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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as rsquired. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre fllmds A des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cUcM. 11 est fllmA d partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustr<9nt la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 '?5::a^ ■(gs^<5— ^>ic9- .(fe^^^;§^. 1 LEARNED TESTIMONIES ON BAPTISM -r i AND THE LORD'S SUPPER. (IN TWO PARTS.) /' Search the Scriptures.— Christ. * The testimony of the Lord is sure, malcing wise the simple.— David. lie vho shall believe and be immersed shall be saved.— CnniST. Jesus took the loaf * * and said, 1'ake eat. Then he took the cup and f * * ♦ gave it to them, saying : Drink of this all of you.— Matthew. ^ SOLD BY DAVID LORSCH, 200 CAMERON'S BUILDINGS, YONGE STREET, AND OTHER BOOKSELLERS. TORONTO: 'tEADKIl' Is 'patriot' STEAil ?,.^^ fHIKT, 63 KINO STREET KAST. 1863. h il \\ LEARNED TESTIMONIES ON BAPTISM AMD THE LORD'S SUPPER. (IN TWO PARTS.) Search the Qcripturei.— Christ, The teetimony oC the Lord is rare, making wise the limple.— Dati>. He who shall beHere and be immersed shall be saTed.— Christ. Jesus took the loaf * * and said, Take eat. Then he took the cup and * * * * gave it to them, saying : Drink of this all of you.— Mattbbw. SOLD BY DAVID LORSOH, 20O CAMERON'S BUILDINGS, YONGB STREET, AND OTHER BOOKSELLERS. TORONTO: ' tKADBR' A 'pATBIOT' BTBAM-PEIBB PRINT, 63 KIWQ BTBMT lAflT. 1863. \yiW \\ MHIl-!7.f^ e /,^.T ( ^ \ ■''''I H J 'ft W CONTENTS.— PART I. iKTROtlUCTIOX. Pioa IMMERSION. CUAI> I. II. III. IV, V. Till SCIIIPTVRB TSSTIHONT ON IMMMSIOK 9 TlSTIMONT or LiXICOOIAPRXRS , . IS Waldenu, Stephens, Scapula, Pasor, Sulcor, SohreTellof, Leiud«n, Helderioua, Schcdttgen, Scnleuintir, Bretiohnelder, Donneg an, Panow, UddeU and Bcutt, Greenfield. Robinson, Parkharst, Jones, Bass, Picketing Hindu, Stokius, (Stuart.) 14 CLiSflCAL USAOI . , . 14 Lucian, Plutarch, Polybius. Porphyry, Thenilstlus, SybilUue, Josephus, Homer IB Pindar, Arlstottle, Aristophanes, HeracUdes Pontlcus, Herodetus, Aratua, Xenophon, Plutarch, Dlodorus Sicnlus, Plato, Bpiotetus. Hippocrates, Heraclides, Heliodonu, Plutarch, Ohrysostom, Lucian, Justin 19 Martyr, Aristotle, Plato, Phllo JadiBUS, Dlodorus Sicvlua, (Conant) U8A0K or THB OHirRCH FATBIKS AMD SCRinUKI VlMIAKB, AllCiaHT AND MoDaSM . . 17 Barnabas, Hermas. Justin Martyr, TertuUian, Orlgep, Valeslus, Cyprian, Apostolic Oonslitutlons, Cyril, Ephrem, Basil, Gregory, Ambrose, Gotch, UsAca or Vabiocs Vbreious 18 Campbell 19 TasTiMoHiBs or RnroRMSRS, An.sotators, Critics, Professors, Ac 19 Luther.j Calvin, Grotius. Carson, Tyndale, Lightfoot, Milton, Mosheim, Doddridge, Wesley, Johnson, 80 Whitefleld. McKnlght, Michaelis, Clarke; Storr. Petavios, Cassaubon, Vltringa, Salmaslus 21 Hospinianus, Zanchius, Arlstedlus, Witslus. Uartlerus, Boddoeus, Swing, Bossnet, Venevra, Bloomfleld, Schols, August!, 23 Buttman, Frith, Beza, Cave, Burkitt, Bingham, Muratort. Bengei, Deylingus, Wolflus, Koppe, RosenrauUer, Kuinsel, Knapp, Hill, 28 Waddington, Haldane, Olshausen. DeWette, Sherlock, Jaspis, Bretschneldcr, De Stourdza, Matthies, Chalmers.. 34 Barnes, Trollope, Alford, Benson, Buchner, Tholuck, Schaff, Oonybeare 35 Barclay, Whitby, Kenrick, Knatchbull, Wiseman, Neander, Anthon, Augusti, 28 Trenan. Nicholson, Amoldi, Taylor, Towerson, Zwlngll, Limborch, Turretin, Locke, 27 Tlllotson, Seeker, Clarke, Wells, Assembly of Divines, Baxter, Beza, Melanc- thon, Greenfield, Bossuet. Brenner, Wall, Campbell .• 88 Tiia TkBTiMONT or Standard Encvclopcgdias 99 Bees', American, Edinburgh, London Penny, Uritannlca, (Stuart.) Wht THB Words Baptizb, &c., wkbk not Tkanhlatko but Tkansitkiirrd ...» 80 King James, Steane, BeecUer, Hughes, tireunfieUI. Broaddus, Judson 81 Immrrsb Tna Bbst E^rlish Word to itak in TRAXttLATiNG BAFttzo 81 Campbell, Thompson, Hinton, Weniyes, Campbell. Kendrick, Whiting, Carson, Ripley, Knowles, Campbell, Brantley, Malcolm, 83 Jewett, Greenfield. IX. HiHTORT or Sprinkling 88 X. Infant Sprinklino -The iNVRNTioN of Man ;...>.»'.«■ 86 Jaoobi, DeWette. ■■■'• Winer, Tan Colu. Justin Martyr, Lelbnltf, North Bjitish K*viu , ilodgc, 80 Woods, Coleridge, Olshausen, Neaader, Lange, Chuliiivrs, Uilbfrt, Doetrinal CatecMsm, Burnet. Luther, Stuart, Bafnt, (Baptism, Poetry) 8T XI. Brlirtbrs—Tbr Proper Subjects or Baptism 84 Grotius, Calvin, Barrov. Saurin, Tossius, Doddridge. Limborch, Wliltby, Venema, Baxter 89 VI. VII. VIII. 17. CON 1 KNT 8. XII. 40 K XIII. HOUBBHOLD BArTltM Whitby, LImborcb, Lawion, AMembly of Divlncn, Doddridge, Uenry, Calvin Thi Dmion or Baptism— For thi REmraioN or Sims — Tuk Nicisbitt or OBBDimOl TO THM OOMMiaD 41 BamabBB, Hermci. ^ . ^;/ • l • p '/ ^ : ) JuBtin Martyr, In tallUn, Origen, Chrykol«MM, Cy ^rikn . / 43 Lnther, Oalvln < 48 DwighL BameB 44 Weitminitar Creed, White, Whitefleld, Wesley 45 Clarke, Hodge 4S Wayland, goott. Bright 47 WitsIuB, IfoCord, WeBtmintter CatechlBm, ConfcBalot., Cburch of England . . 48 If ethodut Creed, Baptist, CdnfeBslon of Bohemia 49 Confesssion of Augsburg, of Saxony, of WIttenburg, of Helvetia, of Suevcland M XIV. Tn Tnui Baptism ab ubbd in cohriotion with tbb IIoLrSinaiT 00 Gurtlerus, Reynolds, Ikenlus. Le Clerc, Casaabon, Grotlus, Leigh, TUlotson, Hopkins, Dodwell, Oyrll 61 XV. BAPTtBM PattiBDiB TBI LnRD^a Suppbb 52 ' ' Justin Martyr, Jero-ine, Bede, Theophylact, Spanhelm, King. Wall, Hitoton, Dwlght, Qrlflin, Watson', Hibbard, Sutcllff, Presbyterian ConfeB^Ion of Faith, Pi-«tutch Reforipe^ Ohitrcb. Thi Watih BtppLT or Jbkc8al»ii......I..^.'...,,... ,,ik,„(,., J. T, Barclay, Tr«ll, Strabo, TmUoi, ivi. 58 54 tarn Krm Jout^V'-i^th: XVII. 1^ ijiHiaiiiOH or TBI l^mdn ThoubaioIi j : .i.. 55 Stuart^ CbrysoBtom, J|e|DiI((ttB. XVIII. Thb AoMinsraAroK—Tim AmtiMUlnuTMtr or Ia*Eitsto^ 59 XIX. WflT Mb Biblb is Ver Tavsbt itqw— Tbb Qi7Bi«Tn»r Coxbiobkbp~W94^ thi BiBLB Tbacbbs . y^^\-^^f..... 59 PARTXfc THE BREAKING OP THE LOAF. b»AP. ,/i";'JvtvH .-' Paob I. IBB BcmPTtfiJ •WWiii^T: 8 II. PaM^CTicB or TBB Chbibtiabb im vbb Firbt Obxtubibs akd HiKroKT or TBB Pbic- TIOB IB L4TBR TIMBS .....'. . t . " • 6 III. ThB NaMB of THB INSTITCTION AMD TlUB OP IT8 OnSIXyiNOB .......,„...••••• 7 ^tV, TasnifONiBS or ItHPoRiiBitB, Critics, Commbxtators, Ac 9 ft* Brown, King #. 'V.-Ji? Mmou, Calvin, Scott, Wesley ..... .. ,......: ^.:.i.U'. .".u./ii ... 'H Banyan ..,., ....<;.^.l%.(.... 18 f Macknight, Baptist Confession v.. <......;.... 14 V. Who mat attbbo on tbb ApMnrwTRATioM or thb ORDiXANCBwUi^.'^ :...... . 15 MUton, HawelB, Mosbelm, WayUnd, 1 .VV'<) ' VI. Thb Obdbb or WoBSBir ra A OoNGRioATioM 17 VII. What is Worship bt thb roLLowsRS or Christ— Chriptiah Lir»— Ohbibiuh Prospxcts 19 1. A Chapter on Spiritual J)tluaion8. 2. Clerical Succession traced. A Parallel and a Contrast. N. B.— It was the original intention oftbe co)unil»r to give a brief Biographical Sketch of each person cited In this volume, showing his Denomination, Works, Repntation for learning, Ac, together with refereRct::! to Uie books, with ,th« pages, Ac, of eftdi_Aathor, but the work would have been too voluminous. It has now reached to more than twl^e the . siee originally contemplated. The present piiges have been obtained l^om varioua sources, some credited and some not, as It was deemed unnecessary In everjir case ; they are ^ven, however, as reliable and authentic. INTRODUCTION. This little oompUatlon ia deaigned to be a oontributlca to the popular intelligenoe of the day, on the aubjeota of Chriatian Immeraion, and Breaking of the Loaf in Ohrlatlan Gongregationa. Ita n^oeaaity none can doubt who have converaed with men otherwiae intelligent, but who, on theae aubjeota, manifeat the moat lament- able ignorance. But the moat remarkable fact ia, that religioua toachera, claiming te poaaeaa the religioua knowledge of the world, and having the " right divine" to expound religioua truth, aeem to know comparatively nothing of the religioua literature on theae aubjeota ; or if they do know, they maintain an unwar- rantable ailenoe aa to the aayinga of the moat eminent men of all denomina- tiona. It ia eapeoially remarkable — thia ailenoe — when it ia known that the teatimo- niee of theae eminent men are in direct oppoaition to the teaching and practice of the preaent religioua teaohera. How then can the utility of the republication of theae teatimoniea be queationed? In no way whatever, but on the contrary, the oontenta of thia little volume will, the more they are atudied, be regarded aa of the firat importance, and of eapeoial advantage to the enquiring mind. It ia alae deaigned to ahow the unanimity of learned men on queationa of auch vital importance in the chriatian ayatem, and from thence to demonatrate the practicability of union amongat all men, in the faith and practice of Ghriatianity. If men can agree on theae important pointa, they can agree on othera of leaa importance, and therefore can agree on all queationa of a religioua character. In faot, there ia no sub- atantial diapute about what the Bible teachoa. The diaputea and contentiona of men are about mattera which the Bible doea not teach ; aa for inataiice, it ia not diaputed that a believer in Chriat, reforming hia life and being immeraed in water, into the name ef the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ia validly Baptized ; but it ia diaputed, and alwaya haa been diaputed, whether it ia valid Baptiam to aprinkle a little water on the face of a child without faith, without knowledge, without con- aoience, without oonaent or voluntary action — and why ahould it not be diaputed, when there ia not a aingle aentenee, idea or alluaion in the whole Chriatian Scriptnrea reapeoting auch a proceeding. !^ There ia no real diapute in the Chriatian world aa to the aufficiency of the Bible, aa' a rule of faith and practice ; but the diapute oommenoea when a peraon aaya his creed ia neoeaaary aa a part of the Rule of Faith ; then another peraon aaya my creed ia ; and another mijie, and ao it goea on, all agreeing on the Bible and one creed, and rejecting all othera ; why not take what all agree on and diaoard what all but one re- ject. If the creed oontaina more than the Bible, it haa too much ; if leaa, it haa too little ; if it ia different it ia wrong ; if it only haa what the Bible oontaina, then why have it at all, and make two books: when one would anawer thepurpoae. Whatia the excellency of creeda ? It ia a comparative excellency— the nearer they are to Bible truth the better, and where ia the neoeaaity of being at adiatance from the truth when the word ia nigh ua, in our meutha— the word of fiuth which the Apeatles preaohed. Rom. X. * ■ a„. '^i"' .'•:' 6 Then, m to the n»tne of believers in Ohiiit,all are wiliing — oooaaionally at Inast— to l)e called Chriatiana, diaoiples of Ghriat, Brethren, aa the caae may bo, but all are not agreed and never will be agreed to be called Roman Catholioa, Churobmen, i'rea- byteriana, Methodist*, Baptiata, Tanken, Quakera, Menoniita or any etbor name known amongst those claiming to be beliefera in Jeaoa of Nazare tb. Then why not give up what all bat one party reject and take the name or names, which all agree upon and which la in accordance with the Bible. la it not sufficient to bo called a Disciple— a Disciple of Christ or a Ohriatian, as the christian writers called the first believers when writing ooncemicg them. Is there any higher or more oxpreuivc name ; none whatever, and any other name is derogatory to the christian as it con- fines him to a sect and limits the development of that general love, and enlarged benevolence and ohriutian charity — whieh the Scriptures so abundantly testify, were the fruits of christian faith in the times of the Apostles. Then as to the Lord^s Supper, why have contentions, about whether it should be attended to monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly, when the Scriptures never say a word about any of those times or periods. The Scriptures only speak of at- tendance to this ordinance on the ** first day of the week," and the sum of all argn- ments nust come to this : that either it is suffioient to attond to this ordinance once in a lifetime, or it ought to be observed on every first day of the week ; few will enter on the side of the question for once and onoe only, as the Scriptures clearly show a ftrequent observance of this institution. Hence the only alternative left us on Scriptural authority, is to nieet on *< the first day of the week" to break bread. Acts XX. 7. Agedn all ^vooate charity, benevolence and kindness to the poor; then why not follow the Oliristian injunction to the congregations, that, *' on the first day o^ every week,'^ they should lay " somewhat by itself, putting it into the treasury," for the poor saints — 1 Cor. xvi., and thus have a fund when the emergency should arise, that all may be supplied and none be in distress, instead of laying up treasures in the church for a luxurious priesthood to set their hearts on, instead of on the flock. Acta XX. 35. And to build magsifloent and gorgeous edifices in accordance with the « pomps and vanities of this worid ;" instead of those simple and suitable structures which both Christian simplicity and humility could approve of. And why have contentions about synods, oonferenoes, assemblies and conventions, (br lawmaking purposes, when there is but " One Lawgiver," and why have Popes, Priests, Prelates, Archbishops, Metropolitans, Archdeacons, Bishops of a Diocese Priests of a Parish and piergymen of a Church, when these names and the ideas they represent are unknown to the Scriptures and unauthorized by them ; and why not come back to the simple, inexpensive, benevolent rule, and government of the Christian congregations as established by the « King of Kings and Iiord of Lords," and " Chip^ Shepherd of the Sheep," and have the congregations of CIuisti|ins in different localities, as convenience may require, assembled together for worship of the only living and true Ood in spirit, and in truth, governed and taught from the Scriptures by the Slders or Old Men — the Bishops or Overseers— and the accommo- dation of tb' congregation, and the attention to the ''treasury" for the poor saints by the Deacons or servants of the body, and the sounding forth of the word of the^ Lord by each and all, as they go everywhere preaching the word; or by an Evangelist / flhosen from the members of a congregation, as a tried and approved man, who can rightly diride the word of truth) to go to th« nuboliaren »nd r«p«»t to them the unsearohablo riches of Cbri8t,M originally ipoken by the Lord and Hia Holy ApoitiM and Evangelinta ; this done, hotv the word of the Lord would grow and multiply, and sinners be oonvertod to the faith, through the labors of one united phalanx, under the Head Christ Jesus. Thus the prayer of Jesus— John 17th oh., would be answered that those who be- lieved on Him through the Apostles words might be one — that the world might be' litve that God had setit His Son, and until this unity is established " on tha foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himaulf being the foundation oomer stone," vrith all " earnestly endeavoring to preserve the unity of the spirit by th* bond of peace." and fully convinced and acting upon the knowledge that " there if one body and one spirit, us also you have been called with one hope of your ealliog | one Lord, one Fdth, one Immersion, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and with all and in you all." — Eph. iv. 4 ; until thic is done, I say the world will go on in Babylonish confusion, and the infidel world will inoreaee in strength, both within the religioua organizations or sects of the day> und without them, until " deceived and being deceived," they shall wax worse and worse, and fbree into nn'ty all those who love our Lord Jesus Chriit in sincerity and in truth ; so aa to be able to withstand the assaults of professed friends and deliberate fbes, and thuf divide the world into the only two classes the Scriptures reoogniie: those who *(jA liiii... 'I t«tl'<:f'.' isttiuii- tiiislAiU 4*! ■«»! »*(. .irfw »s(«tri^ ■ki.w'Ji fe».' "•t»»-*»1' ■11 !*«'*• Ri'Hi teisrf^f ««iM?)^» 4;'i'-4>) ,'-T'!'!" ■It. Q'i >U: fHii All lii.,% i i>J>. 4!, u(,;-A ij^ II- ii!<:t*'.'bd h ir.tiU fl) Hi; '•a •'.m til' '/ iw ■h*A) h.'tt v>iu4 ■ r^ iii7(>V 1 . CA '.I- ,'.uf< W rt if.1 %"V r.4^tA H^h i«t*f • I IMMERSION-.' ,,„., :t CHAt1!ERI. lllj^: .!>iil i*li( I love thy te»t[monlt».— David. Most MBoredly I say to yon, nnless K man be bora of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.— John Uik, 6. Ue who shall beliere and be imnuraed shall be saved.— Mark xvi., t6. ;' ' Keform and be evdi of you immersed in thf name of Jeans ^Christ, in order to the ninls- sioD of sins, and you shall receive the ^ft of (be Holy Spirit. — Prru.— Acts ii. 88. '^nd now why do you delay ; Arise and be immersed and wash awa^^.youf sins, invoking his name.— Amamus to Saul.— Acts xxU. 16. , r.Uli 1 THE SCBIFnmS TESTIMONT ON IXMEBSION. For the convenieuce of students, and others who may desire to possess a ready reference to the Scripture togtimonies concerning immersMn, all the passages bearing upon the subject hiave been Collated and condensed, a^d to render them more intelligible in their disco4nected form, words and phrases from the context have been interpolated between brackets. [] The clauses' omitted from irrelevancy to the ptirposcs of this compilation are Indicated by asterisks, or " Stars." In all other respects the common version of the ^cw Testament has been strictly followed, excent the additional Jtalitizmg and^ translation of the word Baptize^ (bapti^o) in its several forms. Thb " Gospels." And he [John] oamo preaching ** the immersion of repontanoo for the roroission ' of sins. Luke iii. 3. ' John did immera'-, * and preach the iin^merfion of repentance for the reriissioa-^of sing. Mark i. 4. , , , .(ii;j>^. And were inimersea o{ him in the Jordan, confeesing their tins. Mai. iii. 6. ■ '^ And were all immersed of him, in the riv^r of Jordan, confessing their sins. ^ Mark i. 5. / Then said he to the multitude that came forth to bo immersed of him. Luke iii. 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduoeos come to his immersion. Matt. iii. 7. Then came also publicans to be immersed. Lake iii. 12. I indeed immersed you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh * shall immf/'se you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Matt. iii. 11. I indeed have immersed yon with water, but one mightier than I ccmeth ^ 9immersed of him. Matt. iii. Id. And it came to pass * * that Jesus came * * and was immersed of John in Jort dan. Mark i. 9. # 10 Bat John forbade him aaying, I have need to be imtnersed of thee, and comest thoa to mel * * And Jesue when he was immersed went up straightway out of the water. MaU. iii. 14, 16. Now, when all the people were immersed, it came to pa« that Jesus also being immersed. Lake iii. 21. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees, and they ^ * said unto him. Why immersed thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Ellas, neither that pro- phet 7 John answered tiiem saying, I immerse with water ; but there standeth one among yoa whom ye know not, ■* * (These things were done in Bethabara where John If t* immersing.) John i. 24, 39, 28. And I knew Him not ; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come immersing with water. * * He that sent me to imntrse with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thoa shalt see tM Spirit desoending and remaining on Him, the same is He which immersest with the Holy Ghost. Jonn i. 31, 33. After these ^.hings came Jesus and His Pisoiples unto the land of Jndea, end there he turied with them and [they] immerstd [see second quotation below] And John was alto immersed in iGnun, neat to Salim, because there was much water there : and they oame and were immerstd. John iii. 22, 23. Then thure arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they oame unto John and said onto him, Kabbi, He [Jesus] * * immersest, and all men oome to him. John iii. 25, 2ft. When therefore, the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and immersed more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself immersed not, but his diseiples) he left Judea. John iv. 1, 2. He [ Jesas] began to speak unto the people concerning John '»' * [8a,jiag\ And all the people that heard htm, and [even] the publicans jr^tified God, being immersed with the immersion of John : but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God uainst themselves, being not immersed of Him. Luke vii. 24, 29, oO. And [Jesas] went away again beyond Jordan unto the place where John at flr^t immersed. John x. 40. But [Jesas said to the two sons of Zebedee] I have an immcrsiofi to be immersmd with; &nd how am I stn^htened till it be accomplished. Luke xii. 50. Ye know not what ye aak ; can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be immersed with the immersion Uiat I am immersed with 1 ** With the immersion that I am immersed withal shall ye be immxrsid. Murk x. 38, 30 ; and Matt. xx. 22, 23. [Jesus being questioned by a (deputation of the Jewish hierarchy asked them :] The immersion of John, whence was it, flrom Heaven or of men'{ Matt. xxi. 25 ; Mark xi. 30 ; Lake xx 4. Go ve therefore and teaoh all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father, and of tile Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things what- soever I have oonrmanded^ Matt, xxviii. 20. Atad he said unto them. Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is immersed shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark xvi. 15, 1ft. Acts of Apostles. " For John [saith Jesus to his ".postles] truly immersed with water, but ye shall be immersed with Uie Holy Ghost not many days hence. — Acts i. 5. Wherefore (said Peter to the disoiples " in those days") of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesas went in and out amongst us, beginning flrom the immersion of John * * must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. — Acts i. 21, 22. Then Peter said unto them (" the mnltitade" on the « day of Pentioost") Repent and be immersed, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. .^ Then they that gladly received the word were immersed.— Aota ii. 41 . But when they [the people of Samaria] believed Philip preaching the things con- cerning the Ki'^^om of GFod, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were imvurud, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed, also, and when he was im- mersed he continued with Philip. Aots, viii. 12, 18. Peter and John] when they were oorae down [from Jerusalem] prayed for them, [the converts] that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them ; only tliey were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Acts viii. 11 Repent imission them, n upon Lctsviii. And as they [Philip and the eunaeh] went on tfteir wapr th^ came unto a certain water : and the eunuch 8aid> see, here is water ; what doth hinder mo to be immerted * * And ^ey went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunnoh, and he tmmerted him. Acts viii. 36, 38. And now why tarriegt thou? arise and be immerted and wash away thy sins, call- ing on the name of the Lord. Aotzzii. 16. And he [Saul] received sieht forthwith, and arose, and yruimmeraed. Acts ix. 18. Then Peter said [at the house of Cornelius] * '*' That word [" which God sent unto the children of Israel "\ I say, ye know which was published throughout all Judea * ^ afler the immersion Thich John preached. Then answered Peter [on the same occasion after the Holy Qhost had fallen on all them which heard the word] Can any man forbid water that these [Oomelins and " his kinsmen and near friends"] should not be immersed which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we 1 And he commanded them to be immersed in the name of the Lord. Acts z. 47, 48. Then remembered I the word of the Lord how that he said, John indeed immersed with water, but ye shall be immersed with the Holy Ghost. Acts zi. 16. [In the course of Paul's ezhortation, in the syna^gne, at Antiooh, he said :] When John had firstlpreaohM before his [Jesus'] coming the immersion of repent- ance to all the people of Israel. Acts ziii. 24. And when she [Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened that she attended o the things which were spoken of Paul] was immersedy and her household. Acts zvi. 15. And he [the julorj took them [Paul and Silas] the same hour of the night (mid- night) and washed their stripes, acl was imfnersed, he and aHl his straightway. Acts zvi. 33. And Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue (at Corinth) believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were imm 'rstd. Actszviii. 8. This man [a certain Jew named ApoUos] * * spake and taug;ht diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the immersioft of John. Acts zviii. 25 And Paul said unto them (certain disciples who had '' not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghest") Unto what then were you immersed t And they said. Unto John's immersion. Then said Paul, John verily immersed with the immersion of repentance, saying unto the people that the^ should believe on * * Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts ziz. 3, 5. The Epistles, ^wimj ^ta&tw; ■■I'itM Know ye not, that so many of us as were immersed into Jesus Christ were im- mxrscd into his death ! Therefore w(» are bnned with him by immersion unto death . Bom. vi. 3, 4. Is Christ divided ? Was Paul crucified for you 1 Or were you immersed in the name of Paul 1 I thank God that I immersed none of you, but Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say that I had immersed in mine own name. And I [Paul] immersed also the household of Stephanus ; besides, I know not whether I immersed any other. For Christ sent mo not to immerse, but to preach the gospel. 1 Cor. 13 to 17. All our fathers wore under the ckond, and all passed through the sea, and were immersed unto Moses in the cloud and in th«> sea. 1 Cor. z. 1, 2. For by one spirit are wo all immersed into one body, whether we be Jews or Gen- tiles. 1 Cor. 12 13. Else what shall they do whieh are immersed for the dead, if the dead rise not at all I Why are they then immersed for the dead. I Cor. 15, 26. For aa many of you (Galatians) as have been ivimxrsed into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. iii. 37. Que Lord, one faith, one immersion. Eph. iv. 5. Buried with him (Christ) in immersion wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith ofthe operation of God. Col. il. 12. The like figure whereunto even immersiun doth also now save us (not the putting away ofthe filth ofthe flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter iii. 21. Baptismos. And when they (the Jews) come from the market except they wash, they eat not. \nd many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the immersion {baptismos) of cups ^q4 f ots. * Mark vii- 4. .11 1^ For (said Jeaoa to the Phariiees) laying aside th« oommandmeat of Ood, ye bold the tradition of men, aa the vimivernon (oaptiamot) of onpa and pots : and many other «uoh like Uiinga ye dp. Mark vii. S. Let as go on to perfection ; not laying again the foondation * of the dootrine of immertion (bapti»nio$.) Heb. ▼!• 2. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and dlTers immernon* {baptUnun) imposed on them anUl the time of reformation. Heb. iz. 10. Othir Passages. The following are sentences qaoted pro et e»7t.-.- Jesos answend (Nioodemus,) Verily, verily, I sa^ unto thee, Except a man be bom of water, and of the Spirit, he oannot enter into the kingdom of Qod. John iii. 5. Hosbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the churehf and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify apd cleanse it with the washing (foutroo) of water by the word. Epheuans v. 25, 26. Not by works of ruhtOQusneBS which we have done, but aeoordii» to his mercy he saved us, by the wasaing (loutroti) of regeneration, and renewing oi the Holy Ghost. Titus iii. 5. Let us draw near (the holiest^ witli a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled {errhantiimenoi) from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed (lehumenoi) with pure water. Heb. z. 22. Read context and 16th ch. Leviticus. Unto him (Jesus) that loved us, and washed (fousanti) us from our sins in his x>wn blood- Rev. i. $. The Oreek verb bapto is properly translated dip in Luke xvi. 2i ; John ziii. 26. Rev. ziz. 13, etc. OLB TESTAXZNT ITSAOB. Baptizo is found btit twice in the Old Testament. " Naaman plungtd himself seven times into the Jordan." 1 Kings, v. 14. " My iniquity over- whthnt me," (Baptizei) Isaiah, zxi. 4. Bafto occurs nineteen times in the Old Testament ; it is once translated eolor, twice weif twice plunge, and fourteen times dip. How is it that these words always translated ia the Old Testament, (from the Greek Septuagint Version) could not be translated when found in the New Testament by the same translators, into the same English words c s used in the Old. One reason is, KiUg James ordered the translators not to doit. mtW TESTAXEIIT USAGE. Bapto, with its compound aabaptOf is found six times in the New Testa- ment. BapHzo is found eighty times ; baptitmos four times. ^ Baptitma, twenty-two times. Baptitteet, fourteen times ; in all, one.hundred and twenty-six times. In the common version, bapto and embapto are always translated dip. Baptizo is twice translated toMh, Baptitmot is three times translated waehing. Baptinna and Baplieteet are never translated but transferred, the former into baptim, the latter into baptist. , They are never translated by any of the words sprinkle, pour otpuri/^f. 't r 18 ,«(>-; '»".iw\ CHAPTER IL TZSTDEOinr or UZICOCOAPHElUfr^' ' >m\ f.: X ii.( i.n^i.i .f,,1. rnier All Lexicogiaphtri and Critics of any note ara agreed in tbii.— Paor. StdaxT. '»'■ . ■ ■ ■ ■ ' ■ I propose to adduce the testimonies of learned witnesses as to the mean- ing of the Greelc words transferred to the common English Tersiou, by the terms b.iptize, baptUm, baptized, tfc, being in fact Greek words with English terminations. These testimonies of the most eminent lexicographers or writers of diction- aries of the Greek Language — the original language of the New Testament — clearly show that a proper translation of the word would give us itnmerte, immersion, immersed, 4rc., and that the words sprinkle and pour are not now, and never have been used as meanings of the word by learned men. Waldbros A.D., 1637, Defines — Baptizo, immtrgo, immerse. Immerse, submerge, bury in water, wash, bathe. Immerse, submerge, bury in wale'-, wash, bathe, BaptiMe, rnerge, bathe. Immerse, waA. Baptize^ mtrge, bathe. Baptixet merge, bathe. Merge, immerse, bury in u}ater, wash, bathe, baptixe. Merge, immerse, wash, bathe, baptist. Immerse, dip, plunge into water, wash, bathe, cleanse in water. Dip m bathe frequnUly, bathe, wash, im. meru, submerge. DoNNEQAN.— immeffe repeatedly into a liquid, anbmerge, soak, saturate. Passow.— Irt. Immerse often, siAmerge, hem:e moisten, wet} 3ud. Draw water ; 3rd. Baptize, wash. LiDDiLL ASD SooTT.— li^ Dtp repeatedly, sink, bathe; 2nd. Draw water} 3rd. Bapttzr. Okkknfikld.— /inm«r»«, immerge, submerge, sink, wash, eleanse, baptvte. Stephens ii 1672, II SCAPUIiA (( 1679, II Gkoroh Pasob. (( 1637, u J. C. SCIOOE. . . «( 1669, II SCHUKVELraS . . . <( 1667, II Lettsden « 1671, ne'« tel/with water; baptitma in the N. T., the act of immer- sion or uKuhittg. Stokius. — Baptixo generally, and by the force of the word, indicates the idea of simply dipping and dyeing, but properly it means to dip o;> immerse in water, Professor Stuart of the Jlndover llieological School, says, Bapto, Baftizo, mean to dip, plunge, or immerse with any liquid. All Lixicooraphbss and Critics or amy notb ark aorebdim this. See Biblical Repository for 1833, page 298. > CHAPTER HI. M>i ■■"^' CLASSICAL USAGE. From the earliest age of Greek Literature down to its clrge, (a period of about two thou- sand years,) not an example has been found in wliich the word (Baptieo) has any other meaning (tAan immerse). — Db. Conast. The following specimens of tUe use of the word by Greek writers who onght to know the meaning and application of their own language, corrobo- rate the authority of the Lexicons and show conclusively what action Grnck writers, writing for Greeks in the Greek language, understood the word to indicate. ^ Iflt. Of the proper meaning of 'Bnptizo : — " Lncian, in Timon, the man-hater, makes him say—' If I shonid see any one floatine toward me upon the rapid torrent, and he should, with outstretohed hands, beseech me to assist him, T would thrust him from me, bapttstng {baptizontaS him, until ho would rise no moro."' " V'\\i\M<\i.—*1hva pi ,.)iging,(haptizon) himself into the lake Copais.'" " Strabo, speaking of a lake near Agrijtentum, says : " ThiBgs that elsewhere cannot float, do not sink {baptizetthai.') Of a certain river he says : — ' If one shoots an arrow into it, the force of the water resiita it so much, that it' will scarcely sink (baptizesthai.' ") " Polybius applies the word to soldiers passing through water, immersed {.baptizo- menoi) up to the breast." <lunge Kbaptosi) into cold water. He speaks of giving diseased elephants water to drink, and dtp^ng (baptontes) \x«v into honey tor them." " Aristophanes, in his comedy of The Clouds, represents Socrates as gravely com- puting how many times the distonce between two of its legs, a flea could spring at one leap ; and in order to ascertain this, the philosopher first meited a piece of wax, and then taking the flea, he dipped or plunged (enebapJtes) two of its feet into it." " Heraclides Ponticus, a disciple of Aristotle, says : When a piece of iron is taken red hot from the fire, And plunged in the water {udnti bajitizetai), the heat, being quenched by the peculiar nature of the water, ceases." " Herodotus, in Euterpe, speaking of an Egyptian who happened to touch a swine, says : Going to the river [Nile] he dips himself (ehaphe eautomt with his clothes." " Aratus, in his Phaonom, speaks o{ theoonateUationCefhencaadipptng ibaptoou> his head or upper part into the sea. He says, If the sun dip ibaptoi) himself cloud- less into the western flood. Again, If the crow has dipped (ebapsato) his head into the river," Ac. " Xenophon describes the Greeks and their enemies as sacrificing a goat, a bull, a wolf, and a ram, and dipping (baptoutest into a shield [filled with their blood], the Greeks the sword, the Barbarians a spear, in order to make a treaty that could not be broken." " Plutarch, speaking of the stratagem of a Roman general, in order to insure vic- tory he says : He set up a trophy on which dipping his hand into blood, eis to i/iiiur, — (baptizai,) ho wrote this inscription, Ac. He also speaks of Iron jdnngfd {baptoineiion\ viz. into water, in order to harden it. Pltiiige (bap- o«) yourself into the sea." " Diodorus Siculus, whose ship being sunk or merged (baptistheisesu " Plat4) represents dyers who wish to make a permanent color, as first choosing out wool, sorting and working it over, and then {baptovsi) they plunge it, viz. into the dyestuff." « Epictetus, in a liiigment of his work says : As you would not wish, sailing in a large ship adorned and abounding with gold, to be stink or immerged (baptizcsthai). i so ,rge 19 *' Hlppoeratci ; Bball I not Uvgfa at ih« mati who diTti* (baptuonta) bin ihip by oTerlor.; cuea dipped (emiaptoiMnn) into aonr wine; dipping Ibaptoon) iponKes in warm water .'* And in the aame way in all parti of hit book, in instanoea almost with- ont number. « Heraolides says : When a piece of iron is taken red-hot fi-om the fire and plunged (hapitzetai) into water." «Heliodonis : When midnight huAphtnged (eiaptizon) the eity in sleep." FIOVRAinX USX. " Plataroh. ov«rv>helmed with debts baptiimenon." " Ghrysostom. Overwhelmed (baptixomenot) with innumerable cares." "Lneian : He is like one dissy and baptized or sunk (bebaptiemeno) — vis. into in- sensibility by drinking." '* Justin Martyr. Overwhtlmed with sins bebapttsmenos.*') « Aristotle^ spoaks of a saying among the Phenieians, that there wore certain places beyond the pillars of Heroulea, which when it is ebb-tide, are not overflotoed {me bapttzestbai) ; but at Aill tide kre overflowed (JuUakluzettluit) ; which word is hei^ used as an eg Jvalent for baptizetiJuii."^ X ** Plato. I mytelf am one of those who were drene/ied or overw/telmed bebaptit' menon yesterday, vis. with wine. In another place : Having overwhelmed (baptis- aseit Alexander irtth much wine. A youth overwhelmed (bapttzomenon), vii. with questions." " Philo Jndoeus. I know some, who, when they easily become intoxicated, before they are entire' ' overwhelmed {printekes iaptitthenai)» viz. with wine." ** Diodoms Sionlus. Most of the land animals that are intercepted by the river [Nile] perish, being ovenvh^lmed iba/ptizomena) ; here used in the literal sense. The river. Dome along by a more violent current, overwhelmed (ebaptise) many ; in the literal sionifleation. And because they, [the noblest] have a supply by these moans ^presents], they do not overwhelm their subjects with taxes." Dr. Conant, in the Appendix to the translation of Matthew, for the Ameri- can Bible Union, has collected two hundred and thxrty-tix examples in wbicb the word laptuco, or some of that family is used, in all of which cases the radical moaning of the word, which may be rendered by the English word tmiiMr«e, is never wanting. "These examples," he says, "are drawn from writers in almost every department of literature and science ; from poets, rhetoricians, philosophers, critics, historians, geographers ; from writers on husbandry, on medicine, on natural hist9«y, on grammar, on theology; from almost every form and style of composition, romances, epistles, orations, fables, odes, epigraui.?, sermons, narratives ; from writers of various nations and religions, Pagan, Jew and Christian, belonging to many different countries, and through a long succession of ages. In all, the Svord has detained its ground meaning, without change. From the earliest age of Greek Literature down to its close, (a period of about two thousand years,) not an exataple has been found in which the word has any other meaning. There is no instance in vohich it signifies to make a partial application of water by aff'usion or sprinkling, or to cleanse, to purify, apart from the literal act at immersion as the meant of cleansing or purifying." 17 CHAPTER rV. U8A0B OF THE OHUBOH I ATHEttS AND SOUFTirBB 711810X8, AHOmiT AND MODBUr. Not one haa ever translated any word of the Bapto family by ihr words, iprlnkle, pour, or purify.— Alixaxdib Oampi ill. . BABNAB18, a writer of the apostolic ag«, s 78, thai in baptism, " we indeed go down into the water." HiRMAS, of the same Age, "we go down into the water." JcBTiN Mabtyb, A.D., 140, says of the candidates, " they are bathed in the water." , , Tbbtpllian, A.D., 200 — " We are immersed." Oriqbn, A.D., 230—" By a bath we are buried with Christ." Yalibivs, a very learned critic, " baptism properly signifies immersion," GYPaiAN, describing what is Hecessa^ to baptism, " bathed in sa^tary water." »«»-• J«£ ■ Thb Apobtolio CoNBTiTOTtoHS, vcry aoclSrit Christian writings, "the water is instead of a burial, the immersion the dying with, the emersion the rising with Christ." Ctbil, Bishop of Jerusalem, A.D., 348, in speaking of a baptispi, " the body is dipped in water." " The body went down and came ujp." Ephmm, in the fourth century, says, that the head of Christ was " im- mersed." Basil the Great, A. D., 370 — " The bodies of those baptized are ap if buried in the water." ' • Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, 371—" He who is baptized into water, is wholly wet." Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 374 — ''Thou waSt immersed, that is, thou wast buried." USAGE 07 VASI07S VSBSIONS. .,,A .=>;-. ■ :> Mb. Gotch, of Trinity College, DiiblrnVthus gives the results of his critical examination of the rendering of the word baptizo in the ancient and many of the modern versions of the New Testament. " The oonolusions to which the investigation leads ua, aro — " With regard to the ancient versionai in all of them, with three exceptions, (vis. the Latin from the third century, and the Sal^dio and Basmurio,) the word baptiz» ia translated bj words purely native ; and the three excepted versions adopted the Oreek word, not by way of triibsferende, but in coniequenoe of the term having become current language. 18 " Of native worda employed, the SyriM, Anbio, Ethiopio, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, and earliest Latin, aJl signify to immerse ; the Anglo Saxon Doth to immerse and to eUaiae ; the Persic to loash ; and the Slavonic, to cross. The meaning of the word adopted from the Greek in Sahidio, Basmurip, and Latin, being also to im- merse. 2. ** With reffard to the modem versions examined, the Eastern generally adhere to the auoient Eastern versions, and translate by words signifying to immerse. Most of the Gothic dialects, vii. the German, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Ac., employ alter- ed forms of the Oot^ word stontfying to dip. The Icelandic uses a word meaning clmnsfi. The Slavic dialect* follow the anoient Slavonic ; and the languages formed from the Latin, including the English, adoptthe word baptizo ; though, with respect tu the English, the words wash and christen were iormerly used, as well as baptizn. It may perhaps be acceptable to place these results together in a tabular form, as follows : — VERSION. SlTKIAC: Peshito, Philozenian, Arabic : Polyglot, < Propaganda, Sabat, Persic, Ethiopic : Amhario, Egyptian : Coptic, Sahidio, Baamnrio, Armbhian, Slavonic : Ruflrian, Polish, Bohemian, Lithuanian, Livonian, or Lettiah, Dorpat Eithoniao, &o. fto. Gothic : German, Danish, Swedish, • Dutch, Ac. Ac. Icelandic, Anolo-sjixoN) liATIN * Of the early father?> Ante-Hieronymian, Vulgate, Frenen, Spanish, Italian, Ao. Su). English: Wioklif, Tindal, Welsh, Irish, Gielic, DATS. word employed. 2d cent, amad, Sth cent, amad, 7th cent, amada 47 times, 1071. amada, 1816. amada, 8th cent, shustau and shnyidan, 4th cent. shuUan, " 822. shustan, 3d cent, tanaka, 2d cent. {, „,. Idoent. }*«?'*» 5th cent, mogridtl nzo. 9th cent. 1619. 1585. 1593. 1660. 1685. 1727. 4th cent. 1522. 1524. 1534. 1460. 1584. 8th cent. 8th cent. 3d cent. 4tb cent. 1535. 1566. 1562. 1380. 1526. 1867. 160S 1650 Jerestiti, MEANINO. immerse, immerse, immerse. immerse. immerse. wash. immerse. immerse. i im/merse. \ plunge. immerse. immerse, cross. same root, erou. daupjan, taufen, dopk, doopen. dip. dip. dtp. dip. 4ip. skira, dyppan,fuUian, cleanse, dip/sleanse tingo, baptizo, baptizo, baptiser, ba^izar, baptezzare, immerse immerse immerse immerse immerse immerse wash, christen, ' iba^se, ; baptize, beddyddio, baisdim, haitdeaidi immtrse bathe, bathe, bathe.'* ■!^Sfi^-^i^-u^ 19 UHAOX or THX XNOXJIH TBAXKULTOM. ! • nt •-»•■,■ f Alexander Campbell, President Bethany College, Virginia, says :—" In tlie late London Hexapla, which lies before me, first published by Baxter London 1841, there are the six most prominent English versions, namely : that of Wickliff, A.D., 1380; Tyndale, 1584; Oranmer, 1539; Geneva, 165t; Anglo Rhetniah, 1682; authorized, 1611. Besides these six versions of most dis. tlnguished fame, I have more than as many others of much respectability, and some of them, upon the whole, of equal literary merit, such as Dod- dridge's, Thompson's, Wesley's, Penn's, the Anonymous, Campbell's four gospels, McKnight's epistles, Stuart's version of the Romans and Hebrews- works of much merit — besides some others of minor fame, not including a Baptist version, which, although I am in many points better pleased with it than with the common, I deem it improper to admit into this class of wit- nesses. NoWfO/$omtJ\ft€$n cofUfUU mtWcnm on my shelf, besides several partial ones, not one hMtMor trontlattd any word of the Baipio family by ikt vmdi $prinkU, pour or pur^y," CHAPTER V. TSSTIllOinXS OF BBFOBMBUI, AHHOTATOBS, CXITIOS FB0FE880B8, fte. ■ Hii'nyr- " It ii, Bays Augnati, a thing made out, vii : the ancient practice of Immersion ; lo Indeed do all the writers who have thoroughly investigated the subject oonclude. — Mosu Stuabt, LuTHiB. — " Baptism is nothing else than the word of Ood with immersion in water." " Baptism is a Greek word, and may be translated imaurtion, as when we immerse something in water, that it may be wholly covered." • • * " Being moved by this Mason I would have those that are to be baptized, to be altogether dipt into the water, as the word doth sound and the mys- tery doth signify." Calvin.— "The word baptizo signifies to tinm>< ;:> <^ir.i < bf asp*rtlon!«, batalVay^'of Iramerskm." ' ' ' ..:!.'> Ewim,—-*^ Paj>tiz9, in its primary and radical sea^e, I cpvei: yritn water. It is used to denote, j9r«/, I plunge or siulc completely under water." fioMmcT,-*-" tii'bttptixe Bignffiea to plunge, at iigmhted by all the worldl" ' Vbnevra.—" The, word 6aipifi;?itn to bapttsi, is nowhere lised in the pcrip- ture for sprinkling." Bi.ooMf»^..p»— " There is here (Rq?*. Ti> 4.) plainly a ref^fonce to the ancients mode of baptism by immersion ; and I agree with Koppe and Ro^i^n- muUer, that tl^^n \9,j:9om ^^rftgijet, it should hayd been abaQ4oned in most Christian churches" , aU W mhUm ■ . -. ScEOLZ.— On Matt. iii. 6 : " Baptism consists In the immersioti bf the whole body in waiBrJ'jIiuj«cat«s Ittdti fHfJ owiW ' » rt4nH«>aHT *''AtfG09Ti.'— *• fhe Wprd'bapiism, idcording to thia etymology and' usage signifies t6 immerse, submerge, i^c,,' dn^ the choice 6t the word b^ti'ayy an ag^ in which the later ^lidtom of sprinkling had' not been introduce J. ^' Bdtthak, in- his liarger Qrammart simply puts down " bopto to inimerse." 1tati."-A convert of Tyndale's says :--"So that these twb'thiiigi,'ihkt is, to'bep^iiUgied In the water and' lift uji agath, do signify and reprfese'iit ' the whole pith aftdete of ba'p'tisti:"'"* ,' ' Bezat— *'Nor indeed docs./o bmpiuein signify to vmA unless by conse- quence, ^or it properly taeans to immerse." . ■, ! . I.'- ,>..! ■> isint*!!! atM liV'T '■■■■. KC-RJ* ■ William Oati. — "The party to bi b(iptii^4 ^^^ wltoUy imnunriud or put under wuter." , . William Burkitt (On Rom. vi. 4,) says :-^" The! apostlei alludes, no doubt^ ^0 the anpient manner and way of baptizing persons in those hot countries, \fhich was by ipmersiop, or putting them under water for a time, and then raising them up again out of the water." JoBEPP BiNOHAv, speaking of baptism in the early ages, says : — ^The can- didates " were usually baptized by immersion or dipping of their whole bodies underwater." .^ v„; r . H{..iiq ftiii " > MuRATORi, an Italian historian, says : — Speaking of the Ambrosian Priests baptizing, " not by ablutidn, as the Romans now do, but by a certain species ot immersion" sajs :••••< which vestige of the most ancient and formerly every wheria used iminersion endures to thtk time." ' 98 John jk. Bmasji, on " much water," John iii. 23, says :- immorsion demanded." -"So the rite of L. S. DiYLiNOCS, speaking of John the Immerser, sayb : " He reoeired the name Voh BetptUton, from the otBece of solemn ablution and immenion, in which he oflioiated by a <*iTine command; for the word bapHuitkai, in the usage of Greeic authors signifiei immersion and emersion," JoHM C. WoLFioB, (On Rom. vi. 4,) says:— "Fjrmerly immersion imo water furnished a sign of burial in baptism." J^ Q. Koppi, (on Rom. vi. 4,) says '• — But this reasoning depends on a cer- tain peculiar usage which men used to practice, the rite of immersion in the water of baptism." JoHM Q. Ro8EiiMC{.Lii, (ou Matt. iii. 6,) says :— " To baptize is to immerse^, to dip the body, or the part of the body which is said to be baptised, going under the water." On Rom. vi. 4 he says . — " Immer'n.'on in t^e water of baptism, and the coming out of the same was, &e." " The learned rightly admonish us that * * * the rite of immersion ought to have been retained in the Ohristian church." OaBiSTiAH T. KowfRL, on John iii. 23, says :—" Because there was an abundance of water there, so much certainly, as Orotius remarks on this place, thf^t the human body might be ,^i^ily immersed, in it, in which man- ner bfptjsm wa? then performed." j,n^ GiDOiktiB G. Kmapp, says :-^" Immersion is peculiarly agreeable to the institution o^ Cfhrist, and to the practice of the apostolical church ; and so even John baptized, and immersion remained common along time after, &c." GsQBai Hill, says : — " The Apostle Paul, (Rom. vi. 4, &c.,) illustrates this connection (between baptism and forgiveness of sina) by an allusion drawn from the ancient method of administering baptism. The immersion in water of the bodies of those who were baptized, is an euibiem of that death unto sin, by which the conversion of Christians is generally e irpressed ; the rising out of tue water, the breathing the air again, after Laving for sometime been in another element, is an emblem of that new life whicli Christians by their profession are bound, and by the power of their religion are enabled to lead." Georgk Waddinqton, says : — " The ceremony of immersion (the oldest fo^m of baptism) was performed in the name of the three persons of the Trinity." RoBiBT Haldane, says :— (On Romans vi. 3,) " The rite of baptism ex- hibits Christians as dying, as buried, and as risen with Christ" Hkbii AN Olshacsin, (On John iii. 23,) says :— " John also was baptizing in the neighborhood, because th9 water theve being deep, afforded conveni' encea for submersion '," and on Romans vi. 4, "see no more in it (baptism) 11 '1' I!,! I In , Siiii tiian a figure, as if by the one the half of ancient rite 6f baptishi, the sub- mertfionf the death and the burial of the old man; by the second half, the d out of the water. That this rite has been changed is indeed to be lamented ; for it placed before the eyes most aptly, the symbolical accuracy of baptism." Thomas Chalmibs says :— (On Romans vi. 4.) •' The original meaning of the word baptism is immersion. • • • We doubt not that the prevalent style of the administration in the Apostles' days was by an actual submerg- ing of the whole body under water. * • * Jesns Christ by death underwent this sort of baptism, ev^n imiherston under the surface of the *Moses Staart, of Andover, Mas>., writing In Maj, 1848, tayji :— '• No living writer in the Proviiim of theol6gy, iMored areliftoIagT-, and RebnW ani Or««k philology and exegeili can lay dalm to moro dtetinettoo la regard to axtent and aocm^oy of knowledge acquired by itudy than DeWette." 25 ter accord- ground, whence be soon emerged again by his renurrection. We, by being baptized into his death are conceived to hare made a similar translation. In the act of descending under, the water of baptism to have resigned an: old life, and iu the act of ascending to emerge into a second or a nuw life«! ,, , , Jkhuar BARHKa (In his notes on Romans vi. 4) says : — " It is altogether probable that the Apostle, in this place, had allusion to the custom of baptizing by immersion." .,« i WihUAU Tbollopx says :~"In that rite the immersion of 'the body in imitation of Christ's death and burial /or hn, implies an engagement on the part of the baptised to dio lo tin, and the rising from the water in imitation of his Msurrection, implies the commencement of a new life pledged to virtue and holiness." HiNRT Alvob», speaking first of proselyte baptism then of John's says :■'— " The bal[)ti8m was administered in the day time by immersion the whole person." * * * " It is most probable that John's baptism, in outward form, resembled that of proselytes." li^wri m- , JoBiPH Bknson (On Romans vi. 4) srtys i-— " Therefore we are buried with Rim,, alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion." M. Q. BucHNXB lays:-— "In the first time persons to be baptized were iteimersed, while at the present day they are only sprinkled with water," F. A. G. Tholdck says ; — (On Romans vi. 4) " For the explanation pf this figurative description of the baptismal rite it is necessaxy to call the atten- tion to the well-known circumstance, that in the early days of the Church persons when baptized were first plunged below and then raised above the water." Philip Schaff says :— " Finally, as it repeals the mode and manner of outward baptizing, there can be no doubt that immersion and not sprinkling was the original normal form. For which even the signification pf the Greek words with which the rite was described declares ; then also the analogy of John's baptism who performed its acts in the Jordan; moreover, the New Testament comparisons of baptism with the passage through the Red Sea. (1 Cor. x. 2) With the deluge. (1 Peter iii. 12) With a bath. (Eph. V. 26. Tit. iii. 12) With a burial and a resurrection. (Romans vi. 4, CoL ii. 12) Finally it was the universal usage of the Churches'of antiquity to baptize by immersion as the Oriental Churches, and also the Russian-Greek Churches do to this day." W. J. OoMYBBARK S3ys : — " It IS needless to add that baptism was • • « administered by immersion. The converts being plun^^dd beneath the surface of the water to represent his death to the life of sin, and then raised from this momentary burial to represent his resurrection to the life of righteousnesB. It must be a subject of regrets that the general discontinuance of this original form of baptism * * * has rendered obscure to popular apprehension some very important passagea of Scripture." And (on Rpm. 26 ill :i::i: tL 4) he says :— " ThU passage cannot be nnderstood, unless it be borne in mind that the primitive baptism was by immersion.'^i y^i' : In- , RoMBT Baholat, a Quaker, says: -"The Greek wttM ftip^w'sfj^lfl^s immergOf that is to plunge and dip in, and that was the proper use of water baptism among the Jews, and also by John and the pvimitite Ohristians who used it." Db. Whitbbt, of the Ghurch of England, says :— (Oil Romans ti. 4) " It beinflr so expressly declared here and Gol. ii. 12, that we are buried with Christ in baptism by being buritd under wattr, and the argument to oblige us to conformity to His death by dying to sin being taken hence, and this imnurMton being religiously observed by Ohristians for thirteen centuries and approved by our Church, and the change of it tti $prinkling even without any allowance from the author of thie institution, or any license from any Council of the Church being that which the Romanist still urgeth to justify his refhsal of the cup to the laity, it v,v.e to be wished tb«,t the custom might be again in general use." i»r>f ivt^ffffv^ifr !»■, Fbamcib p. Kbmriok, Catholic Bishop of Philadelphia, of whom Cardinal Wiseman says : — " His varied and extensive learning, his great researches, his distinguished abilities, and his sound orthodoxy, combined with his high position in the Church, must give weight to all that he publishes," and aiy work, of whom the Cardinal says " must be received with interest and respect by every Catholic who speaks the English language," in his trans- lation of the New Testament retains " baptize " in the text, but makes this marginal rendering and remark at Matt. iii. 6. " Immersed this is the obvious force of the term." Sib Nobton Knatohbdll says : — (On 1 Cor. xv. 29) " Why are they immersed for, the dead that is as dead? if not that by the emersion from the water (which is a type of resurrection after burial) they may be assured that if they also themselves rise from death, in sin, to walk in newness of life, they will also after death rise with Christ into glory." Cabdimai. Wisiman.- " We retain the name of baptism, which means immersion." AcrocBTng Nianokb says :—" Baptism was originally administered by immersion. To this form many comparisons of the Apostle Paul alludes. In respect to the form of baptism, it was in conformity with the original Institution, and the original import of the symbol performed by immersion." ChablibAhtbov, LL.D., editor of various classical works, and Episco- palian Professor of Latin and Greek, in Columbia College, New York, says : " The primary meaning is dip or immerse. Secondary, if it has any refers to the same leading idea. Sprinkling is entirely out of the question." Db. Auqubti, says :— " Baptism denotes plunging dipping and the like," '^ Riv. Db. Trbnan, Roman Catholic, says :— '* Plunged into the water ; baptize strictly conveys this signification as all the learned arej^agreed." " -* Hi' 27 Bishop Niobolboh, says :— " In baptism, while our bodies are under the water, we may bo said to be buried with him." Abioum, a Gaiholio, says :-r" Aipttsw ito immerse to submerge, r^' .t< ' * It was AS bei^g an entire sabmersion vnder the Water." v m ' < 'I'BiBtaop Tatlob, says:—*' The custom of th6 aiiciint churchei Was not sprinkling but immersion, in ptirsuance of the sense of the word in the commandment and the example of our blessed Saviour." n . il ,. ToWiBsOK, says :—" Evident fwjofi th^ natire significance of tlfe #brd baptito, which signifies an immersion or dipping into some liquid thing."' ZwiNGu, says: — (Ou I^omans vi. 3) "When ye were immersed into the water of baptism ye were ingrafted into the death of Chript." ' , ' . i , .?niup LoaoBOH, says;:—" Baptism, then consists in,, ablution, or rather in imme^ion, of the whole body into water." ., .ummiinn J. S. T0BBBTIB, says >^0n Romans vi. 4) "And indeed baptism was per- formed in that age and in those countries by iitmersion of the whole body intO' water." Locke says:— *' We did own some kind of death bj* being buried under the water. • *^' ''^ Even so, we being raised from our typical death and buried in baptism shouldlead a new sort of life." '*"*' ''' <'>«''^-*^"*'> »'«« AncHBisnop TiLLOTBOH says :—" Anciently those who were baptized were immersed, and buried in the water to represent their death to sin, and then did rise up out of the water to signify their entrance upon a new life, and to these customs the Apostle alludes. — Romans vi. 4." .«j ■ • ,, ., , ■ , . • Archbishop Skckkb says :— " Buryii^g as jt were the person baptized in the water, and raising him put again without, question, was anciently the more usual method," • , u,.n,,^.ff.M . ,' , j^.^^rf, !>» ^r;- ' Sait. Olarke says : — "In the primitive times the manner of baptizing was by immersion or dipping the whole body into the water." ..j,-,,j ^'por^AsjiM' \« Wells says : — " St. Paul here alludes to immersion or dipping the whole body under water in baptism." Assembly of Divines say : — "Wo, also, when we are baptised are buried, as it were, in the water for a time, but after are raised up to newness of life." Richard Baxter says : — " It is commonly confessed by us • • • that in the Apostles' times the baptized were dipped over head in the water." Beza (On Mark vii. 4) say? -.—Christ commanded us to be baptized, by which word, it is certain, immersion is signified." Philip Mblanotuoit says : — " Baptism is immersion into water." Greenfield says : — " Whatever may bo its derivation, it is perfectly clear that its proper signification is to immerse." Bishop Bosscet, says : — " We are able to make it appear by the acts of councils and by the ancients rituals, that for thibtbin hdhdsbd years 28 m m i %' \mpi\na was thos (by iiameriion) administered tlirouglioQt tli« wBol« church as far as possible." Db. BBimm, a Roman Catholic Historiaa^ says :— *' Thirteen hnndMd years baptism was generally and ordinarily an immersion of the person under water, and only in extraordinary cases a sprinkling or pouring with water^ the latter as a mode of baptism, was, moreover, called in question, aye, even forbidden." Mb. Waui (who explored all the voluminous writers of antiquity in search of evidence of Infant Baptism) says :~" This [immersion] is so plain and clear by an infinite number of passages, that as one cannot but pity the weak endeavors of such Pedo-BaptistB ias would mftihtaiii the negative Cf it, so we ought to disown and show a dislike of the profatu icdfft which some people give to the English Anti-Pedo-BaptistSi merely for the use of dipping ; when it was, in all probability, the way by Which our blessed Saviour, and for certain, was the most usual and ordinary way by which the ancient Christians did reedive their baptism. 'Tis a great want of prudence as well as of Aoneitf to refuse to grant to an adversary what is certainly true, and may be proved so. It creates a jealousy of idl the rest one says. The custom of the Christians in the near succeeding times (to the Apostles) being more largely and particularly delivered in books, is known to have been generally or ordinarily a total immersion. PaonsBOB Gaktbiu. says; — ''I have heard a disputant in defiance of etymology and use, maintain that the word rendered in the New Testa- ment— (aptits — means more properly to . sprinkle than to plunge, and in defiance of a/2 antiquUif, that the former was earliest and the most general practice in baptizing. One who argues ia this manner' never foils with persons of knowledge U betray the cause lie vxtuld defend, and though with respect to the vulgar, bold assertions generally succeed as well as argument, and sbmetimes better ; yet a (mniid aiind will always ditdain to take the help o//a/MAoo(2, even in the support of truth." vi:,iMi 4.i:.,-t 1. ^^: .IT "' 29 ohapteHi ti. i 'j; THB TBflTmoinr or staxbabd skctcloposdiab. Baptism In the ApoatoUo age was performed by immersion.— Edin. Enc. Brbs' Gtcolopkdu : — "Baptism in Theology, framed from the Greek bi^tixo of baptOf I dip or plunge. * * * In the primitive times this ceremony was performed by immersion, a4 it is to this day, in the oriental cburcbes, according to the original signifioatlon of the word." Encyclopedia Amrbican: — "Baptism (that i» doping, immernng from the Greelc baptize) was nsual with the Jews, and is even before Ghrist. * * « In the time of the Apostles the form of baptism was very simple. The person to be baptized was dipped id a river ot vessel, with the words which Christ ordered." Edimboroh ExcYCLOPEDiA :— " Baptism in the Apostolic age was performed by immersion. Many writers of respectability maintain thiit the Qreck verb baptix0f as well «s its Hebrew synonym, sometimes denotes s{irinkling ; but the various passages to which they appeal will lead every candid mind to a different conclusion." *.,.: t ;,.,{.,; ,„,, ,^, LoxDON Pekny Emoyclopbdia :—'• The nilihner In Krh'ich it {baptism) was performed appears to have been at first by complete immersion. It was the practice of the English Church from the beginning to immerse the whole body." .B Encyclopedia Britannica : — " The custom of sprinkling • ♦ instead of dipping • * • has so far prevailed that immersion is now ijuite excluded." With all these witnesses and their different characters and established authority taken into account in determining the meaning of the word baptizo, and in indicating the action represented by it, I can with great confidence come to the conclusion of Mosis Stuart, expressed in the followii% forcible words :— " It is, ' says Augusti,' a thing made out, viz : the ancient prac- tice of Immersion. So, ikdebd, all the writers who have THonocoHLY iNVEBTiOATBD THB SUBJECT CONCLUDE I / know of fio u$age of anctoit times which »e€m$ to bt more cltarly and certainly made out. I cannot tee how it is pot$^k for any tandid man who txaminet the tnbject to deny this." 30 CHAPTER YH. WHY THE WOUDI BAPTXZB, *«.. WEES EOT TEAEILAT^ BUT TBAE8FEBESD. The old ccolMlMtioal wordi to be keptf-^KiRo Jaims. Kino Jame8 appointed the translators (of the Com. Yer.) supported them, and provided the rules on which their version should bo made ; one of vrhich was "the old ecclesiastieal words to be kept, as the yrori Ckuirth not to be tranilated Congrtgation." Hu-^iri. .-t< v^.t ■, .riJ Edward Stiank, D.D., speaking of baptize, &c., in King James veriiidn, sa^s : — " These were consecrated words ; and superstition, Church authority and the command of a pedantic King combined to hold them in their places, notwithstanding the manifest absurdity and criminality of thus muffling up the ordinance of Christ, till its fair but dishonored countenance is no longer known." Edwabd BaiOHXR, D. D., says :— " At the time of the translation of the Bible a controversy had arisen, as it regards the import of the word, so that although it was conceded to have an import in the original, yet it was impos- sible to assign to it in English any meaning without seeming to take sides in the controversy then pending. Accordingly, in ojrder to take neither side they did not attempt to give the sense of the term in a significant English word, but merely transferred the word baptize with a slight alteration of termina- tion to our language. The consequence was, that it did not exhibit its original significancy to the mind of the English reader, or indeed any signiticancy except what was derived from its application to designate an external visible rite. In short, it became merely the name of* a rite, and had a usage strictly technical and lost to the car Whatever significance it originally had." •; Rbv. Jfc Huamc?, Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, on "being informed that Dr. Carey had rendered baptizo " to immerse," wrote to Rev. Andrew Fuller in 1813 thus : — " The rendering which concerns baptism I might deem it proper to exchange for the undefined one adopted in our version." Wm. Grkknbibld, in his masterly defence of the Mahratta version, having spoken of baptiso as translated sometimes " to immerse," and sometimes " to wash," adds : — " The only other mode that has been adopted (for I believe none has the hardihood to render baptizo, to pour or sprinklt) is that ai of retaining the Greek word, as the baptiMure of the Latin, tb« beUtagars of the Italian, the baptiatr of the French, and our baptize. This is obviously no translation, and but darkens counsel by words without knowledge." Rsv: A. Broaddus, says : — " The word baptixt introduced into our version of the New Testament, it is agreed is not a translation, but the Qreek word in an Bnglish fornix Greek baptiMO (baptise) carries no meaning to a mere English reader." ' "'^ .;.■>(" AdokiWam Jdd8oi(, D. D., says t— "Had the Greek word baptixOj which denotes the principal action in this ordinance, been tratulated in the English vciuion of the New Testament there would probably have been among English readers no dispute concerning its import. Had either of the Eng- lish words wa«A or spfinkle, or immerse, been substituted for the Greek wfrd* an ^nglish reader would in^tantily conceive an appropria^ meaning. But UMiAf riLY, our translators have retained the origiivil word and contented themselves with merely changing its termination." • nee 18 no ; *&l\\wiS;S;*V4 V' i^^x.U j;M ,^- M .iC-^ ,ii;ji^ )U «U. 44 i.*^ai!i| t -H'i J,f., 'iJt'»*aptiied in their beds, if they recover agtUn, should after- WWdsgo to toe Bishop that no might supply what was wanting in that baptiSm." This cliaie baptism riowly advanced, but never got into, much favor for thirtttn centuries. As to the introduction and progress of sprinkling, the Edinburgh Cyc- lopatdia gives the following account :— <'The first law for q^nkline was obtained in the following manner:— Pope StMhen II. being driven flrom Rome by Adoli^ns, king of the Lombards, in 753, fled to fufin, who, ft short time befbre, bad usurped the crown of France. Whilst he remained thwre, the monks of Cressy, in Britany, consulted him whether, in case of necessity, baptism poured on the head of the infant would be lawfhl. Stephen replied that it would. But though the truth of this fact be allowed— which, how- ever, some Oathdies deny— yet pouring, or sprinkling, was admitted only in eaaet of lutetsitp. It was not till the year 1811 that the legislature, in a oonnoil held at Ravenna, declared immersion or sprinkling to be indifferent. In Scotland, how- ever» Bprinkltaw was never iMraetised in ordinary cases, till after the Refonnation, (about the middle of the sixteenth century.) Vwm Scotland, it made its way into Eni^and, in the reign of Bliiabeth, but was not authorised in the Established Ch}Utii.**'—Art. Baptutth Wallj the most learned and able of Pedo-baptist writers, gathers up into one paragraph » volume of evidence in attestation of the fkct just now asserted. I shall {^ve nis words in lien of a hundred extracts which can be readily gleaned from eoolesiastie writers : — " France seems to have been the first country in the world where baptism by • " This word periekuth«t», ftuflnua very well renders per/usua, beiprtnkled • for people who were slek, and were baptlied in their bade, oovld not be dipped in water by the priest, but were sprinkled witk water by him. This baptism was ttiought Imperfect and not solemn, for several reasons. Also, they who were thus baptised were called ever afterwards, eUmoi; and, by the 19th canon of the Council of Neoosesarea, these clinici were proUbtted the prl«aUieod.**—AM«Mt4«. :''^v ( Ill I i„ , , ( 84 nffiuimi wai QMd ordlniurily to penoni In healthi and In the pvblio waj of ftdmin- istoring it. Thoy Ithe Auomblv of Dlvinei at WeaminiterJ roformed th«/# wbatflo«ver^tLll by thtmtelve$. What baa been said of this custom of poiliriAg or spHtoUiM Water in the ordinanr use of l)aptiBm> is to be understood only in reference to these Western parts of Europe ; for it is used ordinarily no whore else. The Oreek Church, in all the branches of it, docs still use immersion ; and they hardly count a ehild, ezoept in oaae of aiokneaa, well baptised without it. And ao do all other Chriatiana in tbe world> ezcspt the LaUna. That which I hinted before^ ia a rule that doei Hot fhil in iMj paraonlar that I Icnow of, vis. All the nationa of Christians that do now, or foicnierly did submit to the authoritT of the Bishop 'of Borne, do ordinarily baptise thetr infants by pouring or sprinluiag. And though the Bngliah raoeived not this euskom till after the decay of Popery, yet ther have since reooivod it from such neighboring nationa as had begun in the time of the Pope's power. Btat aH ottier Christiana in the world, who never owned the Pope^a usurped power, do, and ivtr did, dip their infants in the ordinary uao." — Hittory of .Tnfaiu'Sapti$m, Part U. ehap.ix. More water waa never sprinkled on man. woman^ or ohlld by any divine warrant or formulary, under any dispensation of religloii, Patriarohalf Jewish, or Christian. Here, then, is the Law and the Testimony. Let an example be produced. , Blood was sprinkled, and water mingled with bloodi or with tbe aahea of a blo^d- rod hoifor, called sometimoa clean or puro wateri a oontraotion £»r *' the water ef purification," " the water of separation," <'.the water of olieanaing." And atrange though it may appear, some commentators have wholly misoopoelTed the phrase clean loater, not discriminating between the Qentilo and Jewjah aenae or those terras : yet to confound the true Lord Ifrlth the " lorda many " of OontUiam, is not more warrantable than to eonfoand *< clean waler^' with water flree'ftam any foreign admixture. B«ferenoe «an be had to Avery passage in the Bible on thia subject. I have examined them one by one j and h^ie is the aan of them. Water was never poured, in anv inatanoe,' upon a human being In virtue of any statute, law, or regulation of divine authority, for the purpoae of sanotiiMng, purifying, or cleansing him from any kind of legal, ceremonial^ or moral poUntton— for the saJte of healing him or cloaaaing him vim. any malady,, physioal or mental. Water mingled with ashes is commanded to be sprinkled, »» a water of separation, or of cleansing persons polluted by any oontaoiwith things forbidden, or declared unclean. The only passages in tne Bible, Old Testament or liew, in which this subject is tnentioned, are— Num. viii. and 7tb: "Sprinkle water of purifying [sin-water \n the mai^n] upon them* [thoL.v'tes,] and let them shave all their flesh, and lot them wiuh their clothes »jidm').k< themselves elean." Again, Num. xix.lSth^ 18th, 19th, and 21at versos. TLa nuuiufaoture of this "sin-water,". or water of purification— the law of the red beif v without spot, and Ahe j^par^ttion of her ashes, and the manner of them, are detailed ia. this ohi^iter.. These fOar passages are the only passages in tho law of Moees that speak of sprinkling water. Allusion to this ''clean" or," cleansing water" is found onee,and onlyoBoe in tho Prophets — " Then will I sprinkleclean water upon you." Esekiol zxxvi. 26. In the New Testament, we find the term "sprinkle" only seven times. Heb. ix. 19, 21, " Moses sprinkled both tho book and) all the people with Uood.V Heb. z. 22, " Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies waahml with pure water." In Heb. ix. 12, we have an allusion to the red heifer: '*;The ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean-" Heb. xi. 28 also afibrds another instance : " Moses kept the sprinkling of blood." And Hob. xii. 34 alludes to the " blood sprinkling." While Peter, in his 1st Epistle, \t 2, alludes to the sprinkling of Christ's Blood. So that sprinkling of water reeeives no countenanoe whatever from th? Now Testament. We have, indeed, diverse bathings in water alone, t]]|0Qgh no sprinkling of water alone, in tho law. In Leviticus, ohapter zv. venet 5,8^10, 11>18, 18> li,21, 22,27. 30 H«ro an ton divwnt bklhlngt ia one ehantor. The whole il«4i li laid to be bathed, or the whole person bRthod, in order to cleansing. Also, Lev. xv\. 36, 38, thnro are two other bathings In order to oleaniing— he that oarried off the soapo-goat, and he thatt bnmed the remains of the offstings of the great day of atonoinont, In Lov. xvii. 1^, 10, another batliing of the person and a washing of tho clothes thr purification. In Num. also, xix. 7, 8, 19, we hare throe other bathings in order to eleansing. In all, we h#ve siztoen dittinct bathings mentioned in order to purification. These washings or bathings are uniformly expressed by limo, and contrasted with pourings and sprinklings. jSow tho bathing was aooompilshod wo aro not told, only that it wof not dene bf sprinkling nor pour- ing. Those are therefore called bj Paul " diverse baptisms," or paptiims on diverse ocoaslons.f' ' ' (Ill :l >\ini .» '"If; iivni:: is Aoeording to all tho oridenoe now beiore us, and, indeed, from all that written in tho Jewish and Christian Horiptures, the following oonclueions are ascertained facts: — That upon persons and things blood was sprinkled; on the human person or head oil was poured ; but water was never religiouslv sprinkled or poured { but the washing or immersing in it was the universal— the immutable praetioe since the world began. Blood had primary respoet to gtollt ; therefore, it was sprinkled. Oil had primary respect to tho Spirit ; therefore, It was poured out. Wator had primary respeet to cleansing the person from pollution ; therefore, immersion or oathing in it was always obligatory on those who seaght personal cleansing from legal or any othoi sort of uncleannosa. Touching the moaning of the blood>red heifer and her ashes, it is important to kn6W thM blood could not be sprinkled only when warm : therefbre, neither by itself nor in wator was it adapted to aspersion. But, to show that its virtue was sot momohtory as its boat, and that the atoning efficacy of saorifice continued long lifter the death of the victim, the burning of the heifer fttid the preservation of her ashes for an ago was an admirable provision. And, boeause many are to partake in the efficacy of ono sacrifice, the joint distribution of it was beautifully adumbrated by the action ot sprinkling. Good reasons can be given for the three actions, sprinkling, pourinc, dipping ; i^d for their never bein|[ confounded in Holy Writ. fie heart is sprinkled, tho nead anointod, abd the boay bathed. Infant or adult . rinkling witli wator is a pi ' ' evidenco In Old Testament or sprinkling with wator is a papal legend, an idlo ceremony, without a shadow of lew.* ■>;■.! ' lit n) uitiUa L.Mf. iilii CHAPTER X. At titu- r'/ i.iir INFANT SPBINKLINGh-THE INVENTION OF MSN. There Is absolutely not a trace of it to be found lu the New Testament.— North , :, ' Dbitish Revibw. Pnof. J. L. Jacobi aaya: — "Infant Baptism was established neither by Christ nor his Apostles." Db. W. a. L. DbWkttk says : — "Infant Baptism had not come into use prior to the time of Tertullian." ■ ••UU'i' * It is worthy of note, that these actions under the law were always on persons a ready members ; and not to make them such. "'.fJiV •'"-:';*: '■:,'.! :}.ui.Ui.^4^^::^:i.x : 3d iW '1 r WmBR gays :— " TertaUiait (Who flourished about A. D. 200) i§ the first that mentions Infant Baptism." , Van Oolu says: — "All the earlier traces of Infknt Baptism are very uncertain. Tertallian is the first who mentions it, and he censures it," JcsTiN MABTm, the earliest Ohristian Father, says: — "We were born without our will ; but in baptism are to bftTe choice, knowledge, kc. This we learu from the Apostles." LsiBNiTz. — " Without the authority of the Church the baptism of children could not be adequately defended, for there is no example in its faror in the Sacred Scriptures." North British Rbvikw.-^" Scripture know* nothing of the baptism of infants. Jltere u dbtolutely not c single tract of it tobe/oMndin the New 2'ettameni." " That the recognized baptism of the ancient church was that of adults ♦ •!*•' cannot indeed tdmit of a doubt." Dr. Hodob, says :— >" In ii3 part of the New Testament is any other con- dition of memlierrfhip in the church prescribed than that contained in the answer of JPhilip to the eunuch, ^ho,49^d I^j^ptism, 'If tb(m b!eneye,#| with all thy heart thou mayeat.' " ./- n- fWi>i»r if Dr. Woods says :— We ha^e no express precept or example for Infant Baptism in all our holy writings." S. T. OoLBBiDOB says.' — "(Historically considered) there exists no suffi- cient positire evidence that the baptism of infants was instituted by tl^e Apostles in the practice of the Apostolic age." Olshausbn says : — " Of the inference to Infant Baptism which is often sought for in this narratiye (Matt. xix. 14) there is evidently po trace." Nbanobr says : — " It is certain that Christ did not ordain Infant Baptism." PRor. Langb says :—" Would the Protestant Church fulfil and attain to its final destiny, the baptism of Infants must of necessity be abolished." Thomas Chalubrs, D. D., says :— " If the Scriptures give us no other testimony in favor of Infant Baptism they give, as at least the testimony of their silbmcb." Gilbert, says :— " Without the aid of tradition thie practice of baptizing infants cannot be satisfactorily vindicated." Doctrinal Catbcrisv, approved by Roman Catholic Archbishop Hughes. Q, How do Catholics prove that Infants ought to be baptized ? ^ A. Not from Scripture alone, which is not clear on this subject, but from the Scripture illustrated by the constant tradition of the church. It does not appear from Scripture that even one infant was ever baptveed, therefore Protestauts should reject on theiif own principle infant baptism as an unscriptural usage." Bishop Burmbt :— " There is no express precept or rule given in the New Testament for the baptism of infants." it the first I are very >B it," were born ledge, ke. at children iTOr in the Mptiim of n the New kwas that other con- ed in the : belieTegf for Infant I no luffi- sd by tt^e 1 is often 5e." Baptism." ain to its » no other imony of baptizing Hughes. but from // does therefore a as an the New Martin Ldthkr, says : — " It cannot be proved by the Sacred Scriptures that Infant Baptism was instituted by Christ, or begun by the first Ghris- tianb after the Apostles." Pbofbbsob Stuart, says : — " Commands or plain and certain examples (of Infant Baptism) " I do not find.*' '■ So shall He sprinkle many nations " (Isa. lii. 16), is often quoted to prove sprinkling. The best critics, however, agree that this is a mistranslation, and should be rendered, " So shall He astonish many nations," alluding, doubtless, to the sufferings of Christ. Wherever the Qospel should be preached, the nations of the earth would be attonithed by hearing the stor)> of Christ crucified. Rev. Albert Barnes, a distinguished Fedobaptist, of Philadelphia, says, in his notes upon this text—" It furnishes no argument for tbd practice of sprinkling in baptism.": ■i 1. .. I'll., U»l*C:1C4i ):t*MOhaiiU, -U 'U ■iii«4i lfli«Aq*}A Jti ,1>.«a(iw^J ":ii/.'V BAPTISM. " The most 8pe<^idd sense they get , *' i / . ^ a \i^ The term imports somehow to wet V '*''"' '"*' ■'^H''"''**t J-nftwAJ^ If water only he applied .SvjbI That will suffice can't be denied. ■-■.:■ I'h..,hu Each mtin may choose his manner no^, ' " ' ' If each is pleased, no matter AtfTf. . i •• «.i*i No matter how ? Then wl^is't where 1, And why the crown of face prefer T . , ^ j.^, . , , .* v Why should the region of the ^©80 f'^ ^ «**'*^^»*''' Xl«**f^Vi»Tfe ■?■*)!» >jf«i>,#.U*l The shoulders to sustain tiie load? The neck the christian yolce to bear. And serve tiie Lord with holy fear ? Why not the sacred rite impart About the region of the heart 1 .... ,i , ^j -,. . What, in the nature of the case, '* *^ - ^" ' Should miAe you always choose the fboe 1 i 1* il«if? ^At *v*t Jtsj 'Tis somewhat strange* we freely own That those who preach immersion dowa^ Should, after all the things they say, Consent to tread thisfrautio way* And from the pulpit straight repair To practice what they censured there. How can we, without wonder, mention^ &ich vast, such friendly condescension} Rather than lose a wandering sheep, Whom all their reasoning cannot keep* To please the man, but not his Ood* They will immerse him in the flood. Now be consistent, condesbender. Thy own good name due service render* Make not thy reputation bleed, By ridiculing thy oum deed. Remember, too (pray don't despise What one sincerely would advine*) Before thou dost the work bcKin, *< What'er is not of JUth is 4 ...... Wit i ■«'-■ f> ■I B. i(«'-'' M •ifPi fesi tit} t-^iifiiiA?;-.! rtiaii CHAPTEIC XL: .;,«,.■!' iKi i>( fc«d8 BEUSVUS-THE FIOPBB STrBJXOTS OF BAPTISM^ ■' I '.«i>lff« Altfl wJfiifj-l^ |:»JH(|(rV j, . To'>}»Mltae5*'/B CU> s:)rifcif(r j1 1 - It cannot be proved by the Sacred Scripturea that Infant Baptism waa Instituted by Christ. — LuTHBB. The following extracts from the various writers named should be sufficient on this point. Qrotius : " Seeing there are two kinds of teaching) oae by way of introduction * c ' the first principles, the other by way of pipre perfect instruction : the former seems to be intended by the word matheteuin, for tJiat is, as it were, to initiate into discipline, and is to go before baptism } the latter is intended by the «rord dtdatiein, which is here placed after baptism." , , Calvin : *' Because Ghrifit 1reqniif the Apostles, GHatt. 1,2; Luke iii. 3; Acta ii. 38,41.)" Dr. Doddridge : " I render the word math^eittate, proselyte, that it may be duly distinguished from didaskontes, teaching, (in the next verse,) with which our verrion •onfoandfl it. The former seems to impart instruction in the essential! of reli|^en» whioh it was necessary adult persons should know and submit to, before they eould regularly be admitted to baptism ; the latter may relate to those more particular admonitions in regard to Christian faith and practice, whioh were to be bciit on that foundation.!' ^^ ='r} AMf Limboech: "They could not make disciples, unless by teaching. By thai instruction, disciples were brought to the fitith before they wore baptized, (Mark xiv. 15, 16.;" Dr. Whitby : " MatJutttiin here, is < to preach the gospel to all nations,' and to engage tbem to believe it, in order to their pitoftiSBion of that faith by baptism : as seems apparent. (1) From the parallel commission, Mark zvi. 15, < Go, ' preaoh the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.' (2) From the Scripture notion of a dtseiple, that being still the same as a believer. * * * I{ here i* should be said thai I yield too much to the Anti-pedobaptifts» by saying, that to be made disciples here is to be tAught to believe in Christ; I desire any one to tell me how the Apostles could mathetemn, tnalce a diteijple of a heathen or an unbelieving Jew, withobt being mathetaiy or teachers of them ; whether they were not sent to preaoh to those that could hear, and to teaoh tbefii to whom (hey preached, that < Jesas was the Christ/ and only to bapUxe them when they did believe this." i/iu.'! nhrahfi:) ,v : ,,{.-4 Yknema: ***Qo,* says our Lord to the Apostles, 'teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of tho Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Qhost ; teaohing them to observe all things whatsoever I hare oomtnanded you.' This is an ezeel- lent passage, and explains the whole natOre 6{ baptism. Before persons wen baptized, it was necessary for them to believe the preaching of the Apostles, which faith they were to profess in baptism. For the word inatheteuin,ia. the style of the New Testament, does not signify barely to admit into a school and instmetion ; but to admit after the doctrine is believed, and after aprevions subjection to the school." Mr. BiixTER : <' Go, disciple me all natio7u, baptizing tfietn. As for those that say they are diseipled bj baptizing, and not before baptizing, they speak not the sense of that text ; nor that whioh is true or rational, if they mean it absolutely as .0 prrken : else why should one be baptized more than another 1 * * * This s^ rot like some occasional historical mention of baptism j bat it is the very eom- V';'. 'ior of Christ to his Apostles for preaching and baptizing, and purposely Asr rr .joth their several works, in their several places apd order. Their first task is, by Ud«hing to make disciples, who are, by .Mark, oi4Ie4 believers. The seoond work is to baptize them, whereto is annexed the promise of their salvation. The third work is to teach them all other things, which are afteryvards V> he learned in the sohsol of Christ. To contemn this order, is to renounce all rules of order ; for, where can we expect to find it, if not here ? I profess my conscience is fully satisfied from this text, that it is one sort uf faith, even saving, that must go before baptism, and the profession whereof the minister must expect.'» ^^^ ., ^^ ^,^,^,5 t'wKai «ifi , .ji,' ' ;:rfs« .'f^wml ft*!? j« »»iw< v_.-, , ■ ■ ■ ■ ^. ., .^Mia*»tf9tu* ■■••■'■'•' ■'-) n ' i'l' • ti m 1,1 ii ml' M m U '" 40 : ^ ■•V ^ . ■■ ^ CHAPTEB Xa. ■ - „ ■ ■ ''■•^"^" 'UMM Mi M :'jr«}r|iKr:i|d.4*!*t jiiji; HOirSBKOLD lAPTISK.; .m*}}'.'! •d*«lt»#!lU{ ' ,.j;i ■'„Vir .Jfjjt -. .... ,,.., :,v> , I , , ,•,,... :.|«8iU!i»lJ^ ^«MJr 'itte«wUI[inrer«ne«to fro^ndTnf«DtB»ptiBinupon>--LAW80K. it | % The following citations from eminent critics and commentators odgtit to 8ilen<;o even the '' imed expoundert of the Bible in this enlightened age, who say that the bousi 4 '^^:Jtisms of the Scriptures prove Infant Baptism. ;. Dft. Whitby, Aots x>, . , Paraphrue : " And when she, and those of her hoose- hold, were instructed in the Christian faith, in the nature of baptism required by iti QJb.e, was baptized and her household." liiMBOKCH : ^ An qndoubted argument, therefore, eannot be drawn from this instaooey by which it may be demonstrated that infSuita were baptised by the A|K>Btle8> It might be tliat all in her house were of a mature age ; who, as in the exereise of a right understanding tbey believed, so they were able to make a public profession of that jlaith when they re^eired baptism.'' T. LikwSGN, referring to this argument, says, " Families may be without children ; they may be grown up, Jco. So it is a wild inference to ground infant baptism Absemblt of DrriMBS : ** Of the city of Thyatira— a city of Asia— here dwelt Lydia, ;that devout servant of God.'' f' And entered into the house of Lydia : doubtless to confirm them in the faith which tliey had preached to them— Lydia and /mm, hearing of their miraeuloua deliverance, could not but be comforted and con- firmed in the truth." . i, i.... ,; , DosDRiDQE : <' Thim thhtt ha KtvidoHA thine house. The meaning cannot be that the eternal salvation of bis family obuld be secured by his faith ; but that if they also theiiiselves believed, they Should be entitled to the same spiritual and ever- lasting blessings with himself; which Paul might the rather add, as it is probable that many of them, under this terrible alarm, might have attended the master of the family into th^ dungeon.-' 'IUatthew Henry : " Thd voice of rejoicing, with that of salvation, was heard in the jailor's house. He rejoiced, believing in Qcd, with all his house : there was tume in his house that refused to be baptized, and so made a jar in the ceremony ; but they were unanimous in embracing the Gospel, which added much to the joy." Calvin : ** Luke commends the pious zeal of the jailor, because he dedicated bis whole house to the Lord ; in which also the grace of God illustriously appeared, because it brought the vjhole family to a pious consent." .^^ ...^ , 41 r*s> i^ Jiit(%f.i^ w •'" V CHAPTER XIII. •" ,•;■,-» ; •(■''< (1.1?; -ii^fir > !iW(r(.rt3t 5^,.- , . .. , ■ ■:■■■■■■: .' -i ^; THE OSSION OF BAPTISM-FOB THE BEKISSION OF 8ina-THX^i m*i^> ywi •■ NEOESSITT OF OBEOIEKGE TO THIS COM MABB. %vn .tsi-^ffr* Tuiinl \ ■ ■ .! lie >?, \j' taa£Vv*.tU''i\,»A,'l,oi i}Ja«d i . • '. • ••.■•..: ' .• >a- He who understand; the authority of thU Institution and refuses to obey it t^I never enter into either the visible or the invisible kingdom.— DvkOHT. BABNABA.S says i — " Let us now inquire whether the Lord took oare to manifest any thing before hand, concerning water and the cross. Now, for the former of these, it is written to the people of Israel, how they shall not receive that baptism which brings to forgiveness of sius ; but shall institute another to themselves that cannot. For thus saith the Prophet, ' Be astonished, heavens; I and let the earth tremble at it ; because this people have done two great and wicked things : They have left me, the fountain of living waters, and have digged for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. Is my holy mountain, ZiOn, a desolate wilderness ? For he shall be as a young bird when its nest is taken awity.' * Consider how he hath joined both the crots and the water together.' For this he saith : * Blessed are they, 'wh», putting their trust in the cross, descend into the water; for the^ shal^ have their reward in due time ; then, saith he, will I give it them.' But, as concerning the present time, he saith, ' Their leaves shall not fail.' Meaning thereby, that every word that shall go out of yotir mouth, shall through faith and charity, be to the conversion and hope of many. In like manner does another Prophet speak : ' And the land of Jacob was the praise Of all the earth ;' magnifying thereby the vessels of his Spirit. And what follows ? ' And there was a river running on the right band, and beautiful trees grew up by it ; and he that shall eat of them shall live for ever.' The signification of which is this : that we go down into the wat«r, full of sins and pollutions ; but come up again bringing forth fruit ; having in our hearts the fear and hope which are in Jesus by the Spirit : " And whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever.' That is, whosoever shall hearken to those that call them, and shall believe, shall live for ever." ^ Hermas says : — "And I said to him, * I have even now heard from certain ,. teachers, that there is no other repentance besides that of baptism ; when we go down into the water, and receive the forgiveness of sins; and after that we should sin no inore, but live in purity.' And he said to me — * Thou hast been rightly informed.* " Ift JtRTiN Martyr says : — " Then wo bring them to some place where there is water, and they nre regenerated by the same way of regeneralion by which we were regenerated : for they are washed in water, (en to udati,) in the name of God the Father and Lord of all things, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit : for Christ says, ' Unless you be regenerated, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ;' and every body knows it is im- possible for those who arc once generated (or born) to enter again into their mother's womb." '•y^ Trbtoluan •ays:-^" Our Lord says, indeed, ' Do not forbid them to come ' // to me;' therefore, let them come when they are grown ap— let them come when they understand — when they are instructed whither it is that they come. Let them be made Christians when they can know Christ. What need their guiltUu ago make such haste to tht forgivencst of tint 1 Men will proceed more warily in worldly goods ; and he that should not have earthly goods committed to him, yet shall he have heavenly 1 Let them know how to desire this salvation, that you may appear to have given to one thatasketh." Oriqbn, says: — "The baptism of the church is given for the remission of Bins." But in the regeneration (or new birth) bj the Uver (or baptism) every one that is born again of water and the spirit is clear from pollution ; clear (as I may venture to say) as by a glass darkly." Chrtsostom, says :— " In baptism or the spiritual circumcision there is no trouble to bo undergone but to throw off the load of sins and receive pardon for all " foregoing offences." " There is no receiving or having the be- queathed inheritance before one is baptized, and none con be called a son ■ untU he i$ baptized.^' ^ Ctprun, says :— >'' While I lay in darkness and uncertainty, I thought on what I had beard of a second birth, proposed by the divine goodness, but could not comprehend how a man could receive a new life from his being immersed in water, cease to be what he was before, and still remain the same body. How, said I, can such a change be possible ? How can he, who is grown old in a worldly way of living, strip himself of his former inclinations and inveterate habits ? Can he, who has spent his whole time in plenty, and indulged his appetite without restraint, ever be transformed into an example of frugality and sobriety ? Or he who has always appeard in iplendid apparel, stoop to the plain, simple and unadorned dreas of the common people ? It is impossible for a man, who hag borne the most honorable posts, ever to submit to lead a private and obscure life ; or, that he who was never seen in pul^lic without a crowd of attendants and persons who endeavored to make their fortunes by attending him, should ever bear to be alone. This," con- tinues he, " was my way of arguing : I thought it was impossible for me to leave my former course of life, and the habits I was then engaged in and accustomed to ; but no sooner did the life-giving water wash the spots off my soul, than my heart received the heavenly light of the Holy Spirit, which ' transformed me into a new creature ; all my difficulties yr^te cleared, my 48 doubts dissoired, and my darkness dispelled. I was tben able to do trbat before seemed impossible : could discern that my former life was earthly and sinful, according to the impurity of my birth ; but that my spiritual birth gave me new ideas and inclinations, and directed all my views to Qod." ' '^ LuTHEB, Bays : — " This is not done by changing of a garment, or by any laws or works, but by a new birth, and by the renewing of the inward man, which is done in baptism, as Paul saitb, ' All ye that are baptized have put on Christ.' Also, * According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' Tit. iii. 6. For besides that they who are baptized are regenerated and , renewed by the Holy Ghost to a heavenly righteousness and to eternal life, there riseth in. them also a new light and a new flame ; there riseth in them new and holy affections, as the fear of God, true faith, and assured hopes, &c. There beg^aneth in them also a new will, and this is, to pt|t on Christ truly and accqrdivg;^ tl^e gospel." > ;rf - , ,' .--^h " Therefore, the righteousness of th« law, or of our own works, is not given unto us in baptism ; but Christ himself is our garment. Now Christ is no law, no lawgiver, no works, bii^ a divine and an inestimable gift, whom dod hath given unto us, that he might be our justifier, our Saviour, and our Redeemer. Wherefore to be appareled with Christ according to the Gospel, is not to be appareled with the law or with works, but, with an incomparable gift ; that is, with remission of sins, righteousness, peace, consolation, joy of spirit, salvation, life, and Christ himself." , : , , ,, ^ Calvin, says : — " From baptism our faith derives three odrantagps, which require to be distinctly considered. The first is, that it is. proposed to us by the Lord as a symbol and token of our purification ; or, to express my mean- ing more fully, it resembles a legal instrnment properly attested, by which be assures us that all our sins are cancelled, effaced, and obliterated, so that they will never appear in his sight, or come into his remembrance, or be imputed, to us. For he commandt all who Relieve, to be baptized /or the remitiion of their ainn. Therefore, those who have imagined that baptism is nothing ignore than a mark or sign by which we profess our religion before men, as soldiers wear the insignia of their sovereign as a mark of their profession, have not considered that which was the principal thing in baptism ; which is, that wc ought to receive it with this promise, ' He that belloveth arid is baptized, shall be saved.' Mark xvi. 16. , ^ >-.<■•.» i !" In this sense we are to understand what is s£(,id by Paul,, that Christ sanctifieth and cleanscth the church ' with the washing of the water by the word,' Ephes. V. 26; and, in another place, that 'according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost,' Tit. iii. 5 ; and by Peter, that 'baptism doth save us,' 1 Pet. iii. 21. For it was not the intention of Paul to signify that our ablution and salva- tion are completed by the water, or that water contains in itself the virtue to purify, regenerate, and renew ; nor did Peter mean that it was the cause Vr 4 \ s i of MlyfktioD, but only that the knowledge and assurance of it ii received in tliis |a,erameDt : wliich is stifficiently evident from the words they have used. For Paul connects together the ' word of life,' ^nd ' the baptism of water ;' as if he had said, that our ablution and sanotifioation are announced to us by the Gospel, and by baptism this message is confirmed. And Peter, after having said thai ' baptism doth save as,' immediately adds, that it is ' not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,' which proceeds from faith. But on the contrary, baptism promises ns no other purification than by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ; which is emblematically represented by water, on accounit of its resemblance to washing and cleansing. Who, then, can pretend that we are cleansed by that water, which clearly testifies the blood of Christ to be our true and only ablution ? So that, to refVitiB the error of those who refer all to the Tirtoe Cif the water, no better argument could be found, than in the signification of bftptism Itself, which abstracts us as well ftom that risible element, which is placed before our eyes, as from all other means of salva- tion, that it may fix our minds on Christ alone. " Nor must it be supposed that baptism is administered only for th<^ time past, BO that for sins into which we fall after baptism, it would be necessary. to seek other new remedies of expiation, in I know not what other sacra- ments, as if the virtue of baptism were become obsolete. In consequence of this error, i^ happened in former ages, that some persons would not be baptized except at the close of their life, and almost in the moment of their death, so that they might obtain pardon for their whole life ; a preposterous caution, which is frequently censured in the writings of the ancient bishops. Bat we ought to conclude, that at whatever time we are baptized, we are washed and purified for the whole of lifb. Whenever we have fallen, there- fore, we inast recur to the remembrance of ^baptism, and arm our minds with the consideration of it, thalt we may be always certified and assured of the remission of our sins. For though, when it has been once administered, it appears to be past, yet it is not abolished by subsequent sins. J'or the parity of Christ is offered to us in it ; and that always retains its virtues, is never overcome by any blemishes, but purifies and obliterates all our defile- ments." TiHOTHT i)wiQHT, savs : — (On John iii. 6) " To be born of water here means baptism, and in any view it as necessary to our admission into the visible church as to be born of the spirit is to our admission into the invisible King- dom." ' " It is to be observed that he who understands the authority of this institution and refuses to obey it will never enter into either the visible or the invisible Kingdom." " He who persists in this act of rebellion agaiinst the authority of Christ will never belong to bis Kingdom. ' AiiBaaT BiRNiS, Presbyterian, in his notes on Pet. iii. 21, says :-r" The f^cgument of the a^tle here i/f, ^iW- make no claim to be recognized as a Ghrigtian, much less to a.iy of tb« privileges of that regular Obristian organization whose primary and funda* mental condition he has disregarded." WiTSiUH lays : — " Thus fax oonoeming the rites of iounersion and omonion. Let us now consider the ablution or washing, which is tho offoot of tho water applied to the body. In external baptism there Is ' the puttine away tho fllth of tho ncsb,' 1 Peter iii. 21, which represents the ablation or washing away the fllth of the soul contracted by sin. Acts xxii. 16, ' Arise and bo baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. But the filth of sin may be considered cither with respect to the guilt, which is annexed to the filth or stain, and so it is, reirtoved by remission, which is a part of iustifloation; or with respect to the stain itself, or spiritual deformity and dissimilitude to the image of God, and so it is taken away by tne grace of tbe sanctifying Spirit; and both are sealed by baptism. Of tho former, Peter speaks, Acts ii. 38, * Be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.' Concerning the latter Paul writes, Kphes. V. 2.0, < CluriBt loved the oburoh, and gave himself for it, that ho might sanctify and. cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.' And thoy are laid before us both together, 1 Cor. vi. 11, * But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified) in the name of the Lord Jesus* and by the tpirit of our God.' " Rev. Jambs McCobd says : — " Ton will not, therefore, deem it an unreasonable statement, that there is no ordinary possibility of salvation without tho preoinots of tiie Christian church, if onoe we can clearly make it out to you that tho church of Uie great mean of offcoting man's salvation. " This is not one of those questions that are onlv to be settled by long and difSonlt argument. It is a question of fact ; and you will find the decision wntten, as with a sunbeam, in every page of Scripture. When the Saviour gave commandment to ' his Apostles to proclaim his great salvation to all people under heaven, what was the declaration that accompanied this commandment! the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' " The Westminstke Catkchism, says :— «Q. 166. What is baptism? " A. BapUsim is a sacrament of the New Testament wherein Christ hath ordained ' the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of tho Holy ; Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself; of remission of sins by bis blood, and regeneration by his Spirit ; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlost- life ; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord's." I I The WESTMiNSTKii Confession, says :— " Baptism is a saorament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Gnrist, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized, into tho visible churoh; but also to be unto him a sign and seal of tho covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up ,unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life i which sacrament ik, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of tho world." Gbubch of EmgiiAnd. — Tbe clergy are ordered, before proceeding to bap- tize, to make the following piroy^r :-p- .ll 1>5. ..J '/Almighty and everlasting God} who, of thy great meroy, didst save Noah and 49 hii fkmlly in the Ark fVom perishinfr by water; and alio dldat gafeW lead tbd child- ren of Israel, thy people, throuffh tno Rod Sea ; figuring thereby thy holy baptism ; and by the baptiam of thy well-beloved 8on Jeaus Chriat in the river Jordan, didat aanoUly the olomont water, to tho myatioal washing away of lina : we beaeeoh thee, for thine infinite moroiea, that thou wilt mercifully look upon tnei« thy ttrvants) waah them and aanctify tfiem with tho Holy Ohoat ; that thsi/, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the Ark of Ohrlat'i church ; and being steadfast in tuth, joyful through hope, and rooted in oharity, may ao pass the waves of this troubleaome world, that, finally, they may come to the land of everlasting life ; there to reign with thee, world without end, through Jesus Christ our liord. Amen." After reading a part of the diaooune with Nioodemus, they are ordered to make the following exhortation:- .l» <,|.,i I«.,u.'«..ii '« " Beloved, ye hear in this gospel the express wdrds of our Bavionr Jesus Christ, that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Qod. Whereby ye may perceivo the great necessity of this sacrament, where it may be had. Likewise, immediately before, his ascension into heaven, (as we read in the last chapter of St. Mark's Ooapelp he gave qojnunand to his disciples, saying. Go ye into all the world and preach tne eospel to every creature. He that believeth and is bapti>:ed shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. Which also ahowoth unto us the great benefit we reap thereby. For which cauae St. Peter, the Apostle, when, upon his first preaching or the gospel, manv were pricked at the heart, and said to him and the reat of the Apoatles, men and brethren, what shall we do 1 replied and said unto them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost : for the promise is to yon and your children, and to all thbt are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many]! other words exhorted he them, saying. Save yourselves from this untoward generation. For, as the same Apostle teatifietn in another place, even baptiam doth also now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience wards God,) by the resurrection of Jeaua Christ. Doubt ye not, therefore, but earnestly believe that he will favor- ably receive these present persona^ truly repenting^ and coming unto him by faith ; that he will grant tilirm remissioif of uteir sins, and bestow upon them the Holy Ghost ; that ho will give tliem the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom.'* The Methodist Creed says : — « Deavly beloved, forasmuch as all men are oonoeived and bom in siiv, (and that which is bom of the flesh is flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God, but live in sin, committing many actual transgressions:) and that our Saviour Christ saith. None shall enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regeneraied and bom anew of water and of the Holy Ghost ; I beseech you to call upon God the Father through pur Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous goodness be will grant to tluse persons that which by nature the^ cannot have ; that they may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy church, and be made lively members of the same." Then, it is ordained that the minister say, or repeat, the following prayer :— vj, j *' Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that floe to thee for succor, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead : We call upon thee for these persons, that they, coming to thy holy baptifimo may receive remission of their sins, bv spiritual regeneration. Receive tfiem, Lord, aa thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saving. Ask, and ye shall received, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you ; so give unto us that ask ; let us that seek find ; open the gate to us that knock ; that these persons may enjoy the everlasting benedic'lon of the heavenly washing, and may come to the eteratri king- dom whioH thou hast promised by Christ our Lord. Amen." Bapiist : — " Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesua Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with him in his death and resurrection; of his being ingrafted into him; of remission of sins, and of his giving np unto God, through Jesus Christ, to live and w^k in newness of lift " Confession of Bohemia:— -" We believe that whatsoever, by baptism, is in the outward ceremony signified and witnessed, all tliat doth the Lord Ood perform in- wardly. That is, he washeth away sins, begetteth a man againj and bestowQtb salTfttion upon him : for tb* bestowing of Uieie exoellent fruiti wat holy baptiim given and granted to the ohnroh." CoifPKStiON or AirasBUBa:— "Gonoeminff bApUflm, they teaoh ^^t it is ^eoei- ■ary to lalTation, aa a eeiemony ordained of Clirist: alao, by baptiam the graoe of God i« oflerwl." ^ r • CoNVEsaiON OF Saxon r '.'—** I baptiie thee— 4hat it, I do witneM that, by thia dipping} thy lina be waahed away> and that thoa art now reeelyed of the tme uod." CoNircssioN or WiTTCMBumo:— " We;believe and eonfoM that baptiain is that aea, into the bottom whereof, aa the Prophet aaith, God doth oaat all onr aina." Confession of Hbltbtia :— ** To be baptised in the name of Christ, ia to b« enrolled, entered, and reeeiTod into the eorenant and family, and ao into the inheri- tanoe of the aona of Chkl, to ba purged also from the mtuneaa of aina^ and te ba endued with the manifold pate or God, for to lead a new and innooent life." CoNFESSibif OF ScrrxLAND :— *' As touching baptism, we eoniSBss that it is tha font of regeneration. wa*heth alray sins and savetb ns. But all tiiese things we da understand as Patar^doth ittlkaipnt them. 1 Peter iii. 21." CHAPTER XIV. il'Mi^ij THE f IBM BAmSM ^ VtID IH COVHIOXnnr WITH THB BOLT SPIBIX. Ai I plunge you in water, he shall plunge you, so to sp'ak, in the Holy Spirit.— La Oliro. The following authorities on this subject should suffice to settle the mean- ing of the term baptiam when used in connection with the Holy Spirit. GuRTLWtm says : — " Baptim in iht Holy Spirit ^ is immersion into the pure Witters of the Holy Spirit ; or a rich and abundant communication of hit gifts. For he on whom the Holy Spirit is poured out, is, as it were, immersed into him." Bishop Rktmoldb says :-^" The Spirit, under the gospel, is compared— to water : and that not a little measure, to sprinkle or bedtw, but to baptizi the faithful in, (Mait. iii. 11 ; Acta i. 5 ;) and that not in a font, or vessel, which grows less and less, but in a spring, or living river." Ikinids says : — " The Greek word, baptitmot, denotes the immersion of a thing, or a person, into something. Here, also, (Matt. iii. 11, compared with Luke iii. 16,) the bapiUm of fire, or that which is performed in firt, tnust signify, according to the same bimpllcity of the letter, an imtuufion, or vnmertion, into fire — and this tha rather, because here, to baptiie in the Sipirit and in fire are not only not connected, IjUt dso oppoied to being baptized in VMttr,** ^ ,,, . . . ,, t -1^ La OLna laya :— " H* AM bi^Hu youin tk* Htly ^irU. As I plange you in water, he sbaii plange jou, so to speak, in the Holy Spirit." Cabacbos says : — " To baptize is to immerse — and in this sense the apostles are truly said to be baptized ; for the house in which this was done was filled with the Holy Ghost, so that the i^ostleB seemed to.be plunged into it, as into a fish-pool." Gboticb says : — " To be baptized, here, is not to be slightly sprinkled ; but to haTe the Holy Spirit abundantly poured upon them." liR. LiiQH 8aya,>-:"^piui«di that is, drown you all over, dip you into the ocean of his graco : opposite to the sprinkling which was in the law." Aboh-bishop TiliiOtson says : — " U [the sound from heaven, Acts ii. 2,] MUd all the hou$e. This is that which our Saviour calls baptizing with the Holy Ghost. So-^.hatthey who sat in the house were, as it were, immersed in the Holy Ghost, as they who were buried with water, were overwhelmed and coV^ired all oVer with water, which is the proper notion of baptism." Bishop Hopkins says : — " Those that are baptized with the Spirit aie, as It were, plunged into that heavenly flame, whose searching energy devours all their dross, tin, and base alloy." ka. "k. DoDWELL says :— " The words of our Saviour were made good. Ye shall be baptized (plunged or covered) with the Holy Spirit, as John bap- tized with water, without it." Thus modern Pedo-baptists who practised pouring or sprinkling. Let us now hear one of the ancients, who wrote in the Greek language and pr;acti8ed immersion. Gtbu, of Jerusalem, who lived in the fourth century, speaks in the following manner:— "As ho, ;who is plunged in water and baptized, is encompassed by the water on every side, so are they that are wholly baptized by the Spirit. There [under the Mosaic economy] the servants of God were partakers of the Holy Spirit ; but here they were perfectly bap- tized, or immersed of him." These testimonies are quite sufiicient, one Would imagine, to vindicate our sense of the tertn bopthe, when used alludivdy with reference to the gifts and influences of the Holy Spirit. i;s5>.i^.. -vn t^t^-iti %-tet«J»<\ ^mi^ «$\««-t-wv i^K>> VoiU s^st^JtoU-iimti -stia:) ;v*tti« AAii* '»■<*-» ■%'.-. ao*-."»-.t H*n'.',j>'.Vnss 'm yhimitn iprlnpiiifa ;tvlifffft'i-,i ■!■■ \t'-i ,t«-' ; * ■ 11 . I isi !*.■ , ■ ; ThkophtlaOt, a. D. 1100, says :«>"iVb unbaptvtti ptrton partdkti 6/ (hi Lordfs Supper. F. Spanhiim, a. D. 1200, says :— " None but h(^iz$d persons are admitted to the Lord's Table." Lord GHANOSLtoB Kino, (Episcopalian), A. D., 1700, says :— " ^apfMin was always the precedent to the Lord's Supper, and none were admitted to receive the Eucharist till they were baptixed. This is so obvious to every man that it needs no proof." Dr. Wall, (Episcopalian), A. D., 1706, says :— " No church ever gave the Communion to any persons be/ore they were baptixed. Among all the abiur- dtliet that ever were held, none ever maintained that any periont ihould partake of the Communion before they were baptizid." Dr. Manton, (Episcopalian), says:— "None but baptwed persons have a right to the Lord's Supper." Dr. Doddridqb, (Oongregationalist,) says :— " It is also certain that, so far as our knowledge of primitive antiquity extends, no unbaptixtd person received the Lord's Supper." 68 Dr. Dwioht, (CongKgationalist,) says :— " It is an indispensable qualifi- cation for this ordinance, tliat the candidate for Oommunion be a member of the visible ciiurch of Christ, in full standing. By this I intend that he should be a person of piety ; that he should hare made a public profession of religion ; and that he tho^ t^av ^tm bagticed." Dr. QRiFriN, President of Williams College, (Presbyterian), remarks : — " I agree with the adyocates of closa communion in two points. 1. That baptism is the initiating ordinance which introduce us into the visible church ; of .course, where there is no boptlfni there are no vMible ehnrches. 2. That we ought not to commune with those who art not baptized, and of course are not church members, tv^n if to< legard them a« chrittiant. There is such a relationship established between the two ordinances that / have no right to eeparate them." .«.uri.:~ .f- ...«. u.. ItRT. RiOBAMD Watsok (Mcthodist) says :— " It is obligatory on all who are coibTinced of the truth of christiantty to be baptized ; and upon alt thu$ bap- tized, fke^aently to partake of the Lord's Supper." Rrv. F. G. Hibbard (Methodist) says : — " It is but just to remark that, in one principle, ihp Baptist aii4 Pedb-baptist churches agree. They both agree in leieeth^g iiom CMUUuniiMa at the Table of the Lord, and in denying the rif^litS of tihurch fellowship id all toho have not been bkptiui. Valid baptism they (tibaBaptiats) oonsidar as essential to oonttitute visible church membcr- Bbip'. I^it oi*o *•* (the ll^thod|st8) Md. The only question, then, tbat here ^Tide* us % Wh«t 18 ^awAtial to valid iHiptiem:' " '* IbtBoouT Qvam to van Lord's Sorpw," by J. SuTOLZif— "No ignorant, Mmbaptiud, no wicked penmi, can be aUowe< to approach the table." Thb PRBBBYraRiAK CoinTMnoN ow Faittt makes, '< Baptism a Sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Jesus C nt, for the solemn admieeion of the party bigttized into the visible chtirch." Anu ibe i ord's tapper, an ordinnnce, " IM TBI CHURCH." Thr Pbotrstasi Bpiboopal Church says : — " There sh H none be r Emitted to the Holy Oommunion until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready ami desirous to be confirmed." And none can Jbe confirmed till they " renew tae solepw pronuse and vow that was made at their baptiem." Tht Oomhssioh or thr Rrforiird Dutch Ohuroh defines baitiam to be a " Sacrament," " By whicd we arc received into the church of God, and separate from all other people." It defines the Lord's Supper to be a " cra- ment of our Lord Jesus," "to nourish and support, those wh hath already regenerated and incorporated into his family, which is bia cuurefa." I 64 CHAPTER XVI. TBI WATEB 8VPPLT OF JEBUSALUf. ','« • 'i U •'? T Within, truly well watered.— Stiibo. On this sabject the reader ig referred to the recent work, styled : — " The City of the Great King, or Jerusalem as it was, as it is, an,d ai it is to be." Bjr J. T. Barclay, M. D., Missionary or Evangelist to Jerusalem, in wl>icb W9 find the following quotation from Dr. Trail :— " Perhaps, upon no city of the ancient world had greater cost been bestowed, or mbre skill shown in securing for it an unfailing snppfy of water ; and such was the repute of Jerusalem in this partkalar that its strenKtn as a IbrtUleation is frequently alluded to by profane writers as including this Kraud and indispensable means of sustaining a lengthened siege. Thna, Strabo, hanng mentioned the faets generally, that Jerusalem, situated in the midst «f a district destitute of water^ 'was itself abundantly supplied therewith presently afterwards ; and while ref^ming to the capture of the city by Pompoy, states that he took it notwithstanding its sub- stantial munitions and its being abundant in water, while all around mM dry, * within, truly well watered ; but without, altogether dry.' To the same pnrpoM is the often-cited passage in Tacitu.s who describes the temple with its porticoes as a fortress ; and such, v^ fact, it was well fitted to sustain the frequent sieges to which it was liable. ' a Fountain of perennial water ; mountains hollowed out underneath ; also, fi^ pools and eistems, rain water being preserred."* jifii' If IV THE IIYBB JOBDAN. W. P. Ltxch, U. S. N., commander of the expedition to thn River Jotdan and the Dead Siea, says of the Jordan in se vt^ral places : — " The River Is thirty- five yards wide, six feet deep, gravelly bottom ; current, five knots." "River very serpentine, five feet deep." " The river about forty yards wide, and full to the utmost capacity of its banks, flowed in nearly a duo south course, through a narrow plain." " The depth has been in proportion to the width and velocity of the stream. At one place tlie river was eighty yards wide and only two feet deep. The average Avidth has been fitiy-six yards, and the average depth a little more than four feet." 55 CHAPTER XVII. WOiaaHi^gjj DDtlRIIOH OF THE THBKE THOTOAHt)!*'^^ "^^^ Thtn they that gUdly reoalved bin word ware immened, and the same day th^ f(M added unto them three thousand souls.— Lukb. - . #i. ^.Oreat stress is laid on the liaftism of the three thousand, as offering an insupeirahl« objection to the idea of immersion. But, be it remembered, the burden of proof lies on those who object to immersion. Can they prove that immersion could not poetUtly be practised in this pase ? Psor* Stvabt says :— " It is true, yre do not knovr that baptism wad per- formed by the apostles only, nor that all of the three thousand were baptized before the going down of ihe sun. The work may have extended into the evening ; and so, nutny being engaged in it, and more time being given, thwe was a possibility that th«.work should be performed, although immer- sioD was practised." / - ^ " The Scriptures warrant us in saying that the apostles and the one hundred and twenty disciples, mentioned in the preceding chapter, were all present and as many others in Jerusalemj and in that region, as could con- veniently be at the feast of Pentecost." But there are facts on record in history which remove every difficulty ic the way of the immersion of the entire three thousand. On the great Sabbath of the Easter festival, the 16th day of April, A. D. 404, Ghrysostom, with the assistance of the ministers of his own church, baptized by immersion three thousand persons. Yes, one man, assisted only by bis presbyters, in one day, and in ope place, immersed three thousand persons ; and that, too, notwithstanding the Christians were iwice attacked by furious soldiers, the enemies of Ghrysostom. So, in 496, Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, baptized in the same day, by immersion, Glovis, king of France, and three thousand of his subjects. "^ I will only remark, in relation to the historical facts, that the baptisms referred to were administered on Eaiter-day io commemorate the resurrection of Christ ; and it was eommon to reserve all the baptisms of the year for that day. Hence the number of candidates who cauie forward at the same time, i ^6 CHAPTER XyilL THE ADHnn8TMT0B.-TS|& ASXIIIZSTBATIOir OF IipiEBBION. li Iv Let him that hears aay come.— Joini. _, , ,, , * ■ . .... I''* /i .'»i'f; Vv.i The Apostles wen commandea to immene toe believers at the same time that they were commanded to preach the gospel; and every christian, since the gospel was originally proclaimed, id authorised to repeat the Apostle's proclamation to all teen with whom he may come in contact, and if it is be- lieved, he may immerse the believer ''into the name of the Father, and of Ihe Son, and of the Holy Spirit," for the remissibn of his sins. On the day of Pentecost we hiive three thousand believers immersed > Acta ii. — and by whom? it it not in so many words stated, but I assume from the nttttber immersed on the same day, that a great number of the Disciples, Aete i. 15,' as well as the Apostles, Were engaged in it. We read in the eighth oha]^ter of the Acts, that the congregation In Jisrusalera being " dispersed tliroirgit the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles," and that ''(hey who were dispersed went About declau.ig the gl«d tidings of the word," ▼. 4. Philip, one of the dispersed, came to Samaria, " A«d announced tJlie Messiah to them," and when they believed Philip, " declaring the glad tidings conoem- ing the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ; they were immersed, both men and women," v. 12. These no doubt were immersed by Philip, especially as we have it said in the thirty-eigbth ver^e, that " he ^i^mersed'^ the Ethiopian Officer. In the ninth chapter it is said that "a certain Disciple, at Damascus, whose name was Ananias," was sent to Saul of Tarsus, who, when he came to him, " recovered his sight and arose and w;as immersed" in obedience to the command of Ananias, Acts xzii. 16. " Ahd now why do you delay ? Arise and be immersed and wash away your sins, invoking his name." Here this " Disciple" was, no doubt, the administrator of immersion to the great Apostle Paul. In the tenth chapter, the Apostle Paul " and some of the brethren who tvere of Joppa, went with him," t. 23, to Cornelius, and Peter preached unto them — Cornelius and hid hotise'i' hold — and when Peter was convinced that they should be immersedi— " he ordered them to be immersed in the name of the Lord," v. 48. To whom was this order given, to tlie brethren from Joppa or to Cornelius and his frionds? No doubt to Cornelius and the other believers, which command, with the assistance of " the brethren from Joppa," was, no doubt, obeyed. 57 In the eighteenth chapter it is stated that " many of the Corinthians, hear- ing, believed and were immersed." These were Paul's conrerts, and in his first epistle to them, in the first chapter, in reasoning with tbem upon their departure from the gospel in being divided, and calling themselves one after one mui's name and another after another's, he says : — " was Paul crucified for you, or were you immersed into the name of Paul : I give thenks to God that I liRUiersed none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, lest any one should say that I immersed into my own name, and I immersed also the family of Stephanos, and besides I know not whether I immersed any other." Now, of the "many Corinthians" who were immersed, Paul only immersed a few, with which fact he was pleased, lest they should make a bad use of it, but t>iey were immersed, nevertheless, by some one, undoubtedly, by some of the brethren who usually accompanied him. Here are enough of facts to shew that all the Disciples immersed others, as the occasion offered ; and that the privilege of immersing, no more than the duty and privilege of proclaiming the gospel ; is not confined to a class, but may, and ought to be eUgaged in by all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and in truth. "^^ ' The administration is very simple, the gospel preached and believed in by a sinner, he is brought to any place where there is " much water," let it be lake, liver, pool or fountain, natural or artificial, and confessing with his mouth — RotD. X. — that Jesus is the Christ — the Son of the living God — the rock upon which the congregation is built, he may be by any disciple immersed ini water. The particulars of form alid ceremony are to be derived from the precepts and examples given in the Scriptures. The Apostle Peter com- manded his hearers to be immersed in the name — or by the authority — of the Lord, " in order to the remission of sins." The Saviour commanded the Apostles to " make disciples of all nations, immersing them ikto Vie name ef the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirits* The person to be immersed and the immerser may, therefore, as Philip and the Ethiopian officer did, go " both down into the water," and the immerser pronouncing these words, " In the name of the Lord you are immersed in water into the name of the Fatherl- and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in order to the remission of sins," and sinking the whole man, body, soul and spirit from mortal gaze into tl?e emblematic tomb, and raising him up again, the sinner is buried with his Lord in immersion, and raised again to " walk in newness of life," Rom. vi. 4, and thus " planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall then also be in the likeness of his resurrection." While we do not read that the Apostles either preached to an audience at the immersion, or prayed or sang, yet os these exercises are enjoined on the Christians as duties that may bo performed everywhere, there can be no objection to them, however, they are not indispensable requisites to the complete obedience of the gospel in this institution. The sinner thus obedient may truly " go on his way rejoicing," having the promise of Christ that " he should be saved," that bis sins are remitted, and having opened up to bim the realization of the hope of a glorious immortalitj bejonU death and the grave. The requiremonta of the gospel have been thus cxprees«^d by Isaac Errett, in few words : — 1. Futh, or a new mind, 2. Repentance, or a new will, 8. Inuneision, or a new state, I. constitute a new ereature, inter tuUly and $xur.' vally, in priueiple, in aim, and in pBtitton. II. 1. Faith nllimaUs in a luw heart, purified from selflshnessi and tntsting la Christ i ?: Repentance is a new life, rodetnied from rebellion, and accepting the Lordship of Jesus; 3. Immersion in a good eonscieiicc, purified from the sense of guilt. 8o that the subjeetoftheseis a Pure in his desires ; b Submissive to the will of Qod ; e Pardoned and accepted ss a child of Ood, and in his new state prepared to leoeire the Holy Spirit, and to live the Christian life. 1. Faith rests on the truth of God ; 2. Repentance on the goodneat of God ; 8. Immersion on the authority of the Lord Jesus. We believe, because tiie truth of Qod banishes our doubts. We rfpetit, because the unspeakable love of God conquers our stubbornness. We are Immeried, because the authority of the Lord Jesus has beoome all in all to us. The result of all this is, a The forgiveness of sins. £ Adoption into the family of God. « The earnest of the Spirit. ou always, even to the conclusion of this state." Mark reports the following words:— '"Go throughout all the world and proclaim the glad tidings to the whole creation. He who shall believe and be immersed, shall be saved ; but he who shall not believe shall bo condemned." Luke reports one of His final interviews with the Apostles, as follows : — " Thus it is writ- ten, and thus it behoved the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that reformation and the remission of sins should bo pro- claimed in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Now you are witnesses of these things, and behold I send you that which my Father has promised, but do you continue in this city until you be invested with power from above," xxiv. 46. John, writing of the miracles and works of Christ, says . — " These are recorded that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life through his name." Then wo read in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, that He charged his Apostles not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from me, that they should " be immersed in the Holy Spirit within a few days." "But you shall receive power by the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and shall be my witness iu Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest ports of the earth." In the second chapter of the Acts, we read that this promise was fulfilled, that they wore invested with power, and that they were uow fully authorized to declare the things concerning the kingdom of God — the means of entrance — the blessings promised — and the manner of the enjoyment of the blessings. Hence Peter, after convincing the Jews that heard him at Jerusalem, that " God has made this Jesus whom you have crucified, Lord and Messiah," they said to Peter and the rest of tho Apostle?, " Brethren, what shall we do," and Peter said to them, " Reform, and be each of you immersed in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to the remission of ' sins, and you shall receive the gift of tho Holy Spirit." In the eighth chapter of tho Acts we find it stated, " Then came Philip to the city of Samaria and announced the Messiah to them." • • f " But when they gave credit to Philip, declaring the glad tidings concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women." Also, in the same chapter wo find Philip joined himself to the chariot of the Ethiopian officer who was reading from Isaiah tho prophet, and upon enquiring as to what was meant, it is said, " Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from the Scripture, told him tho glad tidings qppcerning Jesus. And as they went along the way they came to a Q^ftaJB water, and the oflScer said, beboW water, what hinders my being 62 iaimerMdT And h« ordered the obariot to stop ; «nd tbej both went down into the water, both Philip and the officer, and he inunerwd him." In the ninth chapter we have it said of Saul of Tarsus, that Jesns told him to " go into the citj and yon shall be told tokai you mu$t do." And Ananias camo to him, and ho having recovered the sight he had lost on the waj to Damascus, " arose and was immersed." In the twentj-second chapter it is stated that Ananias commanded him and said, "And now why do you delay? Arise and be immersed and wash away your sins, invoking bis name." In the tenth chapter of Acts we read that Peter being sent to Cornelius — the man of prayer and active benevolence — to teach him the way of the Lord more perfectly, he preached " to him, that every one who believes on him (Jesus) shall receive forgiveness of sins by his name," and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles as on the Apostles at the beginning. " Then Petei: answered, can any one forUd water that these persons should not be immersed in the name of the Lord." In the sixteenth chapter, it is said that the Apostle Paul and his companion, Silas, were put in prison, and being miraculously released, the jailor being convinced of their mission, probably having heard them preach in the name of Jesus, he said, " 0, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus Ohrist and you shall be saved, and your house ; and they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And taking them that very hour of the nig:ht he washed their stripes, and was immediately immersed, himself and all his." In the same chapter, Lydia " heard the discourse i which the Apostle preached, and it is said, her " heart the Lord opened to attend to the things which were spoken by Paul. And when she was immersed, with her family," she requested them to abide in her house, where they returned after their imprisonment, above referred. " And when they had seen the breinren they comforted them and departed." In the eighteenth chapter W2 have the story of the introduction of the gospel to the Corinth- ians, and it i) caid, " many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were immersed." And the Ephesians, it is said in the nineteenth chapter, hearing Panl in relation to the gospel, " were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus." "And they were in all about twelve men." ^ Without quoting farther from the Scriptures, as all the passages on this subject are already collnted in the first part of this work, I enquire, what do we discover from the teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus ; his commands to the Apostles ; and the prenching of the gospel by the Apostles, first at Jerusalefu, then in Jndea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth? We dbcover a uniformity of the most remarkable kind, and yet nothing r«i^( ot MjiMit^iM tii/r)?i r» ,!ttmtr J. Entrance Into th« Kingdom of God. '"*'"•« '^ ' '""^' "* 3. Sslration. 4. RemiNion of ulna. ft. The gift of tho Holy Spirit. ''ARof th«ae blesaings ar« baMn tho believing and penitent sinner beings tmmeraed In water unto the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holj Spirit. We hare, in the passages rrferred to, the explanation of tho new birth, or what it is to be " bdrn again." When a jierson is sated, or when the sinners' nins are remitted, It may be truly snid of him that he is born again, and tho Saviour says: — "He who shall believe and be immersed, shall bo savert," which is equivalent to the saying, " Unless a man is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Ood," that is, he ciinnot bo saved, or if he is " born uf water and of Spirit" — begotten by tlie truth — the incorruptible seed — tho word of God communicated by tho Holy Spirit through ilic ilpostles, and immersed in water, his sins are remitted, he is saved ami introduced into the kingdom of God an heir of God and joint heir with Jfsus Christ, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. ^ It is A mutter worthy of particular observation, and which the reader is requested to note and keep in mind, white reading the Scriptures ; that since Jesus of Nazareth was made both Lord and Messiah, no sinner is said to have obtained tho remission of his 8ins--or be saved — or be in tl6 kingdom of God ; until he was immersed in water on a confession of his faith in Jesus Christ. The modern inventions for conversion, and delusions about spiritual influences and regeneration, will not stand tho test, if the Scriptures are to bo taken as a standard ; they present a plain and clear means, whereby the sinner may be saved, and without which he cannot be aaved ; they are the gos|)cl preached, the glad tidings declared of the glorious development of tho love of God, that he so loved the world as to send his only begotten Son, that whosoever bolieveth on him might not perish but have everlasting life. That the " favjr of God, which brings salvation, has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, expecting the blessed hope, namely, the appearing of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from I'll iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good Works." Titus ii. 11. " That the only begotten of the Father, full ot gracb and truth," lived, suffered and died for our sins ; was buried and raised again for our justifica- tion, 1 Cor. XV. ; and ascended to the right band of the Majesty oa High a Prince and a Saviour, to grant repentance to UsmI and rcmietion of sing, HaTing all power or aatbority ia bearen an4 eartii ; power *o save ; power to condemn ; power to save the obedient, and to pnnttb tbe disobedifcqt j power to raise to glory, bonor immortality, and eternal life— rtbe believing > penitent and obedient sinner, and to condemn to etr .^l iiifattiy and death f^e unbelievicg, impenitent and disobedient, when be 9ha11 come **ia Aiming drct taking veng«anc« on th«m that know not God, ontf «^^ nel the Uotpel of our Lord and Saviour Jetus Christ." Where in that daf pf fiery ordeal shall the commands of men stand in comparison with the " woi4 of the Lord which enuureth foreve; ;" that word which sajB,.*'Ble8S|e4 are they who keep bis commandments, thai they may have the privilege to eat of the tree of life, and they shall enter by the gates into the city," Env. zxii. 14. " And the Spirit and the bride say come ; and Idt him that hears say come ; and let h'^m that is thirsty come. Whosoever wiU, let him t«ke of the ^a^f of life freely," R«v. uii. H. tf»*» *'T*i(A Df. I I PART II. LEARNED TESTIMONIES ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. '\ I I 1 TJI A ^nYAmvmrr (my:n t,^ I nii'i I -! «(r.i() I :! irr ; .!* - Iif :-^ ' f I f"W' R.tf.A : f r' sfif ! iY>. ,' < isii M ■* Iftjrft )!rt-<»rf ' ^r; ■' it &l1w «.!«-«' i (.A Cuirf ill ft' THE BREAKINu OF THE LOAF. CHAr*TER I. THE 80BIPTUSI TBSTXMOHT. iV *•"« Do this In remembrtinee of me.— Obmst. ; Tb« reader baa here collected all the passages in the New Testament referring to this institution or ordinance, sometimes termed "the Lord's Supper." As they were eating (the Passover) Jesus took the loaf, and having given thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, take, eat: this is my body. Then he took the cup, and having given thanks, gave it to them, saying. Drink of this all of you ; for this Is my blood, the blood of the new institution, shed for many for the remission of sins. I assure you that I will not hencefovth drink of the product of the vine until the day when I shall drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom. And after the hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matt. xxvi. 26 to 30. ^.,j_ While they were at supper, Jes as took bread, and after the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saving, Take, this is my body. Then he took the cup, and having given thanks, gave it to them ; and they all drank of it. And he said to them, This is my blood, the blood of the new institution, shed for many. Indeed, I say to vou that I will drink no more of the product of the vine, till that day when i shall drink it new in the Kingdom of Ood. And after the hymn they went to the Mount of Olives. Mark xiv. 22, kn. Then he (J^sus) took bread, and having given thanks, broke it, and gave it to them (disciples) saying, "This is m^ body, which is given for you. Do this in commemoration of me. He likewise gave the cup, afler supper, saying. This cup is the new institution, in my blood, which is shed for you. Tiuke xxii. 19, &c. And they (the 3,000 souls added to the disciples on the day of Penticost) continued steadfast in the teaching, in the fellowship, in the brealdng of the loaf, and in the prayers of the Apostles. Act* ii. 42. And we (some of Paul's companions) set sail from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them (Paul and others) at Troas, in five days, where we continued seven days. And on the first day of the week, when the disuiples met together to break bread, Paul being about to depart on the Natb.— The quotations In this woric, wh«re not otherwise expressed, are trom the yersion of the New Testament, by Omroi OiunwLt, Jamks Macmioht and Philip Dodobioox; Udited bf Aluamou Oampbiu.. ■\ ittorrowt.discoorsed to them aud continued his speech till midnight. Acta XX. 6, &c. Now, in declaring this, that yon come together, not for the better, but for the worsCj I do not praise you. For first, indeed I hear, that vrhen you come together m the congregatia^ there are schisms aioQng ytm; end I partly believe it. Far tl^re mjiii eren be sects! atnong you, thit the approved among you may be made manifest. But ^our coming together into one place is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For, m eating it, evtrj one takes first his own supper ; and one, indeed, is hnng^, and another is filled. What ! have you not houses to eat and to drink in 7 or, do you despise the congre- gation of God, and put to shame those who have not ? What shall I say to you ? Shall I praise you ? In this t praise yoH not. For I received from the Lord what I also dielivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took a loaf, and having jriven thanks, he broke it ; and said, This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In like manner also; the cup after he had supped ; saying. This cop is the Mw initUntion in my Uood ; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you openly publish the death of the Lord until he comes. So }hen, whosoever shall eat this loaf and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body zui blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and then let him ea>t of the loaf and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not distin- guishing the body of the Lord. For this canse, many among yon are weak and sick, and a consideirable number are fallen asleep. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are converted, that we may not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, rhen you come together to eat, wiut for each other. And if any one hunger let him eat at home, that you mky not come togethtr for judgment. And the other things I will set in order when I come. 1 Oor. xi. 17 to end. :i; i - OIHEB PASSAGES APPLIED TO THIS INSIXTUTIOV. Most assuredly, I say to you, be who believes on me ban eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers eat the manna in the desert and died. Behold the bread which descended from heaven, that whoever eats of it, may not die. I am the living bread, which descended from heaven, whoever eats of tills bread shall live forever, and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. The Jews then debated among themselves, saying. How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus there- fore said to them. Most assuredly, I say to you ; unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man i^nd drink his blood, you have not life in you. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blocd, has eteinal life ; and I will raise him again at the last diy ; for my flesh is truly meat, and my blood ia. truly drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I abide in him. As the Father lives who sent me: and I live by the Father; even so he, who feeds on mo, shall live by me; This is the bread which descended from heaven. It is not like what your fathers eat, for they died. He that eats this bread, shall live for ever. John vi. 47, ftc. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the joint participation of the blood of Ohrist? The loaf which we break ; is it not the joint participation of the body of Christ ? Becftuse there is one loaf, we, the many, are one body ; for we all participate of that one loaf. Look at Israel after the flesh. Are not they wbK> eat of the sacrifices joint partakers of the altar? What then do I affirm ? That an idol is anything, or that an idol sacrifice is any- a y n a n tl a: thing? No. But that what the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. Now, I would not have yon to become joint partakers with the demons. Yon cannot drink the cap of the Lord and the cap of demons ; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons- 1 Cor. x. 16. O, inconsiderate Oalationst who has deceived you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ crucified was evidently represented among you? Gal. iii. 1. CHAPTER II. PBACnCS OF T)3E CKRISTIAV8 Df THI FIBIT GSVTUBISS, AND KZSTaAT OF THE FKACnCE XV LATER HmS. All antiquity is on the side of the diaclples meeting every first day to break the loaf. Albxandkb Caxpbkll, in the " Christian System," says : — " All antiquity concurs in evincing that, for the three ftnt centurieg, all the churches broke bread once a-week. Pliny, in his Kpistles, Book x. ; Justin Martyr, in his Second Apology for the Christians; and Tertullian, De Ora., page 135, testify that it was the universal practice in all the weekly assemiblies of the brethren, after they had prayed and sang praises. 'Then bread and wine being brought to the ehu/ brother, he taketh it and offereth praise and thanksgiving to the Father, in the name of the Son and Holy Spirit. After prayer and thanksgiving, the whole assembly saitb, Amen! When thanksgiving is ended by the ckitf guide, and the consent of the whole people, the <2eacon« (as we call them) give to every one present part of the bread and wine, over which thanks are given.' "The weekly communion was preserved in the Greek church till the seventh fienturif ; and, by one of their canons, ' sach as neglected three weeks together, were excommnnicated.' " In the /our/A century, when all things began to be changed by baptized Pagans, the practice began to decline. Some of th^ councils in the western part of tho Roman empire, by their canons, strove to keep it up. The council licld at lUiberis, in Spain, A. D. 324, decreed that 'no offerings sliould be received from such as did not receive the Lord's Supper.' *' The council at Antiocb, A. D. 341, decreed that ' all who came to church, and heard the Scriptures read, but afterwards joined not in prayer, and receiving the sacrament, should be cast out of the church, till such time as they give public proof of their repentance.' " All these canons were unable to keep a carnal crowd of professers in n practice for which they had no spiritual taste ; and, indeed, it was likely to get out of use altogether. To prerent this, the Council of Agatha, in Lnn- gnedoc, A. D. d06, decreed that ' none should be esteemed good CbristiHns who did not eoinmunicate at least three timee a year — at Gbristnias, Easter* and Whitsunday.' This soon became the standard of a good Christian, and it was judged presumptuous to commune oftener. *' Things went on in this way for more than 600 years, until they got tired of even three communications in one year; and the infamous Council of Lateran, which decreed auricular confession and transubstantiation, decreed that * an annual communion in Easter was sufficient.' This association Hf the ' sacrament' with Easter, and the mechanical devotion of the ignorant at this season, greatly contributed to the Host. Thus the breaking of bread in simplicity and godly sincerity once a week, degenerated into a pompous sacrament once a year, at Easter. ''.i.t the Reformation this subject was but slightly investigated by thie reformers. Some of them, however, paid some attention to it. Even Calvin, in his Institutes, lib. 4, cap. xvii, sect. 46, says, ' And truly this custom, which enjoins communicfiting once a year, is a moat evident contriv- ance of the Devil, by whose instrumentality soever it may have been deter- mined.' " " And a^ ain, (Inst. lib. 5 chap, xviii. sect. 66,) be says, ' It ought to have been far otherwise. Every week, at least, the table of the Lord should have bean spread for Christian assemblies, and the promises declared, by which, in partaking of it, we might be spiritually fed.' " " Martin Chemnitz, Witsius, Calderwood, and others of the reformers and controversialigts, concur with Calvin; and, indeed, almost every commen- tator on the New Testament concurs with the Presbyterian Henry in these remarks on Acta xx. 1. ' In the primitive times it was the custom of many churches to receive the Lord's Supper every Lord's day.' " " The Belgic reformed church, in 1581, appointed the supper to be received every other month. The reformed chnrches.of France, after saying that they had been too remiss in observing the supper but four times a year, advise a greater frequently. The church of Scotland began with four sacraments in a year ; but some of her ministers got up to twelve times. Thus things stood till the close of the last century. " Since the commencement of the present century, many congregations in England, Scotland, Ireland, and some in the United States and Canada, both Independents and Baptists, have attended upon the supper evei-y Lord's day, and the practice is every day g(uning ground. " These historical notices may be of some use to those who are ever and anon crying out Innovation! Innovation! But we advocate the principle and the practice on apostolic grounds alone. Blessed is that servant, who, knowing his Master's will, doeth it, with expedition and delight I' '' CHAPTER III. THE NAMB OF THE IKBTRimON AND TIME OF ITS 0B8EBVANCE. If any man open to me I will take supper with htm and he with me.— Christ. A further extract from the Chmtian System (on 1 Corinthians zi. 20) says : — " DeipnoKy bete rendered supper, in the days of Homer, represented breakfast. It also signified food in general or a feast. In the times of Demosthenes it signified a feast or an evening meal. Bat it is of more impor tance to observe, that it is in the New Testament used figuratively as well as literally. Hence, we have the gospel blessings compared to a supper. We read of the ' marriage sapper of the Lamb,' and ' supper of the Great God.' Jesus said, ' If any man open to me I will {deipruso) take supper with him and be with me.' When thus used it neither regards the time of day nor the quantity eaten. If applied, then, to this institution it is figuratively, as it is elsewhere called ' the feast J For not only did the Lord appoint it, but in eating it we have communion with the Lord. The same idiom with the addition of the article occurs in Revelation i. 10, ' he kuriake hemera,' the Lord's day. Upon the whole, it appears more probable that the Apostle uses the words kuriakot deipnos, or Lord's supper, as applicable to the break- ing of the loaf for which they gave thanks in honor of the Lord, than to their own supper or the feasts of love, usual among the brethren. If we say in accordance with the Apostle's style, the Lord's day, the Lord's table, the Lord's cup, we may also say the Lord's supper. For in the Lord's house these are all sacred to him." And after referring to the facts as to the appointing of this institution by Christ, as given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul, he says :—" In each of which. His breaking of the loaf after giving thanks, and before His Disciples partook of it, is distinctly stated. It is not, therefore, strange, that the literal designation of this institution should be, what Luke has given it in his Acts of the Apostles, thirty years after its institution. The first time he notices it is Acts ii. 42, when he calls it emphatically te klasei tou artou, the breaking of the loaf, a name at the time of his writing, A. D. 64, univer- sally understood. For, says he, in recording the piety and devotion of the first converts, ' they continued steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the fellowship, in the breaking of the loaf, in the prayers— praising God.' It d is true, there ia more than breakipg a loaf in thia inatitution. But in n^con)- ance with general, if not universal uaage, either that which is first or mo?t prominent in laws, institutiona, and uaages, givea a name to them. Thus wt< have our Habeas Corpus, our Fieri Facient, our Nisi Privs, our r.?/>»««, our Vnnditioni Exponas, names given from the first words of the law." " But to break a lonf, or to breale bread, was a phrase common amongst the Jews to denote ordinary eating for refreshment. For example, Acta ii 4(], ' Daily, with one accord, they continued in the temple and in breaking bread from bouse to house. They ate thvir food with gladness and 8im])licity of heart.' Also, after Paul had restored Eutychua at Troas, we are informed he brake a loaf and ate Here it must refer to himself, not only because it is used {•'dt-fimtely, but because he that eats is in the same number with him that breaks a loaf. But when an established usage is referred to, the article or some definite term ascertains what is alluded to. Thus, Acts ii. 42, it is 'Ihe bn aking of Me loaf.' And Acts xx. 7, it is " They assembled for the breaking of the loaf.' This loaf is explained by Paul, 1 Cor. x. 16. * 71u loaf which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ.' " Again he says: — " But in the last place, what commemorative institution in any age, under any religious economy, was ordained by divine authorit}', which had not a fixed tune for its observance? Was it the commemoration af the finishing of Creation signified in the weekly Sabbath ? Was it the Passover, the Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles? Was it the Feast of Purim either? What other significant usage was it, the times or occasions of whose obaenrance were not fixed? How often was circumcision to be administered to the same subject? How often Christian immersion? Is there a single institution commemorative of any thing, the meaning, or frequency, of the observance of which, is not distinctly, either by precept or example, laid dowu*in the Holy Scriptures ? Not one of a eocial character, and scarcely one of an individual character. The commemoration of the Lord's death must, then bA a weekly institution — an institution in all the meetings of the disciples for Christian worship ; or it must be an anomaly— a thing nti generit- an institution like no other of divine origin. And can any one tell why Christians should celebrate the Lord's resurrection fifly-iwo times in a year, and his death only once, twice, or twelve times? He that can do this will not be lacking in a lively imagination, however defective be may be in judgment, or in an acquaintance with the New Testament." # CHAPTKU 1\. TSBTuioinis or bbtobmibi, OBinos, oomawiAivM, *«. ■V Every week, at least, the table of the Lord «houleen introduced into the church, do not savor of the God of truth. The causes that occasioned its introduction appear to have been pride, superstition, covetousness and carnal complaisance. The eastern liermits, retiring from the society of men, had taken up their residence in deserts and mountains, .tud being far removed from the places of its admin- 10 istration, seldom attended. This, though really the effect of their sloth and distance, they pretended to arise from their regard and reverance for this mo3t solemn ordinance. It being easy to imitate them in this imaginary holiness, which lay in neglecting the ordinances of God, many of the eastern Christians left off to communicate, except at such times as superstition had rendered solemn, aa at pasch ; and contented themselves with being specta- tors on other occasions. On account of this {Tactice, we find the great and eloquent Ghrysostom, once and again, bitterly exclaiming against them as guilty of the highest contempt of Ood and Christ ; and calls their practice a most wicked custom." (An objection nut formally stated by Mr. Brown, which has been frequently heard) is drawn from the words, " at often at you do thit, do it in remem- brance of me." From these words it is plead that we are without law in regard to time how often ; and consequently cannot be condemned for a partial or total neglect : for "where there is no law, there is no transgression. ' " As often,^* is used not to license the frequency, but to denote the manner. " Always do it in remembrance uf me." The connexion in which these words occur regarding the manner or design of t^ observance, and not how often it may, or may not be celebrated, it is u alation of every rule uf interpretation to infer another matter from them, which was not in the eye of the Apostle. Besides,. if the words " as oft" leave it discretionary with any society how often, they are blamfiless if they never once, or more than once in all their lives, show forth the Saviour's death. This interpretation makes an observance without reason, without law, without precedent, and consequently without obligation.) William King, Arch-bishop of Dublin, says : — " It is manifest, that if it be not our cwn faults, we may have an opportunity every Lord's day when we meet together ; and, therefore, that church is guilty of laying aside the cQq|ima;)4) whosQ ordef and worship doth no^ reqqij^ and provide for this pry^tiof). -.GhrisVfi oomw^pd serins tff lead upi'direcjl}y,to it: fQr» 'Do, tl)is in , remembrance of me,' in^iUes that Christ was to leava tbeni .j , that they were to meet together after he was gone ; and- that he required them to reintmber him at their nuetingt whUit he wai abtent. The very design of our public meetings on the Lord's day, and not on the Jewish Sabbath, is, to remember and keep in our minds a sense of what Christ did and suJQTered for us till he come again ; and this we are obliged to do, not in such a manner as our own inventions suggest, but by such means as Christ himself has prescribed to us ; that is, by celebrating this holy ordinance. " It seems then probable, from the very institution of this ordinance, that our Saviour designed it should be a part of God's service in all the solemn assemblies of Christians, as the passover was in the assemblies of the Jews. To know, therefore, how often Christ requires us to celebrate this feast, we have no more to do, but to inquire hoyir often Christ requires us to meet together ; that is, at least, every Lord's day." ■i u Db. John Mason says :»" It is notorious, that during the first three centuries of the christian era communions were held, with the frequency of which, among us, wo have neither example nor resemblance. It is also notorious, that it has been urged as a weighty duty by the best of men, and the best churches, in the best of times. " Weekly communions did not die with the Apostles and their contempo< raries. There is a cloud of witnesses to testify that they were kept up by succeeding Ohristians, with great care and tenderness, for abore two centuries. It is not necessary to swell these pages with quotations. The fuel is indisputable. " Communion every Lord'tf day was universal, and was preserved in the Greek church till the seventh century ; and such as neglected tkrtt weeks together were excommunicated. " In this manner did the spirit of ancient piety cherish the memory of the Saviour's love. There was no need of reproof, remonstrance, or entreaty. No trifling excuses for neglect were ever heard from the lips of a Christian ; for ntch a neglect had not yet degraded the Christian's name. He carried in his own bosom sufBcient inducements to obey, without reluctance, the precepts of his Lord. It was his choice, his consolation, his joy. These were days of life and glory ; but days of dishonor and death were shortly to succeed ; nor was there a more ominous symptom of their approach, than the decline of frequent communicating. For as the power of religion appears in a solicitude to magnify the Lord Jesus continually, so the decay of it is first detected by the encroachments of indUSerence. It was in the fourth century, that the church began very discemibly to forsake her first love." John Calvin says : — " Every week, at least, the table of the Lord should have been spread for Christian assemblies, and the promise declared by which partaking of it we might be spiritually fed. Db. Soott, in lus como^entary on Acts xx. 7, says: — "Breaking of bread or commemorating the death of Gh]^.t, i^^ tt^ Eucharist was one chief end of their assembling ; this ordinance seems to have been constantly admin- istered every Lord's day ; and probably no professed Christians absented themselves from it after they had been admitted, unless they lay under some censure or had some real hindrance. , John Wkslsy wrote to the Elders in America. " I also advise the Elders to administer the supper of the Lord on every Lord's day ;" and in speaking of constantly receiving the supper .he says : — " I say conttanily receiving ; for as to the phrase frequent communion, it is absurd to the last degree. If it means any thing else but constant, it means more than can be proved to be the duty of any v^9Xi. For if we are not obliged to communicate coMtatUl}/, by what argument can it be proved that we are obliged to communicate frequently ? yea, more than once a year ? or once in seven years ? or once before we die? Every argument brought for this, either proves that we 12 ought to do it cotutantln, or proves nothing at all. Therefore, that undeter- mined, unmeaning way cf apeaking, ought to be laid aside by all men of understanding. Our power is the only rule of our duty. Whatever we can do, that we ought. With respect either to this, or any other command, he that, when he may obey if be will, does not, will have no place in the kingdom of heaven." John Bdnyait, says : — " But we will, a little, comment upon the text. " Upon the [first dayj of the week." Thus you see the day is nominated, and 80 is kept alive among the churches : For in that the day is nominated on which this religious exercise was performed, it is to be supposed that the Holy Ghost would have it live, and be taken notice of by the churches that succeed. It may also be nominated to shew, that both the churches at Jerusalem, and those of the Qentiles, did harmonize in tlieir sabbath, jointly concluding to solemnize worship on one day. And then again to shew that they all had left the old sabbath to the unbelievers, and jointly chose to sanctify the day of the rising of their Lord to this work. They came together [to break bread] to partake of the supper of the Lord." And what day so fit as the Lord's day for this ? This was to be the work of that day, to wit : to solemnize that ordinance among themselve^i, adjoining other solemn worship thereto, to fill up the day, as the following part of the verso shews. This day, therefore, was designed for this work, the whole day, for the text declares it : The first day of the week was set, by them, apart for this work. " Upon [the] first day ;" not upon a first, or upon one first day, or upon such a first day, for had he said so, we had had firom thence not so strong an argument for our purpose. But when he sayetb, " upon the first day of the week," they did it, he intimates it was their custom (Also upon one of those, Paul being among them, preadK:i tknto them, r*ady to depart on the raditbw,) updti the first ^y.'^ What or Which first d&y, of this,'dr that, of the third or fourth week of the ni6nthT No, but upon the first day, upon every first day; for so the text admits us to judge. Upon the first day of the week [when] the disciples were come together ; suppose a custom [when] or as they were wont to come together to perform such service among them- selves to Qod ': [then] Paul preached to them, Ac. It is a text also, that supposes an agreement among themselves as to this thing. They came together then to break bread ; . they had appointed to do it then, for that then was the day of their Lord's resurrection, and that in which he himself congregated after he revived, with the first gospel church, the church at Jerusalem. , Thus yon see, breaking of bread was the work, the work that by general consent was agreed to be by the churches of the Gentiles performed upon ■ \ 18 the tirat day of the week. I say, by the cburches, for I doubt not but that the practice here, was also the practice of the reut of the Gentile churches, even as it had been before the practice of the church at Jerusalem. For this practice now did become universal, and so this text implies ; for he speaks here univfTMlly of the practice of all disciples, as such, though he limits Paul's preaching to that church with whom he at present personally was. Upon the first day of the week, " when the disciples were come together to break bread," Paul being at that time at Troas, preached to them on that day. Thus, then, you see how t) e Gentile churches did use to break bread, not on the old Sabbath, but on the first day of the week. And I fMy they had it from ti)o church at Jerusalem, where the Apostles were first seated, and behold the way of their Lord with their eyes. Now, 1 say, since we have so ample an example, not only of the church ut Jerusalem but also of the churches of the Gentiles, for the keeping of the lirst day to the Lord, and that as countenanced by Christ and his Apostles, we should not be afraid to tread in their steps, for their practice is the same with the law and commandment. Hut, fifthly, we will add to this another text : — "Now (said Paul; concern- iug the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galntiu, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." This text some have greatly sought to evade, counting the duty here on this day to be done, a duty too inferior for the sanction of an old seventh- day Snbbath ; when yet to shew mercy to an ass on the old Sabbath, was a work which our Lord no way condemns. But, to pursue our design, we have a duty enjoined, and that of no inferior sort, if charity be indeed, as it is, the very bond of perfectness, and if without it, all our doings, yea, onr sufferings too, are not worth as much as a rush.. Wo h»V|p hq^^^f^J.^«M,tbata^8cyfnth.da^^ was not■to<^b^^,o^^J^ tOj^ y^yerfot;ro^d m., , , ,., ^,,., ^^. ,., . . ^j. .^^ ^ The work now to be done was, as you see, to bestow their charity upon the ftoor ; yea, to provide for time to come. And, I say, it must be collected upon the first day of the week. Upon the first day, not a first day, us siguifying one or two, but upon the first day, even every first day, for so our ancient Bibles have it; also, our latter must be so understood, or else ^aul had left them to whom he did write, utterly at a loss. For if he intended not every first day, and yet did not specify a particular one, it could hardly even have been understood which first day he meant ; but we need not stand upon this — this work was a work for the first day, for every first day of the week. Note again, that we have this duty here commanded and enforced by a|» apostolic order— "I have given order (saith Paul) for this i" and his orders, as he saith in another place, " are the commandments of the Lord ;' you have it in the same epistle, xiv, 37. 14 Whence H follows that there was given, even by the Apostles themselves a holy respect to the nrst day of th« week above all the days of the week ; yea, of the years besides. Further, I find also by this text, that this order is universal. ** I have, (sttith he) given this order not only to you, but to the chui;,he8 in Galaiia ;" consequently to all others that were concerned in this collection. (2 Cor. viii. and ix., &c.) Now, thir, whatever others may think, put yp more glory upon the first day of the week, for in that all the churches are com- mDr''.ed, as to makt their collections, so to make them on this day. What is it but that this day, by reason of the sanction that Christ put upon it, was of virtue to sanctify the offering through and by Christ Jesus, as the altar and temple afore did santdfy the gift and gold that were offered for them. Tne proverb is : The better day the better deed ; and I believe that things done on the Lord's day, are better done than on other days of tha week, in Lis worship.'' w . Dr. Macknight says ^On Col. ii. IC) :— '' The whole of the law of Moses being abrogated by Christ, Christians are under no obligation to observe any of the Jewish holy days, not even the seventh-day fSabbath. Wherefore, if any teacher mad^ Hie observeiice of the seventh-day a necn^jsui-y duty, the Colossiaus were to resist him. But though the brethren in the firsi age paid no regard to Ihe Jewish seventh-day Sabbath, they set apart the first dsj of tha week for public worship, and for commemorating the death and resurrection of their Master, by eating his supper on that day » also for private exercises of devotion. This they did, either by the ]t;recepts or by the example of the Apostles, and not by virtue of any injunction in the law of Mote:.'. Ps'^ides, they did not sanctify thf firsi day of the week in the Jewish manner, by a total abstirence from bodily lab<'v of every kind. That practice was condemned by the Coun.il of Loadiceu as Jdda'zikj." In TTtBljAPTiFT CoNF^satos nv 1''aith. article : — " That every Church n-ight, aoconiiisg disciples, primitive churches, upon every first dny of the w ek — l>eing the Lord's day — to assemble toj^dthcr to pray, prophecy, praise God and break bread, and jiertbnn all other parti» of Scriptv^ral communion for the '.vorshij) of God and their owu mutual edification, and the preservation of true religion and piety in the church." Y»uhHfcw/rhT''l(il|i' dflfac following oc%dii!g"tt)' 4he (nt^tit'^c of Chr'at's rr i::s ' t: A. ■».^* 'fi' 'U 11 J- A, .Ay CHAPTER V. WfiO MAT ATTEVD ON THE ADMIHIBTBATION OF THIS OEOIHAHCX. Tou are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a pu/chased people, that you should declare the perfection of Him who has called yoa from darkness lnto| his Fnarvellous light. — Prtrr. 7oHN Milton says ; — The Lord's Supper (which the doctrine of transub- stantiation or rather authropophagy has well nigh converted into a banquet of cannibals) is essential to be observed, and may be administered by any one with propriety, as well as by an appointed minister. There is no order of men which can claim to itself either the right of distribution or the power of williholding the sacred elements; seeing that, in the church, we are all alike — priests. The master of a family or any one appointed by him is at liberty to celebrate thh Lord's Supper from bouse to house, as was done in the dispensation of the passover. All Christians are a royal priesthood, therefore any believer is comi>etent to act as an ordinary minister, according ■is convenience may require, provided only he be endowed with the necessary gift.-! ; these gift'^ constituting his commission. Hawkih, in his Church Hiatovy, says :— Nothing coUld be more unadorned than the primitive worship ; a plain man chosen from among his fellows, in his common garb, stooi'' up to speak or sits down to read tin Scriptures to ai mHuy as chose to assemble in the house appointed, a back room and that probably a mean one, or a garrett, to be out of the way of obt>ervation, was tiicir temjile.' MoBHEiM, m his Ecclesiastical History, says — " Assumed jtomp and dignity require a sor* of maintenance very different from t'le state when the {iMtur wrought with bis own hands to minister to his necessities, and labored by day, that he might serve the church by night." Dk. Waylaxd, says : — " It frequently happens, that a broths eng.aged in secular business ie endowed with a talent for public speaking. On matters of general interest, he is heard by his fellow-citii^eni) with pleasure aud profit. This talent is more largely bestowed than we commonly suppose ; and it would be more frequfntly observed, if we desired to <;>iltivate it I know of but f.'vi means by which the efBclency of the church could" be so much increased a.i by a return to our former practice in this Mi»|»«ct. I Cor. xii. ^0-21 , 1 Peter r. 10. The fact is that Popery first invented the scheme of 16 silencing tbo laity. Scripture shows us that, in the apostolic age, such a thing bad not been heard of." The claim made by certain " ordained," and " called," and " sent" men, that they possess the "right divine" to preach, to administer the ordinances, and in general, to take special charge of the souls of men ; is one of that jiresumptuoHS character which has gained prevalence in the world in pro- portion to the assurance a*nd confidence of those who asserted it. But if a strict search were made through the whole New Testament writings, the idea would never present itself to an unbiased or unprejudiced mind. It is true the Apostles were " ordained" and " called and sent" men, adapted by extraordinary powers for the extraordinary work they had to do ; but once the extraordinary gave place to the ordinary^ the peculiar powers of the Apostles ceased ; but even they never once claimed to possess anything equal to the privileges and rights which their misnamed " successorr" have advanced for themselves ; but the Apostles never " made a gain of godliness," they desired all men to proclaim the " glad tidings ;" — even though it were out of envy that Christ was preached, the Apostles were willing ; con- sequently they had no " trade rights" nor professional dignity to maintain, and therefore the privileges of the " Disciples of the Lord" were never restricted by them ; they were never prohibited by Apostolic authority from diajwHsing the ordinances or to express it more properly ; giving mutual aid to each other In their religions worship. There is no spiritual magic in the Christian religion — no religious sorcery or legerdemain recognized— no '' lording it ever God's heritage," hence the rights and privileges of one are tlif rights and privileges of all. It doss not appear once, in the whole Chris- tian Scriptures, that ever an Apostle, an Elder, Deacon or Evangelist, ad- ministered the Lord's Supper any more than any other Disciple, It is never set forth a^ one of the duties of the Elders, or Deacons, or Evangelists, in all that is stated */f their duties in the Scriptures. It is enjoined on the congre- gations, thongli, whether having Elders, or Deacons, or not, to " Do this in in rememlinuKX)" of Christy and they, nO doubt,' did'flo so wlMhcr they hild odrcers or noti — as for the cl6rgy, they were then aii' vinkno^n class -and consequently could not have administered the ordinances. I am, therefore, led to the conclusion that no hfccial class for this work was recognized by the Apostles. Lot lis look at a few facts : The Jerusalem cong:regatioii iiud the Apostles, and tliu first intimation of Elders in this congregation is in Acts XV. 2, and tbo first mention of Elders at all is in Acts xiv. 23 ; " ;vnd when they had constituted Elders for them in every congregation, having prayed to God with fixsting-, they committed tlicni to the Lord, in whom they had believed." This was many years after the day of Pentecost, and numerous churches had been established in differei.t parts ; for wo read that Peter " making a tour through all the congregations, came also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda," kc, Acts ix. 32; and Paul said to lianiabas on one occa- Bion, " Let us return and visit the brethren in all the cities in which wo have published the name of tlic Lord, and sec how they do." Attg ,\v, .-G. Now 11 .. 1^ .\.^ -^ :<„ these (iifferent congregations were simply assemblies of Disciples who " met together to break bread," Acts xx, 7, and to perform other acts of religious worship for their own edification ; they sometimes had an Apostle to meet with tbem, as in the case of Paul and Barnabas, who met with the congre- gation at Antioch ; " and it come to pass that they assembled with the congregation for a whole year and taught considerable numbers, and the Disciples were first named christians at Antio<-h." Acts xi. 26. But they were necessarily, more frequently, without au Apostle, or even a Barnabas, an ApoUos or a Timothy ; consequently their acts of worship had to be attended to by themselves, and one act of worship they never omitted in their assemblies, as far as the history informs us, and that was " the breaking of the loajf." The only conclusion which any person regarding the authority of the Scriptures can come to is, that every Disciple of the Lord may aid his brethren in " breaking the loaf." One person in a congregation may be better adapted to that duty than another, if so, then his natural or acquired fitness, and the consent of his brethren, afford him sufficient authority to " break the loaf for the congregation. t^'>4 i--ii: '■• fif-w fi-M CHAPTER VI. ■nb =i^; •it< ,^-V ,■1 • ' >',- THE OBDEB OF WOBSHIF IN A C0NOBE6ATI0N. :'i«*jK, ; Let all things be done decently and in order. — Paul* ■ , , The purpose of the assembling of the saints when the apostles met with them was to " break bread," Acts xx. 7. " And on the first day of the week when the disciples met together to break bread, Paul being about to depart on the morrow, discoursed to them and continued his speech till midnight." This is as the pearl of great price ; the other acts for the edification of the church were but the surroundings. It was meet therefore that it should bo approached with a proper awakening of the mind and of the affections. Paui, to Timothy says;--" Now I exhort first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men ; for kings and all who arc in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who wills all men to bo saved, and to come to an acknowledg- ment of the truth." And in the eighth verse he says ; — " I will, therefore that the men jiray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and dispntings." 1 Tim. ii. 9. And Paul to the Colossians ill. 16 says: — "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ; and with all wisdom teach and admonish each other by psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; singing with gratitude in yonr hearts to tlie Titud," Jamks says : — " Does nny one among you sufFt>r ovil ? lot him pray ; is any one cheorful? let him sing psalms"' James v. 13. We read also that the first Christiana nt Jerusalem • continued aleadfasl in the teaching, in the 18 fellowship, in the breaking of the loaf, and in the prayers of the Apostles.' Acts ii. 42. Prayers and supplications — singing praises — and teaching — may therefore very appropriately precede the "breaking of the loaf," to awaken the minds of the brethren to lively recollections of the mercies of Qod, and of the great things he has done for them in their redemption. Then a brother reading the instructions of Paul to the Corinthian church — 1 Cor. zi. 213 — or any other appropriate Scripture, may ask his birethren to join in " giving thank?" fur the loaf, and after the giving of thanks, breaking it, and giving it to the congregation as the emblem of the broken body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. TLey eat it in remembrance of him. When all have partaken of the bread; still following the example of .Tesus, thanks should be given for the cup by a brother, and when it is handed around and partaken of by " i\\\ ;" the disciples " diacbming the Lord's body" and his " shed blood for the remission of sins" in the emblems^ may truly be " cheerful " and sing " psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs ;" following the example of Christ and the Apostles. Matt. xxvi. 30. To love God with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves, are the two great commandments in all ages. Hence the beauty of the Christian religion ; it meets both cases. After the worship of Ood in breaking the loa.*", and the expression of love thus manifested by the disciples to Him who " first loved them," "for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." 1 John V. 3. Then the love to one another finds expression, for, " If we love one another God abides in us, and his love is made perfect in us." 1 John iv. 12. Hence the provision, ** Now concerning the collection which is for the Saints ; as I brdered the congregations of Galatia so also do you. On the first day of every week, let each of you lay somewhat by itself, according as he may have prospered, putting it into the treasury ; that when I come there may be then no collection." 1 Cor. xvi. 1. The collection having been thus made for the " poor saints," reading, teaching, and exhortation, with prayers, and singing praises may follow, " edifying one another," and building each other up in the faith and hope of the gospel, .ind " exhorting one another to love and to good works." Uniformity is desirable in congregations ; but only desirable so far as what 13 done is scriptural. The Apostles taught the same things everywhere; following the injunction of Jesus before his ascension, " teaching them to obder^e all the things which I have commanded you." If, therefore, we know what one church did, we know what all did ; there was no disputes about " church polity," or controversies about " church government" then; there were no sects, with the sanction of the Apostles, making their own laws and ordinances. The Apostles gave the commandments, and what they gave in one church they did in all. Paul says : — " Wherefore I beseech you, be imitators of me. For this purpose I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord ; he will put ynu in mind of my ways, which are in Christ j Bvm as I tiach sverywhibb iN bvkry congrkgation." 1 Cor. iv. 17. And in speaking of other matters in chap. vii. 17, *'and n> in alt the congregations J ordain ; aod to the^ Thessaloaiaut^ lie saya — " Ou 19 this account^Also we give thanks to God without ceasiug, that when you received from us this message of God, you embraced not the word of man ; but, aa it is in truth, the word of God, which indeed works effectually in you who believe. For you brethren became imitators of the congregations of God xjohich are %n Judea, in Christ Jesus, S[e. 1 Thes. ii. 13. It therefore becomes the privilege and power of every congregation to imitate the Apostles ; to imitate the " congregations of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus," and in 80 doing they will honor Christ and " work out their own salvation." CHAPTER VII. WHAT IB WOBSHIP BY THE F0LL0WEB8 OF CHBIST-CHRISTIAN LIFE -CHRISTIAN PROSPECTS. The true worshippers shall worship the Father In spirit and truth ; for such are the r worshippers whom the Father requires. — Christ. " The Disciples of the Lord " (See for this designation, Acts ix. 1) invoked the name of Me Lord. They worshiped the Father and the Son. " We having free access to the most holy place by the blood of Jesus — a new and living way which he has consecrated for us through the vail (that is his flesh) and — a Great High Priest over the House of God — let us draw near, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith — having our hearts prinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of the hope unmoved ; for he is faithful who has promised. And let us attentively consider one another, to excite to love and good wcr^a ; not foriaking the assembling of ourselves together as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so niiicl', the more as you see the day approaching." Heb. x. 19. They do not approach to God, through altar sacrifices and priests, for they are a " royal priesthood," they apf^roach through the one Mediator between God and racu, the Man Chri** %Ni>sus. How then can congregations of Christ as such, worship God— fiX there is a distinction between the worship of a congregation and indivi«hi^i worsdiip. How do they express their adoration of Him wlio died for their sins and rose again for their justification ; is it by doing simply what a Jew, or a Mahont- medttn might do, or is it by doing what Is pevuliai to the Christian Religion. Prayer, praise, reading, exliurtaiitui iiiv fommon, are not peculiar to Chris- tianity. PatriarcliB and Jews prayed and sang praises, so do Christians Patrlaiehs and Jews ollbied up sacrifices of the blood of nnimala ; so do not Chi'lallans Haorlfice was peculiar to them, and distinguislied Ihera from the Gentiles. How In a Cliilstian congregation distinguished from any other reli- gioui vitugiegation? the leading cliamcteristic is, having before their eyes, JesuB Christ crucified, "evldt^ntly represented ;'' this was "to the Jews, indeed, A stumbling block," and " to the Greeks foolishness, "but to those who arc called both Jews and Greeks, Ohrist the power of God and wisdom of God." 1 Cor. i. 23. It is around the " table of the Lord" that the united worship of the " family of God" ascends through the " Head, Christ Jesus," to him who is God over all, blessed for ever. We never read of the Disciples assembling on the Lord's day, as a congregation, for any other purpose ; and what could they do more pleasing to him who commanded them to " Do this in remembrance of me," than thus to assemble and obey his command and express their love to him ; " a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men,' of attachment to the " Author and Finisher of the Faith." How glorious tlms to behold them working out their own salvation with fear and trembling in love, and how humiliating it is to see a congregation calling themselves by the name of Christ, assembling on the '' Lord's day" for worship ; and nothing is beheld but the man who talks — the emblem of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ thrust out of sight as i>q unholy thing — God dishonored — Christ's precepts and examples disregarded, and a proud " will worship " taking possession of the souls of men instead of the spirit that says " not my will but thine be done," and the world led to believe that even in chris* tianity the servant is greater than the master, that the preachers words are of more importance than the words of Him " who spake as never man spake." Tills departure from the laws of Christ is a crying shame I a serious evil I a sinl rebellion! treason 11 to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which shall not go unpunished, but shall meet with a just retribution. For it is written, " Be not deceived, God is not mocked. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; and he that sows to the spirit shall of Ibo spirit reap life everlasting." The practical purpose of religion is holiness of life, as Peter says : — " As his divine power has gifted to us all things which are necessary to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue. On account of which, the greatest and most precious promises are freely given to us, that by these we might be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust. , And for this very reason, indeed, giving all diligence, add to your faith, couraoje ; and to courage, knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, lovo ; for these things being in you, and abounding, make you to be neither slothful, nor unfruitful, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he who has not these things is blind, shutting his eyes, having become forgetful of the purification of his old sins. Wherefore, the rather, brethren, earnestly endeavor to make your calling and election sure ; for doing these things, you shall never fall ; and thus there shall be richly ministered to you, an entrance into the ever- lasting kingdom of our Lord and Savimu ^psna Christ. Wherefore, I will not neglect to jlut you always in remembmnce of these things, although you know, and are established in, the present truthn Yes, I think it fit, as I- 31 long as I am !n this tabernacle, to stir yon up, by putting you in remem. brance : knowing, that the putting off of this my tabernacle is soon to happen, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Therefore I will carefully endeavor, that you rn^.y be able, after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance." 2 Petor i. 3 to 16. All the appointments of heaven are aids to the cultivation of the frnit of the spirit, which is " love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. Besides they who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts," Qftl. v • 22, and also to the crucifixion of the works of the flesh, which are these:— " Fornication, nncleanness, lasciviousness, sorcery, enmities, strifes, emula- tions, wraths, brawlings, factions, sects, envyings, murders, intoxication, revellings, and such like ; concerning which I foretell you now, as I also have foretold, that they who practice these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. V. 19. They prepare us for the life that is to come, a glorious immortality beyond the grave. But if you resist them by an obdurate and impenitent heart, " you treasure up wrath against the day of Avrath, and revelations of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every one according to his works ; eternal life indeed to them who, by perseverance in welli,-->- i : ;■,!' .1 Ms;- •i '» ■ f}4'r \i ^fi Mifm-i , >> ,::ti ■■'":^ .',.n;»j-.-f i.-j / ■■.111*.^ I Mii ;ii i^i'-. i^iV iU ." :'\ ■■.: F 99 A CKAPTES ON 8PIBITUAL DELUSIONS. The delusions on the sul\jcct of the " work of the Spirit," or llie '• Influ- ences of the Spirit,' as it is sometimes termed, are remarkable when viewed in the light of the Spirit's communications. I start with the assertion that we know nothing, and can know nothing about Spiritufil and Divine tilings, without the aid of the Spirit; but how are we to obtain that aid? where is it to be sought for? and what is it? are questions which I propose to consider. I find that in creation, the Spirit of God is said to have " moved upon the face of the waters, IGen. i. 2 ; and the first reference we have of the Spirit in relation to man is, ''the Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man," Gen. vi. .3 ; and immediately Noah was chosen as one " who found grace in the eyes of the Lord," because he was " a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God," Gen. vi. 8-9. He was a proclaimer of righteousness," 2 Peter ii. 5, when God "brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly." Noah therefore strove with them in his proclamatioiu " of rfgbteousness," but they heeded him not, " when the patience of God once waited, in the days of Noah, while an ark was pre- paring, in which few, that ie, eight souls, were effectually saved through water." 1 Petor iii. 20. We read of the Partriarcbji having communion tions from God through angels, visions, voices, &c., but always in relation to some great work of a national character, or in relation to some important events in the future, as described by the Apostle Peter, "knowing this first that no prophecy o Scriptures is of private impulse ; for never, at any time, was prophecy brought by the will of man, l)ut the holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit. ' 2 Peter i. 21. And as Paul says to the Hebrews, " God, who in ancient times tpoke often in various wayx to the falhfis by the ProplictK," Ijas in these last days spoken to us by a Son. Heb. i. 1. We road of the Spirit of God being on the Prophets, but never upon the multitude, during tlie Jewidi dispensation. The " Law was given by Moses," and the Prophets by the Spirit expounded explained and called Imck the wanderers from tiie law to it agi?in, so that they might receive tlic blesaings promised to " the obedient." 'fi^ose a^ho liad the Spirit too, under the Jewish dispensation, always had the power to work miracles as " a testimony" to those to whom they were sent, that God was with them, as in the cases of Moses, Elijali, kc. In Neheraiah ix. 20-30, it is said, '' Tliou guvcst also tiiy good Spirit to in- struct them," and "yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedest against them by thy Spirit in the Ptopheta ; yet would they not give ear, which fact is referred to by Stephen, " a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit," in his address to the Sanhedrim. Acts vii. .'il. ' Oh ! stiff"-necked and unclrcuracised in heart and ear, you always ren'M the. Holy Spirit; as ^^■■^ i! 28 ■ '^' -' ''^" - '" jftfur fathtrs didy «o f/o yow." They resisted the words which he spake, as tbeir fathers resisted the words of the Prophets and would not give ear. Sufficient is now before the reader to show that tlie Spirit was given to tlie Prophets to aid in the extraordiniti y worlc they had to perforni, and that it was only in the reception and obedience to their words that the people "yielded to the inflaence of the Spirit." But one here interposes and says, quite true ; but tiiat is just one of the leading diflcrences between the old and the new dispensations. For it was prophesied of old that when the Messiah should come, God should " pour out a portion of (his) my Spirit upon ailjlesh:' Acts ii. 17. , Let us examine the facts. The Spirit descended upon Jesus at his immer- sion by John, *• in a bodily form like a dove.'' Luke iii. 22. It was given to him " without measure." During his personal administration on earth, the jtowers of Christ were not given to any but for special purposes, as ui the • call and' sending out, in the first instance, of the twelve. Matt. x. 1-8, "and laving called to him the twelve disciples, he gave them power to expel unclean spirits, and to cure diseases and maladies of every kind." " And as you go, proclaim saying, The Ileign of Heaven approaches. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and expel demons; freely you have received freely give," and to the seventy he said, "And whatever City you enter, if they receive you, eat such things as are set before you ; cure the sick and say to them, the Reign of God comes upon yon." Luke x. 8. " And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Master, even the demons are subject to us through your name. He said unto them, I beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Lo I I empower you to tread on serpents and scorpions, and all the might of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt yoii. Luke X. 17. They did not receive the Spirit, generally, as the twelve did on the day of Pentecost, or as Cornelius and his household received it in fulfilment of the Prophecy of John the immerser, when he said " I, indeed, immerse in water, bul one mightier thaa I comes • ♦ • • he will immerse you jn^the Holy Spirit, and fire." Luke iii. 16. And as the Saviour said after his resurrectioii, ''for John indeed immersed in water, but you shall be im- merted in tht/jloly Spirit, within a few dayt» Acts i. 5. We also find in his dvftrge/ 4 the Apostles, " Go throughout all the world, proclaim the glad tidings to the whole creation. He who shall believe and be immersed, ' shall be saved ; but he who shall not believe, shall be condemned. And these miraculous powers shall attend the believers. In my name they shall expel demons, they shall speak languages unknown to them before, they shall handle serpents with safety, and if they drink poison, it shall not irt them. They shall cure the sick by laying their hands upon them." Mark xvi. 15. We proceed then to the fulfilment of these promises. On the Pente- costal day, after the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostles "were all d4 iinanlmonBly assembled in the same place," " and there appeared to thew \ tongnes resembling fire, distinctly separated, and it rested upon each of them, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts ii. 3. It is sufficient to observe with respect to this " immersion of the Holy Spirit" on the Apostles — as promised to them, " within a few days" after Christ departed flrom them, and which they wei-e "charged not to depart IVom Jerusalem," Acts i. 4, until they should receive — that it could not have been given to the multitude, because Peter said to them, (v. 38,) " Reform and be each of you immersed in the name of * Jesus Christ, in order to the remission of sins, and you shall receive the ^i/t of the Holy Spi-^i ;" if it had already been given, the Apostle would not , have promised it in the future ; but the words spoken by Peter were tlie words spoken by the Holy Spirit, and they are the most important words ever uttered through the mouth of man, and the man who rfjects them, red'te the Holy Spirit ; and can have no hope for the life that now is or that which is to come. This then was the first " immersion of the Holy Spirit," and the second and last was like unto it. " While Peter was yet speaking these words, ilie Holy Spirit fell upob all who were hearing the word ; and they of the circumcision who believed, as many as come with Peter, were aston-" ished, that the f(ift of the Holy Spirit waa poured out on the Gmtiles also for they htard thtm, apeaking in diviree langvaget and glorifying God." Acts X. 44. The Apostle Peter, when rehearsing this matter to the Apostles at Jenisalero, said, " And as I began to speak, (Ac Holy Spirit fell upon them, even vpon u$ at the beginning ;" and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John immersed in water, but yon shall be immersed in the Holy Spirit. Since, therefore, God gave to them the same g\ft at he did to «t, who had ' believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. What was 1 that I should be able to obstruct God? Acts xi. 16. ^^> *<«<*» These are the only " immersions of tlie Holy Spirit," of which the Scrip- tures give us any account, on the Jews and Gkntiles— all flesh— not Jews only, but under the Gospel, Gentiles also was to be partaker* of the blessings of the Gospel, and it seemed to require this miraculous intervention of God to convince even the Apostles of tlie fulfilment of this promise ^^ declared by Peter on the Pentecost; "but this is that which was spoken hy'tW^to- phet Joel :'' Acts ii. 16, That these are the only " immersions" spoken of or promised in the Scriptures ; we have only to refer to one fact— /Ac/ God te^ the inmtrser in both cases— /Aere was no intermediate agent in either esse • it was the direct gift of God ; " the same gift as he did to us," tlie Alip'stle says. -. .,.;', -•-......:. . . ■..] i.A„-^j... ■•'■ I have only to refer to some other facts to show the conclusiveness of this view, and that the promise given on Pentecost was not to be perpetuated Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria and it is said " when they gave credit to Philip declaring the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and 25 of \9 the name uf Jesus Christ, they were immersed, bulh men and women." Acts viii. Peter and John came down from Jerusalem, and they " prayed with them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, (/at A< wag not ytt fallen on any of them ; only they were immtrttd in the name of the Lo d Jnus.) Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." Acta viii. 15. So also in the case of the disciples of John, Paul found at Ephesus, he said to them, "Have you on your believing received the Holy Spirit? And they replied to him. No 1 * * And hearing this they were immersed intu the naipe of the Lord Jesus ; and Paul layii^ his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon .them ; and they spoke with tougws and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men." Acts xix, 2-5. Here we observe that the Samaritans and Ephesians believed, and were immersed and " saved," or had the " remission of their sins," and yet had liot the Holy Spirit, which they assuredly would have had if it had been intended to perpetuate to all generations of believers " the gift of the Holy Spirit." They received tlie power to speak with " tongues" as had been promised by the " laying his (the Apostle's) hands" upon them, and this power of speaking with tongues, or in diverse languages seemed always to have accompanied the " gifts of the Holy Spirit," or to have been one of the " gifts" of the Holy Spirit, for the Corinthians had it, as the Apostles says, " and to another divers kinds of foreign tongues,'' 1 Cor. xii. 10, yet they were to cease, for he says "love never fails, bui whether prophecies they will be out of use, or foreign lantiuaget they tkall ceate." 1 Cor. xiii. 8. Hence these gifts of the Holy Spirit were to cease. Having thus passed, i' brief review, the whole Bible down to the Epistles, the result appears to b' . . 1. That the Si»irit w. jrivcn to the Prophets during the Patriarchal and Je\vii>li dis] I nsations, .i>d that through the Prophets the people received the knowledge of the Lord. , ^ 2. That during 0Y)ri3ts personal minigtry the Spurit's powers were only given to chonn yperto'iiK for special purposes, as to the twelve and to the seventy, othea-wise it would not have been necessary to have given them jV'ain to th?/" twelve" on the day of Pentecost. i . v.;-..! :>. A'r.4^f 3. That the immersion of the Holy Spirit was promised during the previous period, and was fulfilled on two occasions that we read of, on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, and Cornelius and hitf household when Peter preached to them. 4. That all other gifts of the Holy Spirit were given through " laying" on of the hands of the Apostles, and not in any other way. 5. That many disciples were made, or many persons believed, rcf( rmed and were immersed, who had not the Holy Spirit until the Apostles laid their bands oa tbemi as io the case of tb© Samaritans and Bpbesiaas. \\ Cv% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 1.1 1^12^ 12.5 150 ■^^ I^H Ui C^ 12.2 2.0 11^ L25 iu 11.6 ^ 7] ^J^' /; % Photographic SdeTices Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRffT WEBSTER, N.Y. MS90 (71*) S72-4503 ^° m^. tf ^ \ ^ 26 6. That the promise of Peter on the Pentecost, '*aud ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," was not general or perpetual ; but was tn cease with the other miraculous ^ifts given during the Apostles personal administra- tion. 7. That there is no account of any other gifts or blessings of the Spirit, abstract influences, spiritual impressions, spiritual contact, spiritual opera- tions or witness of the Spirit received or enjoyed in any other way than those specifled; either before sinners believed the Gospel or afterwards, except the words which the " Holy Apostles" spoke and wrote as the Spirit moved them, which brought " comfort' and consolation to>the souls of those who were persecuted for Christ's sake. With these facts and conclusions before us, I will ask the reader to con- sider with me another point pressed with great earaesthess upon the attention of sinners by the " orthodox" teachers of religion, and that is the question of " abstract spiritual influences" striving with the sinner to induce faith, or to bestow faith and accomplish tlie " conversion'' of the sinner. I read that Peter and the other Apostles said on a certain occasion, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus whom you slew, hanging him on a tree ; Bin has God exalted at his right hand, a Prince and a S»viour, to give reformation to Israel, and remie- sion of sins ; and we tat his witnesses of these things, und th$ Holy Sjnril alto, whom €hd has giem to tk*m who tmbmit to hU goremaunt." Acts v. 30. God ha$ i(ivtn the Sf^rit (o a certain cIms, of whom we have numerous instances, those who ntftmtt '^to A<« gv» nMMNt." A similar result, at least to some extent, is produced new that wai then produced in the Sanhedrim, when the priests and ruleri were told these things, if ft person should main- tain what the Apostles then said : — " And when tiiey heard this thty were, tnragrd, and consulted to put them to death. ^ Aets r. 83. And Paul says to the Galatians, "Btcau-^e you prt «•«•, God baiK«siit forth the Spirit of bis Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.'' QaJ. fv. 6. And tt the Ephesians, he says:—" In whom (Chrisi^.yo** i^^oo trusted, having heard the vord "fttuth^ the Gospel of yonr salvatidl^ ia whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Spirit of proraisfr— *il(^ Holy Spirit — who is an earnest of our inheritance, for the redemption of to? pwdwiPj • to the praise of his glory." Eph. i. 13. See Acts xix. 1-7, for the "ixiioiy of this sealing, and the npanner in which it was done : — " And Paul laying his bands on them, the Holy Spirit tame upon them, and they spoke witk, tongues and prophesied." To this agree the words of Jesus to his " Apostles." John xiv. 15. " If you love mo keep my commandments, and I will entreat the Father, and he will give you another advocate, to continue with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receheJ' "I tell you these thiu^^s M'hile I remain with you ; but the advocate, the Hoiy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all thinge, and remisid you of all that J have told yo«," verse 25, clearly showing that it was to the 27 4 W Apostles the promise wtis limited, and not to tbe world generally. The Holy Spirit war^ given to the Apostles fo;- another purpose also, to testify that they *' spoke the words of God." "They, however, stayed there cou- siderablf^ time, speaking boldly for the Lord , who gaee afttBtation to thf. word o/hi$ g are, and granted signs and miracles to be done by their hands." Acts xiv. 3. In Peter's address. Acts ii. 22, he thus explains the object of the miracles which were done by Jesus. " Israelites, hear these words : Jesus the Nazarene^ a man recommftided to you by God by powerful operationM, and wonders and signs, which God wrought by him in the midst of you. as you yourselves also know." So the Apostle Paul gays to the ii^brews, "How shall v/c escarc if we neglect so great salvation? which, beginning to be spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by them who heard him. Chd alto bearing u)Hne$t, both by tigns and tconderf, and divert miradet, and didribution of the Holy Sfnrit, according to his own pleasure.'' Heb. ii. 3. Now what were the " powerful operations" by which Qod " recommended" Jesus to the faith of ths world; that the world might believe on him ? Was it not, as John expresses it, " Many other miracles Jesus likewise i.>erformed in the presence of his dis- ciples, which are not recorded in this book ; but Shete are recorded, that you tnay believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son ^of God ; and that believing you may have life through his name." . John xx. 30. Is not the concentrated testimony of intelligences supernal and infernal ; divine and human ; angels, and demons ; things animate and inanimate ; sun, earth, water, storms, trees ; men, dead and alive ; life and death ; Prophets and Apostles ; miracles, signs and wonders ; history, sacred and profane ; friends and enemies ; rulers and the ruled ; priests and people ; good men and bad men ; monumental institutions, such asimmersion and the breaking of tbe loaf ; the persecutors and the martyrs; and the love, mercy, goodness and compas- sion of the Father; the 'iffe, suffering, death, burial and resurrection of the Son ; the words, gifts, signs and miracles of the Holy Spirit. Is not, I say, this accumulated and unparalleled combination of testimony sufficient to induce faith in c* sinner? If it is not, then there is no power or influence in heaven, earth or hell, that will or can 1 ■' If the r^^^ader admits all .is written, lie may still respond. The " disciple "bliVi'/ifcbrd" now has the Spirit, or enjoys the " comfort" of tbe Holy Spirit after he becomes such, though the sinner or disobedient person may not. true, he does ; but is :t in any of the forms specified? certainly not, for if so the evidence would be seen ; tlic partakers of tlie Spirit could " speak with longues" and "prophesy," for tlicse were tlic invariable results .is we have seen of the "gifts of th' "loly Spirit" in the instances recorded. How then do you explain such passages as " What ! do you not know that your body i« the temple of the Holy Spirit, who {.< in you, whom you have from God.' I Uor. vi. 19. 1 look at them with the farts recorded concerning the congre- gation at Corinth, and what is found, why, that the congregation had '9- ■■■■ » ,, , :. ''spiritual gift<>*" 1 Cor. xil. 1. " And to each is given this manifestation of the Spirit, for the advantage of all. For to one indeed is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom ; and to another ths word of knowledge, accordiug to the same Spirit ; and to another faith, by the same Spirit ; and to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit ; and to another the operation of powers ; and to another prophesy ; and to another discerning of Spirits . and to another, divers kinds of foreign tongues ; and to another the interpre- tation of foroigru tongues. Now all these do the one and th% same Spirit effectively work, distributing to each respectively as he pleases " 1 Cor. xii. '7-12. Surely with these " diversities" of gifts it must be conceded that they were the " temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you." So I read toUh tht f(uU (Acts x!x.) what Paul says to the Ephesians : — " Now then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets ; Jesus Christ himself being the foundation corner stone, by which the whole building being fitly compacted together, rises into a holy ttmipU of the Lord ; in which you also are building together for a h(kbitation of God through the Spiri.." Eph. ii. 19. What is the difference between the expression " temple of the Lord" and " temple of the Holy Spirit" ? How does the Lord " dwell" in the " temple ?'' and how does the Spirit " dwell," and we aliio read " what agreement has the temple of God with idols ? for you are the t mple of the living God ; as God has said, assuredly I will dwell among them and walk among them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people." 2 Cor. vi. 16. " But Christ, as a son over his own house, tohose hoiue are. we if we hold fast our confidence and the rejoiciiig of our hope uQahaken to the end." Heb. iii. 6 ; see also 1 Peter ii. 5. " That Christ ma$ dwell ip ycur hearti thrwi^ faith ; Eph. iii. 17, that you might be filled with all the fullnt^s of God," verse 19. " There- fore he Avho despises, despises not man, but God, "ivjio certainly ban given to us his Holy Spirit." 1 Thes. iv. 8. " The form of Vholesome words, which ycu have heard from me, hold fast with the faith ami love which are in Christ Jesus. The good deposit guard by the Holy Spirit «*<> iviMe in •»." 2 Tim. i. 13. " Let the word of Chritt dwell in you richly:^ ^ Col. iiL 16. " Whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides' in him and he in God ; and we have known and believed the love which Ood^ to us, God is love ; therefore, he who abides in love, abides in God and God 'iiiii{m^:( 1 John iv. 15. We have the " temple of God," " of the Lord," and ^* of ^ ' Holy Spirit." Are not these expressions substantial equivalents. We hav4 "God dwelling among" his people; " Christ dwelling in their hearts ;" the " Holy Spirit who dwells in us ;" " he who abides (or dwells) in love abides in God and God in him," and the " words of Christ dwelling in us richly." All these dwelt in the christian by his reception, and belief of the things which God, Christ, the Spirit, and the Word have communicated, and obedi- ence to the laws and commandments which are made known. " For this is >\ / ;'i. • \ /■ the love of God, that w« keep his vommandmeut?.'' 1 John v. 3. ^' If a man lovt m*ht toill ofrtervt my uxtni; and my Father vfill love Mm, and we tvill come to him and dwell with him. He who lores me not disregards my words.'* John xiv. 23. " Abide In me and I will abide in you." John xr. 4. " If you keep my commandments, you shall continue in my lore," vtrse in. There is another class of passages as " Boru of water and of the Spirit," " of his own will he begat us by the word of truth," James i. 18. " Where- fore, having purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit, to unfeigned brotherly love ; love one another from a pure heart, fervently, havinj; Ijeen regenerated, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the umrit of the living God which remains." 1 Peter i. 22. " Ho saved us * through the bath of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Titus iii. 5. All being equivalent to the saying of Christ, " He v/ho shall believe and be immersed, shall be saved." Mark sir. 16. The words of God spoken by the Spirit through the Apostles, believed " with the heart unto righteousness," is the renewing of the Holy Spirit ; the reviving of the life of man to righteousness and holiness; is that btgttling so frequently spoken of in the Scriptures and the " l)ath of regeneration" or immersion in water, or emergring from the womb of waters, is that bringing forth, or birth, or being born again ; also so fret^aUy referred to, and which is only explicable by these facts. The leading Scriptures, often referred to, to support'the fancies of " religious men," as to spiritual influevoet, scarcely bear the construction put upon thpm when examined in the light iMtM tht factti throw upon them. The Holy Spirit was promised by God " to them who ask him," according to his will, and the promise was fulfilled, '* distributing to each respectively as he pleases." Don't let imaginatioQr carry you beyond the facts, and there is no dMBcttlty. " The Spirit breathes [or speaks] when he pleases, and you hear the report of him, bnt'know not whence he came or whither he goes ; so Is every one [btgol.l^'n] who is born of the Spirit," John iii. 5. So is every one begotten^^liat is by hearing the report or words of the Spirit. " So then faith come§ tiy bearit>g, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. x. 17. Why should .\be word translated " wind" in the common version, be so translated \n thi» instance, when in every other place — over two hundred tlaiRlrr!j^the Scriptures but one, it is translated " Spirit," as it is translated above, and makes sense which it never did as translated in the common version, and which no person ever understood, although many fancied they dii. Another, and probably more frequently quoted passage is, "Also the Si>irit bears witness, together with our Spirit, that %ire are the children of God," Rom. viii. 16, or as it is in the common version, ** beats witness with our Spirit.' The usual construction is as if it read bears witness to our Spirit or upon, our Spirit. What does the i;assage state ? that the Holy 3pirit bears witness, or is a witoess, " together with our Spirit;;" another Vs 30 / / witness — to what fact " tiiat we are the children of God." Two wUnesscs to one fact: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." The Holy Spirit " testified" in the Holy Apostles and Bfo- phcts what God required of men to do, to make them his adopted children. The first witness thus speaks : The spirit of man knows when he does what God commands, and the second witness then accords with the first, or agrees that " we are the children of God." r Or to illustrate : The Spirit of God says to believers in the Gospel, '' Reform, and be each of you immersed in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to the remission of sins." Acts ii. 38, Now the believers spirit knows when " he submits to the government" of God, or obeys these commands, and when he does his sins are remitted, he is saved a child of God. Another class of passages invariably referred to in this connection is illus- trated in the instances where it is said " I will put my laws into their mind, and inscribe them in their hearts," Heb. vii. 10, and I will put into them a new heart and " a new spirit," Ezek. xi. 19, "whose heart the Lord ope^ca to attend to the things which were spoken by Paul." Acts xvi. 14. " No man can come to me unless the Father, who has sent me, draw him. John vi. 44. The simple question to consider is, how are these things done ? Is it necessarily implied in each of the expressions that a miracle must be wrought to accomplish the thing spoken of J Certainly not. What then ? Not that they are fulfilled literally, and that a heart is taken out of the man — as the rib of Adam — and a new one put in its place ; but that the aims, the purposes, the prospects are changed, are m^de new by the authority, the love, the mercy, the argu- ments, the blessings, and the denunciations of God, as revealed in the words of the Prophets in old times, and of Hie Son aid Apostles in the times present. All any one has to do, to ascertain how these things are done, is to read the fads recorded in connection with them and s? them to tbv difrercnt sects named, it is dift'crcnt teaching to that which Paul spoke by the Spirit, when he told them, Rom. xvi. 17, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who make separations and occasions of falling, con- trary to the doctrine which yon have learned, and avoid them. For Ihry who are sucli do not re ve the Laid Jesus, but their ovn belly ; and by flattery and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple " And to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. i. 10,) " Now brctlircn, I beseech }0U by the n.ime of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you, but that you be perfectly itnited in the same mind, and in the same judgment." The Spirit that brings a "convert" hero to the Catholic trunk, an I there to a Church of England branch, or to a Presbyterian branr'i, or a Methodist bnanch, or a Baptist branch, as the case may be, cannot be the same Spirit that spoke in Him " who spoke as neve mats spoke,'* and who "• xd that they all who believed on him through the Apostle's word, "may be one; as thou Father art in me and I in thee, they also m>iy be one in us, that the wo Id may bilieve that thou ha<'l ftM me." John xvii. 21 A " Revivalist" acting this course, giving ona convert to the Catholics, i'.nother to the Church of England, another to the Methodist, &c., would scarcely be tolerated ; he would be regarded m one having no settled principles, and as such would be looked upon with Buspicion. The Spirit of God leads sinners through the ffospel, which is " the power of God unto salvatio^i,' to believe, reform and be immcfBcd "into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Wh«n they are thus saved, they are " separated," Acts xix. 8, and coiigregAted together to '* observe all things'- wl.atsoever Jesus bad coi»m''.nded the Apostles to teaeh them : To rcmembeiwhim in his ordinanceSi to worship and to baild each other up in the faith and hope of the gospel. In the first age, the Spirit, to identify the " saved," dwelt in them in wonder- ful forms and in a miraculous manner, as the " Glory of the Lord" dwelt in the temple to identify it as " God's temple ;" 2 Chron. vii. 2, Exod. xl. 34 ; we have in them our models and we are to follow in their footsteps as directed by the Spirit, and " by well doing," to seek glory, honor, immortality and eternal Uic; and " save ourselves" from the punishment of those who will J' not oUey the truth, but unrighteousness ;' who will not " obey the gospel tf our L'ord and Saviour Jesus Christ; who shall suffer a just p nishmcnt an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of hij power— in that day when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admirt^rt by all the believers. ' 2 Ties. i. 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