortcomings may be in their character and duration. They cannot be lost. A doctrine not from heaven, but from the father of lies, who was a har and murderer from the beginning, when he tempted Eve in the garden of Eden. " Ye shall not sui'ely die:" on which Dr. Adam Clarke comments — " Ye shall not only retain your present blessedness, but it shall be gi'eatly increased, a temptation by which he has ever since fatally succeeded in the ruin of multitudes of souls, whom he pursuaded that being once right they could never finally go wrong." Then we need not be surprised concerning the Anti- nomian doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, for its origin was in hell, and its end must be there also. " Let no man deceive you by any means : for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, 114 THE NATUEE AND DESiaN and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." — [2 Thess. ii. 3.] Then let the Antinomians, who are puffed up with their final perseverance, continue in their licentiousness, having returned like a dog to his vomit, and as a sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire." But let them remember, that "for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie : That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous- ness." — 3 Thess. ii. 11, 12. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance ; seeing they crucify unto themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." — Hebrews vi. 4 — 6. Then, dear reader, if you have been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost, " Be not high minded but fear," for it is only as you "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope imto the end," [Heb. iii. 6.] that you will be able to overcome, and to sit down with Christ on his throne, even as he overcame and is sat down on his Father's throne. [Rev. iii. 21.] Shun the Antinomian doctrine, as you would shun its author; lest it should be said unto you, " I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." — Rev. iii. 15 16. Ask not whether there be few or many saved ; your business is to " Strive to enter in at the strait gate." — Luke xiii. 24. There are some who will tell you, as I have heard a minister say in a Rigid Baptist Chapel, "you that cannot pray, Christ will OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 115 pray you into heaven." But unto such the Lord says, "woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the Idngdom of heaven against men : for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." — Matt, xxiii. 13. The apostle says, *'pray without ceasing." " Prayer is the Christian's vital breath The Christian's native air ; His watchword at the gates of death : He enters heaven with prayer." " Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that gi'eat Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ: to w^hom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."— Heb. xiii. 20, 21. " By milder ways doth Jesus prove His Father's cov'nant, and his love ; He seals to saints his glorious grace. And not forbids their infant race. Their seed is sprinkled with his blood, Their children set apart for God ; His Spirit on their offspring shed, Like water pour'd upon the head. Let every saint with cheerful voice In this large covenant rejoice ; Young children in their early days ShaJl give the God of Abra'm praise." 116 APPENDIX I cannot allow the notice of my last publication in the Earthen Vessel, to pass by without a remark. To expose the spirit of the people with whom we have to do, the following was given in that Magazine, September^ 1854. " R. A. Lancaster's Infant Bajotism, dc. is thankfully received; but for us to be proving that to be scriptural, — ^which stands out in every part of the Word so boldly ; that which was practised and commanded by our divine Master ; that which all the apostles attended to; and which the Holy Spirit, has in every age, led thousands to receive and attend unto, — ^for us to be defending such a Biblical practice, such a New Testament ordinance, is like holding a candle to the sun. Blind bats that cannot see, presumptuous men, that will not see, and accommodating Jesuits that do not wish to see. The Truth, either in principle or practice, always wiU be found in this imperfect world. Our Master says, ' Let the dead bury their dead; foUow thou me.' May we have grace to do this, and we shall do weU. Neverthe- less, the pamphlet sent us may yet be noticed." As the author of that pamphlet, I rejoice to learn that it has fallen into the hands of those for whom it was intended ; feeling assured that it has been the means of bringing forth important concessions from one professing the same faith as the editor of the Earthen Vessel, who has failed to estabhsh his practice of dii:)ping as a *' Biblical practice," having agreed with me in my principal arguments as the practice commanded by God. From the language used by the editor of the Earthen Vessel, I have been expecting a severe criticism on what I advanced in defence of Infant Baptism ; however, I am agreeably surprised to find in the Earthen Vessel a APPENDIX. 117 better cargo this month (October ), for the editor says, he heheves " men, ^vomen, and children were baptized when passing through the P^ed Sea." Now it is from the New Testament that we have evidence that such a baptism did take place, and it is only by referring to the Old Testament that we learn who were included in these words, " om' fathers were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea," and then we find them to include " men, women, and children." Therefore, if the editor of the Earthen Vessel, and the sect of Baptists whom he represents, claim to be the cliildren or descendents of these " fathers," then it is important that they should know that their fathers were baptized in theu' mfancy ; of which the apostle says, "I would not that you should be ignorant." Thus Infant Baptism is a doctrine of the New Testament, and taught by the apostle Paul; so that whoever rejects liis testimony are not " baptized into the cloud of God's truth," but are baptized into the cloud of darkness and ignorance, which the apostle was so anxious the church at Coiinth should avoid. Again, the editor of the Earthen Vessel, feeling the pressm^e of our arguments, is compelled to give up the idea that the Israehtes were immersed in water, " because the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand and on their left." But he is determined that we shall not " walk off with the laurel ; " for, if he is to have no immersion, we must have no sprinkhng when he says, " if we can get no immersion in the Bed Sea, so our good friends the Paedo-Baptists, can get no sprinlding for themselves ; so that it becomes a dry affair on both sides. For neither can get much water, or little water; so of necessity it must here at the Bed Sea, be a dry baptism." A dry baptism! and yet ho goes on to say, "We still believe they were immersed in the cloud and emersed from it into open day, and were thus baptized in the 118 APPENDIX. cloud and in the sea; and as we believe they were a typical people, and as they were baptized men, women, and children, so we believe all true Israelites are baptized by the Holy Spirit of God into the cloud of God's truth." Yes, the editor of the Earthen Vessel really behoves children were immersed, though he ridicules our practice of sprinkling them on the ground of uncon- sciousness ! Then how cunning he is in using the term immersed to suit his purpose when the baptism of water is mentioned, and then to borrow from us the term baptized when the baptism of the Holy Spirit is spoken of. How accommodating! yet he calls us, *' accommodating Jesuits, that do not wish to see the truth." Then what a figure a cloud is of God's truth, for aU must know who have the truth and are in the light of God's truth, that a cloud is a sign of darkness, especially when they are in the midst of a fog, or, as the editor of the Eanhen Vessel would say, " immersed in the cloud " on a misty morning. However, from what knowledge I have of the scriptures, I know that light is connected with truth, and as the soul of the beUever longs after the truth, his prayer will be, "0 send out thy Hght and thy truth ; let them lead me ; let them bring me to thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles." — Psalm xliii. 3. Then when he is permitted to walk in this Hght, in the ecstasy of his soul he exclaims, *' Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a Hght unto my path." — Psalm cxix. 105. Thus, all ** cloud " or dark- ness must disappear before the light of God's truth, for *' what communion hath Hght with darkness ? " — 2 Cor. vi. 14. But, because we have no desire to be " immersed into the cloud of God's truth," and grope our way in the dark, we are caUed "blind bats, that cannot see." However, the editor of the Eanhen Vessel may speak reproachfully of us, we trust we have found a better APPENDIX. 119 light than he can supply us with, in Him who said, " I am the light of the world : he that foUoweth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the hght of life." — John viii. 12. And having this hght of life, we shall have the truth, for " he that doeth truth comethto to the light, that liis deeds may be made manifest, that they are wTOught of God." — John iii. 21. Then we shall be careful that we biing in no cloud to interfere with God's truth, in putting "darkness for hght, and light for dai'kness;" [Isaiah v. 20.] and knowing the evil consequences that must follow such false teaching, we prefer to walk in the light of God's truth, that we may be able to distinguish those who speak not according to the truth, " because there is no light in them." — Isaiah viii. 20. Once more, the editor of the EaHhen Vessel has distinguished himself by discovering a new invention ; for, when giving a definition of the term baptism, he says, " As we cannot express its meaning by one word, we must use two words ; and these two words shall be immersion-emersion; or burial-resurrection. Let the reader then, be careful to notice this — that baptism does not mean simply immersion, or bui'}dng; but means also, and equally, emersion, or rising up again." Then again he says, " Now, if baptism consisted in immersion only, without emersion, then it would look as though the Egyptians, and not the IsraeHtes, were baptized in the Red Sea. But we beg to assure om' friends that the Eg}^tians were not baptized, but drowned in the Red Sea. There was, it is true, immei-sion, but no emersion; therefore it was not baptism." It is here admitted that immersion is not baptism, which is some- thing hke the truth ; for there is no passing by the fact of the Egyptians being immersed in the Red Sea, though it is nowhere said that they were baptized. The 120 APPENDIX. editor of the Earthen Vessel seeing this difficulty, is anxious to get out of it by any means, that he may establish his dipping, or immersion, as a *' Biblical practice," (and for this purpose denies the arguments of other Baptists who say, that " baptism means to dip, or immerse only,") by introducing the term emersion as the completion of baptism. Now, according to Johnson and Barclay, emersion, means " the act of coming into view again, the rising of any solid above the surface of a fluid, into which it is violently thrust." Then the Egyptians were violently thrust into the Red Sea, and were buried, or immersed ; yea, " the depths covered them, they sank into the bottom as a stone." — Exodus XV. 5. Thus they were immersed in the strictest sense of the term, and were also emersed, for '-Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore." — Exodus xiv. 3. Thus the immersion of the Egyptians was completed by their emersion from the sea, and their dead bodies coming into view again; clearly proving that baptism does not consist in " immersion, and emersion," — else the Egyptians, and not the Israelites, were baptized contrary to the declaration of the apostle Paul. Having thus proved that immersion and emersion is not scriptm-al baptism, the editor of the Earthen Vessel must submit to our " walldng off with the laurel," and aUow us to continue our Biblical practice which he has admitted in the baptism of "men, women, and children." And now as we have such concessions from those who have opposed Infant Baptism, we have reason to hope that the time wiU never come which Dr. Gill waited for, when he said, "I believe with a firm and unshaken faith, that the time is hastening on, when Infant Baptism will be no more practised in the w^orld." But had Dr. Gill known what some of those who follow him, in the same faith have written in our favour, and been APPENDIX. 121 permitted to see the Jubilee of the Lancasliire Congre- gational Union, and to hear how Paedo-Baptism has spread with Congregationalism, his firm faith must have been shaken so as to confess, " This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." Should the editor of the Earthen Vessel persist in teaching his doctrine (jf dippiw) as a fundamental principle of truth, we can only pity him, and all who are connected with him in the same faith, because of the advice he gives to them " let the dead bury their dead." Thus because we cannot see the truth in being dipped, we are " dead," and are left to buiy our dead. But these words have more to do mth those who use them, since they profess to bury their dead in the place " where the Lord lay ; " which place is better calculated for the finny tribe — for the life of the believer is not hid in the water, but " is hid with Christ in God;" [Col. iii. 3.] and for the sustenance of of that life he partakes freely of the water of life, which is in him " springing up into everlasting life." — John iv. 14. Therefore, if we are told the behever lives by seeing (what some call) the " truth " in their dq)pinrj, we deny it on scriptural grounds, for ^vith the water in our eyes, we shall only "see men as trees walking," [Mark viii. 24.] but with " oiu' hearts sprinlded from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed \vith water," [Heb. X. 2"2.] we shall be sanctified and cleansed, that we may be a glorious church, " not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." — Ephesians v. 27. And the church when sanctified and cleansed, "looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and tenible as an army with banners," and as " the light of the world. A city set on an hill that cannot be liid." She puts her light on a candlestick, that it may give light unto all in the world, that she may see the fuHilment of G 122 APPENDIX. ttie promise — " And tlie Gentiles shall see thy righteous- ness, and all kings thy glory : and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." Isaiah Ixii. 2. Then she will understand these words to do them : " Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations : spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes ; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left ; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." — Isaiah liv. 2, 3. And when this is done, there shall be none to "say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou," because they have been washed in the baptistry; for God shall say, " These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that bumeth all the day." — Isaiah Lxv. 5. Neither shall there be any more strict or closed commu- nion : all having experienced the truth and power of the scriptures, shall open then* communion, saying, *' thy gates shall be open continually ; they shall not be shut day nor night ; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." — Isaiah Lx. 11, 12. Therefore "ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence," but " Go thi'ough, go tlnrough the gates ; prepare ye the way of the people ; cast up, cast up the highway ; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people." — Isaiah Ixii. 6, 10. FREDERICK. WILCOCK, FUINTEK, 23, FAULKNEIl-STREEi', MANCHESTER.