> 1830 b ^ ^' ^ •■^ Q. # .2 « "^•^ J5 .5 ■" # ^ <-t- o ; 1 5 j o >^ TF'!^ isaj ^Clip BY JOSEPH SAMUEL. C. F. FREY^ yASTOR OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT NE57ARK, N, SECOND EDITION REVISED AND MUCH ENLARGED. PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. Sold by Lincoln & Edmands, Boston ; G. & C. Carvill, N. York ; Jonathan Leavitt, do. ; E. H. Tripp & Co. Baptist Depos- itorj, No. 40i Chatham-street, do. ; Rev. Noah Davis, Agent of the Baptist General Tract Society, Philadelphia ; and W> k J. Gbane, BicbmoDd, Virginia. iTB-WARK, nr, jr. ^ftlRTSO AT TBK OFFICS OF TH£ EAdLI. 1S30* COFY RiaHT SSCVRED. %.^:y^^. I The cause of the Bible is the cause of God, and tlie only noble cause of men. The individual who contributes any thing to the more wide diffu- sion of the light which is from heaven, among the inhabitants of the earth, promotes that cause, elevates the human character, and brings the world under obligation to him as a benefactor; at the same time, he adds a note to the anthem once sung by angels : " Glory to God in the highest ! — On earth peace — good will toward men.''^ In order to this, it is not indispensable that new truth be discovered. The Bible contains an entire and perfect theology ; and to take of the thirigs of Christ and shew them to men, is enough. This the christian may do, as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. It is a no less noble or useful work to help a christian brother to clearer and brighter light, than to reflect the light on the darkness of unregenerated minds. The main design of this book is to communi- cate important truth to scholars already in the school of Christ. The title of the work seems to limit the expectation of the reader to the single subject of baptism ; which, though it claims the serious regard of every christian, borrows i(s principal value from the con- nexion in which it stands with all the doctrines of our religion, and the prosperity of the church; it being part of the revealed will of our great Lawgiver, and intended by Him, like every other part of bis re- ligion, for the helping of all the rest. No man acquainted with the history of the church, can consider the subject of baptism an indiffer- ent subject. It is not treated as such, in practice^ by christians of any denomination ; and it claims its due share of attention among the im- portant things of the kingdom of Christ. But it is due to the author of this book to remark, that he has done much in elucidating the great principle of all reformation, viz: " The Bible is the only and the sufficient rule of faith and of practice.''^ There have always been those who would either entirely discard this principle, or so modify it, that reason might be exalted to a pre-emi- nence over scripture. The same disposition is plainly discernible iu our times and country. While the lovers of Bible truth are faithfully striviug to give it dif- fusion, there are men of high literary attainments, and some who IV INTRODUCTION. stand up in the public view as preachers of Christianity, who do noi regard the scriptures as a fierject and the only standard of religious opinions and moral practices. These hold the scriptures loosely ; and sometimes warn their hearers of a cer tain danger in submitting their opinions too implicitly to the Bible. The following language has re- cently been employed : " It is plain that his (Milton's) error was founded on his reverence for scripture.'''* If there is any mean- ing in this language, it is that '■^ reverence for scripture''"' is danger- ous. It will be seen that these Essays are written on a different principle; and we blush not to say, that they uniformly exhibit the highest " reverence for scripture." Such, at least, is their claim. They claim to be tried by the scripture before lhe;y are condemned ; and if they endure not this test, they "refuse not to die.'' We be- lieve that the time approaches, when the protestant maxim will uni- versally prevail; when it will be admitted that "■ o7/ scripture is giv- en by inspiration of God, and is profitable.'''' "/ love thy command- ments above gold ; yea above fine gold. Therefore^ 1 esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every faise way." The first of the following Essays will be read %vith interest by every christian, whether his opinions on the subject of baptism ac- cord with those of the author or not; for it applies with equal propri- ety and force to every requirement of God. C. P. Q. BooTONj Feb. 1829. * Pr. ChannJng, r^*"' # ^ Dear Reader:— The substance of the followiji^^SSsays was originally delivered in three sermons, which were occasioned by the change of my views on the subject of Baptism. No sooner was the change publicly known, than two questions were naturally and frequently asked, viz: What argument produced this change? and what circumstances led to it now, rather than formerly? The following Essays answer thefir-^t query ; and the circumstances which led me to investigate the subject now, rather than formerly, are brief- ly these : The reader is probably already informed, that I was brought up in the Jewish faith, until I was twenty-five years of age. Some time af- ter I had made a public profession of the christian religion, I was re- ceived a student in the Missionary Seminary at Berlin, in Prussia. In 1801 I went to England, at the request of the London Missionary So- ciety. A few months afttr mj ariival in London, the directors resolv- ed that 1 should preach to the Jews. To prepare myself for that work, I was sent to their Seyiuary at Gosport, under the care of the late venerable Dr. Bogue. Here I spent the four happiest yeais in my life. During this period, my time was taken up wiih the investigation of the general doctrines of Christianity, and particularly the subjects of controversy between Jews and Christian^- Baptism was considered a subject of comparatively little importance. In the Doctor's MS. Theological Lectures, the argumc's in favor of sprinkling and infant baptism, are represented in a stf^Jng^ I'ght, whilst those of the opposite party are but slightly ment'-^ned. The view given of the subject as analogous to circumcisif-^j and to the sprinkling of water and of blood, was peculiarly plea""? to ^y natural attachment to Judaism, and prevented any fu.ther inquiry into the truth of the statement. The fact of 'Hy being a convert of the Jewish nation, together with my situation as a Missionary or Agent to promote the conversion of the Jews, has called me so often to travel and to preach, as to leave me but little or no time for the study of any subjects besides thosa •connected with my immediate labors. The subject of baptism might still have remained unexamined by me, had it not been for the following occurrence ; At the christening' of one of my children, together with others, the minister exhorted us -to bring up our "children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." A* VI PKEFACE. This scriptural, soIenriD and affectionate exhortation was enforced by oberviog', •' These children are now members of the Church, adopted into the family of God,'^ <^c. t^c. These declarations were forcibiy impressed upon my mind, as if 1 had never heard them before. They appeared to me, at tbat moment, inconsistent with the doctrine of Perseverance ; I resolved, therefore, not to present another child of my own, nor to baptize the children of any others, before I had tho- roughly investigated the subject. Ever since, for more than two years, I have introduced the subject in conversation with the ministers in my travels, almost in every place where I have preached, for the purpose of obtaining information. — The general notion that the christian church is a continuation of the Jewish church, illustrated by the olive tree and the parable of the tares and the wheat, formed peculiar difiSculties in my mind, and I expressed them freely to my brethren, as some will doubtless remem- ber. In June, 1827, the Lord blessed me with another child. Im- mediately my resolution to investigate the subject of baptism, before I could present another child, came to my recollection. Accordingl}', I gave myself to reading, meditation and prayer. After carefully comparing the best books, on both sides of the question, with the word of God, I came to the full conviction, that believers are the only subjects of baptism, and that immersion is the only scriptural mode. 1 now felt it my duty to obey the command of my Lord and Saviour to be baptized, i. e. immersed. Therefore, without conferring with flesh and blood, or fearing the consequences, I proposed myself as a candidate to the Baptkt chinch, in New- York, under the pastoral care of the Rev. A. Mach,y, by whom I was baptized on Lord's day, August 28, 1827. I was aware that the subject ^ould excite much attention ; that many of my best friends would be £ whom I have every where met with the greatest hospitality and friendship, to join a De- norainalion, who are said '' to be only the poor and deajised among the people," and who have been every where spoken agaVqst, hated and persecuted, often, even unto death. To whatever motives, however, my change may be ascribed by others, it is an unspeakable comfort to my own mind, that I have done it as a solemn religious duty, and can cheerfully leave the consequen- ces to my covenant God, whom I have the honor and privilege te serve in the gospel of Christ, who is oyer all God blessed forever.. ^ PREFACE. Vli 1 cannot omit mentioning in this place a circumstance, which, con- sidered by itself, might appear trifl.ng', but, in its connexion, has become an important link in the chain. Among' the books which I read, alladed to above, was the orig-inal woik of the Rev. and vene- rable Abraham Booth, " Ptdobaptisin txammed.^'' These two volumes he himself presented to me m IJiuo, when 1 resided in London a near neighbour to him, saying-, " Accept these books as a token of respect, and read them at your leisure.'' 1 thankfully accepted the gift, and kept it carefully, in memory of the " man of God,'' whom I highly esteemed and venerated ; but I was totally ignorant on this subject, and, therefore, could not value the rich treasure contained in these volumes, which lay on my shelf coveied with dust, for the space of twenty-two years. Now, while searching for truth, I began to ex- amine this "Examination of Pedobaptism." Here 1 found the scrip- ture mode of baptism by immersion, and believers the only subjects, demonstrated and proved, and all objections answered, in such a mas- terly manner, that, I am firmly persuaded, these books never can be refuted. It is with peculiar pleasure I take this opportunity of ac- knowledging myself a debtor to these volumes for much aid in my investigations, and for many of the testimonies, from the writings of the most pious and learned Pedobaptists, contained in the following pages. Soon after I had preached on the subject of baptism, the sermons were repeatedly requested for publication. While preparing them for the press, I received several books in favor of Pedobaptism, from some of my Presbyterian friends, for which I now publiclv thank them. These treatises I have read carefully, and I do most sincerely declare, that they have served only to establish me more firmly in my new views on the subject of ba-Jtisra. This circumstance will account for the enlargement of the work, and for the delay of its publication, and has occasioned its present form. By almost every author I read, the ground, on which infant baptii^m had been placed by a former author, was overturned, or declared untenable, and a new foundation laid. Every new opinion I met with on this side of the ques- tion, I weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, and found it wanting. The perusal of Dr. L. Wood's liCclures, in particular, convinced me of the importance of adding the first Essay to the original matter. Dr. W. in the beginning of his work, page 1 1 , declares, " It is a plain case that there is no express precept respecting infant baptism in our sacred writings. The proof, then, that infant baptism is a divine in- stitution, must be made out in another way." A want of attention to the nature and obligation of a positive institution of God, has left many to take unwarranted liberties in altering the mode of adminis- tering the ordinance, and the qualifications of its subjects ; and others to ueglect it altogether, as a matter perfectly iadifferent. Vlll PKEFAfet. The solemn charge broug'ht against the pious and venerable Mr. Booth, that "in his quotations he liad misrepresented the sense of the authors," has led me to examme and compare every quotation with the original work, as far as it was in my power; and I am happy to say, his faithfulness in quoting- them is equal to his good judgment and unparalleled industry iu selecting and collecting them. This of course required some time, and is another cause of the delay of this book. Although these Essays may afford but little new information to those who have already examined the subject thoroughly, yet they are considered by competent judges as calculated to remove prejudi- ces, to diffuse the truth as it is in Jesus, and to put away human in- ventions from God's holy worship. Notwithstanding the variety of excellent and useful treatises already before the public, yet some are too short to meet every objection, and others are too large and expen- sive for general usefulness. In the present work, a proper medium has been aimed at, and the public will be able to judge how far the author has been successful. To avoid every expression in the least calculated to give offence, has been my desire and care; but as perfection cannot be expected in this life, 1 hope the reader will ascribe every failure in this partic- ular to inattention rather than design. The reader, and especially the reviewer, will please to remember, that the author is a foreigner, and does not profess to be a master of the English language. A sense of his deficiencies in this respect, would certainly have prevented liim from thus appearing before the public ; but the persuasion of his friends, a conviction of duty " to give a reason" for his conduct, and a desire to be useful to others, have prevailed with him to publish these Essays. Should this humble attempt prove a blessing to the reader, the glory shall be to Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. ■world without end. Amen. JVewark, February, 1823, PREFACE TO THE SECOKD EDITION. ^V, I c „ . /' The rapid sale of the former edition, the eneolitiiums of reviewers,' and the frequent calls for the work have encouraged tiM> author to revise and publish this edition. Among the many publications on Baptism, the author has met with comparatively few of a practical naUne. He has therefore added the Sixth Essay. Several communications have given r.ae to the Notes contained in the Appendix. The Contents of the work are given at full length to facilitate a reference to the different parts. That the work may prove an extensive and lasting blessing to every reader, and greatly promote the glory of Jehovah, is the most sincere prayer of THE AUTHOR. JS'ewark, JV. J. February^ 1830, )<» Introduclion. Preface. Do. tv 1,'ie present Edition. Essay 1. Gentritl Obse.rvalluiis on poMivt Laws or Jnstituiions, The nature of a posnive l:ii ihc Lfi" giver himself has a right to alter it — Nothina nmsi lie art iei! io, oi irflen Irom it — To neglect or slight it is highly crimiii li — W'iifu! -n voliminry ignorance is no excuse for neglecting it — Propositions Irom ti;siiOj) Hoadly — importance of this Es- say — page 13 to 26 Essay II Btlieveis !he only Subjects of Baptism. Every religious ubservinico Uiit s'.nc;Kiiieri an- appRriied to — Such as our Lord's commission to baptize all Nftlions — Such as rhe promise to parents and their children. Acts ii 38. 3y — ^iuch in which children are said lo be holy, Rom. xi. 16. 1. Cor. vii 14. — The sanction ol the Apostles is pleaded in baptizing households — Our Lord's coiidiici to children is pleaded — Analo- gy between the Old and New Testament dispensaliops is considered as an argument — The Covenants made with Al>r.;ham statt d — Baptism did not come in the room of Circunicisinn — The Ciiristian Cliurch lio rontinuation of the Jewish Cliurch — Signifiiaiion of the word Church — Nature and constitution of tlie Christian Chinch — No such Church until the day of Pentecost — Infant B<\piism s»id lobe an Apostolic tradition — pp. 35 — 73. Essay iV, Immersion the only Scripturiil jilode of Baptism. This is evident from flie sigi-.ificatioii ;if the vi ord osi-d — It is confessed by many Pedobaptists — I'h? naiiire of the Insti'jition requires the words to be plain, &,c. — Those who have iianslateri the orijinal word have rendered it " to immerse" — The metaphorical use shews it lo sij^nify immersion — From the places selected lor mn administration of the ordiniince — From the practice of the pnmitive Churclies — From the jirnctice of the Greek Church — From the design of the nidinnnce.— PTges 73 — 91. Eissay V Ohjections answered. Female communion and Die change of llie Sal'bath — No law against infant baptism, or the right of chddren not abrogated — The Christian Church a mere continuation of ihe-fewish Church — if Ihe Church did not commence in Ai^raham's family then God whs without a Cliurch for 2,0G0 years — Unbelieveis have been received into the Cliurch, why not children ? — The Covenant of Abraham not fsbrogaieii — John's baptism a mere imi. tation of proselyte baptism — Baptizo signifies to wash as well as to im- merse — 3,000 could not be immersed in one day — 7 he Spirit promised by sprinkling and pouring — Iiwrnersion considered dangerous — Indecent- Mode is of no importance — Not essential, and Baptists lay too much stress upon it — Close communion — Po(,r &.illiieiateonly i.rr Baptists, p. 91 — 12S. Essay Vi Practicat Improvemmt. An Address to members of the Baptist Denomination — Exhortation to observe all things that Christ has commanded — Atistract of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount — Argumenis or motives to e;iforce the exhortation — The authority of the Lawgiver — Our public profession at Baptism to be disciples of Christ — Christ's disci les -.110 known by bearing their Cross — by brotherly love and by their faithfuln.-ss — Our duty to frlorify God and honor Religion — its necessity for ihc obtaining -of Assurance — Address to jPedobaptiits.—Page 128—162. To quotations from the writings of Pedobaptists, contained in the following Essays. Adding'ton, Dr. p. 42 Alstedius, 75 Anonymous, 66 Assembly of Divines, 47 Austin, 32 Alsop, Vincent 116 B Ball, 60 Barrow, Dr. 36 Basil, confession of 65 Baxter, 27 31 37 Bade, 124 Bellamy, Dr. 6 137 Bennel, Bp. 18 77 Beza, 82 Booth, 37 62 76 85 113 126 162 Boston, Ths. 30 Bradbury, 19 57 77 121 Brooke, Lord 61 Browne, J. 66 99 Brownlee, Dr. 164 Buck's Diet. 99 Buddeus, 20 75 87 88 Burkitt, 50 Burmannus, 82 Burnett, Bp. 20 Butler, Bp. 15 Calerius, 38 Calvin, 34 36 49 58 75 83 120 Campbell, 86 Carpzovius, 54 104 Cattenburgh, 59 Cellarius, 30 Chambers, 33 Charnock, 57 Chauncy, Dr. p. 65 Claffgett, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Clerk, Le Cocceius, Collins, Coiton, John Courcy, De Cow drey, Cox. Dr. Curceilaeus, Danrerse, Deyling^ius, D.-.ddridg-s, Dwig-hi, Dr. 94 1961 83 33 27 66 75 30 55 58 33 D 33 87 103 41 43 47 50 124 92 E Edward, John 38 f) IwHirds, Joaat. 15 34 Estms, 90 Ferg-uson, 74 P.a.ikius, 80 Frv»;iki!0, Dr. 112 Fuller, an Episcopalian 30 G Gerard. Dr. Gerhardus, Gomarus. Goodman, Dr. Goodwiu, Dr. 23 20 36 18 15' Gies^orv, Nazianzen 32 Griffin,' Dr. 164 Grosveaor, Dr. 24 117 Grotius, 35 45 Gurtieras, 119 INDEX TO QUOTATIONS. H Hall, Arch. 21 71 112 161 Palmer, SI. 30 36 Hammond, 41 47 107 Perkins, W. no Hebden, 57 Pictetus, 90 123 Heidanus, 85 PiersoD, Dr. 71 Heidegger, 20 Piscator, 83 Helvetia, Confession 65 Poole, 43 45 Henry, Mr. 36 37 42 49 120 R Hoadly, Bp. 24 Reynolds, Bp. 80 no Holland, Dr. 33 Ridgl}, Dr. 77 Hoorenbeckius , 34 Robmson, 87 Hunter, Dr. 113 J Roque, De La Salmanius, S 33 85 James, 124 147 Samin. 36 156 Jennings, Dr. 71 103 ' Scaliger, 105 Jerubbaal, 21 Schmidius, Scott, 107 150 163 K Seeker, Abp. Sherlock, Dr. 113 15 16 112 Keckermannus 111 Staplerus, 30 King, Lord Chancellor 123 T L Taylor, Bp. 17 19 2122 Tillotson, Bp. 110 Lawson, 32 Tombes, 61 Leigh, 76 Toweraon, Dr. 30 Lewis, Rev. J. 78 Turrettiu, 19 34 77 89 Limborch, 30 33 36 41 47 Lomeierum, 27 V Luther, Dr. 30 90 140 Venema, 33 59 75 87 103 M Vitringa, Voscius, 61 75 90 Maccovius, 36 Maimonides, 105 w Marloratus, 84 Marshall, 27 Wadsworth, 22 Martin, Dr. 80 Wall, Dr. 30 81111 133 Martyr, Justin 128 Waterland, 22 Mastricht, 65 Watts, Dr. 34 71 Mason, Dr. 95 97 98 99 Wesley, John 112 Mather, Cr. Cotton 65 Whitby, Dr. 41 47 71 M'Lean, 129 131 Wilson, 37 Meierus, 34 Witsius, 41 54 74 81 88 15» Montesquieu. 18 76 Worcester, Dr. 37 z Obserrer, Nevr York 111 122 Zanchitts, 9treB, Dr. 38 37 37 41 70 104 113 16d 75 vhen he was sure of a divine warrant in the case, has ESSAYS ON B.APTISM. 15 placed him at the head of all the believing world ; as hero of faith, the father of the faithful and the friend of God. " Moral precepts," says the learned Bishop Butler, " are precepts, the reason of which we see ; positive precepts are precepts, the reason of which we do not see. Moral duties arise out of the nature of the case itself, prior to external command ; positive duties do not arise out of the nature of the case, but from external command ; nor would they be duties at all, were it not for such command, receiv- ed from Him, whose creatures and subjects we are.'' — Analogy of Religion, Part 2, ch. 1. The pious Jonathan Edwards, whose praise is in all the churches, justly observes ; " Positive precepts are the greatest and most proper trial of obedience : because in them the mere authority and will of the Legislator is the sole ground of the obligation, and nothing in the nature of the things themselves ; and, therefore, they are the greatest trial of any person's respect to that authority and will. " Sermons, page 232. Se^-mojis on Imp. Sub. p. 79. The words of Dr. Sherlock shall close this observation: " What is matter of institution depends wholly upon the divine will and pleasure ; and though all men will grant, that God and Christ have always great reason for their institutions, yet it is not the reason, but the authority, which makes the institution. Though we do not under- stand the reasons of the institution, if we see the com- mand, we must obey ; and though we could fancy a great many reasons why there should be such an institution, ii no such institution appear, we are free, and ought not to believe there is such an institution because we think there are reasons assigned why it should be." Preserv. against Pop. Title 9, p. 419. 3. The law of the institution is the only rule of obe- dience. From the preceding observations it is evident, that positive institutions in religion derive their whole being from the sovereign pleasure of God, and that his pleasure can be known only from his revealed will. It follows, therefore, that we cannot know any thing about the precise nature, the true design, the proper objects of them, or the right mode of their administration, farther than the Scriptures teach, either in plain, positive precepts or by clear example. For as Dr GooJrcm observes: "There is this difference between doctrinal truths and institu- 16 ESSAYS ON BAPTIS5I. tions, that one truth may be, by reason, better fetched out of another, and more safely and easily, than institutions. For one truth begets another, and truth is infinite in the consequences of it ; but so institutions are not.' Works, vol. 4. Government of the Church of Christ, ch. 4. p. 21. Moral duty may be proved by illation ; for a genuine in- ference from a moral principle, relating to things of a moral nature, has all the certainty of the principle itself: and it is a just observation of Dr. Bellamy that " the in- spired writings of the Old Testament consider these two maxims, that zoe must love God zvith all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves, as first and fundamental princi- ples : and all the various duties which they urge, respect- ing God or our fellow men, are but so many inferences and deductions from them." True Religion Delineated, p. 143. But, when positive duties are under our notice; when either the manner of performing those duties, or the proper subject of them is before us, the case is greatly al- tered. For, the inquiry being entirely into the sovereign pleasure of God, concerning an article of human duty, which absolutely depends on a manifestation of the divine will, the nature of the case forbids our expecting any in- telligence relating to it except that which arises from divine precept, or scriptural precedent. How strong and just is the language of Dr. Sherlock to the present purpose : " I would not be thought wholly to reject a plain and evident consequence from Scripture ; but yet I will never admit of a mere consequence to prove an institution, which must be delivered in j)lain terms, as all laws ought to be ; and, where I have no other proof, but some scripture consequences, I shall riot think it equi- valent to a Scripture proof If the consequence be plain and obvious, and such as every man sees, I shall not question it : but remote, and dubious, and disputed cob- sequences, if we have no better evidence, to be sure, are a very ill foundation for articles of faith, or ordinances of worsVip. Let a Protestant, then, tell such disputants, that for the institution of Sacraments, and for articles of faith, he expects plain positive proofs : that, as much as the Protestant faith is charged with uncertainty, we desire a little more certainty for our faith, than mere inferences from Scripture, and those none of the plainest neither. ' Preser. against Pop. vol. 2. Appendix, p. 23. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 17 On this principle all Protestants proceed, when contend- ing with Roman Catholics about their claims of prerog- atives and their numerous rites, viz. that nothing short of an e.xphcit grant, ti positive command, or a plain exam- ple iu the New Testament, can prove their divine origin. Instances might be multipHed ; a few shall be given here- after. In like manner do Non-conformists demand of Episcopalians, saying — " Produce your zoarrant for this, that, and the other, /Vom our only rule of faith and praC' tice, a divine precept, or an apostolic example, relating to the point in dispute." So, when Moses v/as directed to make the Tabernacle, nothing was left to his wisdom, prudence or judgment ; but " see, saith the Lord, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." Heb. viii. 5. Nor does it appear from the records of the Old Testament, that, when Jehovah appointed any branch of ritual worship, he left either the subjects of it, or the mode of administration, to be inferred by the peo- ple, from the relation, in which they stood to himself, or from general moral precepts, or from any branch of his moral worship, nor yet from any other well known posi- tive rite ; but he gave them special directions relating to the very case ; and those directions they were bound to regard, whether they appeared in a pleasing or a painful light. I shall close this observation in the words of the pious and learned Bishop Taylor , " All positive precepts, that depend on the mere will of the lawgiver, admit no degrees, nor suppletory and commutation ; because in such laws we see nothing beyond the words of the law, and the first meaning, and the named instance ; and therefore it is tha't in individuo, which God points at ; it is that in which he will make the trial of our obedience ; it is that in which he will so perfectly be obeyed, that he will not be disputed with, or inquired of, lohy, and how, but just ac- cording to the measures there set down : So, and no more, and no less, and no otherwise. For, when the will of the lawgiver be all the reason, the first instance of the law is all the measures, and there can be no product but what is just set down. No parity of reason can infer any thing else ; because there is no reason but the will of God, to which nothing can be equal, because his will can be but one." Ductor Dub. B. 2. ch. 3. § 18. 4. The law of a positive institution must be so plain 2* 18 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. and explicit, as to stand in no need of any other assistance to understand it, but the mere letter of the law. As a rule must be straight, not bent or crooked, if we would draw- direct lines by it, so must laws be plain, and expressed in words, whose signification is well understood, for they are for the direction of the common people as well as for the learned. They must be as the words of a fa- ther to his family. Hence, our Pedobaptist brethren, in their arguments against popish traditions and superstitions, consider it not only necessary that a positive law should be plain, but nothing less than blasphemy to suppose, that either Christ, or his Apostles, delivered their mind in words or expressions that are ambiguous, or cannot easily be un- derstood. I will not multiply quotations, but select only a few. "The term Institution,'^ says Dr. Goodman, "implies a setting up de novo, or the appointing that to become a duty, which was not knowable ; or, at least, not known to be so, before it became so appointed. For this word. In- stitution, is that, which we use to express a positive com- mand by, in opposition to that, which is moral in the strictest sense, and of natural obUgation. Now, it is very evident, that all things of this nature ought to be appointed very plainly and expressly, or else they can carry no obli- gation with them : for, seeing the whole reason of their becoming matter of law, or duty, lies in the will of the le- gislator; if that be Xio\. plainly discovered, they cannot be said to be instituted, and so there can be no obligation to observe them ; because where there is no law, there can be no transgression ; and a law is no law, in effect, which is not sufficiently promulgated." Preser. against Pop. Title 8. p. 7. Baron Montesquieu observes ; " The style (of laws) should be plain and simple ; a direct expression being al- ways better understood than an indirect one — it is an es- sential article, that the words of ti.e laws should (be adapt- ed to) excite in every body the ime ideas. The laws ought not to be subtile; they are designed for people of com- mon understanding, not as an art of logic, but as the plain reason of a father to a family." Spirit of Laws, B. 29. ch. 16. Mr Benjamin Bennet : " 'Tis a reproach to the Law- , giver, blasphemy against him, to suppose that any of his ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 19 upright sincere subjects cannot find out the meaning of fiis laws, with all their care and diligence, even in the ne- cessary essential points of their faith and obedience.' Irenicum, p. 60. Mr Bradbury : " The words (of our Lord, Matt, xxviii, 19.) ought to be taken in their plain and natural sense, because they are a lasting form to the end of time. For Christ to give us expressions, that people cannot under- stand, would be only to abuse them. 'Tis unwortby of Him, who is the light of the world, in whose mouth there was no guile. (Such) is the plain and natural sense of the words ; and, therefore, to twine and torture them with conjectures and maybes, is making Christ, not a teacher but a barbarian, by not Uttering words, that are easy to be understood," Duty and Doct. of Bapt. pp. 150. 173, Bishop Taylor remarks : " It is certain God put no dis- guises upon his own commandments, and thjc words are meant plainly and heartily ; and the further you remove from their Jirst sense the more you have lost the purpose of your rule." Ducior Dubitant, B. I. ch. 1. p. 26. From the preceding observations we make the following remark. 5. None but the Lawgiver himself has a right to al- ter a positive institution. Nothing is more common thai! for Protestant Pedobaptists to urge the necessity of adher- ing, strictly adhering, to the original institution, in admin- istering the holy Supper ; and which is common to every positive institution of true religion, the absurdity and iniquity of departing from it, on account of any supposed inconvenience. Thus Dr. Clarke : "In things of exter-^ iial appointment, and mere positive institutions, where we cannot, as in matters of natural and moral duty, argue con- cerning the natural reason and ground of the obligation, and the original necessity of the thing itself; we have no- thing to do but to obey the positive command. God is infi- nitely belter able than we, to judge of the propriety and use- fulness of the things he institutes ; and it becomes us to obey with humility and reverence." Expos. Church Cat. p. 305. " The command of Christ," says the judicious Turret- tin, " ought not to be violated under any pretence what- ever ; and in what way soever the thing signified may be 20 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. received, the sigii, appointed by Christ, is always to b^ ietr. JVall : " Among all the persons, that are recorded as baptized by the Apostles, there is no express mention of any infant — there is no express mention, indeed, of any children baptized by him, /. e. John the Baptist." Hist. Inf. Bap. Introduction, p. 1. 55. Mr. T Boston : " There is no example of Baptism re- corded in the Scriptures, where any were baptized, but such as appeared to have a saving interest in Christ." /ForA-5, 384. Luther : " It cannot be proved l.y the Sacred Scrip- tures, that Infant Baptism was instituted by Christ, or be- gun by the first Gliristians, after the Apostles." Inst. R's. f^aniti/ of Inf. Bap. Part 2. p. 8. Fuller, an Episcopalian Minister : " We do freely con- fess, that there is neither express precept, nor precedent, in the New Testament for the baptizing of Infants." Irif. Bap. Advocated, p. 71. Cellarius : " Infant Baptism is neither commanded in the Sacred Scripture, nor is it confirmed by Apostolic ex- amples." Apud Schyn. Hist. Mennonit. p. 168. Samuel Palmer : " There is nothing in the words of the Institution, nor in any after accounts of the administration of this rite, respecting the Baptism of Infants ; there is not a single precept for, nor example of this practice, through the whole of the New Testament." Answer to Dr. Priest- Icy s Address on the Lord's Sup. p. 7. Limborch : " There is no instance that can be produced, liom whence it may indisputably be inferred, that any child was baptized by the Apostles. The necessity of Infant Bap- tism was never asserted by any Council before that of Car- thage, held in the year 418." Comp. Syst. Div. B, 5. C. '22. Sec. 2 Dr. Towerson : "That which seems to stick much with the adversaries of Infant Baptism, and is accordingly urged at all times against the friends or asserters of it, is, tism, to whom it is to be administered, is a behever ; one who is endued with a true taith in Jesus Christ, and touched with a serious repentance for his past offences," o4 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. Syst. Bio. B. 5, chap. 22, § 2. Meierus : " None have a title to baptism but such as profess faith and the true reH- gion." Bib. Brem. class. 4, p. 169. Turretin : "Faith, devotion, and an internal exercise of the mind, are requir- ed to the efficacy of a sacrament ; because the scripture expressly asserts it, Mark .xvi. 16, 1 Cor. xi. 27, Acts ii. .37, 38, because without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb. xi. 6 ; and because the promise, as contained in the sacraments, and faith are correlates. Insti. Loc. 19, Q. 8, § 12. Calvin: "From the sacrament of baptism, as from all others, we obtain nothing, except so far as we receive it in faith." Inst. L. 4, c. 15, § 15. Jonathan Edicards : " There are some duties of worship that im- ply a profession of God's covenant, whose very nature and design is an exhibition of those vital, active princi- ples and inward exercises, wherein the condition of the covenant of grace consists — such are the christian sacra- ments ; whose very design is to make and confirm a pro- iession of and compliance with that covenant, and whose very nature is to exhibit or express those uniting acts of the soul." Hoornheekins : " Without faith, water baptism cannot by any means be lawful ; for the command is, 6c- lieze first, then, also, and not otherwise, be baptized. Mark xvi. 16, hb that believeth and is baptized, (^c. Then, they that gladly received his word zoere baptized. Acts ii. 41. If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest be baptized. Acts viii. 37. Acts xvi. 31, 33." Socin. confut. torn. 3, p. 389. Dr. Watts : " Faith and repentance were the great things required of those that were admitted to bap- tism. This was the practice of John, this tlic practice of the Apostles, in the history ot their ministry. Mat. iii. Acts ii. 38, xix. 4, viii. 37." Berry St. Serm. vol. 2. pp. 177, 178. In closing this Essay, I cannot but express my hope, that the candid and conscientious reader will see the im- propriety of admitting infants to the sacred ordinance of baptism ; seeing, that the law of a positive institution is the only rule of our obedience, Pedobaptists, eminent for learning and piety, being judges; (E. I, p. 15.) and that in the institution of baptism, the subjects are cha- racterized as having been first taught, and consequently become disciples and believers in Christ, which is not .applicable to infants or children. They further declare, ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, 35 that every part of religious worship requires a divine precept or scripture example, but that the New Testa- ment affords neither precept nor example for infant bap- tism ; it follows, therefore, that infants have no right to this sacred ordinance. I am perfectly aware that our brethren endeavor to prove the right of infant baptism by scripture inferences ; by analogy of dispensations, &c. &c. but how is this consistent with their declarations already cited, (E. I. p. 14, 16.) that in positive institutions we have nothing to do icith reasoning, inferences, analogy, ^'C. ^c. but that the revealed will of the Legislator is the sole authority, and the words of the law the only rule of our obedience ? This subject reminds me of the fact that Hebrew gram- marians give rules for the pronunciation of words in one chapter, while in the very next their rules are contradicted and violated by their own pronunciation. Besides, I have diligently examined the arguments in favor of infant bap- tism, and may shew in the next Essay, that, whcH weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, they are found wanting. ESSAY III. favor of Infard Baptism, stated and re-' fated. We are told by our Pcdobaptist brethren, that theiv practice of infant baptism is sanctioned by express Scrip- tures ; by the example of the Apostles ; by our Jjord's conduct torijards children; by analogy ; and by Apostolic tradition. 1. Express declarations of Scripture are appealed to for sanction. Our Lord's commission to baptize all nations. Matt, xxviii. 19 "Go yc, therefore, and teach all nations, bap- tizing them," &c. Here our Pedobaptist brethren reason thus : "All na- tions are to be baptized ; but children are a part of all na- tions ; therefore, children have a right to baptism.'' This might be good logic, if our Lord had said no more than 36 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. " baptize all nations ;" but he has characterized those in all nations who should be baptized ; namely, disciples and believers. Those, therefore, who are not capable of learning and believijia:, are excluded ; and such are infants. (See Essay TI. p. 28.) Besides, it is acknowledged by many learned Podol>aptists, that those to be baptized, agreeably to our Lord's commission, must first be taught, or discipled ; i. e. be instructed in the first principles of the christian religion I shall select only a few of their declarations. s. Maccovius : ' We assert, that our Lord enjoins two dif- ferent things upon his disciples, to teach and to baptize." Loci Com. p. 82 3. Saurin : " In tiie primitive church, instruction preceded baptism, agreeably to the order of Jesus Christ : go teach all nations, baptizing them." Scr. torn. 1, p. 301, Ln Haye, Edit. 3. Mr. Samuel Palmer : " There is nothing in the words of the institution respecting the baptism of infants." An- swer to Dr. Prieslit /'.? address on the Lord's Supper, p. 7. Gomarus: " Fii Matt, xxviii. 19, our Lord speaks not con- cerning infants, but aduits, who are capable of instruc- tion." Opera. Thcolog. p. 148. Limhorch : " They could not make disciples, unless by teaching. By that instruction were disciples brought to the faith before they were baptized." Mark xvi. 15, 16. Inst. L. 5. c. ^7, § 7. Cahin: " Because Christ requires teaching before bap- tizing, and will have believers only admitted to baptism ; baptism does not .seem to be rightly administered, except faith precede." In Harm. Exang. Comment, ad loc. Dr. Barrozo : "What the action itself enjoined is, and what the manner and form thereof, is apparent by the words of our Lord's institution : going forth, saith he, teach or disciple all nations, baptizing them. The action is baptizing or immersing in water : the object thereof, those persons of any nation whom his ministers can, by their instruction or persuasion, render disciples ; that is, such as do sincerely believe the truth of his doctrine, and .seriously resolve to obey his commandments." Works, vol. 1, p. 518. That men are made disciples of Christ by teaching, and not by baptizing, (as Mr. Henry would have us believe, ESSAYS ON BAPTISxM. li^ Trealise on Baptism, p. 114.) is acknowledged .by nume- rous Pedobaptists. Dr. Owen : " By the disciples of Christ, 1 intend them, and them only, who profess faith in his person and doc- trine, and to hear him, or to be guided by him alone, in all things that appertain unto the worship of God, and their living unto him." Ingiiiri/ into the Orig. Xatnre of Churches, p. 120. Mr. Wilson : " A disciple is a learner, a scholar, who submitteth himself to another to be taught any learning. Acts x\\ 30. Matt. xi. 2. One who learneth the doctrine of Christ, that he may believe and practise it." Acts xi. 16, Luke xiv. Xd^. Christ. Diet. Article, Disciple. Mr. Baxter: " Ohjection ; Any one is a disciple that is \villing to iearn of Christ. Ansiver. No such matter. In an improper sense you may so call them, but not in Scrip- ture sense, where a disciple and a christian are all one. Acts xi. 26. But not every one that is willing to learn of Christ, is a christian : therefore, not a disciple. A disci- ple of Christ is one that will take him for the great pro- phet of the church, and will learn of him as of the Christ None arc disciples but upon the account of either saving faith, or the profession of it." Disput. of Right to Sac. pp. 95. 183. " Were there occasion for it," says the venerable Mr Booth, " quotations of this kind might be greatly multi- plied : but I forbear, and shall only observe, that I do not recollect a single author, who, upon any occasion, explains the term disciple in such a manner as to exclude the idea of being taught, except with a view to Pedobaptism. Now must not that be a bad cause, which impels wise and learned men to seek a refuge for it, in such an acceptation of a capital term, of divine law as has no parallel, either in Scripture or in common authors; and for which nothing «an bo pleaded but by mere hypothesis ?" Pedobap. Exam. 11. p. 288. Is it not astonishing, that men, eminent for piety and learning, should be so blinded as to reason as follows ? Dr. fVorccster, arguing in favor of infant baptism, says ; ' In his commission to his Apostles, his direction was, that all nations should be baptized, and children constitute 9. part of every nation." Letters, p. 115. Mr. Henry : " If it be the will and command of the 4 38 ESSAYS OX BAPTISM. Lord Jesus, that all nations should be discipled by bap- tism, and children, though a part of all nations, are not excepted, then children arc to be discipled by baptism. Treatise on Bapt. p. 114. Dr. John Edwards : " This general commission take? in all particulars. Go baptize all stations, is as much and as full as if Christ had said, Go baptize all men, women, and children." Thcol. Refer, vol. I. p. 568. Calorius argues thus : " He who commands all men to be baptized, so that none are exempted, of any age, or sex, or condition, would have infants baptized, no less than adults, thereiore." Socin. Prcfi. Dtsp. ^'4. Contr. 8. p. 878. Wittenberg, 1652. The reader will agree, that if this mode of reasoning proves any thing, it proves a great deal more than these authors would be willing to practise. If all that belong to a nation are to be made disciples by baptism, " without exception of age, or sex, or condition," by what authority can they refuse baptism to the unbelievmg Jew, the de- luded Mahomedan, the idolatrous heathen, or any other infidel ? Nor ought they to wait till the ordinance is re- quested ; but as zealous and faithful ministers of Christ, they ought to baptize every one they meet with, without asking any question ; for their commission is, "Go yc. therefore, and disciple ail nations; i.e. baptizing them. without exception of age, or sex, or condition .'" Further, to harmonize the account of our Lord's commission given by Mark, with tliat Jjy Matthew, rhey must paraphrase it thus : " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature ; ne that beheveth and is baptized," that is, he that, by baptism, is put into the way of becoming a believer, without exception of age, sex, or condition, " and 7vithoui regard to the future, whether he vt^ill really be- lieve or not," shall be saved ; "but he that believes not," that is, he that is not put into the way of becoming a be- liever, not being baptized, " shall be damned." Whether this reasoning does not make baptism the only condition of salvation, the reader is able to judge. The promise to children mentioned Acts ii. 38, 39," is produced as authority for infant baptism. When, on the day of Pentecost, those that were " pricked in their heart," asked what they must do, Peter answered, " Re- pent, and be baptized, every one of you, into the name ESSAYS ON B.APTISM. 39 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 children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." In support of infant baptism, a part of Peter's answer is generally quoted, but not the whole, viz : " the promise is unto you and to your children ;" and, instead of explaining the nature of the promise, as the Apostle did by refer- ring to the prediction in Joel, it is generally referred to the promise made to Abraham and his seed. But a httle consideration of the connexion of this passage wi!l lead to the discovery, that it has nothing to do with infant baptism. On the day of Pentecost, i. e. the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Ghost descended from heaven. The disciples " were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spi- rit gave them utterance."* This remarkable and unpa- ralleled event being witnessed by the multitude who had come up to the solemn feast, they were amazed, marvel- led, and were confounded, and doubted, saying one to another, " what meaneth this ?" Others mocking said, " These men are full of new wine." Peter, filled with holy zeal, stood up, and proved to the one party, that " these men were not drunken ;" and the other !>arty he informed, that this event had taken place as a fulriliment oi a pro- phecy, delivered by the prophet Joel, saying, " It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : and your sons and your daugh- * The feast of Pentecost was on the fiftieth day after the second of (!ie feast of unleavened bread, which time being' a week of weeks, ci" f j!ly-oine days, the feast of Pentecost was called the feast of weeks. No servile labor was done on this occasion, but the day was mainly devoted to various sacrificings, and observed in com- memordtion of the fiftieth day after the deliverance of Israel from Egypt an slavery, when the Law was given on Mount Sinai. It is worthy of notice that, on the day of Pentecost, the Law was givea to Is'-ael, amid»t the awful sublimities of Sinai ; and that, on the day of Pentecost, was experienced this first and gloriou-; display of divine grace, after the Saviour's resurrection from the dead. In the first instance, the Israelites received the written law; in the last, the Christian Church was gathered, and recognized under the rules of the Gospel. From this time, the disciples of Christ "continued st'^dfasily in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in break- juj of bread, and ia prayers.'' 40 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. ters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visionjr, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my ser- vants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophecy. " Joel, ch. ii. ver. 28, '19. This prophecy being referred by the Jews to the days of the Messiah, the Apostle, in a most affectionate man- ner, proved to them, that Jesus of Nazareth was the pro- mised Messiah, inasmuch as he, according to ancient pre- dictions, suflered and died, and rose again, and ascended to the right hand of God. He concluded with a personal address, saying, "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." On being thus charged with crucifying the Lord of Glory, they were pricked in their heart, and asked what they must do ; to which the Apostle gave the answer mentioned in the begin- ning of this particular. Hence it is evident, — 1. That the blessing contained in "the promise," verse 39, is the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. 2. That to remove their doubts and fears, produced by their convictkm of having committed the awful crime ol crucifying their Messiah, and of having imprecated his blood on themselves and on their children, the Apostle re- minds them of the promise contained in the prophecy of Joel, which he had just rehearsed, and which relates both to them and to their children, or posterity. To giA'C them additional encouragement to hope for pardon, he as- sures them, that even the Gentiles, who " were afar off, and as many as the Lord should call," should obtain the same blessing on the same terms of repentance, and faith, and obedience, 3. It is further evident that the word children does not relate to such as were in a state of childhood or infan- cy, but to adults, or persons old enough to engage in reli- gious excercises. That such is frequently the meaning of the word in Scripture, as well as in common conversation, needs no proof How often is the whole congrega- tion of the Jews called the children of Israel ? And, that such is the import of the word children in this passage, is evident from the prophecy from which it is quoted, where the subjects are specified as sons and daughters, &c. ; but no infants are mentioned. Besides., these persons were ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 41 " to prophecy, see visions, dream dreams, &c." which could not be said of such as are in a state ot infancy. 4. It appears, also, that repentance and faith m Christ are necessary to the enjoyment of the blessings promised, and, therefore, this promise cannot refer to infants. " Even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Such, dear reader, I conceive to be the true meaning of this passage ; and in this I am supported by not a few Pedobaptist theologians. Witsius : " And it shall come to pass afterward thr-it I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." Joel ii. 28. " Concerning which promise Peter speaks, Acts ii. 39. "For the promise is unto you, and to your children," &c. Exercit. in Si/mb. Exc. 11. § 19. Dr. Doddridge : " Considering that the gift of the Spirit had been mentioned just before, it seems most na- tural to interpret this as a reference to that passage in Joel, which had been so largely cited above, (verse 17, et seq.) where God promises the effusion of the Spirit on his sons and daughters." Note on the place. Dr. Owen : " This promise of the Spirit is sometimes called the promise of the covenant, Acts ii. 39. The pro- mise is to you ; which promise is that which Christ receiv- eth from his Father, ver. 33. even the promise of the Holy Ghost." Perseverance, p. 116. Dr. Hammond : " If any have made use of that very unconcludent argument, (Acts ii. 39,) I have nothing to say in defence of them. I think that the word children there, is really the posterity of the Jews, and not peculiarly their infant children." Works, vol. I. p. 490. Dr. Whithy : " These words will not prove a right of infants to receive baptism. The promise here being that only of the Holy Ghost, mentioned ver. 16 — 18 ; and so relating to the times of the miraculous eifusion of the Holy Ghost, and to those persons who by age were made capable of these extraordinary gifts." Annot. on the place. Liniborch: "By Tekna. the Apostle understands, not infants, but children or posterity ; in which signification the word Tekna occurs in many places of the new Testa- ment. ' See, among others, John viii. 39. And here Peter also comprehends in that expression their unborn poste- rity, whence it appears that the argument, which is very commonly taken from this passage for th^ bantism of in- 4* 42 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, Cants, is of no force, and good for nothing ; because it entirely departs from the design of Peter." Comment in foe. Another Scripture sanction for infant baptism is suppo- sed to be, that children are spoken of as holy. Pedobaptists reason thus : " They that are holy are pro- per subjects for baptism ; but children are said to be holy ; therefore, they are to be baptized ;" and for proof that they are holy, we are referred to the following passages, Rom. xi. 16. " For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy ; and if the root be holy, so are the branches." 1 Cor. vii, 14. "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified be the husband, else were your children unclean ; but now arc they holy." Dr. Addington, speaking of the first of these passages, says : " The christian is to his or her family as the root of these branches, and upon the principles here laid down, he or she being holy, so are they. ' Christian Ministers' Reasojis, p, 80. '•This proves that the seed of believers, as such," says Mr. Henry, " are within the pale of the visible church, and within the verge of the covenant, till they do, by their un- belief, throw themselves out ; for if the root he holy, so are the branches." Expos, on the place. To build on such a foundation, indicates a bad cause. A person must really have clearer eyes than natural and spiritual ones, to see or find any thing like baptism in this chapter. Nor is there any allusion to infants or chil- dren, connected with the Apostle's reasoning. His de- sign appears to have been to humble the believing Gen- tiles, and to prevent them from despising the unbelieving Jews ; and to encoMrage their prayers and exertions for the future conversion of the Jews ; ''for God is able to graft them in again." In allusion to Jer. xi. 16, 17. the Apostle calls the whole Jewish nation an olive tree, which the Lord had planted, when he brought them out of Egypt ; and the means of grace and other privileges with which they had been fa- vored, he styles the " the sap and fatness of the tree."* ^ In ray letter explanatory of the objects of the American Society for ameliorating the condition of the Jews, I expressed my views on this subject more particularly than I think it necessary to do in this place. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 43 From these unspeakable advantages, the greatest part of the nation has been cut off, and is still destitute of them ; whilst the Gentiles, who, for ages together, had been without the knowledge of the true God, and all the means of grace, were made partakers of them, I do not conceive that this passage, or olive tree, has any thing to do with the church of Christ, or with Christ, the head of the church, or with the covenant of grace ; the whole Jewish nation, as the congregation of the Lord, are the olive tree, as I shall have occasion to show more fully hereafter. Should I, however, be mistaken with respect to the root and trunk of the tree, there can be no n.istake as it respects the branches ; and with these only have we to do at present. " These evidently represent siich persons, and such only, who were moral agents, capai it* of believ- ing and of being guilty of unbelief" Thej are divided into three classes ; the unbelieving Jews, tho.t were cut ofl' from the olive tree, or deprived of the means of grace and other privileges ; the believing Jews, who remained in the tree, i. e. in the possession of the means of grace ; and the believing Gentiles, who, by faith, became united with the believing Jews. Now, dear reader, you per- ceive that, as infants are not capable, either of believing or of being guilty of unbelief, the passage can have no re- ference whatever to them, but respects the conversion of Jews, from the days of the Apostles till all Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation. The figurative ex- pression in the text, is evidently in allusion to the law in Levit. xxiii. 14. 17.; that whereas, by the offering of the first fruits, and waving two loaves, the whole lump was sanctified, i. e. all the other produce of the year was made lawful food, and might be eaten with the approbation of God ; so, in like manner, the first Jewish converts were a sample and pkdge of those that should belie\ t hereafter. That this is the proper sense of the passage, is acknow- ledged by many of our Pedobaptist brethren. Take a few. Toletus and Mcnochius : " Paul here denominates the first Jews that were converted to the faith, namely, the Apostles and disciples of our Lord, frst fruits." Apud Poli. Synop. in loc. Dr. Doddridge : " For if the frsf fruits be. holy, so is the lump. The consecration of them was looked upon -ii ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. as in effect the consecration of all And so would Hook upon the conversion of some few of the Jewish nation, as an earnest of the conversion of all the rest." Paraphrase on the place. The next passage referred to, where children are said to be holy, has as httle to do v/ith baptism as the former. The children. are said to be holy, not because one of the parents is a believer, but because of the lawful mar- riage of the parents; who, though married, while both were unbelievers, were sacredly set apart to each other, according to the matrimonial ordinance of God. You u'ill observe, that the Apostle speaks of both part- ners as unbelievers, when united in marriage. He take.9 a single pair, and says, " the unbelieving husband is sanc- tified by or to the wile, and the unbelieving wife is sancti- fied by or to the husband." And to show his readers that they already admitted this truth, he merely reminds them, that they consider their offspring holy, or lawful children ; for admitting this, the parents must admit that their mar- riage is lawful, though entered into in a state of unbelief, and cannot, therefore, be annulled by the conversion of one of the parties. The occasion of this part of the Apostle's letter to the Corinthians, was their scruple of conscience, whether a converted partner may continue to live with the unbe- lieving partner, or whether, on the conversion of one of the parties, they must separate. This tender and pain- ful question was very natural. For, by the Mosaic law, Jews were prohibited from marrying a heathen, or idola- ter; (Ex. x.wiv. 16.) and, on their return from the Baby- lonish captivity, those who had broken this law, were obli- ged to dismiss their wives and their children The Apos- tle, therefore, informs them, that under the gospel dispen- sation, the case is different. The believing partner not only may continue with his unbelieving partner, for " the unbe- lieving husband is sanctifi" 1," /. e. set apart, devoted and made lawful, "by" or rath • to " the wife; and the unbe- lieving wife is sanctified," i. e. set apart, devoted and made* lawful, " by" or " to the husband ;" but they ought not to separate, for the sake of the reputation and honor of their children. For, if you separate, you thereby declare your marriage contract to have been unlawful, and your children of course would be '• unclean," or illegitimate ; but by con- tinuing to five together, you still recognize your marriage ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 45 relation, by which ye were sanctified or made lawful to each other, according to God's institution, and, therefore, your children are holy, i. e. made lawful to you, to be en- joyed as the gift of God.* That this is the proper sense of the passage, 1 might confirm by very many testimonies from the most pious and learned Pedobaptist divines ; but two or three must suffice, Mr. Pooles Continuators : " The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife. 1 rather think it signifies, brought into such a state, that the believer, without offence to the law of God, may continue in a married state with such a yoke fellow ; and the estate of marriage is an holy state, notwithstanding the disparity with reference to religion.' Annot. on the place. " Paul here treats concerning a mutual participation of such holiness as depends upon conjugal custom, as Chry- sostom teaches ; a holiness which the believing and tlir unbelieving partner have in common between themselves. Whence it follows that these things have been rashly and violently applied by Calvin, Beza, Paracus and others, to a natural and original holiness of children born of believ- ers." Bibliaillustrata, in loc. vid. Grotinm in loc. That the sanctification or holiness in this passage does not refer to internal holiness of heart and nature, is fur- ther evident, from the well known use and meaning of the word, when used in relation to marriage amongst the Jews. It is the common form of speech used at the ceremony of espousal and marriage. The man, putting a present into the hand of the w^oman, says: "with this thou art meka- * The Apostle seizes on the powerful principle of parental love, and appeals to the fact tliat the children of a lawful marriage are lawful or holy children, which fact both the parents would gladly ad- mit as a g'ood argument to dissuade them from a separation. It will be observed by the reader, that the marriage spoken of by the Apostle, took place when both partners were " unbelieving ;" and that the sanctification of these persons took place in the same state of unbelief, that is, in their marriage in unbelief. It is important to understand vhis truth, because some persons have spoken of the sanc- tification here mentioned, as though it were the conversion or sancti- fication of the soul by the Holy Spirit ; whereas it can be nothing else than that ceremonial sanctification, which always takes place in the marriage of unbelievers, as well as of believers. 46 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. dashti, i. e. sanctified to me :" thou art now set apart as my wife, according to God's institution. The change thus effected is with respect to her relation, but not to her nature. Hence, 1 suppose, originated the custom in the episcopal church, that at the marriage ceremony, the man puts a ring on the hnger of the woman, and says : " With this ring I thee wed," t. e. espouse, unite and join. Here it is evident, that the holiness of the children must be of the same nature as the sanctification or holi- ness of unbelieving parents. If the holiness of the chil- dren were real holiness of heart, then the unbelieving pa- rent must be holy in heait too, notwithstanding he or she still continues an unbehever. Do our brethren believe this 1 Again, if the holiness of the children derived from the unbeheving but sanctified parent qualifies and enti- tles them to baptism, then the unbelieving but sanctified parent cannot be less quahfied and entitled to the same sacred ordinance. That our opponents would think it proper to baptize such a sanctified unbeliever, is at least improbable. The idea of real holiness being communicated from pa- rents to children, is in direct contradiction of Scripture and fact. It is further argued by some, that in Acts xv. 10. chil- dren are called disciples, and, therefore, have a title to baptism. But it is very evident, that the disciples in this ])assage were believing Gentiles, and not infants or chil- dren. For, the same persons whom some desired to have circumcised, are personally addressed as brethren, ver. 1, and were also to be commanded to keep the law of Moses, verse 5. n. The second supposed sanction for infant baptism is llie practice of the Apostles in baptizing households. This argument is much insisted on. But, as only a tow instances are mentioned in the whole New Testa- ment, we may easily examine them, and I am persuaded the reader will clearly perceive, that all the persons in each household are described as moral agents, capable of exercising their faculties on religious subjects. Thus the household of Stephanas, mentioned 1 Cor. i. 13. are said i)y the Apostle, 1 Cor. xvi. 15. to be his "first fruits in Achaia, and that they addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 47 "This seems to imply," sa.ys Dr. Dodd^-idge, "that it was the generous care of the whole family to assist their fellow christians ; so that there was not a member of it which did not do its part." Paraph, in loc. And Dr. Hammond, another Pedobaptist, says, " I think it unrea- sonable, that the Apostle's bare mention of baptizing this household, should be thought competent to conclude, that infants were baptized by him." Works, vol. 1, p. 494. We notice next Cornelius and his household, and those that were with them, mentioned. Acts x. It is evident, that those baptized on that occasion were not infants, for before their baptism, they all heard the word, and the Ho- ly Ghost fell on them, and they spake with tongues, and magnified God ; and, after they had been baptized, thty prayed the Apostle to tarry with them. Lydia and her household invite some attention. Acts xvi. 13 — 15, 40. The more judicious Pedobaptist divines have honestly acknowledged, that no certain argument can be drawn from this transaction in favor oi iniant bap- tism. For, as it has been observed, none has ever proved that Lydia was a married woman, or had a husband then living. The contrary is more probable, because she had come from Thyatira, a distance of about 300 miies, to sell , purple at Phihppi. And if she was a married woman, it cannot be proved that she had any children ; and if she had any, it cannot be proved that any of them were in a state of childhood, or infancy ; and if she had any infants, it is not at all likely she would have brought them with her all that distance. Besides, it is evident trom ver 40, that her household consisted of persons who are called "brethren,'' and stood in need of consolation. In confirmation of these ideas, the reader will please to attend to the opinion of some of our Pedobaptist brethren. Assembly of Divines : " And entered info the house of Lydia ; doubtless to confirm them in the faith, which they had preached to them — Lydia and hers, hearing of their miraculous deliverance, could not but be comfort- ed and confirmed in the truth." Annot. on Acts xvi. 40. Dr. Whitby : " And when she and those of her house- hold were instructed in the christian faith, and in the na- ture of baptism required by it, she was baptized, and her household." Paraphrase of the place. Limborch : " An undoubted argument, therefore, can- iS ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, not be drawn from this instance, by which it may be de- monstrated, that infants were baptized by the Apostles. It might be, that all in her house were of a mature age ; who, as in the exercise of a right understanding, they be- heved, so they were able to make a pnbhc profession of that faith, wiien they received baptism.' Com. in loc. We notice in tiie last place, the baptism of the Phi- lippian jmlur and his household, Acts xvi. 29-34. Had I not beea nii/sdf blinded by prejudice, I should think it almost incredible, that any one could read these verses and suppose tiiat an infant was included in the num- ber baptized in this family ; since it is expressly de- clared, that the Apostles spake the word of the Lord not only to hizn, but also to all that were in his house ; and that the jailor rejoiced, heli^ving in God zoith all his house. I have been credibly informed, that a Pedobaptist bro- ther, in a sermon lately dehvered, attempted to prove that the faith of a parent entitled his infants to baptism , for, said he, " the jailor ouli/ was directed to believe, and yet all his were baptized." Is my brother aware how far this mode of reasoning would lead him 1 Suppose that a member of his church should request him to baptize his unbelieving wife, several children, and some unbeliev- ing servants, could he refuse ? Might not the man justly plead, " Sir, you have taught me to reason thus : the Apostolic example must be followed. By this exam- ple we are informed, that, the master of a family pro- fessing faith, his entire household were baptized with him. But his adaU offspring and his domestics, whether converted or not, wt -e part of the household; and, con- sequently, were ba; .ized. Therefore, as I, the master of my family, ha\; ieen baptized, and made a profes- sion, my wife, my ciu.dren ay id my servants, also, are en- titled to baptism, whether ihey be converted or not. I leave my brother to answer, wiiether he would comply with such a request. To build infant baptism on such proofs, is exceedingly dangerous and pernicious. For, upon the same principle, and from the self same passage, it would foUo'kV, that the eternal happiness of all that were in the jailor's house, was secured because of his faith only. For, the Apostle said to him only, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house :" vet, as fallacious and erroneous as this argument ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 49 is, still it is not neiv, for Bishop Horsey and others have reasoned in the same manner. For instance, Mr. Blake, a noted advocate for infant baptism, speaks thus ; " We have examples not to be contemned, of the baptizing whole households ; and, whether infants were there or no, as it is not certain, though probable, so it is not material. The precedent is an household. He that followeth the pre- cedent, must baptize households. It appears not that any zoife was there, yet, he that followeth the precept, must bap- tize wives ; and so I may say servants, if they be of the household " Li Totnbe's Examin. p. 141. The most emment of our Pedobaptist divines, however, have acknowledged that the jailoi''s household was compo- sed of 6e/ierers only. Calvin : " Luke commends the pious zeal of the jailor, because he dedicated his whole house to the Lord ; in which, also, the grace of God illustriously appeared, be- cause it suddenly brought the whole family to a pious con- sent." Comment, in loc. Air. Henry : " He rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. There was none in his (the jailor's) house, that re- fused to be baptized, and so made a jar in the harmony ; but they were unanimous in embracing the gospel, which added much to the joy " Expos. Acts xvi. 34. Thus, dear reader, we have examined all the instances of household baptism meniioued in the New Testament ; and we close with the words of the judicious ^Mr. Lm/^orc/^,- himself a Pedobaptist : " The argument is of no force, and good for nothing." See Essay IIL p. 41. We will therefore proceed to the in. Third, sanction pleaded for infant baptism, derived from our Lord's conduct to children, recorded Mark x. 14, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of God." The Reader will please to notice, that not a word is said in the whole of this transaction, respecting baptism ; nor could these children have been brought to Christ for that purpose ; for he baptized no person whatever, John iv. 2. ; and, if the disciples had been in the habit of bap- tizing infants, they would no more have rebuked those that brought them, than our Pedobaptists would do. Be- sides, we are expressly informed, that they were brought that Christ might touch them. This was done, not in obc' 5 50 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. dience to a religious institution, but in conformity with the usual custom of the Jews; who, whenever a person of re- nown for learning, piety, &-c. arrives in a place, even at the present day, parents and guardians bring their children to him, to receive a blessing from his hands. This argument, therefore, like the former, has long been abandoned by the most learned and pious of our opponents. Thus Poole's Continuators : " We must take heed we do not found in- fant baptism upon the example of Christ in this text ; for, it is certain he did not baptize these children." Annot. on Mat. xix. 14. Dr. Doddridge : " I acknowledge these words of them- selves will not prove infant baptism to be an institution of Christ." In he. Mr. Burkitt : " They were brought unto Jesus Christ : but for what end ? Not to baptize them, but to bless them." Expos. Xotes on the place. IV. Having examined the arguments gene/-fl/(y adduced in favor of infant baptism, I will now, in the fourth place, invite your attention to that particular argument, more frequently and more confidently relied upon, as a divine sanction for their practice, viz : analogy between the Old and Aerb ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. cd, justified, sanctified, and glorified ; but multitudes, who Mere circumcised, proved by their life and conduct, that they had neither part nor lot in these matters, and, there- fore, were not interested in the covenant of grace. They must then mean the covenant of circumcision — be it so. But this covenant was made with Abraham and his natu- ral posterity exclusively ; and, whether it be abrogated or not, it certainly can afford no argument in favor of their opinion, that the infants of believers are entitled to bap- tism, and that baptism seals to them the blessings of the covenant of grace, because the Jewish children were inter- ested in the covenant of circumcision. If there were any propriety in such a mode of reasoning, surely the descend- ants of Abraham might have argued with greater propriety, that, " as Jehovah vv'as pleased to favor them with the bles- sings of a peculiar covenant, in which no others had any share, he would certainly not exclude them from the cove- nant of grace, which was for all nations." Such, indeed, dear reader, seems to have been the foundation, on which the carnal Jews rested their hope of salvation, that they had Abraham to their father. Perhaps it will be said, that the Jewish children must have been interested in spiritual blessings sealed to them by circumcision, because the Apostle calls it " a sign and seal of righteousness." In this garbled manner the passage is, indeed, frequently quoted ; but the whole verse reads thus : " And he 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 ; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also." Rom. iv. 11. If the reader will have the goodness to refer to his bible, he will find, that this first verse is a part of the conclusion of a chain of arguments, which commences at the begin- ning of the second chapter. The Apostle, having in the first chapter shewn, that the Gentiles were without a jus- tifying righteousness, proceeds to shew, that the Jews, though circumcised, had no advantage in this respect ; viz. that they could no more be justified by the deeds of the law than the Gentiles, but that the only way of any sinner's justification at the bar of Jehovah, was faith in the Messiah ; and this he proves from the example of Abra- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 57 ham, who hnnself was justified by faith, hefore he had re- ceived the law of circumcision. Circumcision, therefore, instead of being the procuring cause ot gospel justification, was only a sign and seal to Abraham, that he fuid already been justified by faith ; for his implicit obedience to that jjositive law, which had nothing but the authority of the lawgiver for its recommendation, was a convincing evi- dence of the purity and strength of his faith. And the reader will please to notice, that this is the only place in the bible, where circumcision Is called a sign or seal of righteousness, and that it was so to Jibraham and no other. Besides, facts shew that multitudes, who were circumcised in the flesh, have never been justified by faith. It is evi- dent, therefore, that circumcision, though " a token" of temporal blessing, yet was neither a sign nor a seal of spi- ritual benefit to Jexuisk c'hildren. The inference, therefore, that baptism is a sign and seal of spiritual bessings to the children of believing Gentiles, is without foundation, and must fall of itself. Besides, the Scriptures no where teach us, that either circumcision or baptism is the seal of any covenant. The children of God are, indeed, sealed, not with Baptism, but with the Holy Ghost ; not in infancy, or before they be- lieved, but afterwards. Eph. i. 13. On the supposition that baptism is a seal of the cove- nant of grace, v/hat is the consequence ? Why, instead of being an argument in favor of Infant Baptism, it would absolutely exclude infants from the solemn ordinance. With entire confidence, we submit the case to a 'jury se- lected from their own most eminent divines. But, instead of a foreman, let us hear several of thQ^ jurors express their sentiments. • The great Mr. Charnoc/c : " God seals no more than he promises, nor in any other manner than as he promises. He promises only to faith, and, therefore, only seals to faith. Covenant graces, therefore, must be possessed and acted, before covenant blessings can be ratified to us." Works, vol. II. p. 781. The pious Mr. Bradbury : " We call these two institu- tions of the New Testament, the seals of the covenant ; but they never seal what you have not, nor can they seal any thing you did not." Duty and Doct. of Bap. 13. Mr. Bebden: " Was circumcision a seal of justification, 58 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. or remission of sins, to such as Abraham was, or sincere believers ? So is baptism now." Baptismal regenerat. dis- proved, p. 50. Cahin : " Baptism is, as it were, the appendix of faith, and, therefore, posterior in -order ; and then, if it be ad- ministered without faith, of which it is a seal, it is both an injurious and a gross profanation." Com. in Act viii. 3G. Hence, it appears, that the jury is perfectly agreed, that hifants are not proper subjects for baptism, and that it would be " an injurious and gross profanation ' to ad- minister it to them. And who can disapprove their prin- ciples and arguments ? God seals only what he promises, he promises only to faith, and that personally, not by proxy, such as parents and other sponsors, (see Bradbu- ry ;) but infants cannot believe, therefore, they have no right to the seal. But it is high time to proceed to the consideration of the next part stated in the reply, viz. That baptism has come in the place of circumcision ; and that as this rite was performed on all the male posterity of Abraham,' so baptism is to be administered to all the children of believ- ers. Notwithstanding the frequency of this assertion, and the great confidence placed in it, yet I cannot believe it for want of evidence. " U Dr. Wardlow,'' says Dr. Cox, " will point out any individual passage in the Scriptures, in Genesis, or in Romans — in Moses, or in Paul — where bap- tism is represented as substituted lor circumcision, 'loe will believe it.' " On Baptism, p. 1 49. I am aware, that Col. ii. 11, 12., is generally quoted as a proof But let us read it : "In whom (Christ) also, ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the cir- ' cumcision of Christ ; buried with him hi baptism, wherein ye also are risen with him, through the fuith of the opera- tion of God." Does not the reader perceive, that the per- sons here spoken of are adults, who believed, mortijied the deeds of the flesh, ^c. ; and that this passage, has, therefore, nothing to do with infant baptism I Besides, does it follow, that, because there seems to be in these words a. comparison between baptism and cir- cumcision, therefore, the one is come in the place of the other ? We know, that there was some similarity be- ESSAY3 ON BAPTISM. 59 Iween Noah's Ark, and the ordinance of baptism, 1 Pet. iii. 21, Do any of our brethren, therefore, beUeve, that the latter has come in the place of the former ? The eminently learned Venema, though a Pedobaptist, acknowledges, " that the scriptures no where affirm, that baptism holds the place of circumcision. Nor from that place of Paul, Col. ii. 11, 12, can any thing else be infer- red, than that the two sacraments answer one another ; for it is not there asserted in express words. The Apostle sim- ply asserts in those words, that baptism answ^ers to spiritual circumcision.' Diss. Sacra, L. 2. C. 15. § 6, 7. Besides, wherein does the striking similarity or analogy consist ? There are, no doubt, a few particulars, in which baptism may be compared to circumcision, but there is a striking dissimilarity in very many of the most important parts. As we have shewn before, that the covenant ol' grace and the covenant of circumcision differed essentially, in nature, subjects, promises, and duration ; so, likewise, do the ordinances of baptism and circumcision differ. Circumcision was a bloody and pami'ul ceremony ; bap- tism is the immersion of a person in water, as a solemn religious ordinance, administered to such as believe, iu the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The subjects of the one are only male children, eight days old ; the subjects of baptism are not infants, but " both Men and Women," capable of making a credible profession. The design of circumcision was chiefly to keep the descendants of Abraham a distinct people from all other nations ; baptism is to be administer- ed to believers of every nation, without exception. The duration of circumcision was during the existence of the Jewish polity ; the duration of baptism is to the end of the world. The defect of this analogy has been acknowledged by not a few Pedobaptist divines. Cattenburgh : " Though, apparently, there is a great similitude between circum- cision and baptism, yet it does not thence follow, that this comes in the place of that ; because, on the same princi- ple, a person might argue, that bread and wine in the sa- cred supper, succeeded in the place of manna, and of water from the rock. Is it to be believed, on suppositioij of this assertion concerning baptism being admitted, that John the Baptist, in his preaching, would not have sig- G0 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. nified something of this kind ; and that our Lord himself would not have taught his disciples concerning such an appointment ? We may add, when so sharp a controversy was agitated about circumcision, (Acts xv.) not so much as a tittle occurs relating to such a succession ; which, nevertheless, on that occasion, ought principally to have been mentioned. Further, besides the difference of cir- cumstances mentioned by the learned Limborch, and that most evident argument, none but male children were circum- cised, therefore, they only are to be baptized ; others add, circumcision was performed by a knife, but baptism is administered in water. The circumcision of infants was urged by the Lord with such great rig^r, that Moses himself was threatened with destruction for its neglect, Exod. iv. 24. ; and fathers neglecting that rite, it was lawful for mothers to circumcise their sons, Exod. iv. 25, which the reformed prohibit to women, or do not permit in regard to baptism. Circumcision was not performed in the name of any one, as baptism is, in the name of the Fa- ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Circumci- sion was performed upon one member only ; whereas, in baptism, the whole body is ordered to be immersed.^ Principally, circumcision was a discriminating mark of the Jews from other nations ; whereas baptism tends to imite all nations in one body." Spicileg. T/itolog. L. 4. c. 64. sect. 2. § 22. See large extracts to the same purpose from Veneraa, Limborch, and others. Booth Peel. Bap. Ex- am, vol. II ch. 4, sect 3. I hope the reader will pardon my dwelling so long on this arguniest of our brethren ; but, as this doctrine of analogy is so frequently, and so confidently appealed to, I considered it due to truth, to shew it^fallacy. 1 will add only one or two particulais more, and then proceed. It has already been shewn (Essay I. p. 15.) that, in the observance of a positive institution, we are to be guided by the express law of the institution. Baptism is a positive' in- stitution : therefore, its own law is to be the rule of our conduct, and not analogy. Such is the acknowledged sen- timent of many Pedobaptist divines. In addition to those already cited in the first Essay, 1 will quote one more. Mr. Ball : " In whatever they (circumcision and baptism) agree, or differ, we must look to the institution, and nei- ther stretch it wider, nor dravv it narrower than the Lord ESSAYS ON BAPTISat. 61 iias made it. For he is the institutor of the sacraments, according to his own good pleasure ; and it is our part to Icarn of him, both to rvhom, hozo, and for what end the sa- craments are to be administered ; how they agree, and wherein they difier. In all which, we must aftu-m nothing but what God hath taught us, and as he has taught us." In M7\ Tombes Exam. p. 23. Besides, to argue from ana- logy our brethren tell us, is of very doubtful and uncertain authority. Dr. Clarke, speaking of the analogy of bap- tism and circumcision, says ; " Whether this analogy be rightly drawn or no, and be a sufficient and adequate foundation for what has been built upon it, is a controver- sy." Ser. vol. I. Ser. 38. p 241. fol. ed. Lord Brooke : " The analogy which baptism now has with circumcision in the old law, is a fine rhetorical argu- ment to illustrate a point well proved before ^ but I some- what doubt, whether it be proof enough for that, which some would prove by it; since, besides the vast difference in the ordinances, the persons to be circunjcised by the positive law, are so express, that it leaves no place for scruple. But it is far otherwise in baptism ; where all the designation of persons fit to be partakers, for aught I know, is only such as believe. For this is the qualification that, with exactest search, I find the scripture requires in per- sons to be baptized ; and this it seems to requircnn all such persons. Now, how infants can be properly said to believe, I am not yet fully resolved." Discourse on Episco- pacy, sec. 2. ch. 7. p. 97. Nay ; let our brethren but for a moment lose sight of Infant Baptism, and they will most loudly exclaim against the doctrine of analogy, and show with the greatest facility how it has opened a floodgate to errors and super- stitions. " If it be once granted to the Doctors of the Romisli Communion," says Vitrin^a, " that the order and worship of the gospel church are conformable to those of the Jewish economy, {to which the Papists alzvoys look for tJi.e chief sup- port of their numerous errors.) they will plausibly defend the whole of their ecclesiastical politv." De Synos;. Vet. p. 15, 16. Mr. Tombes has observed : " It is the common com- plaint of Protestants and anti-prelatists, that in imitation of the Jews, under pretence of analogy, a nevs^-namcd Juda- 6 t)2 ESSAYS OX BAPTISM. ism has been brouglit into the christian church;' Jntipe- dobap. Part 2. p. 1 7. It is from this very fruitful source, ana- logy, that the Papists endeavour to prove the lawfuhiess o^zoomen baptizing, in cases of approved necessity, because the wife of Moses performed the rite of circumcision on her son ; that the church of Christ should have a visible Head, because the Jewish church had a High Priest ; that the true church must be infallible, because the ancient High Priest, by consulting Urim on certain occasions, de- livered oracles ; and that there must be seven sacraments, because the number seven makes a conspicuous figure in the Hebrew ritual, &c. &c. The English Episcopalians have tenaciously retained this Doctrine of analogy to sanc- tion the establishment of a national church — the strict al- liance between the church and tlie state — the divine right of tithes for the support of christian ministers — Canonical habits — their holy days, &c &c. " Whence is it," says the venerable Mr. Booth, " ex- cept on the same foundation, that christian ministers as- sume the character of Priests, call the Lord's table an altar, and the holy Supper a sacrijice. On what princi- ples, but those of Judaism, do people plead for sumptuous places of worship, and the consecration of them ; for al- ternate singing, and various amusing ceremonies in pub- lic devotion ? Whence is it, except on principles pecu- liar to the ancient theocracy, that any plead for the inter- ference of civil magistrates, in affairs that are purely reli- gious, and for the persecidion of real or of suspected heretics 1 These and other particulars are defended, if defended at all, by scripture, on the appointments, privi- leojes, and laws of Judaism ; for the kingdom of Christ not being of this world, the New Testament knows nothing of them. Thus the constitution and government, the order and worship of the gospel church are degraded and cor- rupted, to make them agree with the Mosaic •economy. As if the christian church were in a state of minority, like that of the Jews — as if the disciples of Christ were to be amused with ceremonious pomp and carnal ordinances, with beggarly elements and puerilities, as were the de- scendants of Abraham before the time of reformation. Gah iv. 1-11, 21-31. Heb. viii. 6-13, ix. 9, 10. Few mistakes in theology, have, indeed, either so extensive or so pernicious an influence upon the church and worship ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 63 of the New Testament, as those whi/^h tend to confound the christian church with the Jewish synagogue." Pc- dob. Ex. 2, p. 263. Dear reader, I have now, at considerable length, shewn that the assertion, that baptism has come in the place of circumcision, is without any proof, and therefore, we cannot believe it. But there are other reasons which might be stated at large. I will only name then). If baptism had come in the place of circumciwion, why were they both in practice at the same time ? Why did Paul circumcise Timothy, after he had been baptized ? Why did they not settle the sharp controversy al)Out circumcision by telling them that baptism came in its place ; and that, Avhen the substance has come, the shadow is no more needed ? Since our brethren are so certain that baptism came in the place of circumcision by divine appointment, we can scarcely suppose, that the Apostles and the apos- tolic churches were ignorant of this change ; th( if silence, therefore, on such important occasions, would he unac- countable. We conclude, therefore, that infant baptism was not known in the days of the Apostles, nor the suc- cession of baptism in the place of circumcision. We now proceed to the examination of the next as- sertion, viz : that the christian church is a continuation of the Jewish church; and, therefore, the chilrirGii ol" pious parents are members of it, as the Jewish children were under the Old Testament. To shew the fallacy of this proposition I shall endeavor to describe the nature and character of the church of Christ, or the New Testament church, and the reader will be able to judge whether there was such a church under the Old Testament or not. Our first inquiry is into the meaning of the term church. The Greek noun eccl'sia, in the New Testa- ment, rendered by our translators church, is derived from the verb eccaleo, which signifies "to call out, to call forth, to summon." Hence, the simple and plain meaning of the noun is, "an assembly of people called together," without any reference to the (/valificaiions of the persons assembled, the design for whicli they are collected, or the means by which the meeting has been efi^ected. Hence, the word is applied to a riotous mob, collected without au- thority, Acts'xix. 32, 41, to an, assembly convened by the authority of a civil magistrate. Acts xix. 39 ; for a «j4 essays on baptism. congregation i. e. a number of persons meeting togethci- lor the purpose of worshiping God, similar to our congre- gations, consisting partly of such as have made a public profession of religion, and others Vv^ho have not. Heb. u. 12. This passage is a quotatiqn from Ps. xxii. 22, where it is, " in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee ;" and in ver. 25, it is the great congregation, /. e. in the great assembly of the Jews in the temple at Je- rusalem, where there was a mixture of good and bad. Acts xiii. 1, 1 Cor. iv. 17, xiv. 4, 19, 28, 35. But in the New Testament it is used in a religious sense; for the in- visible church, i. e. the elect of God, " the general assem- bly and church of the first born, which are written in Hea- ven." Heb. xii. 24, Acts xx. 28, Epli. i. 22, v. 24, 25, 27, Col. i. 18, 24. &c. This is the church which Christ has purchased with his own blood ; this is the bride'which he loved, and gave himself for her. It is called the invi- sible church, because its members are invisible to us ,* seeing it includes all that have already gone to glory, or are How scattered over the earth, or shall yet be born. This church commenced with the first believer, and has continued hitherto, and will do so till the last of the elect shall be brought to glory. It is used for the visible church, i. e. an assembly of persoiis who had united with each other as a society, after giving satisfactory evidence of possessing those qualifica- tions required by the great head ^f the church. Acts ii. 47, xiv. 2.3, 27 ; and because the admission and reception of each individual member into the society, was in an open and public manner, it is called the visible c.'iurch. The reader will now perceive, that the mere term eccltsia in the original, and the word church, bjj which it is often translated in the New Testament, levne it unfletermined whether we mean a congregation, or the church invisible, or the visible church. Our present business is neither with the first nor the second, but with the last. I shall, therefore, proceed to describe the nature and constitution of the visible church. From the description already given of the visible church, it is evident, that certam qualifica- tions were required in each individual before he could be admitted a member. These, I conceive, may be comprised in the following particulars, including all others : ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 65 1. llegeneiation, or to be born of God. 2. A general knowledge and firm belief of the leading- doctrines of revealed religion. 3. A determination, in dependence on the grace of God, to live a life of obedience to all the commandments of Christ. 4. Submission to the ordinance of baptism. That such qualifications are required of a person before he is admitted a member of a christian church, or is per- mitted to partake of the Lord's supper, is abundantly ac- knowledged by our Pedobaptist brethren. Let the fol- lowing extracts suffice : The confession of Helvetia : " A church, i. e. a company of the faithful, called and gathered out of the world ; a communion, I say, of all saints, that is, of them who do truly know and rightly worship and serve the true God in Jesus Christ the Saviour." Confession of Basil : "We believe a holy christian church, that is, a communion of saints, a gathering toge- ther of the faithful in spirit, which is holy and the spouse of Christ, ^^■ herein all they be citizens which do truly con- fess that Jesus is the Christ, the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world, and do shew forth that faith by the works of love." Dr. Cotton Mather: "A church, as the Greek name for it allows us to think, is to consist of a people called out from the ways of sin, by the powerful and effectual work of God upon their souls. Regeneration is the thing, without which a title to the sacraments is not to be pre- tended. Real regeneration is the thing, which, before God, renders men capable of claiming sacraments ; and visible and expressed regeneration is that which, before men, enables us to make such a claim." \n Mr. Backus Church History of N. Eng. vol. 2, pp. 1 , 2. Dr. Chauncy : " The foundation part of a visible church is the credible profession of faith and holiness. It is men and women, not doctrine, that are the matter of a church ; and these, professing the faith and practising lioliness. The members of churches are always called, in the New Testament, saints, faithful, believers ^ they were such that were added to the churclics." Preface to Dr. Owen's true nature of a Gospel Church. Mastricht : " A church is no other than a congregation 6* G6 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. of men, efficaciously called or converted to Jesus Chri:^t. Thcol. L. 7, c. 1, § 5. Anonymous : " Every true, visible, particular church of Christ, is a select company of people, called and separated from the world and the false worship thereof, by the Spirit and word of God, and joined together in the fellowship of the Gospel by their own free and voluntary consent, giving up thenjselves to Christ and to one another, ac- cording to the will of God." Jerabbaal, p. 422. Mr. John Cotton : " The church is a mystical body, whereof Christ is the head ; the members are saints call- ed out of the world, and united together into one congre- gation by an holy covenant, to worship the Lord, and to edify one another in all his holy ordinances." True coTir stilution of a particular church, p. I. That eminently learned divine, Dr. Ridgley, in de- fining the visible church, says, " A church is a number of visible professors, called to be saints, united together by consent, and testifying their subjection to Christ. It is necessary that all the members thereof embrace the true religion, and, in particular, that they deny none of those fundamental articles of faith which are necessary to sal- vation. A mind rightly informed in the great doctrines of the gospel, with a conduct of life answerable thereunto, is to be insisted on as a term of church communion." , Speaking of the bond of church union, he saith, " It is neither the profession of faith, nor a conversation agreea- ble thereunto, that constitutes a person a member of a particular church ; for, according to the laws of society, there must be a mutual consent to walk together, or have communion one with another in all the ordinances which Christ has established. As the materials of which a building consists, do not constitute that building, unless they are cemented and joined together ; so the union of professing christians, whereby they are joined together, and become one body, by mutual consent, is necessary to constitute them a church, as much as their professed sub- jection to Christ to denominate them a church of Christ." B. D. Quest. 52. I shall add only one quotation more. The pious Mr. Broicn says : " The visible church on earth is a society of believing and holy persons, whom God, by the Gospel, has called from among mankind to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. They are spiritunl,^ fiSSAVS ON BAP'l'lSJf. S7 formed by the Holy Ghost, through and for ordhaances and services of a sphitual natme, and of men made spi- ritucil — blessed witli sph-itual blessings — living on spi- ritual provisions, and built up a spiritual house for God, In order to be received into church fellowship, it is neces- sary that men profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him, and be apparently holy. 1. They must manifest no prevailing inclination to any kind of wickedness, 2. They must have escaped tiio corruption that is in the world through last, and manifest a readiness to receive christian reproof from neighbors or church rulers. 3. Hav- ing received the knowledge of the truths of Got!, revealed in his word, they must profess to esteem and love them. 4. In consistency with the habitual tenor of their practice, they must make an open and judicious profession of the subjection of their conscience to the aidkorlty of Christ in the Gospel, and of their readiness to yield obedience to all his institutions. The end of such persons uniting in church fellowship, ought to be, 1. The maintaining and exhibiting a system of sound principles. 2. The main- taining the ordinances of Gospel worsiiip in their purity and simplicity. 3. The impartial exercise of church government and disciphne. 4. The maintaining and promoting holiness in all manner of conversation. The embracement or profession of nothing but what is really divine truth, and tends to promote peace and holiness, and order, ought ever to be made a term of admission to church fellowship. The forming church connexions upon this ground consists in mutua], judicious and candid covenanting, express or implicit, with or without an oath, to make a joined profession of the faith of the Gospel, and to walk together, each in his station, in the order of the Gospel, as becomes saints." Nat. and Revealed Reli- gion, 526, .527. From these few quotations, which might have been greatly multiplied, the candid reader will easily perceivt that it is the opinion of our most eminent Pedobaptist di- vines, that the members of the visible church must, 1, possess certain qualifications to fit and entitle tliem to become members ; such as a iiero nature, spiritual knoio- ledge, faith in Jesus Christ, holiness in heart, lip, and life ^ obedience to all Christ's commandments , and devotedness to his cause, ^'c. i,-c. 2. Th^t they must actually jqJR 68 ESSAYS OX BAPTISM. ihe chvirch; by giving satisfactory evidence of their being po33Css3d of the necessary quahfications, before they are considered members, and permitted to partake of the privi- leges of the visible church. 3. That the end of this union is altogether spiritual, viz. the honor of Christ, the exten- sion of his kingdom, and the mutual edification of the saints. Such being the nature and constitution of the risible church, let us now search the scriptures for its origin. In the history of the first period of the world, i. e. from Adam to Abraham, we read, indeed, of several individu- als, such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, &c, who, doubtless, were interested in the covenant of grace, and members of the invisible church ; but there is not a shadow of a visi- ble church to be seen. Nor is there any more evi- dence of the existence of such a church in the second period, ?'. e. from the call of Abraham to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. True, we are certain, that Abraham, the father of the faithful, and many of his spiritual seed,, belonged to' the invisible church ; but where and when was the origin of a socictxj composed of spiritual members, admitting to their number none but such as possessed the fpialifications described above. We are, indeed, told, by almost every Pedobaptist writer, that the visible church ]»egan in Abraham's family, when God gave him the cov- enant of circumcision ; and that every one who had the loken of God's covenant in his flesh, whether regenerated itr not, was reputed a member of this church. That Jehovah made such a covenant with Abraham for .se and holy purposes, has already been stated, (p. 53.) and none does deny ; but who can believe that it was the beginning of the visible church, seeing it essentially dif- fered from it in nature, privileges, design, duration, and subjects. All that can be granted is, that it was the first appearance of a typical representation of the visible •hurch. 1 proceed now to search for the visible church in the iliird period of tlie world, i. c. during the Mosaic dispen- .-ation. Here, indeed, we meet with something like a vi- .i;iblc church, but it is not the thing itself. It is a shadoiv, but not the substance. Soon after the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, Jehovah was pleased to enter with them into a covenant, generally called the Sinaitic ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 69 covenant, which, in its nature, subjects, privileges, ex- tent, design, and duration, differed but little from the cove- nant of circumcision, except that the one was made with Abraham and his natural seed as a family, but the other as a nation, with the addition of laws and ceremonies suited to that cHspensation, in which Jehovah was their po- htical King, as well as the object of their national worship ; and both relations were typical of the New Testament dis- pensation^ in which the Lord Christ is both the King of his church, and the object of spiritual worship. In him, indeed, " church and state" are united, but they are both spiritu- al, and not of this world. His church and state are one spiritual kingdom. I am persuaded, that the more a per- son examines the history oi' the Je\\s the more he will be convinced that there was no such thing as a visible church among them ; either during their journeying in the wilder- ness, or after their settlement in the Lancrof Promise. Hence, the word church is never used by our translators in the Old Testament. The whole nation is invariably called ''ihe congregation." And, as the Martyr Stephen, Acts vii. 38. spake of the same assembly, our translators ought not to have used the word church, but congreijation. This is he that was m the congregation in ihe zoUderness. This congregation was composed of all the descendants of Abraham, tliat came out of Kgypt, both adults and mfants, without any regard to their moral and spiritual state, and Jehovah acknowledged all those for his people, and him- self as their God, who perlorm.ed an external obedience to his commandments ; even though in their hearts, alienated from him. This congregation was perpetuated by a regu- lar succession of their natural oftspring, for every child was born a member of it, and entitled to all its privileges ; and circumcision was a public token thereof Hence, we never read of such a thing as n church meeting to examine a son of Abraham for membership, nor of an examinatioii by a Session for the purpose of " putting himself under ilieir care." And when a Gentile became a proselyte, nothing more was required of him, than submission to cir- cumcision, and to walk in external obedience as required of the Israelites. JNot a word is said about the necessity of regeneration, or the other qualijications required of a candidate of the church of Christ. No doubt, there were many true believers mixed with this congregation. These 70 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. l)e]onged to the invisible church ; but a visible church was not known in Israel. Hence, it is very evident, that there is as great a difference between the christian church and the Jewish congregation, or national establishment, as there is between the covenant made with Noah and the covenant of grace. In the Jewish congregation all was carnal; in the christian church all is spiritual. " The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Je- sus Christ." John i. 17. " My kingdom," saith the Re- deemer, " is not of this world " Now, if Christ's king- dom, or church, be spiritual, such must necessarily be its subjects. Hence, they are members of the Body of Christ, of which he is the Head ; and the members of the church which he has purchased with his blood, and are characterized as regenerate and holy ; born of God, born of the -Spirit; believers, disciples. Nothing, therefore, can be more clear than that to become a member ot this kingdom or church, must be a personal act, and not by descent or proxy. No one can profess faith, put on Christ, obey God, or perform a duty which is enjoined as a public expression and avowal of any christian principle, for another. This statement of the national covenant, made with the whole house of Israel, is abundantly confirmed by our Pe- dobaptist writers. They clearly distinguish it from the visible church, by calling it a carnal institution, composed of carnal worshipers in a worlclly sanctuary, &-c. ; but they perplex the subject by calling it a Jezoish church, m- stead of congregation. The reader will attentively peruse the memorable words of the great and learned Dr. Owen : " The institutions of the law were, in their nature, carnal : as our Apostle declares, Heb. vii. 16. ix. 10. The sub- ject of them all, the means of their celebration, were car- nal things, beneath those pure, spiritual acts of the mind and soul, which are of a more noble nature. And as they were carnal, so they might be exactly performed by men of carnal minds, and were so for the most part. Re- generation is expressly required in the Gospel to give a right and privilege unto an entrance into the church or kingdom of Christ; whereby that kingdom of his is distinguished from all other kingdoms in and of the world, unto an interest, wherein never any such thing was required ; neither the church nor its privileges ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. ' 71 (being) continued and preserved, as of old, by carnal gene- ration." On Heb. vii. 11. Mature of Gospel church, p. 3 17. The judicious Dr. Jennings informs us, that "the Jewish church was a divine estabhshment ; and all persons born in the land of Israel, and of Jewish parents, being considered as members of it, were, therefore, bound to con- form to its rites and worship : — but is there a divine estab- lishment of any nulionai church under the gospel dispensa- tion ? If the iSlew Testament gives us no other idea of the churches of Christ, but their being voluntary societies, uniting under the laws of Christ for public worship, and other purposes of religion ; then is no man born a member of a church." Jezoish Antiq. vol. 2. p. 62, 63. Mr. Arch. Fiall : "The- chwxch. is a spiritval society. Her ordinances and services are spiritual. This consti- tutes a gidud and lasting distinction between the New Testament church, and the church state of the Jews, whose ordinances were beggarly, and their worship carnal and shadozvi/." Gospel church, p. 18. Dr. Whilbij : "No man is, indeed, a member of Christ's kingdom, who is not truly regenerate." Mote on John iii. 3. Dr. Walts s sen- timent shall close this part of our subject : " The bulk and muliitude of the visible nation of Israel which was the visible church, were generally great sinners, and with all their glorious titles of external and typical holiness, and divine favor, they were inwardly wicked, and belonged really to the kingdom of Satan, and not to the invisible church of God." Jewish and Christian churches, Dis- course 5. Having shown at length, that the visible church had no real existence under the Old Testament, either in the Patriarchal, Abrahamic, or Mosaic dispensation, I might now point out the exact period of its commence- ment under the Gospel dispensation. This, however, is not necessary at present. I perfectly agree with the learned Dr. Pierson, who fixes the day of Pentecost for its commencement. " Our Saviour," saith he, " first speaking of it, mentions it as that which then was not ; but afterwards wns to be ; as when he spake to the great Apostle, ' thou art Peter, and upon this rock / zuill build my church;' but when he ascended into heaven, and the Holy Ghost came down, when Peter was made an instrument of the conversion of 3,000 souls, which were t2 essays ox BAPTIS3i. added to the former disciples, then was there a church : for after that we read, ' the Lord added to the church «laily such as should be saved.' " On the Creed. Matt, xvi. 18, Actsi. 15, ii 41, 47, iv. 4, viii. 1. The reader, I trust, will now perceive, that the chris- tian church is not a continuation of a Jewish church, seeing there never was a Jewish church, but a mere con- gregation, composed of a mixture of hearers, all profess- ing to be Israelites, i. e. not Gentiles, as our congrega- tions profess to be christians, and not Jews or Mahomc- dans. Our brethren would be much nearer the truth, if they should argue thiis : all christian congregations arc but a continuation of the congregation of Israel ; but the Jewish children were members of the congregation of Is- rael, and entitled to all its privileges ; therefore, the christian children are also members of the congregation, , and entitled to its privileges. But this would not entitle infants to the sacred ordinance of baptism. For it is ac- knowledged on all hands, that baptism is only to be ad- ministered to persons spiritually qualified for membership in the visible church ; but from the description we have given of it, it is evident that infants do not possess the requisite qualifications f )r membership. V. It is further argued, that infant baptism is an Apos- tolical tradition ; and though tlie scriptures are silent in the case, the uninterrupted tradition and usage of the church make up that defect. This argument of all others has the least weight with mc. I dread it as a burned child dreads the fire. It was by the vain traditions received of the fathers, that 1 was so long kept in ignorance of the truth as it is in Jesus. These traditions are considered by the Rab- bins of greater authority and utility than the word of God itself The former they compare to wine, the latter to water ; and who knows not that the same principle has been adopted by the Roman hierarchs, as the ^a.nction and authority of the innumerable errors in doctrine and prac- tice so prevalent and so firmly believed in that denomina- tion. Besides, it is abundantly acknowledged by all pro- testants, some episcopalians excepted, and was the ground of the reformation and non-conformity, that mere tradition without divine precept or scripture example, is no suffi- cient warrant, either for doctrine or prhctice. Again, the ground of this argument is as fallacious Sff ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 73 the argument is weak. Tradition concerning infant bap- tism lias never been traced as far back as the apostolic age. It has been proved, and, I believe, beyond the pow- er of contradiction, that Origen, who flourished in the beginning of the third century, was the first who asserted infant baptism to be an apostolical tradition ; and it is equally acknowledged, that Origen embraced several dan- gerous errors, and that his writings, translated by Ruflinus, were so corrupted, that the reader is very uncertain which is Origen's or Ruffinus'. See this subject fully discussed by Danverse on Baptism, p. 133-150. Booth, Pedob. Exam, vol 2. p. 97. 421. Dear reader, we have now examined all the arguments of our Pedobaptist brethren in favor of infant baptism : and I most sincerely confess that the more I examine this subject, the more 1 am convinced that there is no sanc- tion for it in the scriptures ; and that, therefore, it must be displeasing in the sight of God The objections againgt this Essay will be answered hereafter. ESSAY IV. Immersion, the only Scriptural Mode of Baptism. Having in the preceding Essays pointed out the proper subjects of baptism, I proceed now to show that immersion is the only scriptural mode. My first argument is drawn from the signification of the word used by the sacred writers to express the act of this ordinance. The reader will please to observe, 1. That, in the Greek, as well as in other languages, there are distinct words to express the variety of uses, to which water may be applied. Rhantizo, (from Rhaino) to sprinkle ; Ekcheo, to pour out ; Louo, to wash ; Baplizo, (from Bapto) to immerse or cover in water or any other .fluid. The latter of these, with its derivatives, is in- variably used through the New Testament, in relation to this ordinance. If washing, pouring, or sprinkling had been sufficient, it is certainly worth our inquiry — why 7 74 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. did the inspired writers ahcays use one and the same word acknowledged by all to signify primarili/ and constantly, to immerse ? Now, as we never mean to sprinkle, when we say to immerse, so when our blessed Lord said Bapti- zantes, immersing them, he did not mean Rhantizantes, sprinkling them. As it is by the meaning of words we judge of tho nature and design of a law, the primary meaning of the words used in that law, must be taken in interpreting it. This is a universal maxim. Hence, we are told by the learned Mr. Ferguson, " If men may be permitted to forsake the natural and genuine sense of words, where the matter is capable of it ; they may, notwithstanding their declaring themselves to believe the Gospel, yet believe nothing at all of the christian faith. JVe are not to forsake the gen- uine and natural signification of words, unless there be the highest evidence, that the author did otherwise intend them, saith the civil law. And, as Austin says. ' the pro- per signification of words is always to be retained, unless ne- cessity enforces us to expound them otherwise.' Every scripture expression, word, and phrase, is to be taken pro- perly, and according to its original and immediate mean- ing, if nothing of absurdity, nothing repugnant to faith, or disagreeable to the common notions of mankind, arise or ensue upon such an acceptation. There is no bounding of a roving fancy, which loves to sport itself with the ideas and phantasms itself has raised, without confining our- selves within the aforesaid limits. What better evidence can we have of the sense of a place.than that, had an author intended such a meaning, he could have used no plainer expression to declare it." Interest of Reason in Religion; pp. 328. 333. 462. Now, as the Evangelists, in recording the commission of our Lord, (Mat. xxviii. 19, and Mark xvi. 16.) doubtless have used the words of Christ, and as the language is not a mere allusion to baptism, nor an incidental use of terms, in which case words are often applied in a laxer sense ; but it is the institution of that ordinance ; it is divine law ; therefore, the expressions contained in it, must be under- stood in their natural and obvious meaning. 2. That the word baptizein (rendered, to baptize) sig- nifies, primarily, to immerse, and that it is never used in the New Testament to signify pouring or sprinkling, will ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 75 not easily be denied, and is confessed by many Pedobap- tists, men most eminent for learning as well as piety. Mr. Booth has collected from their writings, more than eighty testimonies, from which I have selected but a few, which are affectionately recomimended to the serious con- sideration of the candid reader. Witsius : " It cannot be denied, that the native significa- tion of the word baptein and baptizein, is io plunge, to dip." Oecon. Foed. L. 4, c. 16, § 13. Buddeus : " The words baptizein and baptismos, are not to be interpreted of aspersion, but always of immersion." Theol. Dogmat. L. 5, c, 1. §.5. Calvin : " The very word baptize, however, signifies to immerse ; and it is certain, that immersion was the prac- tice of the ancient church." L. 4, c. 15. § 19. Vitringa : '■ Tiie act of baptizing, is the immersion of believers in water. This expresses the force of the word. Thus also it was performed by Christ and his Jlpostles."' Aphorismi Sanct. Theol. Aphoris. 884. Zanchius : " Baptism is a Greek word, and, signfies two things ; Jirst, and p roper ly, immersion in water. For the proper signification of the word baptizo, is to immerse, to plunge under, to overwhelm in water — and this significa- tion properly agrees with our baptism, and has a resem- blance of the thing signified." Opera. Tom 6. p. 217. N. B. Mr. Dc Courcy tells us, "that the opinion of Zanchius is worth a thousand others." Rejoinder, p. 261. Venema : " The word baptizein, to baptize, is no where used in the Scripture for sprinkling ; no, not in Mark vii, 4." Inst. Hist. Eccl. Vet. et Mv. Test. Tom. 3, Secul. 1. .§ 138. Alstedius : "Baptizein, to baptize, signifies only, to im- merse ; not, to wash, except by consequence." Lex. Theol. c. 12, p. 221. Dear Reader, consider these plain and explicit testimo- nies of these and a thousand other Pedobaptists, that the primary meaning of the word baptizein is, to immerse, and you will, I trust, no longer believe that mere sprinkling is enough. You are requested, however, to look at the following admission of a learned Pedobaptist writer of the 1 7th century. '(> ESSAYS ON BvlPTISM. " The native and proper signification of it (baptizein) i«, to dip into water, or, to plunge under water. John iii. 22. 23. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea ; and there he tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in iEnon, near to Salim, because there was much water there ; and they came and were baptized. Also, Mat iii. 16, and Acts viii. 38." Critica Sacra by Edward Leigh. The reader will observe, that this writer admits, that "the native and proper signification of it, (baptizein) is to dip into water, or, to plunge under water ;" and to shew this " native and proper signification," he adduces the practice of " Jesus," and " John,'' and " Philip " And yet, this man was so much a Pedobaptist as to say ; " Christ no where requireth dipping, but only baptizing " That is, if I understand the meaning of words, " Christ no where re- quireth dipping, but only dipping." 3. I am perfectly aware, that in opposition to all these au- thorities, we are told, " that the word baptism is an equivo- cal, open, general term ; that nothing is determined by it farther than this, that water should be applied to the sub- ject m some form or other." Could this assertion be proved, it would seem greatly to impeach the legislative character of our Saviour. For, as Baron Montesquieu observes, " The style (of laws) should be plain and simple ; a direct ex- pression being always better understood than an indirect one. It is an essential article, that the words of the laws should (be adapted to) excite in every body the same ideas. The laws ought not to be subtile ; they are designed for common understanding, not as an art of logic, but as the pi an reason of a father to a family." Spirit of laws, B. 29, c. le. " x^ow can it be supposed," says Mr. Booth, " that our Lord would give a positive law of divine worship ; a law, that is obligatory on the most illiterate of his real disci- ples, in the veri/ frst stage of their christian profession ; and yet. express it m such ambiguous language, that the most wise and eminent of all his followers cannot now understand it? Love to his character and zeal for his cause, forbid the thought ! That ambiguity, of which our brethren speak, must, if real, have arisen in our great Legislator's conduct, either from incapacity, from inad^ ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 77 vertency, or from design. Not the Jirst ; for he was un- doubtedly able, clearly to have expressed his own mean- ing. Not the second? ,• tor no incogitancy could befall Him, in whom are all the treasures of zvisdom and knowledge. Not the last ; for it would ill become one, who declared, himself possessed of a// authority in heaven and on earth, to give a law of perpetual obligation, with an intention, that no body now should understand it." Pedob. Exam. I. 105. In addition to what has already been said on the ne- cessity of a positive law being plain, clear, and exphcit, &c. the reader will please seriously to consider the follow- ing declarations of some of our learned Pedobaptist writers. Mr. Bradbury : "The words (of our Lord, Mat. xxviii. 19 ) ought to be taken in their plain and natural sense, because they are a lasting form to the end of time. For Christ to give us expressions that people cannot under- stand, would be only to abuse them. 'Tis unworthy of him, who is the light of the world, in whose mouth there was no guile — (such) is the plain and natural sense of the words ; and, therefore, to twine and torture them with conjectures and maybe s, is making Christ, not a teacher, but a barbarian, by not uttering words that are easy to be understood." Duty and Doct. of Bap. pp. 150, 173. Mr. Benj. Bennet : " 'Tis a reproach to the 'lawgiver, blasphemy against him, to suppose that any of his upright, sincere subjects cannot find out the meaning of his laws, with all their care and diligence, even in the necessary, essential points of their faith and obedience." Irenicum, p. 60. Turrettinus : " It is not lawful to suppose that Christ, in a very important affair of Christianity, would so express himself thdt he could not be understood by any mortal." Instit. Loc. 19, Qucest. 18, § 4. Dr. Ridgley : ' In order to our yielding obedience, it is necessary that God should signify to us in what instances ho will be obeyed, and the manner how it is to be performed ; otherwise, it would rather be fulfilling of our own will than his." BodyofDivin. Quest. 91,92. 4. It further appears, that the word constantly used for the act of baptism, signifies immersion ; that in all the 7* 78 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, translations of the New Testament into difterent lan- guages which I have seen, the word which signifies or answers to the word immersion, has been adopted. For example. German, Tauffen ; Dutch, Doop j Danish, Dole, &c. Notwithstanding my admiration of the general cor- rectness of the translation of our English Bible ; yet I cannot but deeply regret that the translators adopted the Greek word with a mere English termination, rather than give us the proper English word. Had they acted as faithfully in this instance as they did in general, we should have the word immerse, instead of baptize, and no other. For they were men too learned to be ig- norant of its true signification, and too pious, intentionally to lead the people into an error. Had this been the case, much confusion, controversy and ill-will would have been prevented ; for the commission of our blessed Saviour would have read thus : " Go — teach all nations, immersing them" — " He, that believeth and is immersed ;" and who would have dreamed or dared to say, that sprinkling is enough ? But, now, the common English reader finds it difiicult himself to determMie the proper meaning of the word baptize ; and is, thecefore, liable to be misguided by the instructions or information he receives from others. Convinced of the excellent character of our translators, I was utterly unable to account for the reasons which led them to adopt the Greek word rather than translate it, until of late I have learned, that these holy men of God were shackled by certain laws, rules, and regulations, drawn up by the Bench of Bishops, and sanctioned by King James, which actually prohibited the translation of the word, in every instance relating to the ordinance of bap- tism * A similar transaction took place a few years ago. When the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, commenced the translation of the New Testa- ment into pure Hebrew, they soon met with the word un- * I would not be understood to mean, that the restriction of king James was confined to the word baptize, for it extended to sev- eral other important words, as the reader may learn, from the his- tory of the several translations of the Bible, by Rev. John Lewis, chaplain to the Right Honorable Thomas Earl of Malton, and Minis- ter of Margot, Kent. p. 317. 3d. Ed. London, 1818. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 79 cler consideration, and which occasioned not a little dif- ficulty. Not with respect to the primary meaning of the word, nor to find a proper corresponding Hebrew word, but the difficulty was, how to avoid giving ott'enee. Had they adopted the word Taval or Tubal, to immerse, or Rachatz, to wash, (which words are nearly synonymous, for washing implies dipping or immersion, as nothing can be washed, unless it be covered first with water,) whilst they would have done justice to the original, the)' would have given offence to the mass or bulk of Pedo- baptists ; on the other hand, had they used the word Shaphach, to pour, or Zarak, to sprinkle, besides doing violence to the original, they would not only have given just offence to tiie whole large and respectable body of Baptists, but even many pious and conscientious Pe- dobaptists, would have condemned their conduct. Poli- cy, therefore, led them not to translate the word at all ; but to metamorphose the Greek word mto Hebrew for the use of the text, and in the margin they put the words Taval, to immerse, and Rachatz to wash; but no where did they use the word Shaphach, to pour, or Zarak, to sprinkle. Dift'erent has been their conduct in their late translation of the New Testament into the Polish- Hebrew dialect. Here the word Taval, to immerse, is in- variably used in the text. At this I am much pleased ; for as soon as the Jew sees the word Taval, he knows that the ordinance is to be administered by immersion, and in no other way. The reason why, lo this translation, the proper word is inserted, I suppose, is, that it being de- signed for the Jews in Germany, and particularly in Po- land, or Russia, no danger is to be apprehended of giving offence. For we have already shewn, that in the German bible the word, which signifies immersion, is used, and in Russia baptism has never been administered in any other way. 5. The metaphorical use of the word furnishes another proof that it signifies immersion. Our Lord, speaking of his approaching sufferings, call? them a Baptism. " Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Mat. xx. 22. "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be ac- complished ?" Luke xii. 50. Not a few of the most emr- 80 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. nent of our Pedobaptist brethren acknowledge, that our Lord made use of this metaphor to"shevv the greatness and abundance of his suiferings. For, as in baptism the per- son is plunged into water, is covered with it, and contin- ues awhile under it, and then is raised out of it, and which being once done, is done no more ; so the sufter- ings of Christ were so many and so great, that he was, as it were, overwhelmed with them, and he continued un- der them, and under the power of death and the grave for a time ; and being raised from the dead, he dies no more ; death has no more dominion over him. Thus baptism, if administered by immersion, is full of instruction. It re- minds us that our blessed Saviour was immersed in an ocean of suft'erings. But how trifling would the suflTerings of Christ appear, if baptism meant mere sprinkling. WvC all know the great diflerence between being immersed in and overwhelmed with water, and being merely sprinkled with a few drops. The reader will please to notice the sentiments of the following Pedobaptists. D. Martin : " Jesus has here (Mark x. 38,) us§d this ex- pression in the same sense as the prophets have mentioned gulfs and great waters, metaphorically to represent great afflictions." J^otes Sur Marc x. 38. A. H. Frankius : " The baptism of Christ represented his sufferings, Mat. xx. 22, and his coming up out of the water, his resurrection from the dead." Pogrammata Progr. 14. p. 343. Bp. Reynold : " There are two words — which signify suffering of afflictions, and they are both applied unto Christ. Mat. xx. 22. ' Are ye able to drink of the cup, that I shall drink of, or be baptized with that baptism that I am baptized with V He that drinketh has the water in him ; he that is dipped or plunged, has the water about him ; so it notes the universality of the wrath, which Christ suffer- ed." fVorks, p. 226. 407. Thus the Israehtes are said, metaphorically, to be " bap- tized in the sea and in the cloud," 1 Cor. x. 2, because of the waters, which stood on each side of them, like high walls, and the cloud, which covered them all over, like one immersed in water. Worthy of notice are the words of two very eminent Pedobaptists, viz : Turretin : " The passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea, wonderfully agrees with our baptism, and repre- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 81 sents the grace it was designed to express. For as, in baptism, when performed in the primitive manner, by im- mersion and emersion, descending into the water, and again gomg out of it, of which descent and ascent we have an example in the eunuch, Acts viii. 38, 39 : yea, and what is more, as by this rite, when persons are immersed in water, they are overwhelmed, and, as it were, buried, and jn a manner ' buried together with Christ ;' and again, when they emerge, seem to be raised out of the grave, and are said ' to rise again with Christ ;' Rom. vi. 4, 5. Col. ii. 12 ; so, in the Mosaic baptism, we have an immersion and an emersion ; that when they descended into the depth of the sea, this when they went out, and came to the opposite shore. The former was an image of death; the latter of a resurrection For, passing through the bottom of the sea, were they not near to death ? and escaping to the opposite shore, were they not as if revived from the dead ? As in former times, the persons to be baptized were immersed in the water, continued under the water, and emerged out of it. Mat. iii. 16, Acts viii. 38 ; so the old man died in them and was buried, and the new man arose. Rom. vi. 4. Col. ii. 12." Disp. de Bap. Ku- his ^ Maris, § 24. Inst. Theol. Tom. 3, Loc. 19, Quaes. 11. § 14. Witsius : " How were the Israelites baptized in the cloud and in the sea, seeing they were neither immersed in the sea, nor wetted by the cloud ? It is to be consi- dered, that the Apostle here uses the term baptism in a figurative sense The cloud hung over their heads ; and so the water is over those that are baptized. The sea surrounded them on each side ; and so the water in re- gard of those that are baptized." Oecon. Feed. L. 4. c. 10. § 11. The supposition, " that the Israelites were sprinkled with spray from the sea. and rain from the cloud," is al- together destitute of evidence, and too fanciful to deserve attention. It is refuted by the very scripture on which it is built, viz: Ps. Ixviii. 9. " Thou, O God, didst send a plentifid rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheri- tance, when it was weary." If to be baptized in the cloud, means to be wetted by a plentifid rain, it would prove immersion rather than sprinkling ; nor is it easy to conceive in what sense " God's zi-eary inheritance wa'i 82 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. confirmed'' when baptized in a plentifid rain ! We should suppose this was more calculated to enfeeble and discour- age the strong, than to confirm and encourage the weary. How true it is that " a drowning man will grasp at a straw !" Further, believers also are said to have put on Christ in baptism. Gal. iii. 27. In allusion to the long robe or gar- ment worn in the east, with which the zvholc body is cov- ered, so in baptism the whole body is covered or immersed in water. Thus Bcza : " ' Yt have put on Christ ;' this phrase seems to proceed from the ancient custom oi plunging the adult in baptism." Annot. ad Gal. iii. 27. Again, to shew the necessity of a holy life and conversa- tion, the Apostle puts the believing R,omans in mind of their baptism, the profession they made in it, and the obli- gation they took upon themselves to live according to the truth, which the ordinance did plainly signify. Now, if baptism means immersion, the writer's reasoning is beau- tiful and cogent ; but exceedingly feeble, and very unlike the strong reasonings of this Apostle, if sprinkling or pour- ing were the mode of baptism. Burmannus : " Immersion was used by the Jews, the Apostles, and the primitive church, especially in warm coun- tries. To this, various forms of speaking used by the Apos- tles refer. Rom. vi 3, 4. Col, ii. 12. Gal. iii. 27. Synop. The- olog. Tom. 2. Loc. 43. c. 6. § 9. Secondly. My next argument is derived from the places selected for the administration of the ordinance and the ' phraseology used on the occasion. The first place in which we read baptism was admin- istered, was the river Jordan. To this place all Judea ilocked, and our Lord and Saviour himself went from Gallilee to Jordan to be baptized of John ; and when "he was baptized he went up straightway out of the water." Mat. iii. 16. Now, if sprinkling or pouring could have answered the end of the institution, what need would there have been for going to a distance, or down into a river ? The next place where John baptized was JEnon ; and the reason why he selected this place was, because there was much water there." John iii. 23. But if , sprinkling or pouring had been equally right and good, what necessity would there have been for much water ? Was it ever known, that any of our Pedobaptist brethren ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 83' " went down to a river" to sprinkle or pour water in the 'administration of the ordinance of baptism ? Surely not! Nqr should we have heard of going down into the water, and coming out of the water, if the i^postles had adminis- tered the sacred ordinance by pouring or sprinkling. How strange it would sound to say, Jesus was poured in Jordan ! or Jesus went down into Jordan, and was sprink- led of John. But nothing could be more intelligible and natural, than to say, Jesus went down into the water, and was immersed by John in Jordan. Nor ougjit we to overlook the baptism of the eunuch. Acts viii. 26 — 40. Directed by the Lord, Philip met the eunuch, and preach- ed Jesus to him. When they came to a certain zoaler, the eunuch desired to be baptized, and having declared his belief "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," "he commanded the chariot to stand still ; and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him ; and when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no raoi"e, and he went on his way rejoicing." Had sprinkhng been sufficient, they needed not to have gone down into the water, for a little water would have sufficed. That this is a convincing argument to prove that John and the Apostles baptized by immersion, is acknowledged by a cloud of witnesses from our Pedobaptist brethren themselves. I have selected but a fe\7 out of many. Le Clerc : " John has been called the Baptizcr, rather than Baptist, because the latter word is a proper name in the modern languages ; whereas, in this place, (Mat. iii. L) it is an apellation to signify a man that phmged in water those who testified an acknowledgment of his di- vine mission, and were desirous of leading a new life." Remarks sur Xouv. Test, a Mat. iii. 1 . Piscaior : " Hudata Polla signifies many rivers; as Hu- dor, in the singular number, denoted the river Jordan. This is mentioned to signify the ceremony of baptism, which John used ; i. e. immersing the whole body of a per- son standing in the river. Whence Christ being baptized of John in Jordan, is said to ascend out of the water. Mat. iii. The same manner was observed by Philip, Acts viii. 38." adJoh. iii. 33. Calvin: "From these words, John iii. 23. it may be 8'4 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. inferred that baptism was administered by John and Christ, by plunging the whole body under water. Here we pe»- cerve how baptism was administered among the ancients ; (or they immersed the whole body in water." Com. in Joan, iii. 23. Acts viii. 38. Marloralus : " From these words (.Tohn iii. 23 ) it may be gathered, that baptism was performed by John and Christ, by plunging of the whole body." Com. ad Joan. iii. 23. Observe, in the third place, the practice of the primi- tive churches as another argument in favor of immer- sion. As the Apostles of Jesus Christ were to form and organize his visible church, our blessed Lord continued with them after his resurrection forty days, " speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Among other subjects, baptism, the door of entrance to that king- dom or his church, was doubtless fully explained to them ; and when they entered on their commission to preach, teach, or disciple, and to baptize, a part of their teaching would certainly consist in pointing out the nature, design, the mode and subjects of baptism. And, as it has already been proved in the preceding pages from the sacred scriptures, as well as from the concessions of Pedobap- tists, that the word baptism, throughout the whole of the New Testament, signifies immersion only ; and that John and Philip administered by immersion , and that the Lord Jesus Christ himself went down into the water, and being immersed by John in the river Jordan, he straightway came again up out of the water ; and as the Saviour, the great Head of the church, in his commission, used the word baptism, to immerse, in preference to those words which signify to wash, pour, or sprinkle ; and as the Apos- tles themselves, when speaking of his ordinance, invaria- bly used the same word, to immerse ; we may certainly conclude that immersion is the only mode used in the churches they planted ; and that it continued unchanged for some time. Nor are we at a loss to produce unimpeached testimo- nies on this subject. Not a few Pedobaptists, whose praise is in all the churches, have honorably confessed, that immersion was the constant mode in the primitive church. The reader will have observed in the preceding paragraphs, that this was the opinion of Calvin, Vitringa, ESSAYS ON BAPTBISM. 85 Frankius, Turrettin, Beza, Burmannus, Le Clerc, Picte- tus, Piscator, and Maloratus, (see § 2, 5, 6.) I will add only a few more. Salmanius : " The ancients did not bapti/e otherwise than by immersion, either once or thrice." See Witsius Oecon. Foed. L. 4, c. 16, § 13. Heidanus : " That John the Baptist and the Apostles immersed, there is no doubt, (Mat. iii, 6. 16. John iii. 23. Acts viii, 38.) whose example the ancient church followed, as is most evident from the testimonies of the Fathtrs." Corp. Theol. Christ. Loc. 14, Tom. 2, p. 475. Zanchim : " The ancient church used to immerse those that were baptized. Thus Christ went down into Jordan, and was baptized ; as also others that were baptized by John. Opera Tom. 6, p. 217. Dear reader, seriously attend to the just remark of the studious and pious Mr, Booth, who having made many quotations from Pedobaptist writers, closes with the fol- lowing words : "Is it not strange, strange to astonish- ment, that so many eminent men should thus agree in bearing testimony to immersion, as the apostolic example, when it was notorious that their ow7i practice was very dif- ferent ? Yes, is it not a wonderful phenomenon in the re- ligious world, that such a number of the most learned Lutherans, Calvinists, and Arminians, Presbyterians and Independents, should all unite in one attestation respect- ing the primitive mode of administering this ordinance, even while they opposed the Baptists for considering im- mersion as absolutely necessary to a compliance with the divine command ; and while they greatly differ among themselves in respect of several particulars relating to the subjects and design of baptism ? To what can this re- markable agreement with us, as to the primitive mode of proceeding, be ascribed ? And what is the reason of their differing so much among themselves ? The true reason I take to be this : when they unite in declaring their views of the apostolic pattern, they have clear strong, indubitable evidence, arising from the meaning of the name which the ordinance bears, and the inspired narrative of the first christian churches. Each of them feels the ground on which he treads. Hence their union . and here they agree with us. On the other hand, when they differ among themselves about the foundation of an 8 86 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. infant's claim on the ordinance ; concerning tiie degree of necessity and the utihty of Pedobaptism ; about spon- sors, the sign of the cross, and so on ; they argue on ge- neral principles and moral considerations. This kind of argumentation is quite foreign to the nature of positive rites, as has been shewn. (Essay I.) ; and yet, by a long train of deductions from such principles, they infer their various rules of proceeding in the administration of baptism. Hence, they difl'er among themselves. Nor need we wonder ; for, whenever ideas of moral fitness, of expediency, or of necessity, usurp the place of divine pre- cepts and apostolic examples, relating to positive institu- tions of the christian church ; the niost learned and the best of men will always differ in their conclusions, and that in proportion as their notions of what is fitness, expe- diency or necessity vary. For it is notorious, that, while one esteems this or the other thing extremely proper and highly useful to the cause of religion ; another despises it as absurd, or detests it as injurious. But, when our di- vine Lord, addressing his disciples in a positive command, says, ' it shall be so ;' or when speaking by an apostolic example, he declares, 'it is thus,' all our own reasonings about fitness, expediency, or utility, must hide their im- pertinent heads. The finest powers of reason have nothing to do in this case, but only to consider the natu- ral, the obvious import of his language, and then submit. To reason any further here, is only to seek a plausible ex- cuse for rebellion against the sovereign majesty of him who is King in Sion." Pedob. Exam. I. 226. That immersion is the proper mode of baptism, ap- pears fourthly, from the constant and uninterrupted prac- tice of it in the Greek church. The Greeks certainly understand their own native tongue, in which the New Tes- tament was originally written, better than any foreigners ; therefore, their administering the ordinance by immer- sion, evidently shews the correct signification of the Greek word baptizo. Hence, the learned Dr. Campbell, speaking of terms which rarely occur in the Greek Tes- tament, remarks : " This is one of those cases, wherein the interpretation given by the earliest Greek fathers, de- serves particular notice. There are so many advantages, which people have for discovering the import of a term or phrase in their raother-tongue, unusual, perhaps, in wri- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 87 ting, but correct in conversation, above those who study a dead language, solely by the means of books extant in it, that no reasonable person can question, that some def- erence is in such cases due to their authority." Trans, of Four Gospels, Pref Diss. 4, § 8. The sensible remarks of Mr. Robinson also deserve a place here ; " Whether John the Baptist and the Apostles of our blessed Lord baptized by pouring on water, or by bathing m water, is to be determined chiefly, though not wholly, by ascertain- ing the precise meaning of the word baptize. A Lin- guist determines himself by his own knowledge of the Greek Language, and an iUiterate man, by the best evi- dence he can obtain from the testimony of others. To the latter it is sufficient to observe, that the word is con- fessedly Greek ; that native Greeks must understand their own language better than foreigners, and that they have always understood the word baptism to signify dipping ; and therefore, from their first embracing Christianity to this day, they have alzvays baptized by immersion. This is an authority for the meaning of the word baptize, infi- nitely preferable to that of European lexicographers ; so that a man who is obliged to trust human testimony, and who baptizes by immersion because the Greeks do, un- derstands a Greek word exactly as the Greeks themselves understand it ; and, in this case, the Greeks are unexcep- tionable guides, and their practice is, in this instance, safe ground of action." Hist, of Baptism, p. 5. That the whole Greek church from the southern pro- vinces of Greece to the northern extremity of the Russian empire, a church, which in point of territory and popula- tion embraces nearly one half of Christendom, that this church has, from the first introduction of the Gopel to the present time, invariably practised immersion, is confessed by all and denied by none. Deylingius : " The Greeks retain the rite of immersion to this day." De Prudent. Pastoral, Pars. 3, c. 3, § 26. Buddeus : " That the Greeks defend immersion, is mani- fest, and has been frequently observed by learned men : which Ludolphus informs us is the practice of the Ethio- pians." Theolog. Dogmat. L. 5, c. 1, § 5. Venema : " The Greeks immerse the whole man in wa- ter." Hist. Eccles. Tom. 6. p. 660. Dr. Wall : " All the christians in Asia, all in Africa, 38 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. and about one third part of Europe, are of the last sort, {i. e. practice immersion,) in which third part of Europe are comprehended the christians of Graecia, Thracia, Servia, Bulgaria, Rascia, Walachia, Moldavia, Russia, and so on ; and even the Muscovites, who, if coldness of country will excuse, might plead for a dispensation with the most reason of any." Hist. Inf. Bap. P. 11. c. 9, p, 477. Fifthly, lastly. — The principal design of the ordinance, to represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ : Ihe communion his people have with him in these momen- tous facts ; and their interest in the blessings thence resul- ting, is accomplished much clearer and fuller, and more impressively, by immersion, than could be done in any other mode whatever. This, also, is abundantly confessed by Pedobaptists. Buddeus : " Immersion, which was used m former times, as we have before declared, was a symbol, and an image of the death and burial of Christ : by which we are taught, that the remains of sin, which are called the old man, should also be put to death ; that is, as Paul elsewhere speaks, our fesh, zvith its affections and lusts, should be crucifed. For in that way, we, as it were, die and are buried with Christ, which Paul expressly shews, Rom, vi. 4. An emersion out of the water follows, (Mat. iii. 16.), which exhibits a most beautiful image of the resurrection of Christ ; and, at the same time, it affords matter of in- struction concerning that spiritual resurrection, which is effected by daily renovation." Rom, vi. 4. Tholog. Dogmata L. 5, c. I, §§5, 8. Witsius : " Our Lord would be baptized, that he might conciliate authority to the baptism of John ; that he might manifest himself to be equally the head of those, who arc baptized, as of those who are circumcised ; that he has communion with both, and came, that of both he might make one : that by his own example he might commend and sanctify our baptism, equally as other sacraments, to which he submitted ; that men might not be loath to come to the baptism of the Lord, seeing the Lord roas not back' loard to come to the baptism of a servant : that by his bap- tism, he mi^ht represent the future condition, both of him- self and of nis fovlowers ; first humble, then glorious ; now mean and low, then glorious and exalted ; that represent ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 89 ed, by immersion, this by emersion : that by the use of this sacrament, the promises of the covenant which was between himself and the Father, might be confirmed to him, concerning the entire expiation of those offences, which he took on himself, the justification of those per- sons whom he represented, and concerning a glorious resurrection, by which he should soon emerge out of the waters of tribulation, Ps. ex. 7.; and, finally,- to declare, by his voluntary submission to baptism, that he would not delay the delivering up of himself to be immersed in the torments of hell, yet with a certain faith and hope of emerging. " Immersion into the water is to be considered by us, as exhibiting that dreadful abyss of divine justice, in which Christ for our sins, which he took on himself, was for a time, as it were absorbed ; as in David, his type, he com- plains, Ps. Ixix. 3. More particularly, seeing such an im- mersion deprives a person of light, and of other things pertaining to this world, it excellently represents the death of Christ, while his continuance under water, how- ever short, denotes the burial of Christ, and the lowest de gree of humiliation , when, being laid in a sepulchre, that was sealed and guarded by the Roman soldiers, he was considered as entirely cut off. Emersion out of the water, exhibits an image of his resurrection, or of the victory which, being dead, he obtained over death in his own dark domains, that is, the grave. All these things the Apostle intimates, Rom. vi. 3, 4. "Baptism also represents those benefits, both present and future, which believers obtain in Christ. Among the present benefits, the principal is, communion with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and which is consequent upon it, the mortification and burial of our old, and resurrection of our new man, in virtue of the blood and spirit of Christ. For, immersion into the water, represents the death of the old man, in such a manner as shows, that he can neither stand in judgment to our con- demnation, nor exercise dominion in our bodies, that we should obey his lusts. In respect to the former, the death of the old man pertains to our justification ; in regard to the latter, it belongs to our sanctification. The continu- ance under the water, represents the burial of the body rtf jin, by which all hope of its revival is cut off ; so that 8* 90 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. it shall never be able afterwards, either to condemn the elect, or to reign over them," Miscel. Sac. Tom. 2 Exer. 15. § 63. Oec. Foed. L. 4, c. 16, §§ 25—29. Estius : " The ceremony of immersion was anciently more common, as appears from the unanimous language of the Fathers, as often as they speak about baptism ; and in a more expressive manner represents the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, and of us." j^pud Knatchhd. Animad. in lib. J^ov. Test. p. 181. Pictetus : "It was usual in ancient times for the whole body to be immersed in water — and it must be confessed, that such a rite most happily represented that grace, by which our sins are, as it were, drowned, and we raised again from the abvss of sin." Theol. Christ. L. 14, c. 4, § 17. Vossius ; " All the particulars, that we have mentioned, concerning the signification of baptism, will appear with sufficient perspicuity in the rite of immersion ; but not equally so, if mere sprinkling be used." Disp. de Bap. Disp. 3, § 10. I shall close this Essay with the testimony of the great Reformer, M. Luther : " The term baptism, is a Greek word. It may be rendered, a dipping, as when we dip something in water, that it may be entirely covered with water. And though that custom be quite abolished among the generality, (for neither do they entirely dip children, but only sprinkle them with a little water,) nev- ertheless, they ought to be wholly immersed, and presently to be drawn out again. For, the etymology of the word seems to require it. The Germans call baptism tauffe, from depth, which they call tieff, in their language ; as if it were proper those should be deeply immersed, who are baptized. And truly, if you consider what baptism signi- fies, you shall see the same thing required : for it signifies that the old man of our nativity, that is full of sins, which is entirely of flesh and blood, may be overwhelmed by di- vine grace. The manner of baptism, therefore, should correspond to the signification of baptism, that it may show a certain and plain sign of it." In Dr. Du Veil on Acts viii. 38. Dear reader, I have now endeavoared to show, that the Scripture mode of Baptism is hy immersion only, from the signification of the 7L'ord used- to express the act of the or- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 91 dinanct ; from the places selected for the administration ofii, and the phrases used on the occasion ; from the practice of the Primitive Church ; from the constant and uninterrupted mode of the Greek Church ; and from the principal design of the institution. The objections against these arguments will be answered in the proper place ; and in the mean time, I pray that the Spirit of truth may guide you in the right way, for his name's sake, Amen. ESSAY V. Objections Anszoered. *. 1 . Whv do Baptists require a divine precept, or scripture example, for infant baptism, since they admit females to communion, and observe the first day of the week as the christian sabbath, when there is neither a divine precept nor scripture example for either. Answer. With respect to female communion, we have authority from the law of the institution, and from the practice of the church. In the positive command of our Lord to commemorate his death in the ordinance of the Supper, the subjects are characterized as disciples, with- out any regard to sex. It is true, when the Apostle directs the Corinthian church to a proper celebration of the Sup- per, he says, " Let a man examine himself" 1 Cor. xi, 28. But it will not be denied, that the word anthropos, man, includes females as well as males. Thus, (John iii. 3, 4.) " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 2 Cor. v. 17. "If any man (tis, any one) be in Christ, he is a new creature." 1 Tim. ii. 5. " One Mediator between God and men." Besides, the Lord's Supper was celebrated by the whole church, which was composed of males ^i\d females. For we read that the females as well as males, men and women, on their pro- fession of faith, were baptized, were together with the dis- ciples, and continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, aad in prayers. &?e Acts k 13, 14. ii. 42, 44. vih. 12. I Cor. x. 17. Wo- 92 ESSAYS ON BjiPTISM. men are spoken of as disciples, baptized, in the church ; all the disciples were in fellowship or communion ; all were together " in breaking of bread," &.c. ; but the New Tes- tament is silent on infant baptism. With respect to change of the sabbath from the sev- enth to the first day of the week, I would observe, that this change was alluded to by the prophet Isaiah, Ixv. 17, 1 8. " Behold I create new heavens and a new earth ; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind ; but be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create : for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." " This passage," says Dr. Dwight, a zealous Pe- dobaptist, " appears to me to place the fact in the clearest light, that a particular, superior, and extraordinary com- memoration of the work of redemption by the christian church, in all its various ages, was a part of the good pleasure of God ; and was designed by him to be accom- plished in the course of his providence. But there neither is, nor ever was, any public, solemn commemoration of this work by the christian church, except that which is holden on the first day of the week, or the day in which Christ completed this great work by his resurrection from the dead. This prophecy has, therefore, been unfulfilled, so far as I see, unless it has been fulfilled in this very man- ner." Theol. Serm. CVI. Further, it was predicted, that the day of the resurrec- tion of the Messiah was to be a peculiar day. Ps. cxviii, 22 -24. " The stone which the builders refused, is become the headstone of the corner ; this is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord J\as made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it." This pre- diction is applied to the Messiah in the New Testament oftener than any other. Mat. xxi. 42, Mark xii. 10, Luke XX. 17, Actsiv. 11, Eph. ii. 20, and 1 Pet. ii. 4. The Jewish writers also applied it to Messiah. It is evident, therefore, that Jesus Christ is the Stone here mentioned; that he was rejected and set at nought by the chief priests and Pharisees ; but, being chosen of God, and precious to him, this most valuable stone, thus despised and re- jected of men, thus thrown among the rubbish, and buried in it, was, at length, from such a state, exalted to be the chief corner stone in the building, the main support of the edifice, and a centre of union fot Jew ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 93 and Gentile, the two parts of which it consisted. " Of the day on which Christ arose from the dead," says the pious Bishop Home, " it may with more propriety than of any other day, be affirmed, ' this is the day which Jehovah hath made.' Then it was that the ' rejected stone' be- came the ' head of the corner.' A morning then dawned, which is to bo followed by no evening ; a brighter sun arose upon the world, which is to set no more ; a day began, which will never end ; and night and darkness departed to return not again." Isa. Ix. 20. Hence it is called, in the New Testament, " the Lord's day," Rev. i. 10, i. e. a day consecrated and devoted to God. Numb. vi. 27. 1 Kings viii. 43. Hence the Apostles observed the first day of the week as a day sacred to God. Acts xx. 7. 1 Cor. xvi. 1,2. So in the New Testament we have ''the Lord's day," or " the first day of the week," spoken of as a day observed by the disciples for religious purposes ; but no mention is made of infant baptism. These facts put the two subjects on a very different footing, 2. It is very frequently objected that, though we have no law in the New Testament for infant baptism, yet there is no law against it. Or, to state the objection in all its parts, it is said, " The Jewish children were circumcised as a token of their interest in the covenant made with Abraham, and were members of the Jewish chuch ; il was, therefore, reasonable to expect that they would con- tinue to be members of the christian church, unless that privilege was abrogated by an express law ; but, as there is no such law in the New Testament, therefore, it is un- just and cruel to deprive the dear children of these privi- leges." I answer j^r5/, that no argument can be drawn from cir cumcision in favor of infant baptism, as has already been stated, (E. 3. p. 58.) nor from the state of the Jewish children under the Mosaic dispensation, and of those under the christian dispensation. For, as there was no visible church under the Old Testament, but a mere con- gregation, (E. 3. p. 68.) the Jewish children were members of the congregation only, and so are the children of Chris- tians, but not members of the christian church. To that part of the objection, " that it is reasonable and desirable that children should be baptized," I reply, fhat in positive institutions, we have nothing to do with 94 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. reasonings or conjectures about the propriety or impro- ])riety, expediency or utility. A " Tims sniih the Lord" is a sufficient and binding authority for our obedience, and the only rule for our direction In addition to what has already been said on this subject, (Essay I.) the observation of Dr. Claggett deserves our notice. In ar- guing against Popish ceremonies, that they had neither scripture precept, nor example, he says, " their congruit}' to our reason is not the proof of their divine institution : since there are very many things, which, to our finite understandings, would appear as useful and as reasonable, but which yet God has no instituted. When it once ap- pears what God has instituted in order to our salvation, and no more, we are to conclude that this is enough in its kind, because it is all that God has done. But, for that other kind of arguing, that God has been wanting to us in his institutions, if he has not instituted (this or that) and, . therefore, he has instituted it, 1 leave to those whose con- clusions netd it ; very much desiring them to consider 7ohat a cause that must be, which drives them to such bold reasonings as these are." P'-e^crv. agansl Pop. Title 7. p. 93. The objection further states, " that if children had no right to baptism, we should expect to meet with an express law excluding them." My answer is, that every affirmative command of Christ includes a negative. When Christ commands the baptizing of believers, he prohibits all others not so auabjicd. Jiadab and .^biku Jiad no prohibition from using strange fire, yet they were destroyed for using that fire which the Lord had ''not commanded" If this objection be valid, why do we con- demn the Pope and his followers for using the sign of the cross, the holy unction, and a thousand other supersti- tions ? For, though they are not commanded, yet they are not prohibited. The proper rule is to worship God in what he has commanded, and in no other way ; else it is will- worship, and displeasing to God. Christ, the great Head of the church, requires certain qualifications of the candidate for baptism or church-mem- bership : such as illumination, conviction, repentance, and confession of sin, faith in him, becoming a disciple, &c. Mat. iii. 6. xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 16. John i. 29. iv. 1. Acts ii. 37, 38. 41. viii. 36. ix. 18. (E. 3. p. 65.) Hence it is evident, that none who are ignorant of divine ■ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 95 things, impenitent and unbelieving, and who are not dis- ciples and followers of Christ, and who are destitute of the Spirit, are proper subjects of baptism. Neither birth, rank, nor talent gives a title or fitness for this holy ordi- nance. John i. 12, 13. Further.in this objection, the Baptists are accused of "un- justly and cruelly depriving the dear children of their privi- leges." Such is my attachment to children, that I should be exceedingly sorry, if there were even a shadow of truth in this accusation. Nor can I find any evidence to substantiate the charge. None can be said to be deprived ol a thing which he never possessed, and to which he never had either title or fitness ; and it has been shewn that infants have neither title to the sacred ordinance of baptism, nor fitness for it. 3. It is objected, in the ne.xt place, that it appears from scripture that the christian church is but a continuation of the Jewish c^iUrch. In addition to what has already been said on this sub- ject, (E. 3. p. 65.) let US examine the ground of this asser- tion. The venerable Dr. Mason reasoned thus : " We know by experience that the church of God was in the world before us. So did our fathers : so did the previous gene- ration : and in this manner the historical fact may be de- duced from the days of the Apostles. The '■ church," therefore, has not been created since their days. Was it created then / No. The Apostles found it as we found it, older than themselves. Their writings are tuli of its privileges, its ordinances, and other pecuharities ; but contain not a single hint of its originating with them. They uniformly suppose its prior establishment, and speak of it as having been long and familiary understood. Guided by the clew which they have put into our hands, we go back to the books of the prophets, and meet the same supposition there. We proceed with similar suc- cess through the Levitical law, and the Sinai-covenant ; we pass the age of Moses, and arrive at the father of the faithful. Here the clew runs out." Essays on the church, p. 36. Notwithstanding the acknowledged tal- ents of the Doctor, in his reasoning on this subject he was certainly mistaken. Is it, indeed, true that the Apos- tles found it (i. e. the visible church) as we found it, older than themselves! This is taking for granted the very 96 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. thing in dispute. We have found the visible church com- posed of particular churches, each of which might give a historical account of its origin, when certain individuals, having satisfied each other that they possessed the requi- site qualifications of church members, formed themselves into a church, and chose their officers, and received new members in the same way. But the Apostles found no such visible church, or particular churches. For such had no existence under the Mosaic, Abrahamic, or Pat- riarchal dispensation, as has been shewn above. On the day of Pentecost, the one hundred and twenty disciples were the church to which the Lord added about three thousand souls ; and this numerous body of christians were the church, to which, afterward," " the Lord added daily such as should be saved." Their acquaintance with the " privileges," &.c. &c. no more proves the real existence of a visible church under the Old Testament, than the acquaintance of patriarchs and prophets, and other holy men of old, with the blessings and privileges of redemption, proves the real existence of an incarnate Messiah and the finished work of redemption before their days. As they obtained their knowledge of things to come, by types, promises, &c. so did the Apos- tles. Moreover, the Lord Jesus was with them for forty days after his resurrection, " speaking of the things per- taining to the kingdom of God," or visible church. Acts i. 2. It is not denied, that the Jewish nation was a type of the christian churcli ; but the anti-type is not an identical continuation of the type. It is separate and distinct. The portrait of a man is not the living man, however good a resemblance it may bear to him. The shadow is not the substance. This answer will equally overturn the sec- ond ground of the assertion, viz : " the christian church must be a continuation of the Jewish church, because the names, privileges, and promises of the latter are given likewise to tlie former." Is this conclusion correct? Does it follow that the anti-type is a continuation of the type, because ionie of the things said of the one, are also said of the other ( Is Christ a continuation of the man- na which our fathers did eat in the wilderness, because he calls himself the bread that came down from heaven ? Is the son of man a cojitinuation of the brazen serpent, because he was hfted up that whosoever believes in him ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 97 shall not perish, but have everlasting life ? The benefits connected with the types were temporal, those of the an- ti-type are spiritual and eternal. All the promises and threatenings connected with the Jews, as they were the natural posterity of Abraham, and afterwards formed into a national community, were temporal in their nature and duration, and depend on certain conditions of obedience : but the very same promises applied to ihe christian church, are spiritual in their nature, and eternal in their duration. The reader will please to attend to the language of the Doctor himself " The Jews," says he, " could nationally call God ' their God.' They often did so, and with right, when they were gross hypocrites in the articles of their ^er- sonal rehgion. The Sinai-covenant constituted them the people of Jehovah, and him their God, as really, but in a zvidely different sense, as he was the covenant God of Abra- ham, or of Paul, for personal salvation." Essays on tht Church, p. 44. Note. The language of the Apostle, describing the Jews un- der the metaphor of an olive tree, &c. is brought as another argument, to prove that the christian church is but a continuation of the Jewish church. Such is the reasoning of Dr. Mason. " The Apostle tells the Gen- tiles," says he, " that they were ' a wild olive tree,' and that the Jews were ' the good olive tree,' — this cannot re- fer to their natural state, as sinners before God ; for in this respect there was ' no difference' — nor to their state as sinners saved by grace ; for from this state there is no excision. It can refer to nothing but their visible church state, i. e. to their pubhc relation to God as a covenanted society." Agreed ; let only the Doctor change the word "church" to national or congregational "state." The Doctor proceeds to inquire, "What, then, was this 'good olive tree/ from which the Jewish branches were ' broken off,' while the Gentiles were ' graffed in V Evidently, the visible church, organized under the covenant made with Abraham. There was no other from which the Jews could be cast off." Essays on the Church, p. 55. It appears very evident to me, that it was not the " visible church," for this had then no existence ; but the visible state of the Jews, formed into a peculiar Nation at the foot of Mount Sinai, entrusted with the oracles of God, with public means of grace and regular religious in- 9 98 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. struction. Thus they were planted by Jehovah himself, a good olive tree, in good soil. Jer. xi. 16, 17. In a similar manner, the Jewish nation and its peculiar privi- leges are described under the metaphor of a vineyard, planted by the Lord : from this " good olive tree," i. e. from this visible state of the Jews, as a nation, worshipping the true and living God, in the enjoyment of the means of grace, which may well be styled the " root and the fat- ness," many of the Jews were cut off, and have continued for ages, destitute both of public and privafte means of religious instruction, whilst multitudes of the Gentiles were united with those Jews who embraced the christian rehgion. The olive tree, or congregation of Israel, was neither plucked up by the root, nor cut otV, but only un- derwent a change in some of its branches. Since this change took place, the olive tree is no longer called the " congregation of Israel," or of the Lord, but the chris- tian world; for, it includes all that are born of christian parents, or become proselytes, without respect to their moral character, just as it was with the Jewish nation. But here is the difference. Since the change has taken place in the olive tree, the King of Sion has given in- structions to his disciples to separate themselves from the congregation, and to form themselves into a distinct so- ciety, called the church, and thus openly and ^isibly, pro- fess their devotedness to Christ. 4. Another objection has been often stated, and as often shewn to be absurd. It is very seriously and gravely said, that, " to deny that the visible church commenced in Abra- ham's family, is as much as to say that God had been for more than two thousand years without a visible church. ' •But does not the very assertion of our brethren deny the existence of a church before Abraham ? If, then, it was consistent with God to be without a church, from Adam to Abraham, why may it not be equally consistent with him to be without a church till after the resurrection of Christ ? Dr. Mason's description of the state of the world before the call of Abraham, is equally true after his call. '•' People of God," says the Doctor, " there were ; promises of God there were ; gracious revelations, and acceptable worship of God, there were : but a church of God, organi- zed upon the principle of visible nnity — there was not." Essays on the Church, p. 37. ESSAYS OX BAPTISM. 99 How could the Dr. " deny," that God had any church on the earth for nearly " two thousand years'' — i. e. from the fall to Abraham ? 5. We proceed to the next objection, which is stated thus: " Unbelieving and unconverted persons have been received as members of the church ; why may we not, also, receive unbelieving and unconverted children ?" If our brethren mean, that unbelieving and unconverted persons have crept into the church zvithout bemg known, we should acknowledge the fact But they tell us, 1st. that "the Jewish church, though constituted by the omnis- cient God, consisted of hypocrites, as well as of true wor- shippers : that it embraced multitudes who never were made partakers of saving grace ;"- 2d. " that our Lord told us in several parables, that hypocrites and wicked per- sons, must be left, until the judgment day ;" and 3d wo are informed, ' that our Lord Jesus Christ, who fell into^ no mistakes, actually did admit an unconverted man, a iiypo- crite, a traitor, a devil, into the number, not only of his disciples, but even of his Apostles : thereby instructing his church, that the secret state of the soul before God, is not to be her rule of Judgment." See Buck's Theolog. Diet. under the word church. Brown's Compend. Kat. and Rev. Religion, B. 7. Dr. Mason's Essays on the Church, pp. 27. 67. We answer. With respect to the first, it is not disputed that under the Mosaic dispensation, the righteous and the wicked were equally members, and that by descent , but they were only of the congregation of Israel, as nominal and real christians are now mixed in our congregations : but they were not members of the visible church, which had then no existence, as we have before proved. With respect to the second, three parables are referred to. The first is tiiat of the tares and the wheat. Our Lord's design in this parable, is to guard his disciples against persecuting those who would not believe their preaching; to warn them not to make use of destructive weapons to make men to become their disciples, the way in which false religion has always been propagated. Their duty was to preach the gospel in the world, as we do in our respective congregations, and leave the result of men's believing or not believing, with God. This parable has nothing to do with church discipline. For, in the first fOO ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. place, our blessed Lord himself has told us that " the field is the world." It is strange indeed, that any should dare to contradict the Saviour and say, the "field is the church." Secondly ; if the " field" were the church, an end would then be put to all church disciphne ; for, of what benefit would it be to ascertain whether a member has acted right or wrong, when we are told that the zoicked must remain with the good ? Thirdly ; this parable of our Lord would be in plain contradiction to his direc- tions, given in Mat. xviii. 15 — 17, that the church is to treat an impenitent member as a heathen man and a pub- lican. To this it is objected, that the disciples knew that our Lord's kingdom is spiritual ; that they had no idea of interfering with civil society ; that to cut otf un- believers, they knew, would destroy the world ; and that the reason assigned for letting the tares grow up together with the wheat, is our liability of considering a person to be a tare, when he is a wheat. To this we answer, first ; it is very evident, that the disciples had no clear ideas of a spiritual kingdom till after the resurrection of Christ. Luke xxiv. 21. Acts i. 6. Secondly; the caution of our Lord was very necessary, for the disciples manifested a spirit of persecution, saying, " Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them ?" Luke ix. 54. Thirdly ; it is true, that in all proceedings of church discipline, we ought to lean on the side of mercy, and never cut off a member, till satisfac- tory evidence have proved him to be unworthy of mem- bership ; but, in the parable, there is no doubt in the matter ; the servants declared positively, that there were tares among the wheat, and expressed their surprise how they came there ; nor did the Lord say, be careful, ye may be mistaken ; on the contrary, he confirmed their declaration, that there were tares, and that the wicked one was the author of them ; still he directed his disciples not to cut off these wicked men out of the world, lest they should cut off the wheat also. " Destroy it not ; for a blessing is in it." Isa. Ixv. 8. The next parables referred to, are the " net" and the "ten virgins." I have no objection to apply these parables to the church; and they teach us, that the church visible is not perfect ; for there may be hypocrites in it, and we may not know the fact ; as the fisherman does not know what ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 101 kinds of fish are in his net till it is brought to shore ; nor were the five foolish virgins knovi^n, till after the bridegroom had arrived. But as soon as the fisherman finds out the bad fish, he tlirovi^s them away ; and as soon as a hypo- crite is found out and proved to be such, he is to be put but of the church by the bretliren. And hypocritical professors, if their hypocricy be not discovered in the present hfe, when Christ shall appear in judgment, will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven. We proceed to the third objection, viz : That " our Lord Jesus Christ admitted Judas — a devil, &c. It is true, that our blessed Lord, for wise reasons, em- ployed Judas as well as the other disciples and apostles; but what has that to do with the church ? The visible church had no existence at that time ; Judas could not, therefore, have been a member of it. Further, if our Lord and Saviour had really received Judas as a member of the church, instead of thereby teaching his church that the real state of the soul before God is not to be her rule of judgment, and that this state is not to be judged of by men according to the best existing evidence ; but that every applicant is to be admitted, irrespective of his character, he would have taught her to admit an uncon- verted man, a hypocrite, a traitor, a devil, under a full knowledge of his character. I cannot refrain myself from expressing my mind fully on this subject, viz : that who- ever asserts that our Lord and Saviour, who could not fall into mistakes, actually admitted Judas as an exam- ple for the conduct of the church, " betrays somethtng very diflferent from modesty, by setting up a term of reli- gious fellowship, which would convict the master himself of corrupting his own church." 6. Another objection is, that the covenant made with Abraham is still in force ; that it has never been abroga- ted ; that it is called an everlasting covenant ; and that he is the father of the believing Gentiles, as well as of the be- lieving Jews. We have already stated that the covenant made with Abraham, must be, either the covenant of grace, or the covenant of circumcision. That the covenant of grace is still in force, and that with respect to this covenanty Abraham is the father of believing Gentiles as well as be- lieving Jews, none does deny. Neither do I deny that ^he 9* 102 ESSAYS ON BAPT1S3I. covenant of circumcision is still in force. But with whom f Not with the believing or unbelieving Gentiles, but with the natural descendents of Abraham. God is still the God of Abraham and of his natural seed in a peculiar sense ; to them the land of Canaan still belongs, as much as it did while they were slaves in Egypt or captives in Babylon ; and he who has been their deliverer in times past, will deliver them again and bring them as an un- converted nation to the land of promise; and, till then, they will circumcise their children, as a token of the ex- istence of that covenant. But all this has no more to do with the baptism, either of adults or infants, than the ram- bow, a token of the covenant made with Koah. Having answered the objections generally brought against the Baptist view of the Subjects of baptism, we proceed to consider those against Immersion. 7. It is objected that John's baptism is a mere imita- tion or continuation oi Proselyte or Jewish baptism. To this objection we answer, as it respects Jewish wash- ing or purification, it is evident that John's baptism was entirely dift'erent, both in nature and design. The un- clean among the Jews, whether male or female, immersed or bathed themselves ; but John's hearers were baptized, or immersed by him. John required fruits of repentance, and directed faith in Christ, before he baptized, but none of these were required in the purifications of legal impurity. As for proselyte baptism, we have no account of such a ceremony, either in the Old or New Testament, nor in the Apocrypha, nor by Josephus, or Philo, nor even in the Mishnah. John's baptism was a perfectly new in- stitution. He was the first administrator of it, and was therefore, by way of emphasis, called " John the Bap- tist ;" and his baptism " the baptism of John." Had this ceremony been in use before, why should this name have been given to him more than to any other ? Again, why should it have excited such attention among the people, if not a new custom ? Or why should they ask him, " why baptizest thou ?" And when Christ asked, whether John's baptism was from heaven or of men, why did they not answer, that it was an old custom, received of men? Besides, John's baptism is called "the counsel of God ;" Luke vii. 29, 30. ; but. if it had been a mere imi- tation of proselyte baptism, it could not have been thus ESSAYS ON BAl'riSM. 103 denominated ; but should have been styled '• the counsel or device of men." Further, John was so far from imi- tating the Jews, we are expressly told, that he baptized by a special command of God. John i. 6. 33. " There was a man sent from God, whose name was John — he that sent me to baptize with water, &c." There was also a striking similarity between John's baptism and that of the Apostles. Did he require repen- tance and faith, so did they. Mat. iii. 6-8. Marki. 4. Acts ii. 38. Mark xvi. 16. Acts viii. 36, 37. Did he baptize by immersion, so did they. Mat. iii, 6. 16. John iii. 23. Acts viii. 38, 39. Did he baptize by divine authority, so did they. John i. 6, 33. Mat. xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15. Did he baptize for the remission of sins, so did they. Mark i. 4. Acts ii. 38. Dear reader, attend to the testimony of some eminent Pedobaptists. The learned Venema says : " Part of John's office con- sisted in baptizing — an external rite, then in a particular manner appointed of God, and not used before. John i. Mat. xxii." Hist. Eccl. Tom. 3, Seoul. 1 . § 5. The judicious Mr. Jennings, after stating the arguments pro and con, says : " Upon the whole, it is more likely, the Jews took the hint of proselyte baptism, after our Sa- viour's time, than that he borrowed baptism from theirs; which, whenever it came into practice, was one of those additions to the law of God, which he severely censures. There wants more evidence of its being as ancient as our Saviour's time, than I apprehend can be produced, to ground any argument upon it in relation to christian bap- tism." Jewish Ant. B. 1. ch. 3. vol. l.pp. 135. 138. Deylingius : " The baptism of Proselytes, in our opinion, seems to have been received by the Jews after the time of John the Baptist; (the Jews) being very much influ- enced by his authority, and greatly admiring him. Cer- tainly, it cannot be proved by any substantial testimony, that it was in use among the Jews before the time of John. There is also a great difference between the bap- tism of John and that of proselytes, as the latter is de- scribed in the monuments of the ancient Hebrews. For the Jewish baptism was a rite of human institution ; but John the Baptist introduced his by the command of God, The baptism of proselytes was a civil rite, pertaining only 101 ESSAtS ON BAPTISM. to the poliiical court, as Campegius Vitringa shows m hi^' Archi-Synagogiis, p. 400. But the baptism of John and Christ is pecuhar to the christian church, and is the mean of conferring spiritual benefits." Obser. Sacra. Pars. 3. obser. 26. pp. 197, 198. J. G. Carpzoviiis : " We cannot be persuaded that the baptism of pro.selytes was prior to the baptism of John and of Christ: partly because of the reasons produced by that very great man, Wcmsdorfius ; but principally, because there is a want of sufficient witnesses that the rite was used among the Jews of that time. For the testimonies produced are either from a following age, or of doubtful interpretation, and applied contrary to the design of iheir authors, as a bare inspection of them will shew. The subject being e.xamined with accuracy, it will appear that for an article of such weight, a rite of such great neces- sity, to have been involved in silence for so many ages, witiiout any urgent reason, exceeds all probability. But supposing, though we do not admit, that the bathing of the proselytes was in use wlien the new dispensation com- menced, yet it reiuains firm and certain, that the sacra- ment of baptism has nothing answerable to the baptism of proselytes : nor was it derived from that rite, but was im- mediately appointed of God. For as John was immedi- ately sent of God to baptize, (John i. 33. Luke iii. 2.) so Christ introduced the ordinance of baptism, not from that of the Rabbies for the admission of proselytes ; but from the most wise counsel of God, from the bosom of the Fa- ther.' John i. 18. Mat. .x.xviii. 19. Apparat. Hist. Crit. Anti Sac. Annotat. pp. 49, 50. I cannot omit the sentiment of the pious Dr, Owen : " The celebrated Selden has endeavoured to prove, that Christ borrowed the rite of baptism from that which was then in use among the Jews. Others do the same. Learned men teach and confidently affirm that a proselyte of righteousness was never made, thougfi circumcised, without being baptized. But that any one should be made the partaker of all the privileges of that tihurch, there was need only of circumcision, as express testimonies of the holy scriptures teach ; for so the law rOns, Ex. xii. 48, concerning thje Rabbinical baptism not a tittle. The institution of the rite of baptism is no where mentioned in the Old Testament. There is no example ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 105 of it in those ancient records ; nor was it ever used in the admission of proselytes while the Jewish church con- tinued. No mention of it occurs in Philo, in Josephus, in Jesiis, the son of Sirach, nor in the Evangelical history. This Rabbinical opinion, therefore, owes its rise to the Tanntrae, or Anti-Mishnical doctors, after the destruction of their city. The opinion of some learned men, there- fore, about the transferring of a Jewish baptismal rite, (which, in reality, did not exist,) by the Lord Jesus for the use of his disciples, is destitute of all probability." Theolog. J^. 5, Digr. 4, p. 425. Heb. vol. 1. Exercit. 19, p. 272. Orig. Nat. of churches, pp. 36. 39. Such is the testimony of Pedobaptists that John's baptism is from heaven, and not from the Jews ; and is, therefore, a proper pattern for our imitation. 8. The next objection is, that the word Baptizo signi- fies to 7oash, as well as to immerse ; and for proof, an ap- peal is made to Mark vii. 2-8, where the washing oi hands, cups, &c. &c. IS mentioned. But no argument can be taken from this passage in favor of any other mode than immersion. Every Jew knows that whatever is to be pu- rified by water, whether cups, tables, beds, &.c. it must be by immersion. " And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean ; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, what- soever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even ; so it shall be cleansed." Levit. xi. 32. Maimonides : " Whenever, in the law, washing of the flesh, or of the clothes is mentioned, it means nothing else than the dipping of the whole body in a laver ; for, if any man dips himself all over, except the tip of his little fin- ger, he is still in his uncleanness." Ililchoth Mikva. c. 1. § 2. Again : " A bed that is wholly defiled, if he dips it part by part, it is pure." Hilchoth Caihm, c 26. § 14. Sca/i^er, speaking of the Jews' customs, says : " the more superstitious part of them, every day before they sat down to meat, dipped the whole body. Hence the Phari- see's admiration of Christ. Luke xi. 38." De Emend. Temp. L. 6. p. 771. As strange as such a custom may ap- pear in Europe and America, yet it may be seen daily in the East. Nor does the original word baptisontai signify to wash, except by immersion ; for it is from baptizo, not " 106 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. from loiio. Moreover, it is not to be overlooked, that the v/ord baptizo is never used in the New Testament to sig- nify the washing of hands. A very different word is al- ways used for this purpose, viz : the word nipto. In the case under review, this word is employed in the 2d and 3d verses, as follows : " And when they saw some of his dis- ciples eatbroLul with defiled (that is to say, with rmwashen aniplois,) hands, they found fault. For the Pharisee.", and all the Jews, except they wash (nipsontai) their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. The historian then proceeds in the 4th verse to state another and very different fact : " And zoheyi thcij come from the market, except they wash, {baptisontai, immerse them- selves,) they eat not. The historian relates two distinct customs of the Jews. 1. That they neverate until they had washed {nipto) their hands. 2. That on one special occasion, viz : "when they had been to the market,"' where they mingled with Gentiles, whose touch they considered polluting, thev always immer- sed themselves (baptisontai) before they took food. Not knowing what part of the body had come in contact with a polluting Gentile, the Jew thought it necessary to baptize or immerse himself, that he might be certain of being clean- sed. Every family, that could afford it, was furnished with a bath. I appeal to my Jewish brethren and to the learn- ed reader for the correctness of this statement. It deserves our notice, that in the prophet's direction to Naanian, (2 Kings v.) the Hebrew word rachatz, to wash, is used, and accordingly, the Septuagint translators used the corresponding word lotio, to wash ; but when Naaman complied with the direction, the Hebrew word Taval, to immerse, is used, and the seventy translators u^ed the Greek word baptizo, to immerse, or as the £?i- giish version, " to dip." Now, as in tlie passage under con- sideration, the 4th verse, the Greek word baptisontai is used, our translators should have given us the English word immerse, plunge, or dip, as they did 2 Kings v. 14. John xiii. 26, &,c. and not w-ash. Nor is there any more force in the other passage on which the objection is raised, namely : Heb. ix. 10. " Di- verse washings, immersions." Our translators should have used the word immersions, or dippings, which would have <.'xpressed both the true meaning of the original word Bap ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 107 tismois, and the design of the Apostle, who alluded to the purifications by water, which were all by nnmersion, as we have seen. Tiiat the washing of cups, &c. means no- thing less than immeision, or dipping, is confessed by many of our most leurned Pedobaptist friends. E7-as. Sch/nidtus : " Baplein is to dye, to immerse in wa- ter ; also to wash, or to immerse for the sake of lo ashing or cleansing." Annot. in Mat. iii. 6. Miaicr : " jJujjdzo, to baptize; properly, indeed, it signifies to pluiige, to immerse, to dip into water : but be- cause it is connnon to plunge or dip a thing, that it may be washed, hence, aiso, it signifies to wash, to wash away — Baptisiuos, baptism, nnmersion, dipping into, washing, washing away. Properly, and according to its etymology, it denotes that washing which is performed by immersion." Dr. Hammond: "The word here used, Baptizesthai (as it differs from Niptesihai, verse 3,) signifies not only the washing of the whole body, (as, when it is said of Eupolis, that being taken and thrown into the sea, bap- tizeto, he VvSlh tm.uer^ed all over and so the baptisms of cups, &c. in the end ol tl is verse, is putting into water all oxer, rinsing tiiem,) out vv-isiiing any part as that is opposed to affusion, or pouring water on them." Annot. on Mark xii. 4. 9. It is further objected that the word Baptizein can- not always mean immersion, " for it is incredible that the 3000 converted on the day of Pentecost could have been baptized on the same day by immersion." In answer to this objection. I would observe that if there be any diffi- culty, it is as much (if not more) against the theory and practice of our opponents as against immersion. Our brethren have repeatedly told us, that the children- of converts were baptized, together with their parents. This must have greatly increased the number to be sprink- led, and consequently makes the account more incredi- ble. But let us suppose that there appears really some- thing incredible that so large a number should be bap- tized in one day ; yet, if it be once proved, that to baptize means to immerse, will this apparent difficulty justify us in charging the Apostles with changing the mode, pointed out to them by their Lord and Master, from immersion to sprinkling ? Surely not. Moses informs ns oejnucerning 108 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, our father Abraham, '• that he took Ishmael his son, and all that were born la his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the self same day, as God had said unto him." Genesis xvii. 23. Now is there nothing incredible in this account of the inspired historian ? The mere act of circumcising and careiully binvl.ng up the wound of one individual, (without the ceremouies used at present by the descend- ants of Abraham,; would require more time than the im- mersion of ten persons. Yet Abraham had to circumcise more than 400 of his household, (see Gen. xiv. 14, his trained servants, born in his own house, were 318,) which would require at least as much time as the immersion of four thousand : especially, when we call to remembrance that Abraham was now at the advanced age of ninety-nine years. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, and others that might be conjectured, what son of Abraham did ever question the truth of the statement, or ever suggest the idea, that " it is a thing incredible that Abraham could have circumcised so many in one day, and, therefore, circumcision could not mean circumcision, but must sig- nify a mere incision m the flesh, no matter on what part of the body it be performed." Amonst all the absurdi- ties of the Rabbins, this absurdity has never been thought of To this day the same ceremony is performed in exact imitation of the venerable patriarch. Why, then, my dear reader, should we contradict or pervert the state- ment given by the inspired Apostle and historian ? He tells us in words the most explicit, that 3000 were bap- tized or immersed : our friends say no ; this is incredi- ble ; immersion cannot mean immersion, it must signify sprinkling ; a few drops of water applied to the body, no matter where, on the face, the forehead, or poured on the top of the head, means the same as if the whole body had been plunged in the water. But to be serious. The subject is solemn. The ordi- nance is divine. I can perceive nothing incredible in the matter. Even granting that the three thousand had been baptized in one and the self-same day of their conver- sion, where is the difficulty ? It must arise either from the want of water, or from the shortness of time. The former could not be the case ; for it was at Jerusalem ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 109 where, besides the pubUc conveniences for immersion, such as the pools of Bethesda and Siloam, there were many Mikroaoth, or collections of water in the form of 6a- thing houses, for the purification of unclean persons and vessels, &c. required by the law of Moses, and which was always by immersion, (See Lev. xv. 16. Numb. xix. 7, S^ Nor is there any difficulty with respect to the latter, viz : the want of time. These three thousand persons might have been immersed, not only in one day, but even in less than three hours. For the twelve Apostles, together with the sevetily disciples, were all qualified for the sacred office. On the supposition that they all took part in the solemn transaction, which is more than probable, each in* dividual would not have more than thirty-seven candidates, and such a number could be immersed with the greatest ease in less than two hours. There is, therefore, no weight in this objection. Yea, it is truly astonishing that the ac count given by the inspired historian, of three thousand converts being immersed in one day, when it is very pro- bable that the act was performed by the mutual assistance of eighty-two persons, should be thought incredible. Nor is there any weight in the objection, " that it is not likely that the jailor and his family would, in the dead of the night, have gone out of the city to be immersed in the river." We conceive there is no necessity for it. He had sufficient water on his own premises. For all wh® have travelled in the East, know that few large buildings are without tanks of water, or bathing houses, and this is particularly necessary to preserve health in prisons, bar- iacks, (fee. &c. 10. Again it is objected, that the word baptizein must, inean to sprinkle and pour, " because the Lord Jesus Christ promised his disciples that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost ; but the Holy G^iost was promised undea* the Old Testament by sprinkling and pouring ; and on the day of Pentecost, when the promise was fulfilled, it was by pouring, and not by immersion ; and, therefore, to bap- tize means to pour." In answer to this I would observe that the promise of the Spirit's influences was never eX" pressed by sprinkling. When we read of " sprinkling clean water," it was in allusion to the sprinkling of blood, under the Old Testament, and the sprinjding of the blood of Christ, undei- the New Testament. But, when the 10 110 ESSATS ON BAPTISM. Spirit was promised by pouring, it was used metaphori- cally to signify the abundance of it to be enjoyed under the New Testament. John vii. 39. Hence the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost is neither ex- pressed by sprinkhng nor pouring, but by being " shed forth," " a rushing, mighty wind," which " tilled all the house," and all the disciples " were filed with the Holy Ghost." In this sense the promise of the baptism with the Holy Ghost has been understood by many of the most learned of Pedobaptists. Gurtlems : " Baptism in tlie Holy Ghost is immersion in- to the pure waters of the Holy Spirit ; or a rich and abundant communication of his gifts : for he, on whom the Holy Spi- rit is poured out, is as it were, immersed into him." Inst. Theol. c. 33. § 108, 109, 110. 115. Reynolds : " The Spirit under the gospel is compared to water ; and that not a little measure, to sprinkle, or be- dew, but to baptize the faithful in. Mat. iii. 11. Acts i. 5." Works, pp. 226. 407. Tillotson : " li filed all the house. This is that which our Saviour calls, baptizing with the Holy Ghost. So that they, who sat in the house, were, as it were, immersed in the Holy Ghost, as they who were buried with water were overwhelmed, or covered all over with water, which is the proper notion of baptism." Serm. 197. 11. It is objected, that immersion is dangerous to health. To avoid the inconsistency of sprinkling, whilst they acknowledge that immersion was the Apostolic mode, our Pedobaptist brethren say, that in the Eastern countries, immersion might be used, but in these parts of the world, immersion would be dangerous; and God loves mercy rather than sacrifice. Thus Mr. Walaeus : " In warm countries, the ancients pra'«,tised an immersion for the whole body ; — but in colder climates they generally use aspersion : because a ceremony ihat is free, ought always to give way to charity," Enchiridium de Bapt. p. 425. Mr. W. Perki)is says : " The ancient custom of bap- tizing was to dip, and, as it were, to dive all the body of the baptized in the water, as may appear in Paul, Rom. vi. and the counsels -of Laodicea and Neo-Caesarea ; but n9W, especially in cold countries, the church uses only ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. Ill to Sprinkle the baptized, by reason of children's weakness ; for very few of ripe years are now-a-days baptized. We need not much to marvel at this alteration, seeing charity and necessity may dispense with ceremonies, and mitigate in equity the sharpness of them." Works, vol. 1. p. 74. Edit. 1608. Keekermannus : " Though the term baptism properly signifies immersion, and though also in the ancient church, through the eastern countries, when baptism was adminis- tered, it was not by sprinkling, but by immersion : yet in the colder parts of Christendom aspersion is used instead of immersion, on account of infants : because charity and necessity may dispense with ceremonies, and temper them with gentleness, so far as may be done without injuring the analogy." System Theolog. L. 3. c. 8. A late writer on the subject of Pedobaptists, immersing those who had been sprinkled in infancy, not only justi- fies the church and councils in administering the ordi- nance in whatever mode they may think most convenient, but he gives the same liberty to individuals. " Let every person," says he, " be gratified in the practice which his own conscience may dictate. Nor is it to be supposed that in an enlightened community, or under the ministra- tions of an intelligent preacher, people would become cither irregular or extravagant." Nezo York Obs. April 26, 1828. In answer to this objection we ohsewe first, that it has never been proved that immersion is dangerous to the health of either adults or infants. But suppose that even in some cases immersion might be hazardous to health, we should have no authority to alter the mode of a positive in- stitution. In cases of sickness, &c. it might be necessary to delay X\\e administration of the ordinance, no time being specified, but we have no authority to alter the mode of a positive institution (See Essay I.) But we have already shewn that the Greek church has invariably administered the ordinance of baptism by immersion, although the cli- mate, inhabited by a great part of that numerous church, is as cold as in any parts of Christendom ; and we have never heard of any ill effects. Nay, so far is immersion from being dangerous or injurious to health, that some of the wisest physicians have considered the cold bath, in general, a great promoter of health. Thus Dr. Wall ob- il2 ESSAYS ON B;\PT1SM, serves, " that John Floyer, an eminent physician, endeav- ored to show, by reasons taken from the nature of our bodies, from the rules of medicine, from modern experi- ence, and from ancient history, that washing or dipping infants in cold water, is, generally speaking, not only safe, but very useful ; and that, though no such rite as baptism has been instituted, yet reason and experience would have directed people to use cold bathing, both of themselves and children ; and that it has in all former ages so direct- ed them — and he prognosticates that old mnrlrs; of physic and rehgion will in time prevail, when people have had more experience in cold baths ; and that the approbation of physicians would bring in the old use of immersion in baptism." Hist. Inf. Bap. P. 2, c. 9. p. 476. Dr. Franklin : " Damp, but not zoet linen, may possibly give colds ; but no one catches cold by bathing, and no clothes can be wetter than water itself" Letters and Pa- pers on serious Subj. p. 460. The Rev John Wesley has informed us, " that Mary Welch, aged eleven years, was baptized according to the custom of the first church, and the rule of the church of England, by immersion. The child was ill then, but re- covered from that hour." Ext. of Mr. J. Wesley's Journal, from his embarking for Georgia, p. 11 , Ed. 2d, Note on Rom. vi. 4. But let us suppose for a moment that immersion was attended with as much pain and danger as circumcision was, would our Pedobaptist brethren allow us to omit or alter our Lord's positive institution ? Surely not. Dr. Sherlock : "If an express law may be disobeyed, as often as men fancy they see reason to do what the law for- bids, this overthrozvs the 2vhole authority of making lares, and makes every subject a judge whether the laws of a sovereign prince should be obeyed or not." Preserx\ against Popery, Title 7, p. 21. Mr. A. Hall: " All that concerns the glory of God," (and the honor of his church) " is unerringly and unal- terably settled in the word of God, which is not yea and nay. It does not accommodate its doctrine to succeeding periods of time ; nor to the changing tempers, humours, or fashions of the place ; like its divine author, it is the same yesterday and to-day and for ever." Gospel Church, p. 52. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 113 Abp. Seeker : ' Surely, it is enough that He is Lord and King of the whole earth, and that all his dealings with the works of his hands are just and reasonable.' Our business is to obey, and trust him with the consequences." Lectures on the Cat. Led. 2. The great Dr. Owen : " That divine revelation is the only foundation, the only law, and the only rule of all re- ligious worship, that is pleasing to God or accepted by hind, is a maxim of the last importance in divinity. This maxim teaches, that every thing appointed by God in his worship, however absurd, or difficult, or unprofitable it may seem to reason, is to be regarded and performed with the deepest reverence and submission, on account of that supreme authority which appointed and required it." Theolog L. 4. c. 3. Dig. 3. p. 326. The pious Dr. Hunter : " No circumstances of prudence or conveniency can ever be with propriety urged as a dis- pensation with a clearly commanded duty. Observe the delicacy and the danger of admitting a latitude and a li- berty in sacred things. In what concerns the conduct of human life, in our intercourse one with another, as the ci- tizens of the world, many things must be left to be gov- erned by occasions and discretion ; but in what relates to the immediate worship of God, and where the mind of the Lord has been clearly made known, to assume and exer- cise a dispensing power, is criminal and hazardous. The Tabernacle must be constructed, to the minutest pin and loop, according to the pattern delivered in the mount. If Uzzah presume to put forth his hand to support the tot- tering ark, it is at his peril. A holy and a jealous God will be served only by the persons, and in the manner, which he himself has appointed. " I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Lev. x. 3. When the great Jehovah conde- scends to become a Legislator, the utmost extent of pos- sibility lying open to his view, provision is made from the beginning for every case that can happen." Sac. Biog. vol. 3. pp. 93,362, 435. I shall close this particular with the judicious remark of the eminently pious Mr. Booth : " How lamentable and ho%v shameful, to think of eminent Prctestants adopting the principle and arguing upon it, in favor cC pouring and springing ! For I am persuaded that non]B of them ever 10* r^^Sll "J 14 ESSAYS OK BAPTISM. considered the Jewish church as authorized by these words, " I will have mercy and not sacrifice," to alter any divine appointment. Shall christians, then, make more- free with divine authority than Jews, because they live under a better dispensation ? Far be it ! That would represent the holy one of God as the minister of sin — would be contrary to scripture and reason, to conscience and common sense. The disciples of Christ are as much obhged to regard the positive laws of the New Testament with strict punctuality, as the Jews were to observe their divine ritual contained in the books of Moses. Nay, our superior privileges are so many additional motives to per- petual obedience. Whenever any one, therefore, is inclined to substitute aspersion for plunging, on a supposition of the latter being burdensome, or indelicate, upon the foundation of those condescending words, " I will have mercy and not sacri- fice :" he should recollect that command of God to Abra- ham; " ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ;' and see how far the gracious declaration would have ap- plied there, before he ventures to alter a positive appoint- ment of Christ on that ground.-Again, were it allowable to prosecute the hint which some of these learned authors give, (see page 28) that is, for charity and necessity to erect a court of chancery, to sit in judgment on the equity of God's commands, and either mitigate their severity, or dispense with them, as we think proper, something indeed might then be" done, that wou,ld effectually obviate all shivering apprehensions and every painful modest feehng, which the word baptize would' otherwise excite in the breast of any. Nor would the rehef afforded by such a court, be confined to the frightful idea of plunging, for it would extend its benign influence to every other case, in which our sovereign wills happen to clash with positive laws.: because the uniform language of its decrees would be that of Peter to Christ, SPARE THYSELF. While, however, the validity of such a court remains doubtful, it will be our wisdom when the Most High speaks, not to reason and object, but to adore and obiy. Pedob. Exam. I. 326. • 12. Indecency has been pleaded as another ground for changing immersion to sprinkling. But "who is this^ that replietli against God V For. said the Lord Jesus ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 115 !ls an argument for his own immersion, ' thus it becometh us, or is becoming in us, to iulfiU all righteousness." Ob- jections like this are themselves indecorous ; especially., when they come from those who raise no such objection against circumcision. 13. Having already exceeded my intended limits, I hasten to close this part of the subject by noticing, as the last objection against the mode, a very common opinion, viz : that the mode is of no importance, so long as water is applied ; the quantity of water being but a circumstance not essential to the ordinance. Perhaps few persons living have had better opportunities of becoming acquainted with christians of different denominations than I have been favored with, both in Europe and in this country. And as the subject of baptism has been frequently intro- duced, I have observed that many who expressed their conviction that immersion is the scriptural mode, " still said, that as sprinkling was much more convenient, it would answer the same end ; that the quantity could be of no importance; and that as long as water is applied, the command is complied with." I acknowledge with deep regret and much sorrow, that I have myself used expressions like these ; but I hope the Lord has gra- ciously pardoned this sin also: and I most affectionately en- treat the reader to pause and consider the subject seri- ously and prayerfully. When Naaman, the leper, was di- rected to wash in Jordan, he was angry, imagining that the waters in the rivers of Damascus were equally good, if not better. True, had the Prophet said only, go and wash in toater, it could have made no difference in which river he had dipped himself ; but since Jordan was named, it became the leper's duty to dip in Jordan ; even so, had the Lord Jesus Christ commanded merely to apply water, the quantity could have made no difference, whe- ther it were done by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling ; but, as he expressly used the word which signifies to im- merse, after having demonstrated his meaning by his own example, it is daring presumption to pervert the meaning of this law. We have no right to alter God's command- ments. It has already been shewn in our first Essay, that our obedience is to be grounded on the majesty and au- thority of the commander, and not on the judgment of the subject. If an Israehte had circutncils^d hig child on th« lie ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. !fevcntli or on the 7iinth day, instead of the eighth, aUhough lie performed the act of circumcision, yet, having ahered the mode in not performing it at the time specified in the commandment, he would have been guihy as a transgres- sor ; and the male child, which was not circumcised on the eighth day, was to be cut oft" from God's people. Hence, though no work was to be done on the sabbath, yet the child must be circumcised, because the time, as well as the act, was commanded. " Under the Mosaical law," &a.ys the \eiirned Vincent Alsop, "God commanded that they should offer to him the daily burnt-offering ; and, in this case, the color of the beast (provided it was otherwise rightly qualified) was a mere circumstance, such as God laid no stress upon ; and that man had proved himself a superstitious busy-body, who should curiously adhere to any one color But, for the heifer whose ashes were to jnake the water of separation, there the color was no cir- cumstance, but made by God's command a substantial part of the service. To be red was as much as to be a heifer : for, when circumstances have once passed the royal assent, and are stamped with a divine seal, they be- come substantial in instituted worship. As we must not think that God appreciates whatever men set a high value upon, so neither are we to judge that he disesteems any thing because it is grown out of fashion, and thereby ex- posed to contempt by the atheistical wits of mercenary writers. It is a practice too common, that, if any of Christ's institutions seem necessary to be broken, it will be first necessary to dec7-i/ them as poor, lozo, inconsiderable circumstances ; and th^n to fill the people's heads with a noise and din, that Christ lays little stress on them ; and, in order hereto, call them the circumstantials, the accidentals, the minutia, the punetilios, and, if need be., the Petty-Johns of religion, that conscience may not kick at the contemning of them." Sober Inqtiiry, p. 289. Having now answered the objections brought against immersion, v/e will consider those brought against the Baptists themselves. 14. It is very commonly objected, that baptism is a subject of no importance, a non-essential : and that Bap- tists lay far too much stress on it. As common as it is for people to talk about non-essen- tiaFs in religion, there is reason to fear jtha« many ' nei- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 117 ther understand what they say, nor whereof they affirm." It is a just remark of the learned Dr. Grosvenor, that " the diminutive things that have been said by some, of the positive appointments in rehgion, and the extravagant things that have been said by others, are two extremes, which true reasonings lead no body into on either hand. It is as contrary to the nature of things to make nothing of them, as to make them the whole of rehgion. To know exactly the regard that is due to them, is to find out the rank and order they are placed in by Him who has ap- pointed them." " Some things," says the same author, " are absolutely necessary to salvation, and in their own nature. We call those things absolutely necessary, with- out which there can be no salvation at all. Thus, a mind suited to the happiness intended by the word salva- tion, is absolutely necessary ; or holiness, without zohich no man shall see the Lord. All the titles in the world to heaven, can never give the pleasure of heaven, without a a suitableness to its enjoyments. Fitness, here, is as the eye to the delights of colors and prospects ; the ears to the pleasures of harm.ony ; and as the palate to those of taste and relish ; that is, a capacity of enjoyments. As there must be an animal nature for animal pleasures, a rational nature for the rational ones ; so there must be the divine and heavenly nature for those that are divine and hea- venly. No man would care to live, even with God, whom he did not love. A disposition to obey divine orders, wherever they are discerned, either positive or moral, is part of that holiness, without zvhich no man shall see the Lord. I may be saved without a sacrament ; but 1 can- not be saved without a disposition to obey God's authori- ty, wherever I see it. A sacrament is a positive rite, and not to be compared with moral virtue, and christian grace ? Or can there be any moral virtue, or christian grace, without a disposition to obey the authority of Christ, wherever I discern it ? Surely, obedience to God's commands is moral excellence, though the instances of that obedience may lie in positive rites. The sincerity and truth of such a disposition, are best known by its being uniform and universal. Ps. cxix. 6. The author of our religion has told us, and added his example to his woi'd, that thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness^ and 118 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. SO ordered himself to be baptized. Baptism was a posi- tive rite, an external thing ; and yet he calls it righteous- ness. Such righteousness as became him, who was the Holy One of God : became Him, who had intrinsically no need of any outward ceremony ; whose inward purity was perfectly divine : and, if it became Him to fulfill such sort of righteousness, it can hardly become any who pretend to be his followers, to neglect it." Moral obligation to the po- sitive appointments in religion. Although our dependence for salvation is on Christ and Him alone, yet that should not hinder, but rather further our obedience. To neglect a positive law we have al- ready shewn, (Essay 1.) is criminal. Although circumci- sion was no saving ordinance, yet, whoever was not cir- cumcised, was cut off from among the people. Gen. xvii. 14. Ex. iv. 24. Even so baptism. It is a standing ordi- nance, and those who neglect it or use it in an improper manner offend God, and every transgression exposes them to punishment, as those were punished who ate and drank- imwortkili/. 1 Cor. xi. 29, 30. Now this is all the stress and importance Baptists at- tach to the sacred ordinance of baptism. But it is very . evident, that our Pedobaptist brethren lay a great deal more stress on it. Multitudes of them have openly de- clared it absolutely necessary to salvation ; others, who do not go all that length, yet go a great way too far. * History informs us, that in the beginning of the fourth century, it was believed by some that baptism was neces- sary to salvation.* This is acknowledged by many of * Alas! ho'.r true it is that "error never goes alone." It is like the sm?.ll rivulet, which in its progress, unites various streams, and Ihns becomes a large and poweiful river, which carries everything before it. Believing tliat baptism was necessary to salvation, na- (urally led first to aspersion or sprinkling, and then to infant bap- tism. When a person was sick and supposed to be dying, to se- cure iiis salvation they were anxious to baptize him ; and as he could not go to Ihe water, they conceived that water might be brought to liiin ; and as immersing a sicA" person in cold water was thonglit dangerous, they affirmed that pouring water upon him was sufficient. Thus, the change of immersion to pouring, in cases of necessity, was, at first, thought to be lawful; buttlie Council at Ra- venna, in the thirteenth century, improved upon this, and declared sprinkling and dipping indifferent. The belief, that baptism was ne- cessary to salvation, led also to infant baptism, which till then had not ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 119 the most learned Pedobaptist divines. Such is the testi- mony of Vitringa, Venema, Salmasius, Hospinianus, Suicerus, Episcopius, Dr. Owen, Dr. Wall, S;c. ^c. Long quotations from their writings on this subject, may be seen in Booth's Pedobap. Exam. vol. 2. ch. 3. Nor have all our modern Pedobaptist brethren rejected this opinion, To this day it is believed that infants are to be baptized, because it is necessary to salvation ; that in the act of baptism they are regenerated, cleansed, and justi- fied, and their sins forgiven ; that they are delivered from the greatest of evils, and enriched with the best and most excellent endowments ; filled with divine grace ; made the children of God and heirs of eternal salvation ; that they are joined and knit to Christ, as members to the head ; that they are signed with a character which can never be blotted out of their souls. Such was the doctrine of the Council of Trent and of the Greek church, who immersed their infants, and is taught in the confes- sions of Helvetia, Bohemia, Augsburg, Saxony, Wiiten- hurg, Sueveland, and by the church of England, by the Westminster assembly.* Innumerable testimonies might been known. Justin Martyr, who, in the middle of the second cen- tury, addressed a letter to the Emperor Jlntonius Pizu-, describing' the nature of couversion, and of forming^ christian societies, never men- tions the baptism of infants. Tertullian, who lived in the beg'inning- of the third century, is the first who mentions infant baptism, and he opposes it as an error. About fifty years after this, Cyprian, bishop or minister of Carthage, (who justified the consecration of baptismal water, the exorcising of the devil, the necessary use of chrism, or anointing in baptism, with other superstitious practices, and who was the first that vindicated the change of immersion into aspersion or sprinkUng,) this man not only himself approved of baptizing infants, but also recommended it to others, in the name of a Council of sixty" six bishops or pastors. Through the influence of Augustine, in a Coun- cil of fifteen bishops, met at Mela in J^Tumidia, Ann. 416, it was de- creed and enforced by Anathema, that "It is the pleasure of all the bishops present in the holy Synod to order, that whosoever denieth that infants newly born of mothers are to be baptized, shall be accursed." iVIore than 400 churches in Africa refused submission to this decree, and consequently became the subjects of cruel and extensive persecu- tion. * As the reader may not be acquainted with the Episcopal forn) as used in England, I insert this nste. At baptism the minister says : •'This child is rerohibits all manner of swearing, whether true or false, by any kind of oath whatever, in common conversation, as a taking the name of God in vain, verse 33-37. Further, by the law of Moses, injuries were to be punish- ed in kind by the judges, in case the injured party insisted on It ; so that if a man, for instance, lost an eye'or tooth by a blow, he might demand the eye or tooth of the offen- der. But Christ admits of no sudi law in his kingdom, it being entirely incompatible with the genius of his religion ; 130 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. and therefore he absolutely forbids his subjects to resist evil, or retaliate injuries in any manner of way whatever, ch. V. 38-42. This important precept of our blessed Lord was best explained by his own example, which is set before his disciples for their imitation. " For," saith an inspired Apostle, "if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently ; this is acceptable with God : for even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered for us, leav- ing us an example, that we should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ; who 'vvhen he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgcth righteously." 1 Pet. ii. 20-24. And as this divine command is so contrary to corrupt nature, and the max- ims and honors of this world, which say. " Revenge is sweet, ' but so honorable to the religion of Christ, it is re- peatedly pressed upon the disciples. See Rom. xii. 17. 19. 1 Thess. v. 15. 1 Pet. iii. 9. Yea, our blessed Lord and Saviour requires of his followers not only to cherish a spirit of forgiveness of injuries, in imitation of their hea- venly father, (see Mat. vi. 14, 15. xviii. 23-35. Mark xi. 25. 26.) but also to follow his noble example, even to love their enemies. For, saith he, " Ye have heard, that it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy ; but I say unto you, love your enemies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefuUy use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your father who is in heaven ; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good., and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Mat. v. 43-45. Oh my dear brethren, how excellent, how spiritual, and how exceedingly broad are these commands of our dear Lord and Saviour. Were they universally obeyed, the greatest part of the evils in the world would be anihila- ted : wars, massacres, law-suits, domestic disorders, frauds, rapines, oppressions would cease ; unavoidable evils would be mitigated and rendered more supportable ; equity, truth, purity, peace and love, would as it were, descend from heaven to dwell on earth, and drive their hateful op- posites dov»n to hell, from whence they came. Thus it would be, if all men were christians, and well understood and practised their holy and heavenly religion. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 131 I cannot omit observing in this place, that when I first read this amiable, lovely, and divine precept, at the age of twenty-five years, my feelings were such as cannot possibly be expr&ssed, nor will ever be forgotten. For being brought up in the Jewish religion, and considerably versed in the writings of the Rabbins, I well knew that the law of loving our neighbour was not only restricted by them to our na- tion, sects, family and friends, but that by their precepts we were even required to hate our enemies. To love our enemies is a precept peculiar to the religion of Jesus. No wonder, therefore, that " the people were astonished at his doctrine, for He taught them as one having author- ity, and not as the Scribes." The testimony of the multi- tude concerning the miracles of Christ is equally true con- cerning his precepts : ' It was never so seen in Israel," much less amongst the best morality of the wisest heathen philosophers. How beautiful and true are the words of the poet : " What if we Irace the globe around, And search from Britain to Japan ; There shall be no religrion found, So just to God, so good to man.'' How little could that philosopher have known of the corruption of human nature, who asserted that " if Virtue became incarnate all men would love and adore her. ' Alas ! fact has shewn his utter mistake. The Son of God himself became incarnate, and exhibited virtue both by precept and example, in her most lovely and perfect form, and they both despised her, and him they crucified. Nor have times grown much better. The holy and heavenly precepts of our divine Redeemer are too much neglected. The following ubservation is as true as it is painful : " Few of those who bear the christian name will admit this and the two fortes. ing j>.-ccepts, even so much as in principle ; and fewer ?tili make any conscience of obeying thenj, though esser.lial to the character of disciples. The great- er part'wouh^ ascribe the conduct here recommended to a mean, cov/ai.JIy, pusillanimous disposition ; or, in the modern phrase, to want of spirit ; because they love not the character of Jesus, nor savor the things that be of God ; whereas, patiently bearing insults, forgiving inju- ries, and loving enemies, discovers the most exalted go- 132 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. neiosity, greatness and fortitude of soul, that can possibly be exhibited in human nature. " When the wrongs received from our enemies kindle our resentment, extinguish our benevolence, or induce us to retaliate, they have conquered us, we are then overcome of evil ; but if we freely and heartily forgive them, and re- turn them blessing for cursing, good for evil, and love for hatred ; this is to overcome evil with good, which is aeon- quest infinitely more noble, honorable, and glorious, than all the victories of Alexander and Caesar, those scourges of mankind, who were themselves overcome of evil. Our Lord saith, ' if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye ? do not even the publicans the same ? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? Do not even the publicans so ?' Gratitude and natural affection, however commendable, do not distinguish Christ's disci- ples from the world ; but the love of enemies shews them to be partakers of the divine nature, the children of their father who is in heaven ; for hereby they imitate his mer- cy and undeserved goodness, who is kind unto the un- thankful and to the evil." M'Lean on the Commission, 180. I proceed to notice our Lord's prohibition of all rash, unjust, and evil judging, upon groundless suspicions, or from a censorious, malevolent, unmerciful disposition, which is gratified in detecting, magnifying, exposing and condemning the faults and infirmities of others, without any view to their good. Mat. vii. 1-6. This is not only opposite to charity but to com.mon benevolence, and is frequently masked under a clouk of zeal for the truth, James iii. 14-17. iv. 11, 12. Ai.other most important caution of our blessed Lord is against vain glory and hy- pocrisy in acts of liberality and devotion, ch. vi. 1-7. 16- 18. The conduct of Christ's disciples differs from that of the Pharisees and Scribes in motive as well as in rule. They are indeed required to " let their light so shine be- fore men, that others may sea their good works, and glo- rify their father ," yet they ought not to do their works " to be seen of men." "Their general conduct," saith the venerable Scott, " should be so exemplary, as to constrain men to see an excellency in their religion ; but every ac- tion should spring from humility, the fear and love of God, ASSAYS ON BAPTISM. 133 and regard to his acceptance and glory and not from a . desire of being noticed or commended. All anxious solicitude or distracting cares, even as to the necessaries of lais life, as well as covetousness, which is idolatry, ore strictly prohibited by our divine Lawgiver as utterly mcon&j^tent with that spiritual mind' tjdness, the distinguishing characteristic of a true Israel- ite, with a life of <;i!th, and a hope of glory, ch. vi. 19- 34, Besides these few precepts of our Lord, extracted from his sermon on the mount, many others of like impor- tance, were delivered by him on other occasions, of which, however, I will notice but one or two. " If any one will come after me," saith our Lord and King, " let hiai deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me." Mat xvi. 24. Self-denial and bearing the cross after the example of Christ, are two very compre- hensive and essential precepts of the christian religion^ whereby it stands distinguislied from all others, as well as from every accommodation of it to the nations of this world. We rnust deny ourselves, not only of the sinful gratifications of corrupt nature, but also of the most in- nocent and lawful enjoymenis of this hfe, when in any case they inte;fere or stand in competition with our alle- giance to Christ. We must also take up our cross and follow him by sustaining the hatred and mal-trcatment of the world for righteousness' sake, even to the loss of life itself, after the example of our blessed Redeemer. These duties are most peremptorily required by the Saviour, and largely discussed and powerfully enforced by almost every gospel minister. They are most honorable to reli- gion, most beneiicialto the soul, and absolutely necessary to an assurance of our (lisci[)leship ; yet there is reason to fear that of al! other duties these are the least under- stood, and the mosit neglected. I hasten to na ne bui one more precept of our dear Lord, and that is, brotherly love. This is the old and the new command, the t/rst and the last. The brightest evi- dence of our discipleshJp. " A new commandment," says Christ, " I give unto you that ye love one another : as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John xiii. 34, 35. ' This injanction," saith one of my fellow students, " is 12 134 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. denominated the new commandment of the christian eco- nomy ; not that love was no duty before the coming ot Christ ; but it is now placed more prominently amongst the duties of believers ; is urged on fresh grounds, enforced by a more perfect example, and constrained by stronger motives. The dispensation of Jesus Christ is a system of most wonderful, most mysterious grace. It is the mani- festation, commendation and perfection of divine love. It originated in the love of the Father, and is accomplish- ed by the love of the Son. Jesus Christ was an incarna- tion of love in our world. He was love hving, breathing, speaking, acting amongst men. His birth was the na- tivity of love, his sermons the words of love, his miracles the wonders of love, his tears the meltings of love, his cru- cifixion the agonies of love, his resurrection the triumph of love. Hence it was natural that love should be the cardinal virtue in the character of his saints, and that it should be the law which regulates their conduct towards each other. — This grace is so important that, like holi- ness, no measure of it is sufficient to satisfy the require- ment of the word of God. It is the basis, and cement, and beauty of the christian union ; the church where it is wanting, whatsoever may be the number or gifts of its members, is nothing better than a heap of stones, which, however polished, want the coherence and similitude of a palace."* The Apostle gives us a brief but very compre- hensive description of this divine grace in the follovying words : " charity or love, suffereth long, and is kind ; love envieth not ; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, be- lieveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth. — And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three ; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. xiii. 5-8. 13. This grace, evidently, is in direct opposition to pride, self-seeking, envy, evil-surmising, and every malig- * " The Church member's Guide," by the Rev. J. A. James, 2d. Am. Ed. p. 81. With unfeigned pleasure I take this opportunity of recommending^ most earnestly this incomparable "g^uide" to every ♦'church member" of eppry christian denomination. INo one can per- use this lilll« volume, (nfwhich it may be said most truly'' multvm 'in parvo") wuhout beiug greatly instructed and benefited. The min- iver the deacou, and the other members, all will feel tbemselvcs re- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 135 nant passion and disposition. — It is kind and beneficent, engaging us in all respects to serve one another. Gal. v. 1 3. In this imperfect state it is attended with much self- denial, and requires the e.xercise of humility, patience, meekness, and long-suffering, in bearing one another's burdens. To point out the numerous ways in which brotherly love operates would exceed the limits of this Essay. It must suflice to state, that wherever it exists it will shew itself by praying for our brethren; Eph. vi. 18. bearing one another's burdens, by assisting and relieving each other : Gal. vi. 2, by forbearing with one another ; Col. iii. 13. by reproving and admonishing in the spirit of meekness ; Prov. xxvii. 5, 6. by establishing each other in the truth ; by conversation, exhortation, and stirring up one another to the several duties of religion, both pub- lic and private. Jude ver. 20, 21. Heb. x. 24 27. Thus, my beloved brethren, I have pointed out a few of the most comprehensive precepts of our glorious King and Lawgiver. But* let me not be understood as if I consider- ed any of his commandments of not sufficient importance proved, directed, and encourag-ed. The husband, the wife, the pa- rents and the children ; the .mas.er and the servant all will find their " portion of meat in due season.'' Should the directions of this excel- lent scriptural "guide'' be speedily and fathfully followed by all "church members" the language of the poet would be adopted with the greatest propriety and with the most exquisite pleasure and de- light : " Let strangers walk around The city where we dwell, Compass and view thi>ie holy ground, And mark her building well ; The orders of thine house, The worship of thy court, % The cheprful songs, the solemn vows; And make a fair report. How decent and how wise ! How glorious to behold ! Beyond tlie pomp that charms the eyes, And rites adorn'd with gold. The God we worship now Will guide us till we die. Will be our God while here below, ;'"■ And ours above the sky." Watts. 136 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. to deserve our notice or obedience, God forbid ! His di' vine commission is to "teach and to observe all things, "ichatsoever" he has commanded. Aj.asn he said, "ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I comiiund you." John xv. 14 As Christ performed every con- ii. and of his father, so must we obey every command of Christ. He is not a man after God's own heart that does not fulfil all his loilL It is David's commendation that he Hjd so. Acts xiii. 22. King Josiah hath the same honoraLe character left upon record ; " He turned to tiie Lord w;'h all his soul, accord- ing to all the law of Moses." 1 Ki' gs xxiii. 35. Obedi- ence is quite out of tunc if any one command be slighted. When the people went to gather manna on the sabbath, and so broke the law, God tax( d them with a violation of the whole. Ex. xvi. 27. Should the ;eader exclaim, " who is sufficient for these things !" tljar would be indeed no matter of surprise ; but it would h\ no means be a justifica- tion of disobedience. iViot a few lave objected that Christ's precepts require such strictnes:^ us i.- i.nattainable. That absolute perfection is not to bo obtained' in this world I firmly believe, but an unreservrd t^nd sincere obedience is certainly attainable. Thousandi* of saints of old have walked thus with God ; and there i- a clord of livvig wit- nesses who do exemplify this cf nc!;rt ; and our dear Re- deemer hath promised all-sufficient grace and strength equal to our day. To make use of arguments or motives to enforce obe- dience to Christ's precepts, might probably, by some, be considered needless. Would to God it were so. But, alas ! Are there not those, who with the Jews of old, ex- claim, " We have no King but Caesar," " We will not have this man to reign over us!" Are there not those, who having laboured in vain and spent their strength for nought in the system of Arminianisni, have sunk down into the opposite abominable scheme of anti-nomianism, maintaining that " the Law is of no use or of no obliga- tion under the Gospel dispensation, and that good works are unnecessary." Such a scheme, I firmly believe, was no more formed by our God who is " glorious in holiness," thari it produces holiness of lift ; and no more came down from Heaven, than it fits its disciples for Heaven. Should any of my dear readers have imbibed this most danger- ous sentiment, I would entreat him most aflfectionately. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 137 to read with fervent prayer and deep humility the epistles of the inspired Apostles, and also, if he please, to peruse " Dr. Bellamy's (excellent) letters and dialogues between Theron, Paulinus and Aspasio, with his essay on the na- ture and glory of the Gospel." " But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation." Permit me, how- ever, to mention a few arguments to " stir up your pure mind by way of remembrance." It will be natural to consider first the authority of the lawgiver. Our blessed Jesus is not an usurper that hath exalted himself to the throne, by tyranical power, intrigue or bribery. He hath an indisputable right to sway the sceptre of universal do- minion, and to reign in the hearts of his people. The Apostle's asserlion concerning his priestly office is equally true concerning his royalty. " No man takelh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, so also Christ glorified not himself to be made" a king " but he that said unto him, thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee." Again, " I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." And as David declared in another Psalm, " Jehovah said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Heb. v, 4,5. Ps. ii. 6. ex. 1. This is He of whom the Evangelical Prophet said, " Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our Law- giver, Jehovah is our King, He will save us." Isa. xxxiii. 22. Christ's precepts call for our cheerful, constant and un- reserved obedience, because they are dictated by infinite wisdom which cannot err ; " For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. ii. 3. They are established upon the basis of spotless purity and rec- titude. " For justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne, mercy and truth go before his face." Ps, Ixxxix. 14. ' His law is holy, and his commandments holy, just and good." Rom. vii. 12. The royal Psalmist speaking of his Son and Lord, the king of Zion, with the pen of a ready writer, describes him thus : " Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right scep- tre ; thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickednes". therefore God, thy God, hath annointed thee with the oil ©f gladness above thy fellows." Ps. xlv. 6, 7. And they are enforced by the strongest ties of love and gratitude. ' Anew commandment I give unto you, thaty^ love oA;e 1 2* 138 ESSAYS ON BAPTisar. another ; as I have loved you, that ye also love one anoth- er." John xiii. 34. " We love him, because he first loved us." I. John iv. 19. Therefore, my beloved brethren, " Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ; who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God : but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness ol men : and being found in fashion as a man, lie humbled him^^elf and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross ; wherefore God also hath highly exahed him, and given him a name which is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things ni heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Phil ii. 5—11. Our public profession at the sacred ordinance of bap- tism, I mention as the second argument to enforce our obedience to all the precepts of our divine Redeemer. Profession, without a becoming practice, is no better than a tree well reported of, but without fruit which only encumbereth the ground. The good old adage, " applica- tion is the life of all," is peculiarly applicable to religion, which does not consist in speculative notions but in holy and useful i>ractice. An inspired Apostle has informed us, that " pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world :" and again " If any man among you seem to be religious and bridlelii not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, tliis man's religion is vain " Jam. i. 26, 27. The same Apostle exhorts us " to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves." That it is not the frequent but obedient kearer that is blessed our blessed Lord himself has declared again and again, and to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, I will name but one or two of his solemn declarations. " Whosoever hear- eth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him uato a wise man that built his house upon a rock: and (he rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not ; for it was founded upon a roc^. And every one that heareth these KS^flgs of mine and doeih theno not, shall be likened unto ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 139 a foolish man that built his house upon sand : and the rain descended, and the floods came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell ; and great was the fall of it." Mat. vii. 24 — 27. How striking and just is this illustration to point out, on the one hand, the extreme folly, and disappointment of the mere hearer, and on the other the wisdom, success and security of the obedient hearer. Neither will a correct knowledge supply the place of obedience, for thus saith the Lord : " If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." John xiii. 17. As knowledge is necessary to practice, so is practice to happiness ; " For that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Luke xii. 47. How awfully tremendous, oh ! my beloved brethren, who can bear the thought ? Should the Saviour's rebuke be ad- dressed to any one of us, saying " Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ?" Let us there- fore seriously consider the purport of our profession at this sacred ordinance. We all agree that baptism is a badge of our discipleship to Christ. For, as it has been shewn, that none but the disciples of Christ have a right to this sacred ordinance, so all the disciples are bound in duty to submit unto it ; therefore, by our submission we declare our belief to be the disciples of Jesus. Let us then, my beloved brethren, make it evident that we are such indeed and of a truth. For inasmuch as such a relation is the highest honour and greatest privilege, there is so much the more danger of deception ; for that which is the most valuable is the most liable to be counterfeited. Now it is evident that a true disciple of Jesus is one that gives up himself to be wholly at Christ's disposing ; to learn what He teacheth, to beheve what He reveals, to do what He commands, to avoid what He forbids, to sutler what is inflicted by or for Him, in ex- pectation of that reward which He hath promised. Such an one is a disciple of Christ, and he, and none else, is a christian. Such were the disciples that were first called christians at Anlioch. Acts xi. 20. But let us consider a few particulars. Our blessed Redeemer himself hath taken care to char^ acterize his real disciples in such a manner that they might be distinguished from the mere forrjial professor. Self- HO ESSAYS ON BiPTlSU. denial mid bearing the cross deserves to be mentioned first. When Jesus saw the muliitude following him, " he said unto them, if any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple ; and whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." And again he said " whosoever he be of you that torsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke xiv. 26, 27, 33. Some things have already been said on the subject of self- denial. I notice here, and that but briefly, the duly of taking up our cross daily and follow Christ. " Christians," saith Luther, " are cross-bearers." It is in their hearts to bear the cross, whatever it be, and when- soever Christ shall require it. This was the great test of sincerity in the days of our Lord and his Apostles. At that time openly to profess to be a disciple, and to be bap- tized, would inevitably e.xpose, both Jew and Gentile, to take up a heavy cross indeed. To be stript of all and to become the object of hatred and the subject of persecu- tion, was the common lot of all the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. There was then comparatively but little danger of a hypocritical profession. But in our days, and especially in this happy country of religious liberty, I fear the true cross-bearers are but few. For to bear the cross does not mean to carry a wooden cross on the shoul- der, or to chain a golden one around the neck, as the Roman Catholic does, nor does it mean merely to go down into the water. No my beloved brethren. Let us not deceive ourselves. To whatever sneer, reproach or loss, our observing this sacred ordinance, in tlie Apostolic and primitive manner, may expose us, this is not obey- ing the command of Christ, to " take up the cross and fol- low him." It may be truth, but it is not the 7chole truth. Baptism is administered but once, but we must take up our cross daily. Luke ix. 23. " No cross no crown," is an unchangeable truth. It is a fact in this country as well as in any other, that " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Tim. iii. 12. A mere form of godliness without any direct connexion with the doctrine of faith in a crucified Saviour ; or a mere profession of that faith without the example of a godly life, might be endu- red and tolerated, but whoever is determined to live a god- ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. lAl ly life, in dcpendance on the atonement and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and according to his precepts, will cer- tainly be exposed, more or less, in one form or other, to undergo persecution, trom the hands or tongues, of the seed of the old serpent that is ever full of enmity against the seed of the woman. Hence, saith the inspired Apos- tle, " as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now." Gal. iv. 29. From the moment Christ crucified was exhibited in Paradise, as the object of faith, it became the lot of be- lievers to bear the cross of affliction and persecution. Cain, Adam's first born, " slew his brother. And where- fore slew he him ? Because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous Marvel not, my brethren, if the v/orld hate you." I. John lii. 11, 12, It is no new thing, "for so persecuted they the Prophets." Mat. v. 12. Nor did they spare the Lord of glory. Thus saith our blessed Redeemer, " if the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." John xv, 18. Surely the disciple cannot expect to be honoured above his master. Besides " God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son." Rom. viii. 29. Therefore, " no man should be moved by these afflictions ; f )r yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto." I. Thess. iii. 3. Jesus Christ and his Apostles have frequently forewarned us of these things. " The brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son ; and children shall rise up against their parents, and sliall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." Mark xiii. 12, 13. " If ye were of the world, the world would love its own : but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John xv. 19. " In the world ye shall have tribulation." John xvi. 33. And when Paul and Barnabas confirmed the souls of the disciples and exhorted them to continue in the faith, they assured them " that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts xiv. 22. Thus, my beloved brethren, it appears from the above passages of scripture, which might have been greatly mul- tiplied, that the true disciples of Christ are the objects of the world's hatred and subjects of manifold tribulations in ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. ■ and persecutions. That it has been so from tlie giving forth of the first promise of the. Messiah until his death on the cross, and from that period to the present time, histo- ry abundantly confirms : nor indeed can or will it be other- wise, whilst there is rage or malice in Satan, enmity in the world, and necessity, even from the sufferers themselves, to promote their present anti future happiness. Here, then, let us pause for a moment and enquire se- riously and faithfully, whetiier we have taken up our cross and followed the Lord Jesus in a manner he expects all his disciples to do. What have we suffered for the truths of Christ? What have we parted with rather than deny the truths of the gospel ? Do v/e " strive for the faith deliv- ered to the saints ?" Are ue resolved rather to die than to give up any part of the inith as it is in Jesus ? Have we suffered any thing lor t!.e zvorship of Christ 1 Do we deny ourselves and take up ihe cross, rather than " forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is ?" The true disc i pies of Jesus, like the prophet Daniel, would rather submit to be cast into the lion's den, than omit prayer ; or to be cast into the fiery furnace, rather than worship another God. But oh, mv soul ! Alas ! How many who profess to be the disciples of Christ, fre- quently neglect the sanctuary, because there is a lion of their own iinagination in the way. A little too hot, or a little too cold ; a little too dusty, or a little too damp, is a cross too heavy to be borne, and a sufficient excuse to ne- glect the ordinances of Christ's house. Many, alas ! it is to be feared, neglect both secret and family prayer, lest they should lose too much time from their worldly con- cerns. The importance of the subject, 1 trust, will justify rny dwelling so long on this particular ; yet the half has not been told. I j roceed to notice Brotherly love, as the second characteristic of a true disciple of Christ. We have already seen that this is one of our Lord's commands to his diciples, enjoined by him in a most emphatical manner. Its true nature and im- portance also having been pointed out, a remark or two shall suffice in this f>lace. " By this" saith our Lord, " shall all men knoxo that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John xiii. 35. Hence it is evident that the love which our Lord requires is, not 9 mere latent, inactive principle in the ESSAYS OS BAPTISE. 10 heart, for no man could know thera by that ; but a fer- vent active, beneficial love ; a love in deed and in truth, appearing by its most genuine fruits and etfects in the whole of their conduct towards each other, so as striking- ly to distinguish them from all the world besides, and mark them out to all men as his disciples. " This love" saith an able writer, " consists not in speculative ideas of general benevolence floating in the head, and leaving the heart, as speculations often do, untouched and cold ; nei- ther is it confined to that indolent good nature which makes us rest satisfied with being free from inveterate malice, or ill-will to our fellow creatures, without prompt- ing us to be of service to any. True love is of an active principle. It is not properly a single virtue ; but a dispo- sition residing in the heart as a fountain, whence all the virtues of benignity, candour, forbearance, generosity, compassion and liberality flow, as so many native streams." Nor is there any danger of exceeding the boundaries of brotherly love. Christ's love to his people is the noble pattern for our imitation, as well as the powerful example to enforce it. Brethren, let us carefully consider and faith- fully obey the folio vving directions : " 1 have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.' "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, greater 'ove hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' "Hereby perceive we the love of Goo, because he laid down his life for us ; and wo ought to lay down our lives for the bre- thren" "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." John xiii. 15, xv. 12, 13. 1 John iii. 16, iv. 10, 11. Besides self-dB,nial and brotherly love, 1 will name but one more ch>iracteristic ot Christ's disciples, viz : fruitfulness. For thus said our blessed Lord, " Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples." John xv. 8. The disciples of Christ constitute his church, of which the Jewish congregation, under the metaphor of a vineyard and olive tree, were but a type ; and if of them, the mere shadow, the Lord ex- pected many and good fruits, how much more from them who are the' substance. Not that their fruitfulness is t© 144 ESSA7S ON BAPTISM. make or constitute them the disciples of Christ, but as the evidence that they are such in reality. Just as the good fruit does not make the tree good, for it is the goodness of the tree that produces the good fruit, but shews it to be good. The Lord Jesus Christ himself, who is the God of nature as well as of grace, has illustrated this subject in the best manner possible. Let us hear the gracious words which proceeded from his lips, " Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know ihem htj their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or ligs of thistles? even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; but a cor- rupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit ; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wher«^fore fcy their fruit ye shall know them." Mat vii. 15 — 20. The necessity of fruitfulness, or good works, I fear, is misunderstood by many, whose hearts, we trust, are bet- ter than their heads. Whilst some are exceedingly zealous for good works, thereby to obtain salvation, as if Christ had done nothing ; others neglect almost every christian duty, under the prete.vtthat Christ has merited every bles- sing, and that God will do his own work. Hence family worship, morning and evening prayer and praise, and the readmg of the sacred scriptures, is totally omitted by not a few of the disciples of Christ. The religious instruction of their dear children, by admonitions and exhortations, by catechisms and bible questions, or in Sunday Schools, is re- probated as making hypocrites ; and to promote any reli- gious institution, such as Missionary Societies, Bible, Tract or Sunday School Societies, is looked upon, not only as unnecessary and useless, but as interfering with God's prerogative of converting sinners. Some of you, my beloved brethren, may think this state- ment overcharged. So should I, were my judgment of men's conduct formed by the nature of the holy religion they profess. But alas! I am recording facts, which mine eyes and ears have too often witnessed, during my last thirty years pilgrim.age in the old and new world Dear reader, I beseech you, by all that is sacred and valuable, se- riously to listen to the voice of conscience. Does it say like the prophet, " then art the man." Oh ! take care not g^SAYS ON BAPTISM. 145 to silence it by vain excuses. Repent of the too long ne- glected duties and privileges and be zealous to perforin and maintain good works. The immense importance ol correct ideas on this subject may require and justify a brief statement of the ditterent kinds and qualities of the good works or fruits expected by our blessed Redeemer. With respect to the kinds, I would observe that the ex- pression good works, so frequently used in the word of God, is a very comprehensive term. Besides acts of charity, it includes all the duties and employments of re- ligion, and all performances and actions whereby we may glorify God and adorn our christian profession. The dis- ciples of Christ must abound in all the acts of worship, both internal and external The former are the life of their souls ; and the latter the comfort, strength, and sup- port, the songs in the house of their pilgrimage, and their refreshing by the way. To be diligent in business is a duty, as well as to be fervent in spirit serving God. To labour six days is a good work, as well as to rest on the seventh. God has sent none into the world to be idle. As his own beloved Son had his work to do, so have all his children. Hence the .Apostolic exhortation : "letour's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfrui'ful." Pet. iii. 14. When Johns hearers came to know what they should do, he refers every one to his calling. Luke iii 10-12. " Without these good works," saith a pi )us writer, " we are drones in the com- mon hives, yea, hardens upon the earth." It is scarcely necessary to mention that those who are zealous of good works must not be deficient in works of righteousness and. justice. They must hurt none, give to every one his own, and use fidelity in every relation and engagement. Like the great Apostle of the Gentiles, they must " exercise themselves to have always a conscience void of offence to- wards God and towards men." The credit of religion is much concerned in the just dealings of its professors. Hence said the Prophet when rebuking the nobles and the rulers for taking usury ; " It is not good that ye do , ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies ?" Neh. v. 9 Oh, my beloved brethren, how just and important is the following remark. May it be deeply engraven by the fin ger of God on the heart of every reader. " If this pasro 13 140 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, was written in tears, printed in blood, enclosed in black lines, and read with groanings that cannot be utter- ed ; even this would be too feeble an expression of the au- thor's grief for that want of christian consistency, which it has been his calamity to witness in what is called the religious world, and which renders it so necessary for him to insist on the importance of uniform piety. The want of this in the conduct of professing christians, has done more harm to Christianity, than all the ravings of infidelity from the time of Cain to the death of Paine. This sacred and deathless cause lifts her venerable form, bearing the scars of many a wound, not inflicted by arrows plumed by the pen of Voltaire or Hume ; oh, no, such weapons bounded from her bosom as from a shield of triple brass, and dropped at her feet to be deposited with the spoils of her victories ; but the darts that lacerated her, and left the memorials of their mischief upon her form, were the vices and follies of her votaries. O ! christians, w ill ye scourge and lacerate her ? will ye array her in the costume of scorn, and leading her forth bleeding and dejected to meet her enemies in the gate, proclaim, " Behold, an iraposter !" Will ye assist to raise the clamor which infidel philosophers endeavoured to excite and stir up the multitude to exclaim, " Away with her, away with her ! Crucify her, crucify h6r !" Tremble at the thought. If cliristianity ever die, it will not be in the field of conflict, by the power of her enemies, but like Caesar, in the capitol, by the hands of his friends ; and which of us would like to meet the look of her expiring eye, or the mild reproach of her faltering tongue ? " What thou, my son !" But she cannot die, wounded she may be, and has been ; but the memorials of her injury are the proofs of her immortality, and proclaim her to be of hea- venly origin ; like the fabled scars of the heathen gods of Greece and Rome, her wounds demonstrably shew that a divinity sustained her. Still, however, the inconsistencies of professing chris- tians may limit her reign, although they cannot destroy her existence. By these things, sinners are hardened in their courses, the access of life rendered more difiicult, while the avenues of eternal death are made more wide and easy. That man, whose conduct opposes his profes- sion, may certainly be arraigned for the crime of murder. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 147 Let him not go quietly to his pillow as if blood-guiltiness were not upon his concience for it is there, and a voice is continually saying to him, " Thy brother's blood crieth to me from the ground." He has not slain the bod(f of his fellow-mortal, but he has been accessory to the death of souls. Some that sought for an apology for their sins, an opiate for their consciences, found it in his 7nis-con- duct."* Nor will the disciples of Christ rest satisfied in a mere ne.galive righteousness, " to have done harm to none , ' the benevolence of their renewed nature will, like the sap of a good tree, force and extend itself into every branch of charity and doing good, " To give to every one his own and injure none," as the common saying is; to be strictly honest is right and good, and would to God it were really so with all ; but to be a good man, a very kind and boun- tiful benefactor is a great deal better. The Ap'>stle seems to have considered the diffeience betwer^n thes;^ choracters in the same light as that of a man before and after his conversion to God. " For scarcely for a righteous mau will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die ; but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet smners, Christ died for us ; much more then, lieing now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him ; for if, w':cn we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the cleatti of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Rom. v. 7-10. The Apostle's meaning is })lain, and his reasoning cogent. His design evidently wa'. to answer an objection that might be brought against his assertion in v. 5, that the believer's hope shall not make him ashamed. Some might say, although we are justified and enjoy peace, &c. yet we may be left to apostatize. The Apostle rea- sons from the greatness of God's love to Uiem before their conversion, that he would not suffer them to perish after- ward ; and the greatness of this love ajipears by Christ's dying for us when we were neither g'od nor righteous, but sinners, ungodly and enemies. Ajsd as the disciples of Christ are to be ready always to do every good work, in like manner they will not be at a loss t find .objects of benevolence. Besides the poor which taey have always * Church AJember's Guide. ^^^ fiSSAYS ON BAPTISM. Avith them, there is yet a world lying in wickedness. Han- Wreds of millions perishing for the lack of knowledge, and jnultitudes crying, " come over and help us !" Let those whom God has called to the most honorable employment of a missionaiT, go forth, " preaching among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;' let others cast their mites as God has prospered them, into the treasury of the different religious societies, the glory of the present gene- ration ; and let those who have no mite to give, abound in the best of good works, fervent and believing prayers unto the Lord of the harvest. But it is high time to say a few words respecting the ()ualities of the fruits which the Lord of the vineyard ex- pects. 1 . They must be good fruits, and not zvild grapes. Acts of goodness opposed to siniul acts. The fruits of the Spirit opposed to the fruits ot the flesh, these are car- nal, selfish, and earthly ; those are fruits of hoIi7iess and righteousness ; such as acts of piety towards God, of jus- tice towards men, and of sobriety towards ourselves. Tit. ii. 12. They are good fruits when brought forth vnto God; Rom. vii. 4. — when our thoughts, words, and actions are with reference to liim : out of obedience to his will, to serve, please and honor him. If such be the spring, the matter, and the end of our fruits, they are good and well- pleasing in the sight of God. We observe, however, that these fruits must be real. A mere show or appearance of fruit, will not suffice. The fig-treo mentioned in the gospel had leaves, a sign of fruitfulness, but being barren, it was cursed and withered. It is pleasant to see a tree in full bloom and blossom, but without fruit it is useless to the husbandman, and greatly disappoints his expectations. Even so, "if a brother ©r sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body: what does it profit?" James ii. 15, ^Q. Seasonablcness is another quality of christian fruitful- ness. The righteous is like a " tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season ;" Ps. ii. 3. when it is most beautiful and most useful. For " there is a season for every thing." Eccl. iii. 1. To be patient when we are provoked is good fruit, but not when we ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, '^9' hear God blasphemed. Spiritual rejoicing is an excel- lent fruit, but not when we go into the house of mourning. When graces are in exercise in proper season, they arc then more excellent fruits. How pleasant to see strong faith under heavy trials — meekness under malignant provo- cations — contentment in pinching wants-undaunted cour- age in imminent danger-humility in the midst of applause, and self-denial when surrounded with abundance. Quantittf is particularly noticed by our Lord. " That ye bear mi^cA fruit," John xv. 8. Those that enjoy the means of grace, must not only bring forth fruit, but be fruitful, bear abundance. A tree is not full of fruit, and so not fruit- ful, if all the main branches do not bear and bring forth plenty. Mind and heart and hie, must bring forth fruit in some abundance. Knowledge should abound in the mind ; holy affections and spiritual graces should abound in the heart; and out of the " abundance of the heart" should " the mouth speak," and all other parts act for God so as "to be always abounding in the work of the Lord." Hence the propriety of attending to the Apostolic exhor- tation, " add to your faith virtue ; and to virtue knowledge ; and to knowledge temperance ; and to temperance pa- tience ; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness charity ; for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the know- ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. i. 5-8. In the last place we would observe, that our fruitfulness must be in proportion to our advantages. Whilst our Lord expects all his disciples to bring forth much fruit, yet he expects more from some than from others ; ac- cording to the rule laid down by himself " Unto whom- soever much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Luke xii. 48. Those who enjoy the gos- pel in great light and power, who have the mysteries of it clearly discovered, practically enforced, and brought home to mind, conscience, will, and affections, so as the light,* force, and infljience of it may reach the whole man, the whole life, and have this continued many years ; if they bring not forth more fruit than such as have the gospel, but not with such advantages, they are wofulfy and sin- fully defective in fruit-bearing. 13* IbO ESSAYS ON BAPTISBT. Tlie reasons and motives to fruitfulness are many and < ogent, but must be omitted at present ,and we will pro- ceed to name the Design of Baptism as a third argument to enforce obedience to all Christ's commands. It is unnecessary to mention either the many unscriptu- raj designs of this sacred ordinance, as held by some, or all the true ones, as held by our denomination. It is suffi- cient, my beloved brethren, to remind you that we consi- der it an emblem or sign of our being regenerated or born of the Spirit; and a symbolical representation of our spi- ritual death, burial, und resurrection. Our belief on this tjubject is abundantly confirmed by the following passages of scripture, to which the reader will do well to refer. John iii. 5. Tit. iii. 5. 1 Pet. iii. 21, 22. Rom. vi. 1-13. Col. ii. 12, 13. From hence it evidently appears to be our duty to hate sin, to love the brethren, and to be zealous of good works ; for these arc the characteristics of them that are born of God. With what holy indignation does tlie Apostle, in the foregoing passages, spurn at the sup- position of a baptized christian living in sin ! How just and powerful his arguments " to live in newness of life !" Self-righteous pride and antinomian licentiousness, are two fatal rocks, on which immense multitudes are con- tinually wrecked, and betv/een which none but the Holy Spirit can pilot us ; and the objections of open enemies to the doctrines of grace, derive their greatest plausibi- lity from the unholy lives of many professed friends. — "Every true believer abhors the thought of thus perfect- ing the gospel, and despising the riches of divine grace ; and could he be led to think that he might go on in sin with impunity, he would be kept back, by a strong aver- sion from it ; for how can he, in whose heart those princi- ples are mortified, which gave rise to his former sinful courses, continue in those practises which he now has no pleasure in, but loathes and dreads." Scott. I close this argument by referring the reader with plea- sure to the excellent sermon on the Design of Baptism by Professor Irah Chase. 'The fourth argument to enforce obedience to the com- mands of Christ is the glory of God and the honor of reli- gion. To glorify God is the chief end of man. When God's own Son became a son of man it was his meat and drink to glorify his father by doing his wiU. How much ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 151 more ought we, who are not only the creatures of his power and pensioners of his bounty, but also the purchase of his blood. Hence saith the Apostle : " ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price : therefore glo- rify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. And this duty is as extensive as it is reasonable. " Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor X. 31. We glorify God, not by adding any thing to his essen- tial glory, for that is infinite, and cannot be increased ; but declaratively, declaring that He is glorious, by giving a testimony to his glorious perfections, making it appear that He is glorious. Now there is a voice in good f mils or works of obedience, that declares this, a light which dis- covers and makes it apparent to others ; and thus enga- ges them to acknowledge it, and thereby glorify Him, Hence saith our blessed Saviour : " Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear micch fruit." John xv. 8. And again : " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Mat. v. 16. Now if to bring forth fruit is to glorify God, then it is our greatest perfection and highest excellency to do so ; for angels themselves can do nothing better, nothing higher. True, they glorify him more, but they can do no more than glorify him. As the glory of God, so likewise the honor of religion is connected with our fruitfulness. We are exhorted " to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." Tit. ii. 10. The church is the Lord's garden, and it is adorned by the fruitfulness of its trees. Barrenness or bad fruit is a disgrace, and makes the garden ill spoken of; but a holy and useful life will stop the mouth of gainsayers. See Rom. ii. 24. 1 Pet. li. 15. I close this particular, by adop- ting for you, my beloved brethren, and for myself, the Apos- tolic prayer that " the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, work- ing in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen." Heb. xiii.20, 21. The last argument I shall use to enforce obedience to 152 ESSAYS ON BiPTISM. Christ's commands is its indespensible necessity for the obtaining of an assurance of our personal interest in Clnist. That such an assurance may be obtained is evi- dent from the nature of the tiling itseh'. The criterion, by which we are to judge of our spritual state, is precisely the same as that whereby we determine the nature and value of things around us. For our blessed Lord himself hath told us, as has been mentioned above, that as we know the different kinds and comparative excellence of trees by their fruits, so we may ascertain by our works whether we be real or only nominal christians. It is further evident from nxiiny passages of scripture : such as make it our duty to ob- tain it with all diligence; see 2 Pet. i. 10. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. lleb. vi. 1 1 . such as record saints in the Old or New Testa- ment who had obtained it ; see Job xix. 25. Ps. xvii. 15. ciii. 2, 3. Gal. ii. 20. 1 Tim. i. 1 2. 2 Tim. iv. 8, 9. Heb. x. 34. and such as describe the evidences by which we are to ascer- tain it, 1 John iii. 10. 14. 21. v. 13. Nor ought we to overlook the importance of the subject. It is not only a christian duty expressly required, as ap- pears from the scriptures just named ; but it is exceeding- ly useful in our journey through this wilderness world. Although we do not consider it necessary unto salvation, yet it is a privilege of inestimable worth. Though our holy and useful life is not the gro«/((7 of our hope and con- fidence, yet it is an evidence ; and the believer's comfort may be increased by the sight of good works though it be not built on them. They manifest a claim and title to the crown but do not merit it. We never can have the spirit's witness without sanctification and purity of heart and life. How beautiful and comprehensive the sentiment of the Poet in the following hymn, which for many years has been and ever will be the delightful song in the house of my pilgrimage. '' When I can read my title clear To mansions in the skies, I'll bid farewell to every fear, And wipe my weeping- eyes. Should earth ag-ainst my sonl engage, And hellish darts be hufi'd, Then I can smile at s^tan's rage, And face a frowning world. Let cares like a wild deliijre come. And Itortns of sorrow fail, E?SATS OK BAPTISM. t53 May I but safely reach my home My God, my heaven, my all. There shall I bathe my weary soul, In seas of heavenly rest, And not a wave of trouble roll, Across my peaceful breast." Watts. Should a criminal under sentence of death receive the assurance that the sovereign hath pardoned his crime and ordered him to be released in a few days, his feelings would be inexpressible. But infinitely greater and better are the effects of true assurance of hope. " Being justifi- ed by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. v. 1. A peace which passes all un- derstanding, a tranquility and serenity of mind which is better experienced than expressed. When God is at peace with us, conscience is pacified. Assurance revives and invigorates religion in the soul. It rekindles our first love to God. Love begets love. " We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John iv. 19. When Christ had for- given much to her who had sinned much, and had mani- fested pardoning mercy to her soul, oh, how it did infiu- ence her love to Christ ! Luke vii. 47. It also fills the soul with holy fear, care, and watchfulness. He that tra- vels the road possessed of a rich treasure is afraid of thieves in every bush. This is exemplified in the spouse, who had endured many a sad day and night in Christ's absence, and sought him sorrowing : but when she.had re- gamed his felt and sensible presence she saith, " I found him whom my soul loveth : I held him, and would not let him go." Cant. iii. 4. She does not lay by diligence, as if all were done ; but is of new taken up with as great care to retain and improve this mercy, as before she was soHcitous to obtain it. Assurance makes us active and lively in God's service. It excites prayer, and quickens in duty. As diligence begets assurance, so assurance be- gets diligence. Doubts and fears discourage our hearts and weaken our hands, but an assurance of God's favor produces joy, and " the joy of the Lord is our strength." It is like the spirit in Ezekiel's wheels, which moved and lifted them on high. When this generous principle influ- ences the soul, wisdom's ways are not only the ways of duty, but of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace ; the statutes of the Lord then rejoice the heart ; the com- 154 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. mandmcnts of God are no longer grievous ; more to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, or the h >ney-comb. The real christian lives in his own element, when he is living in obedience to them ; he sees the beauty and excellency of walking in sweet submission to the holy mind and will of God ; and his continual desire, wish, and prayer is, oh, that my ways were made so direct, that I might always keep tiiy righteous judgmeut ! Assurance enables the believer to bear affliction with fortitude and to meet death wi4h joy and courage. He not only rejoices in the hope of glory ; but in the way to it, " he glories even in tribulations, knov/ing that tribula- tion vvorketh patience, and patience experience, and ex- perience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom. v. 3-5. That the assurance of eternal glory is the best support under all temporal calamities, is evident from the following reason- ings of the inspired Apostle : " For this cause, we faint not ; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by diiy, fi>r our light affliction, which is but for a moment, vvorketh for us a far more ex- ceeding and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : l^or the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal ; For we know (or are assured) that if our earthly house of this taberna- cle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. iv. 16-10. v. 1. The Apostle here supposes the worst of the case, viz ; that our temporal afflictions are so grievous as to issue in death, an entire dissolution of our earthly house or tabernacle ; yet (saith he) even then to e faint not, because we hope for everlasling habitations ; and if this hope can support the soul under the last and most exqui- site distress of nature, much more under the lighter bur- dens of life. He that has a scriptural assurance of having passed from spiritual death unto life, needs not fear death natural. He that can say with David, '■ Jehovah is mj shepherd," may also add, " though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for thou art with me : thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," Ps. ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 155 xxiii. 1.4. If with the Apostle we can say : "for me to live is Christ, " we may also add, " and to die is gain." Phil. i. 21. And with him, too, we may " desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." Such, my beloved brethren, are some of the blessed consequences flowing from an assured interest in the sal- vation of Christ. It is this which animates the people of God with a noble disdain of the sinful pleasures and vain pursuits of this present life ; it is this which makes them, like Moses, esteem the reproaches they suffer for Christ's sake, greater riches than all the treasures of this world ; it is this which inspires them with a kind of supernatural mag- nanimity and fortitude, against every difficulty and trial they may meet with in their way to eternal bliss ; it is this that makes them triumph in the face of all opposition, and say, " who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or nakedness, or famine, or peril, or sword ? — We are persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sepa- rate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. viii. Beloved brethren, what can be happier, amidst the num- berless vanities and vexations which accompany worldly pleasures, than to be able to derive from an assurance of our salvation, pleasures suitable to intelligent creatures, immortal souls ? What can be happier amidst all the pains, labors, and miseries, with which life abounds, than to en- joy the plentiful consolations, that issue from a w^cll groun- ded hope of eternal felicity ? Above all, what can be more capable of supporting us against the fear of death ? Mor- - tal and dying as we are, in a state, where the smallest al- teration in the body reminds us of death, what can wc wish for more conformable to our wants than to find in a firm hope of eternal felicity, a shield to secure us against the enemy, and a sword to destroy him ? Let us strive, let us pray, let us venture all to arive at this happy state. Several other important consequences flow from assur- ance, which might have been mentioned ; but it is more than time to close this long address, and which I hasten to do, by showing that such assurance cannot be obtained without a sincere endeavor to " observe all things whatever 156 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. Christ has commanded." To build upon any other foun- dation, is building upon sand, which cannot withstand the floods and storms of God's wrath, and must consequently fall, and great will be the fall thereof True assurance is neither easily nor suddenly to be attained. It requires much labor, self-denial, and vigilance ; an extensive knowl- edge in religion, a long acquaintance with the heart, much experience, self-discipline, and strong faith ; and is the fruit of a steady, uniform, habitual practice of universal piety, accompanied by the powerful influences of the Holy Spirit, " bearing witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God ' Nor can it be supposed that a privilege so invaluable should be suddenly attainable. They there- fore, who are forward to boast of their assurance, and how easily they came by it, are justly to be suspected of lying under the power of a strong and most awful delusion. Of the extreme folly and danger of such persons, Mr. Saurin speaks thus : " To consider religion always on the comfortable side ; to congratulate one's self for having obtained the end, before we have made use of the means ; to stretch the hand to receive the crown of righteousness, before they have been employed to fight the battle ; to be content with a false peace, and to use no efforts to obtain the graces, to which true consolation is annexed ; this is a dreadful calm, like that, which some voyagers describe, and which is a very singular forerunner of a very terrible event. All on a sudden, in the wide ocean, the sea be- comes calm, the surface of the water clear as chrystal, smooth as glass, the air serene ; the unskilful passenger becomes iranquii and happy ; but the old mariner trem- bles, in an instant the waves froth, the winds murmur, the heavens kindle, a thousand gulfs open, a frightful light inflames the air, and every wave threatens sudden death. This is an image of most men's assurance of salvation. " Vol. III. Ser. 10. That there is danger of deceiving ourselves in this mat- ter, of all others the most important, is evident from our Lord's declaration that many will find themselves thus de- ceived on the last and final day of account. His memo- rable words are these : " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in the kingdom of heaven : but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say t® me in that day. Lord, Lord, have, we ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 157 not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; de- part from me, ye that work iniquity." Mat. vii. 21-23. Let us guard then, my beloved brethren, against build- ing our assurance oji mere feelings, the etfects of our own imaginations. Oh how many have I met with, who profess- ed to have obtained a hope of being in the way to heaven and which had filled their heart with joy and gladness ; but being asked when and how they obtained that hope, some said, ' that God had told ihem in a dream that their sins were pardoned, and that he was now their reconciled father ;" others replied that " they had been favored with a vision of the night of a dear departed friend, who as- sured them of a mansion bemg prepared for them in glory." Others " that they had seen a bright angel, or perhaps the Lord Jesus himself, saying 'be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven :' " and not a few replied that " they had put their finger into the bible, and on opening found it lighted on a gracious promise, &c. &c. Gracious Lord keep us all from such delusions I Is this the way to " read our title clear to mansions in the skies ?" Is this the way to prove that we are the heirs of the heav- enly inheritance ? Would men act thus in their worldly concerns? Surely not. Well might our blessed Lord say, " the children of this world aie in their generation wiser than the children of light " l^uke xvi. 8. For vv^hat should we think of the man who applies to a Counsellor to defend his claim to the estate of a person lately deceased, upon no better title than his earnest d. sire to possess it ; be- cause the lease of his present habitation is just expiring and cannot be renewed ; and his inexpressible joy and gladness of heart, arising from a full assurance of hope that he shall obtain it, according to a revelation from heav- en made to him in a dream, or vision, &c &c. What Counsellor in his senses would undertake such a cause ? How ridiculous would both appear before judge and jury? Yet not a whit better is the title to the heavenly inheri- tance of the persons mentioned above. But very differ- ent is the case of the man who having vee?i, and read, and diligently examined the will, and being perfectly certain that he is the person described therein, feels an inexpres- sible joy and gladness of heart, and an earnest desire of J4 158 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. possessing it. Sensible, however, that he may be mista- ken in his judgment, and to prevent disappointment, he apphes to a Counsellor to examine and compare Ins cre- deutiah with the characteristics mentioned in the will, and to give him his opinion. No Counsellor would be surpri- sed at such an application, nor refuse to comply. And having attended to the business and found the man's opin- ion correct, he would congratulate him and say, " my friend, I have examined your credentials, and find them answerable to the will, and I have now the pleasure to bear zvitness zoit/i your spirit, (mind, judgment, or con- science) that you are the rightful heir of the inheritance." This man now departs in peace. And whilst his joy is increased with the confirmation of his title, he feels a pro- portioned increase of love and gratitude to the testator, for having made him. who had been his sworn enemy, and whom he might have brought to condign punishment, his sole heir of a rich and beautiful inheritance. Take this latter case, my beloved brethren, as an illus- tration of the scriptural way to obtain true assurance. For God has not only revealed that he had prepared a king- dom from the foundation of the world, and that our bless- ed Lord has gone to heaven to prepare mansions ; but he has also clearly and fully described in the sacred scrip- tures, the will of the testator, the characteristics of the heirs of that kingdom. By these characteristics, there- fore, we must diligently compare ourselves, and if we find both to agree, we have then reason to rejoice in the hope of glory. Yet to make our hope sure we oiight to apply, by frequent prayer, and earnest supplications, to the Holy Spirit for his aid, counsel, and witness, and when his testimony agrees with ours, we may then rejoice in the full assurance of hope to the inheritance of the saints in light. Hence saith the learned Witsius ; " In what manner do believers attain the assurance of their election ? Who has ascended up into heaven ? or who, with a prying eye, has perused the volume of God's decrees and secrets? "Who hi!S looked into the heart of God ? We are here in- deed to guard against rash presumption. But what God has from eternity determined about the salvation of his people, he declares to them in time by signs that cannot deceive them. He has given them two books, from which ESSAYS ON BAPTISM, 159 they may gather what is sufficient to know, that they are written in the book of hfe : namely, the book of scripture and the book nf conscience. In the book of scripture, the distinguishing marks of election, as effectual calling by the word and Spirit of God, Rom. viii. 30 , faith in God and Christ, 2 Thess. ii. 13., -hatred and eschewing of evil, 2 Tim. ii. 19., the sincere and constant study of holiness, Eph. i. 4. 2 Thess. ii. 13., are drawn out with great exact- ness. In the book of conscience, every one may read, if he give that proper dilig^Mce, which a matter of such importance requires, whether these marks be within him." On the CoxenaM. Now although a child of God may possess the charac- teristics of the heirs of salvation, and yet not enjoy the witness of the Holy Spirit, yet the Spirit never bears his witness to a person who is destitute of these characteris- tics. Hence appears the absolute necessity of a sincere endeavour to keep all Christ's commandments, for they comprise all the characteristics and marks of the children of God. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, " giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue ; and to virtue know- ledge , and to knowledge temperance ; and to temperance patience ; and to patience godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the know- ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ — wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." Amen and Amen. I proceed in the second place to address a few words to the members of Pedobaptist churches. Permit me, my beloved brethren, to invite very affectionately, your most serious attention to the substance of the first of these Essays, wherein it has been shewn, and that from the very writings of the most eminent Pedobaptist divines, that a positive institution or law originates entirely in the sove- reign will of God — that the obligation to observe them arises, not from the goodness of the things themselves, but from the authority of God — that the laws which determine the matter, manner, and signification must, therefore, be plain and express — that they admit of no commutation, mu- tilation, or alteration — that there are no accidental parts '60 ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. of a positive institution — that it is unlawful to conform io any part of a religious rite without a divine warrant — that it is at our peril to continue ignorant of the will of God, relating to his positive appointments, and great presump- tion to make light of them — and that a disposition to obey God in his positive institutions, is part of that " holiness without which none shall see the Lord." Such, my dear reader, are the sentiments of the great, the pious, and the learned Bishops Burnet, Butler, and Taylor, — Drs. Dod- dridge, Grosvenor, Goodman, Owen, Sherlock, and Jona- than Edwards, and a cloud of other witnesses whose praise is in the churches of Christ. By these principles every baptist is guided in his judgment and practice with res- pect to the subjects and mode of the sacred ordinance. But let me ask you, my brother, for a reason " of the hope within you" that you sliall escape the displeasure and frowns of the blessed Redeemer in neglecting this sa- cred and divine ordinance. Do you say " I have been baptized." Let me ask when, and hozv ? Do you reply '■ in infancy," " who has required this at your hands ?" Do not the above mentioned divines, with a host of others declare that it is " unlawful to conform to any part of a religious rite without a divine warrant ?" and do not they themselves acknowledge, as has been shewn above, that there is neither precept nor example to be found in the bible for infant baptism ? Is it not, therefore, dear reader, of the utmost importance to the peace and comfort of your soul, to ascertain whether the blessed Redeemer, whom you profess to love and obey, looks upon your hav- ing been sprinkled in infancy as your own act of faith and obedience to his divine institution, or whether he docs not rather consider it a presumptuous act of will-worship in direct opposition to his revealed will, and therefore, is high- ly displeased with it. Let the judicious Dr. Owen decide the solemn question. " All worship,"' says he, " is obedi- ence ; obedience respects authority ; and authority exerts itself in commands. And if this authority be not the au- thority of God, the worship performed in obedience unto it, is not the worship of God, but of him or them whose commands and authority are the reason and cause of it. — God would never allow that the will and wisdom of any of his creatures should be the rise, rule, or measure of his worship, or any pact of it, or any thing that belongs uuta ESSAYS ON BAPTISM. 161 It. This honor he has reserved unto himself, neither will he part with it unto any other. — Hence the scripture abounds with severe interdictions and comminations against them who shall presume to do, or appoint, any thing in his worship, besides or beyond his own instititu- tion. Divine institution alone, is that which renders any thing acceptable unto God. — All divine service or worship, must be resolved into divine ordination or institution. A worship not ordained of God, is not accepted of God. — Adam lost himself and us all by his failure therein." On the Heb. ch. i. 6. viii. 5. and ix. 8. " All our worship," saith the pious Mr. Hall, " must be regulated by gospel institution ; that it may be performed according to the appointment of Christ, as king of the church. — Who is the daring, insolent zoorm that will pre sume to dispute the authority, or change the ordinances of him who is given to be head over all things to the church. — It is most dangerous and presumptuous to add any ceremony, or to join any service, or any pretence, unto heaven's appointment. This is the most criminal rashness." Gospel Worship, vol. I. see Booth Fed. Ex. vol. I. p. 29. Upon what divine authority then, my dear brother, do you rest your hope of having obeyed Christ's command by being sprinkled when an infant, seeing there is neither precept nor example for it in the sacred scripture ; but rather as much prohibition for administering this sacred ordinance to an infant as to a heathen, mahometan, or un- believing jew. For the law of the institution requires that the subject should be first taught, should repent and be- lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ, which an infant is not capa- ble of doing ; and for another to do it for the cliild, is as absurd as to imagine that the food eaten by the parents is a sufficient nourishment for their offspring. Besides, even if it could be proved, which never can be done, that in- fants are proper subjects for this ordinance, still the act of sprinkhng instead of dipping or immersing differs as much from the law of the institution, as if Abraham had circum- cised the thumb of the right hand of every male child, in- stead of the member required by the law of the institu- tion. Arise then, my brother, repent and be baptized or im- mersed, in obedience to the command of your Saviour God What has been stated is equally applicable to those 14* i62 ESSAYS ON BiPTlSiff. who have been sprinkled as adults after their conversior* to God. For though they were proper subjects, yet the act of sprinkling was without scripture precept or exam- ple, as has been fully shewn in Essay IV. The pious and indefatigable Mr. Booth, after giving us more than eighty quotations from the most learned pedobaptist divmes makes the following observation : " If we examine the present prevailing practice of pouring or sprinkling, upon those principles, rules and reasonings, which the most eminent Pedobaptists have laid before us in the prece- ding quotations, we must conclude, that neither sprink- ling nor pouring is warranted by the word baptism." Pc- dob. Ex. vol. I. p. 79. Having already exceeded my limits in the former part of this Essay, I am compelled to curtail my address to you, my beloved brethren, but not without hope that by the blessing of God on what has been advanced, you may be led to see and renounce error and follow the example of our blessed Lord and Saviour through evil as well as good report. Yea, firmly believing that truth will and must prevail, I cannot close the subject without express- ing my firm and sure belief that the time is not far off, when the sacred and solemn ordinance of baptism will no more be administered to infants than the Lord's supper ; and when it will be no longer said " sprinkling is as good as immersion, and one drop as good as an ocean," than the partaking of the bread only is considered as good as the partaking of both the elements. Nor needs it the spirit of a prophet or son of a prophet to foretell the way or manner of bringing about this great and desirable change. As the order of God's house and the purity of his worship have been deformed, corrupted, and polluted by ignorant, superstitious and wicked priests, so, in like manner, must these abominations be removed and order and purity restored, by the propagation of the truth as it is in the bible, from the lips or pens of enlight- ened, pious, and faithful ministers of Christ, the watch- men on the walls of Zion. May the Lord of the harvest increase and multiply the number of such laborers, and \o his name be the glory. Amen. THE END, APPEl^DIX, Page 92.—" With respect to the change of the Sabbath." Since the publication of the former edition of these Essays, I havebeeu favoured with several communications on this subject from brethren gene- rally called " Sabbatarians." Ai some of thtse have not yet been ac- knowledged, I take this opportunity of assuring my beloved brethren, that I consider the subject of vital imfiortance. It has not been neglected in my researclies alter truth, nor omitted as a mailer of fervent prayer lo God for more light. And (he brother who congratulated me on the light which led me to become a Baptist, and expressed his hope that it might lead me a step further with respect to the Sahbr.th, will please to accept my thankc for his good wishes, and be assured, that should it |)lease the Lord to con- vince me that the Jewish Sabbath is still to be observed, I trust, by the grace of God, 1 siiall neither be ashamed or afraid publicly to renounce the Error and follow the Truth. It is true, 1 have already been blamed, despised, and deeply made t» suffer for past changes of sentiment and connections, yet none of these things have disturbed my mind. The testimony o' my conscience, that I am guided solely by the word of God, is of infinitely more importance to my peace and happinefs than all that the world can give The Apostolic exhortation, 1 hope, will ever be my motto, •' Prove all things ; hold fast to that which is good." — 1 Thess. v. 21 Hitht-rto, however, the more I have considered the subject, the more I have been confirmed that the Sab- bath was instituted in Paradise ; that it is of perpetual obligation to ob* serve one day in seven as a day of sacred rest unto the Lord ; and that the first day of the week is that day until Christ shall come again. These subjects are partly prepared for press, and may soon be expected, if life and circumstances permit. Page 98 — "Just as it was with the Jewish Nation." The venerable Dr. Scott on Psal. sc. 7 has the following paragraph: — " The Creator of the world became the God or Covenant Friend of Israel, and the nation was under special obligation to devote itself to his worship and service, being taken peculiar care of by him, and favoured with man* ifold advantages above other nations, they were his people and the sheep of his pasture. Yet this was only aa outward relation and privilege lo most of them ; the whole company were a kind of type of the true Israel, and nations professing Christianity are, in a great measure, in a similar situation. Now, in very large congregations, some may be supposed to be spiritual worshippers, and others to be destitute of saving and sanctifying faith, though attending on the same means of grace." This sentiment perfectly agrees with my humble opinion, that the Jewish Nation or Congregation, was not a Spiritual Church or Kingdom, like the Church or Kingdom of Christ, but a mixture of good and bad as our congregations are. Page 102.— "Called John the Baptist." Jf John had administered (he sacred ordinance in the moderr^ fashion, by sprinkling, it would be unaccountable why they should call him " Baptist," the immerser, and not ' Rbntist," the Sprinkler ! How strange it would sonnd to our ears, had the translators inforoied us that *.' in those days carae 164 APPENDIX. .lolin the Sprinkler I" Rather than acting thus ridiculously at well ai un- faithfully, they complied with the rule prescrihed, not to translate it at all. In the .lewish writings and common conversation he is never called other- wise than " Yochanan Hammitavb»il," that is, John the Immtrser ; for the word Taval is never used in any other sense, either in the Bible or in their writings, than for immersing, dipping or plunging. Page 103. — "John's baptism and that o( the Apostles." Having lately seen the opinion of the Rev. Dr. Griffin, President of Wil- liams College, *' that John's baptism did not belong to the New Testament Dispensation," (see American Bapt. Mag. M?iy 1829, p. 291,) I beg leave to refer him, for a refutation, to the elaborate work " on the religious prin- ciples of Quakers," pp. 225, 258, by ray much esteemed friend, the Rev. W. C. Brownlee, a Doctor of Divinity of the Dutch Reformed Church. Speaking of baptism, he says: "The origin of this instiiution is not to he traced to the sprinklings in the Jewish Church. It began under the minis- try of John the Baptist ; and he belonged not to the dispensation of the Old Testament, but to that of the New. See Mark 1, 1 — 2. He announced the high authority under which he acted. God " seiit vie to baptize." " The word of God came unto John." But Christ and his " disciples made and baptized more disciples than John," even in the lifetime of the Baptist. John III 22 — IV. 1, 2. Can we venture to suppose the disciples did take on them to baptize without a commission from our Lord ? is it conceivable that our Lord would permit it without a rebuke ? Is i( conceivable that he would permit his own servants to intrude on his house an institution that never received his sanciion ' No, never. They practised it under his eye. " He made and baptized disciples''' by them. He gave, therefore, in most unequivocal terms, his sanction to tliis ordinance. He sealed it with the seal of heaven. Nothing but sheer prejudice of sectarism can repel the evidence of its divine origin, thus sr a number of jears, his lec- tures to the Jews. The great and important object in view is to shew that the Doctrioes of the christian religi m are "no< the inventions of modern hireling Priests,'' but arc contained in the Old Testament, and were known and believed before the coming of Christ, by the saints made wise unto salvation. The greatest part of the work is ready fur the press, and has been suiimiit^id to several judicious per- sons, of ditfere.it denominations, who have highly approved of it, and warmly recommended it to the publ;c. COi^TENTS. PART I. JESUS OF N4ZARETH IS THK CHRIST. 1. The necessity of a Mediator — 15 Letters. Subjects : Divine Revelation — the character of God — Man's state of innbceiicy — his fallen condition. 2. Messiah must have c:jme — in 6 Letters. Subjects; The appointment of a Mediator — Jacob's prediction concerning Sliiloh — Haggai's Desire of all Nations — Daniel's seventy weeks — Jewish Evasions. 3. Jesus of J\'',:izar€th is the promised Messiah — in 19 Letters. Subjects: Predictions fulfilled respecting the time and circum- stances of his birth — his character — iiis miracles — his prophetic office — his priestly office — origin and design of sacrifices — his sufferings, death and burial — his resurrection and ascension — & his kingly office. 4. Thfi, second advent of the Messiah — 12 Letters. Under this head will be conodei-ed the return of the Jewish nation to their o'.vn land, in an unconverted state; tiie destruction of the Eastern Anli-christ; Jerusalem and the Temple rebuilt, and Juda- ism' re-established ; the Conrerierf Jews carried to Pales(:ine; Jeru- salem besieged by the fF^e.i^ern Anti-christ; the ^ersoraai appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ; the battle of Armageddon ; the conversion of the .Jewish Nation ; the Ten Tribes o( Israel re-united with Judah ; the first resurrection; Satan bound for a thousand years, and the Pessonal Reign of Christ on the Earth. 5. Messiah the Judge of the World— 4: Letters. Subjects : The General Resurrection— the Judgment Day — Hea- ven — and Hell. PART 11. JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD. 1. J\lessiah was to be a Divine Person — 6 Letters. ScBJECTS : Tlie Trinity lu unity — itie Angel Jeborah was a Di?ine Person — This Angel was ex,>ecled lo be the Messiah. 2. Jesus of J^azareth is truly God. — 5 Letters. Subjects : He answers to the Divine Angel — He has every crite- rion of the true God. PART in. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 1. Consequences if he be not tru'y God 6 Letters. Subjects : He could not liave been the promised Messiah, but a vile Deceiver — Tlie Jews cuuid not be blamed for putting to death a Blasphemer — The Mosaic Diipensatmn is not abrogated, and no atone- ment made — The TSew Testament and the Christian Religion are a "cunningly devised fable'' — Tlie most learned and pious (hristians in former ages have been, and those now living are, gross Idolaters — into this fatal error they liave been led by simply believing the Scrip- tures ; — But who can believe that a revelation, whose chief end is to rescue men from idolatry and lo bring them back to the knowledge and service of Jehovah — which was propagated by men (he most ex- emplary for piety and uprightness, and which has produced effects the most blessed and glorious — should lead men into such fatal and abominable errors. 2. Consequences if he be truly God. — 8 Letters. Subjects: God is love, and Jesus Christ has furnished us with a most perfect example — Sin is an abomination, and love and obedience are our most reasonable duty — Th-- rejeciors of Christ's Divinity are in a most awful condition — Penitent sinners h.ive the greatest encour- agement to flee to Jesus — Believers in Christ may rejoice evermore in their Saviour God — the friends and promoters of Zion's welfare may take encouragement from the certainty of dnal and complete success in the cause of a Divine Redei mer. CONDITIONS. 1. The Work will be frMied mi g >.)d paper, with a clear type ; and published periodically, in twelve numbers ; one number every month, containing three slieets. or 48 pages octavo. Price to subscribers ^2, and to non-subscribers $3, to bo paid on tlie deiiveiy of the first ]No. N. B. The postage oi each iXumber, under 100 miles 4^ cants ; above it, 7^ cents. 2. To those who procure 5 subscribers, and becoms responsible for the same, every sixth copy will be given gratis. 3. Subscriptions should be forwarded to the Author, on or before the first of September next. 4. The names of subscribers will also be received by Lincoln & Edmand, Booksellers, Boston; by the Bev. Noah Davis. Agent of the Baptist General Tract Society. Philadelphia; and b> the principal Booksellers in the United States. N. B. Whereas the proposed work will be a valuable addition to Minister's libraries, it is hoped that every one will procure at least five subscribers, and thereby secure a copy for himself. Er" All letters addressed to the Author, to be dirtcled, post paid, fo Kew-York City. February, lUSO. i X