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The following Lectures are published by special request. It has been made evident, from what transpired in Ottawa last winter, that among pedo-baptist communities there exists either ignorance or misunderstanding as to the po- sition tekeri by Baptists on the Subjects and Mode of Christian Baptism. Hence the desire to publish these Lectures. Moreover, there is a notion very prevalent amongst a large class of pedo-baptists — and one which their teachers are not v;ery solicitous to remove — that the distinctive views of Baptists in reference to baptism are not sustained by the great and learned of other denomi- nations. A careful perusal of the quotations given will open the eyes of many on this matter. All is submitted in the interests of pure evangelical truth. ", , .XjEOTTJE/E I... ¥HY ¥E DO NOT BAPTIZE OUR INFANTS. 3St. Lwa ere po- of esa ent ich the are mi- 7ill ted \ "In vain they do worship me, teaching; for doctrines the com- Tnandments of men. But He answered and said, every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up " (Matt. XV. 9, 13). Ohrist moved in society fulfilling the letter and the spirit of the Old Dispensation. While, however. He thus honoured God by keej^ing the law as none ever kept it before. He was under no obligation to be bound by the traditions of men ; yea. He placed Himself in direct an- tagonism to such traditions. In the early part of this chapter we find Christ and the Pharisees in collision. He would not submit to the pharisaical ritualistic custom of washing His hands before eating. This gave them griev- ous offence. How did Christ reply? '^Why do ye transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? But invain^ do ye worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ! " He thus makes a sharp distinction between what was of divine authority and what was of human divising. He offers no apology for taking issue with them on a point which He solemnly affirms was a mere tradi- tionary custom, and whose tendency was to make the commandment of God of none effe(5t. On the other hand with all the earnestness of His nature He protests against the custom, and reminds the Pharisees, that before the march of pure spiritual religion, all these traditions must five way; "For" He adds, "every plant which my 'ather in heaven has not planted, shall be rooted up ". .;<.>•■ ■■.■■'*'■' 'A. As Baptists we take exactly the same ground in our op- position to infant sprinkling as Christ took against the traditionary rites of the Pharisees. We believe it to bo a mere human institution, having a strong influence in making New Testament baptism of none effect. This being a living conviction with us, you can understand our bold, unflinching opposition to it. It is to be remembered however that it is the custom we oppose, not those who practise it. Baptists have no unkind or unchristian feel- ings towards those who differ from them. But in reference to infant baptism, we have opposed it, we do oppose it, and will continue to oppose it. It is a part of our great mission in the world, to oppose it with all the zeal, intelligence, talents and powers with which God has en- dowed us. My task this evening demands of me some reasons why we do not baptize our infants. I say infants advis- edly. Our position is often misstated and hence misap- Erehended by the affirmation that we advocate adult aptism, and oppose that of children I We do neither ! We believe the scriptural subjects of baptism to be be- lievers, and believers only ! It matters not whether the believer be the veteran of eighty or the child of ten. But to our task : (1) We do not baptize our infants, because neither Christ nor any of His apostles sanctioned the baptism of any other class than that of believers ! Observe (1) John the Baptist's preaching and baptism revealed Christianity in the bud. All those he baptized in Jordan, confessed their sins ! (See Matt. iii. 1-12.) {2) Christ Himself was bap- tized to " fulfil all righteousness " when about thirty years of age (Matt. iii. 13-17). At His baptism the pro- clamation was made to all men, that Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter's son, was to be esteemed no longer a mere man, but the Beloved Son of God in the nature of man. From the date of His baptism, therefore, the Jordan rolled forever between His former life as a natural man, and that glorious life in Avhich He was henceforth to appear as the Incarnate Deity! So every believer in His baptism j)roclaim8 to the world, " The Divine dwells in me ! " (3) The Commission authorizes disciples only to be bap- f tized. (See Matt, xxviii. 19.) All nations arc not to be baptized, only that portion of them taught or made dieciples of. (4) The practice of the apostles harmonizes with this teaching of the Commission — (see Acts ii. 41 ; V. 14; viii. 12, 26-38; ix. 18; x. 47; xviii. 8). The teaching of these texts is unmistakably clear and posi- tive ! But our pedo-baptist brethren argue in favour of infant baptism from the fact that "whole households were baptized." The Scriptures make mention of the Jailer's, Stephanus', Crispus', and Lydia's households; and they add, "we cannot reasonably suppose that no little ones were in all these. We have here the prin- ciple of family baptism." Now when any person assumes that there were infants in- these households, the burden of proof falls upon him who makes the assumption. It will not do in a great question of this kind, with so much positive evidence to the contrary, simply to say, " Is it likely there were no babies in so many households?'^ I cannot imagine a weaker ground on which to build such an institution as infant baptism, than that of mere SUPPOSITION ! No court on earth, excei)t a pedo-baptist church, would accept of such evidence ! Pedo-baptist brethren, give ns facts, not assumptions. If there were any babies in those households, tell us how many ? Or, if you fail as to the exact number, just tell us of one I I will however oblige our pedo-baptist friends, by aiding them in the search for infants among the above house- holds. Let us therefore, guided by the infallible Wcnp, pay a friendly visit to those Christian families; if Ktiis ones are there we shall surely either see or hear them. \> e will make our first call at Lydia's house. (Acts xvi.x4,15.) Let us look at the facts given us here. (l)Lydia is described as a certain woman ; (2) she is a woman that earns her own living ; (3) she is mentioned as the head of the house- hold ! (4) she is transacting business at Philippi, 300 miles fcom her home. From these facts, where is the evidence that Lydia was married, or that she had any chil- dren, or that any of them were infants ? Does not the Scriptures affirm the husband to be the head of his wife, and nence of his household? but here we have a woman — supporting herself — the head of the household. And yet the assumptions of our pedo-baptist friends are that }.&.■ •'■' V ■'' •■:^'"'^-''-'''^'H^ . ^';'^tX"'''»....«».« ,«. A • Meyer thinks the other members of Lydia's household were female assistants in the business connected with her trade. i ' SoiVV't' ' Si'' .' ' -if' "■ '"'■..■..• able conclusion that none arc included in the term house- hold but believers f . Children coming to Christ. Another argument in favour of infant baptism is built upon Matt. xix. 13-15. But it will be as difficult to find baptism in this passage as to find the infants in the others I Baptism is men- tioned in conjunction with the households I but, to the confusion of our opponents, no little ones are there to be baptized. Little ones are mentioned in Matt, xix., but, to their still greater confusion, baptism is not therel But, unless they see the little ones oaptized in some scripture, what folly to talk about them at all I But let us look at the text before us. Notice (1) when the chil- dren are coming, the apostles rebuked their parents. Now the apostles could not have known anything about infant baptism, else they would administer no rebuke. Infant baptism clearly was not known therefore up to .this date, which brings us nearly to the close of Christ's ministry. But did it begin at this date ? Were those children who came to Christ baptized ? If so, then in- fant baptism has the authority of Christ to sanction it. If not, then this incident is the strongest possible evidence against the custom ! Eead and see if they were baptized. Christ took them in His arms and blessed them — but we do not read of them being bajitized even after being blessed! Had Christ any intention of instituting such a rite as infant baptism, would He have missed such an opportunity ? Christ's taking children in His arms and praying for them, is quite in harmony with His kind, tender and genial disposition. The scene is one we often see when a good man visits our home ! Baptists bring their children to Christ — not to the font. We dedicate them to Him, ask Him to spare them to us and early bring them to a knowledge of His saving love ! He who brings infant baptism oift of the Saviour's blessing chil- dren, has a more fanciful imagination and subtle percep- tion than Shakspeare 1 -a The promise to you and your children (Acts ii. 39) is made to do duty in the pedo-baptist cause. Dr. Doddridge remarks, "The word in the original, tekna, rendered chil- dren, signifies posterity ; and does not necessarily imply (2) ■ ■r.'.,-' 1. I'.' infancy ". Besides, the promise has no reference to bap- tism, but to the gift of the Holy Spirit. The main idea being that the blessings of grace are to all generations, "even unto as many as the Lord our God shall call". But we are tohb that we have no example of baptism being refused to infants! Will our pedo-baptist brother be kind enough to give us a single instance of baptism being asked for a child ? if he can, he can see the refusal in the very next verse ! ! But a zealous advocate of this tradition strikes out in the following novel but very amusing argument : — " Before I refuMc to baptize children, I must find a com- mand like this — ' Baptize all people, but leave out the children ' " ! Well, if this be good logic, the Roman Catho- lic priest may well say, " Before^ refuse to baptize bells, I must see a command to leave out the bells ". There is just as mi\ch scriptural authority to baptize bells as to baptize infants! But there is no such cotnmand in Grod's Word as to baptize all people 6r nations. The command is to preach the gospel to all nations , then those who are made disciples of are to be baptized. So far therefore we have learned — First, that every instance in which baptism is referred to in the New Testament, the subject was a believer ; secondly, that the household argument has not even " the shadow of a shade of a ghost of a foundation " when care- fully examined in the light of the inspired record ; third- ly-, that the text, " Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, &c.," is conclusive on two points : (1) That infant baptism was unknown to the apostles; (2) that Christ did not then institute infant baptism as the children went away from Christ without being baptized. The following evidence from eminent Presbyterian and other divines, will doubtlessly startle many in Ottawa, who heard their ministers talk very depreciatingly^ of the Baptist position in reference to infant baptism: — " The baptism of infants in the first two centuries after Christ was altogether unknown; but in the third /ind fourth was allowed by some few. In the fifth and following ages it was generally received. The custom of baptizing^ infants did not begin before the ^third age after Christ ■y-'- •.•■■ ' -; ■■«:•'. ■•/. ■: ■■■KC5'i5i- 9 'V. • "!"■ I 'was born. Id the former ages no trace of it appeal's. I| was introduced without the command of Christ. . V "Therefore, this rite is observed by us as an ancient cus- tom, but not as an apostolic tradition." (Clrcellaeus, Professor of Divinity of Geneva.) "None ought to be baptized but vis:ible desciples of Chriwt; for in baptism there is an open acknowledgment of the party for a disciple of Christ. He ought to be looked upon as a servant of the grcul Master, before ho get on his badge and wear his livery. The commission for bap- tizing runs so, first to 'make disciples ', ^^/lew to 'bap- tize ' (Matt, xxviii. 19). And this is the very native order of these things. But none but visible believers can be acknowledged for Christ's disciples." (BosTONjDispw^a- tion of Right to Sacrament.) " It is impossible to deny that the general description which the Shorter Catechism gives of a sacrament teach- es, by a plain implication, that the sacraments are intend- ed only for believers, while no Protestants, except some of the Lutherans, have ever held that infants are capable of exercising faith. It also teaches by plain implication, in the previous question (the 91st) that the wholesome influence of the sacrament is experienced only by those who ' by faith received them '. All this is applied equally to baptism and the Lord's Supper. Its general import as implying a virtual restriction of these ordinances to be- lievers is too clear to be misunderstood, or to admit of being explained away." (Eev. Dr. Wm. CunninghAiM, Principal of New College, Edinburgh.) " Scripture knows nothing of the baptism of infiints. There is absolutely not a single trace oi it to be found in the New Testament. Some, intlced, have ai-gued that in the silence of Scripture, it is fair to presume that a cus- tom whose existence is seen in the second century must have descended from the apostles ; but the pi'esumption is wholly the other way." (North British Eeview (Pres.), Aug. lSb2. Edited by Dr. HAJiiiA.) > Neander, the great historian, and professor of church history in the Universit}'- of Berlin — " Baptism at first was only administered to adults, as men were accustom- ed to conceive baptism and faith as strictly connected. There docs not appear to be any reason for deriving ',■■• •■'.■;!■•■. mm ■i-wi.. . / 10 infant baptism from any apostolical institution". (Church Hist., Vol. i. 430.) Bishop Burnet — " Tliere is no express precept or rule given in the New Testament for infant baptism." (Pen. p. 52.) Baxter — " I concluded that all examples of baptism in Scripture do mention only the administration of it, to the professors of saving faith." (Disput. of Bight to Sac. p. 156.) Boston — " There is no example of baptism recorded in the Scriptm^es where atiy were baptized, but such as appeared to have a saving interest in Christ." (Works, p. 384.) Charnock, the great Presbyterian divine on the cross — *• God seals no more than He promises. He promises only to faith, and therefore seals to faith. Covenant graces therefore must be possessed, and acted, before covenant blessings be ratified to us." (Work% Yol. ii. 781.) Bishop Prideaux — " Pedo-baiDtism rests on no other divine right than Episcopacy." (Pm. p. 61.) (2) "We do not baptize our infants because doing so would be contrary to the genius or spirit of the New Dis- pensation ! Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. The letter predominated in the old, the Spirit in the new. To become entitled to the national privileges of Abraham one had only to be circumcised and keep the law. To become a sharer of the blessings of the covenant of grace one has to be born again ; in other words, the privileges of Christ's kingdom are only to believers! The New Testament presents to us Christ, the Second Adam, the New Man, as the central thought of theolcjgy ! The second grand idea of this dispensation is that the Church is the Body of Christ. The New Testament Church is therefore a spiritual community; in it there is no room for a membership based on a mere ritual. To this Body of Christ belong the ordinances of the new dispensa- tion — Baptism and the Lord's Supper. To administer either of these ordinances to any but those who are members of Christ's Body by faith, is to ignore the very CONSTITUTION of the Christian Church. Those wlio found 11 infant baptism on circumcision as given to Abraham, mystify New Testament teaching by the fogs of Judaism ! Abraham had two seeds, the natural and the spiritual ; to the one an earthly inheritance was promised, to the other a spiritual. The natural seed received their inherit- ance in Canaan, and retained it 1,500 year.s, and might have retained it until now but for their rejection of the liord Jesus Christ.. But who are Abraham's spiritual !>;eed? Let the apostle Paul answer : " If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the prom- ise " (Gal. iii. 29). Dr. Scott — a pedo- baptist expositor — remarks, ''The unbelieving descendants of Jacob were no more interested in the most valuable promises than the posterity of Ishmael and Esau were, while all believ- ers, though of Gentile exti-action, being one with Christ, were included in the Abrahamic covenant, without any concern in the Mosaic law, or the Sinai covenant " (Com, on Gal. in. 16). As Eev. William Fraser puts, in reply- ing to a pedo-baptist minister, " Yoii claim the promise of the spiritual seed to the natural offspring of believers. This is more than Abraham himself could ever claim. We become children of Abraham not by the natural but hy the spiritual birth. If I am a child by the spiritual, shall my son or daughter be so by the natural birth ? A most deadly error, that has chloroformed millions to their eternal ruin ".* (3) Again, the symbolism of baptism furnishes sufficient reason why it should not be administered to any but be- lievers. Paul, in Eom. vi., teaches that baptism sym- bolizes our death, burial and resurrection with Christ. In baptism the old Adam life is symbolically buried, and the NEW-MAN life has a blessed resurrection ! Dean Alford, Luther and others agree with this view. The Shorter Catechism declares, " baptism doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, &nd our engagement to be the Lord's ". When baptism is administered to an infant, what an incongruity to suppose its old life dea4=rthat that child is now risen with Christ, or that^it's^Aji^^~5fes^ ingrafting into Christ ! Thus to administeir''l^^>wmtrwi^x^ * "Reply to Rev. R. Rodgers' 'Lectures o/' Ba^ti^A inrthe Town of Collingwood." By Rev. William Frf^er| O.lVl.C.. 1954 12 any show of consistency, one must be a believer in bap- tismal regeneration. Indeed it is a matter of history that infant baptism had its origin in the heretical notion that baptism regenerates! Either baptism does some- thing for the child or it does not. Now, what does it do for Mm f — Wanted ! a star-theologian, who will enlighten evangelical pedo-baptists on this point ! One tells us he baptizes to remove original nin ; a second, because the child has no sin ! a third, because baptism regenerates ; a fourth, because the parents are Christians ; a fifth baptizes because he views it simply as a. dedication of the child f Now, when pedo-baptists agree among themselves as to their reasons for baptizing children, it will be then an opportune time to ask us to follow their example ! The very nature of the ordinance, and its scriptural definition^ leave not a shadow of ground for administering it to any but believei's. Baptism symbolizes great facts supposed to be realized in the subjecfs experience ! When these facts are not true in reference to him, the rite is a solemn mockery, or at best a popish ceremony ! Lastly. We do not baptize our children, because we consider infant ba))tism a positive evil. (1 ) It has a tendency to give the child in after life false views of his standing before God. He cannot get rid of the notion that something was done for him in baptism ! (2) Infant baptism introduces the world into the Church. The eclesiastical system of which infant bajitism is the centre, makes mixed membership possible and probable ; hence, pure spiritual religion in pedo-baptist communities has to woi'k not only against the world outside, but also- that inside the visible church. (3) Infant bajttism is the pillar of pojiery. It is pro- pagating religion by means of a sacrament, instead of by implanting the trutli in the heart. This is the basis of the whole Roman system. (4) Infant baptism bars millions of believers from obeying a positive command of their Saviour; The very first duty of the believer is to put on Christ ly baptism ! but his way to obedience is 1>arrcd by his having been sprinkled as an infant. His heart may be glowing in the freshness of its first love, he may bo earnestly seeking i I C ( c 13 for some self-denying act, in which he could show his allegiance to Him who died for him. To be buried with Christ by baptism into death would be just the act which God would accept ; but then his parents stole a march on his faith and love, and got him sprinkled while yet a babe. " There being but one baptism he cannot be re-baptiz- ed." This is what his pastor ^tells him ! If his con- victions of truth lead him to break through the prejudi- ces of a lifetime, and receive scriptural baptism and fel- lowship in a Baptist Church — he at once suffers all the reproaches of martyi'dom. Talk about the charity and freedom of these times, when a man cannot carry out his convictions of truth without suffering persecution ! Believer in Jesus, hast thou been buried with Christ by baptism ? Do not I beseech you allow your infant baptism (which is nothing as we have seen but a tradi- tion of men) to render the command to you to be bap- tized, " of none effect ". To every believer as well as to Paul, God addresses the command " arise and be baptized^'. If only sprinkled as an infant, you never were baptized I 'You never — as your own person^ voluntary act — went down IN5C0 the water and came up out op the water BO as to be thus planted in the likeness of Christ's death, burial and resui-rection ! Before a foreigner is deemed a loyal subject of the kingdom of his adoption he takes the oath of allegiance. Baptism is the believer's oath of allegiance to Christ. " He that is baptized into Christ hath put on, Christ!" That oath taken in your behalf before you came to the kingdom will not stand good, now that you are of age ! God tells you in His "Word that as a believer you ought to iJe baptized. Man tells you the few drops of water sprinkled on your face when an infant, will suflSce. Whom are you to obey, God or ma7i ? In conclusion, remember that our text predicts the downfall of infant baptism : *' Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be root>- cd up." The heresy we are considering to-night has Btuck its roots very deep ; yet it shall bo i ooted out. Its growth even now is not by half so rank or luxuri- ant as of yore. Noble-minded men in all denomina- ' 14 . tions are beginning to see how great a barrier it pre- sents to the progress of pure and undefiled religion, and deplore its existence I It must be that as spiritual religion progresses, as that piety which has its roots in love for the tputh gi'ows, that the foundation of infant baptism will become more and more insecure. Just as the inner life and spirit of truth are clearly seen and keenly appreciated will believers' baptism, as symbolical of these, be exalted to its primitive throne. As Christian men drink in more and more largely of the spirit and mission of the New Dispensation will Judaism and all fanciful analogies pertaining thereto grow dim and old, and the newness and freedom of the Church as the Uodtt of Christ be exalted and prized ! Amen. w S q fi e( t\ t( tl tl * ' tl '■' l , ' -■* 16- LEOTTJI^El II. flty 18 do not SprMle i lien 6apti2ii| or tiie . Scriptural Moile of Baptii. '' One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. iv. 5). Now I praise jou, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the •ordinances, as I delivered them to you " (1 Cor. xi. 2). Paul found many faults with the brethren in Corinth, but for one thing he praises them ; they were keeping the ordinances as they were delivered unto them. By ordin- unces here is meant whatever the apostle communicated by tongue or pen — i.e., by word of mouth or letter — relative to faith or practice. Thess. j|ii. 15 is a commen- tary on this text: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle." In our modern phniseology we apply the term ordinances to Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The latter are included in the Scripture just quoted as well as in the text. !Now as a denomination we claim — rightfully or wrong- fully — to have j)reserved the ordinances, as Christ deliver ed them and as the apostles practised them. Paul affirms there is but " one baptism ", that one baptism we profess to hold, and my task this evening is to prove that the only mode of Scripture baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, in the Name of the Trinity. It may materially helps to clear those mists which so often dim the vision on this question, to show that the baptism 16 commanded in the New Testament,is an ordinance belong- ing exclusively to the New Dispensation, in other words that it is an institution of Christ the Head of the Church. It does not concern us to-night whether for not the Jews had their proselytes ceremonially washed ; or- whether Christ did not make use of a custom already known, and gave it a new force or meaning. Sup- pose that the most important clauses of the Canadian Shipping Bill, were transferred in their entireness to a Bill introduced to the English House of Commons ; if such a Bill passes it becomes as truly an Imperial Statute as though it originated in either of the British Houses of Parliament. It is well to observe however that the profounde.st scholarship of the age is against the sup- position of proselyte baptism. Christ Himself affirms as much as that the baptism of John came from Heaven. The great question remains : did Christ institute the baptism of the New Testament Church, and is this bap- tism one which He expects all His faithful followers to submit to in that form which He Himself gave as an example ? Our first position then is, that the baptism commanded in the New Testament is an institution of Christ. (1) Obsei've, baptism was such a distinctive part of John's mission, that he was known as the Baptist. He came to prepare the way before the Anointed of the Lord. His ministry therefore was a magnificent pre- face to the greater one of reconciliation. John coming preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, not only foreshadowed regeneration or the new birth, but also indicated that baptism, as a symbolical ordinance, was to occupy a most prominent and significant position in the Now Dispensation just about to be inaugurated. (2) Christ Himself submitting to be bupti/.cd at the very time when Ilis natural life as the Nazarene was to be buried forever in the glory of the Divine Man, only confirms our position that baptism is the duty of all be- lievers if they arc to have the Lord Jesus Christ as their Great Example. (3) The disciples were all baptized, for observe (1) John baj)tized all his disciples (See John iv. 1) ; (2) Jesus baptized all His new desclples (same text). Christ's first disciples were chosen from John's, then as He made disciples He baptized them. (See John i. 35-51) We have thus Christ's practice. ^ (4) We have Christ's Commission to His apostles, first to make disciples, then to baptize them. (5) We have the universal practice of the apostles, as illustrated in the Acts. They baptized all believers. Our second? position is,that baptism as instituted of Christ was the immersion of the believer in water, in the Name of the Trinity. (1) The terms baptism and baptize are not translations from the Greek, but the Greek words with an English termination. The verb used under the direction of the Holy Spirit to describe the New Testament ordinance is Baptizein. Now although the rite is men- tioned a great many times in the New Testament, no * other verb, but baptizein is used. The meaning of this verb and its cognates, should determine t\iQ mode of bap- tism. Turning to the vocabulary of Greenfield's American edition of the Polymicrian Greek Testament, under the verb bapto, I find the definitions " to dip, to plunge, to dye". JjmkQrbaptizo (from bapto), "to immerse, submerge, sink ; in New Testament, to wash, cleanse, to immerse, administer the rite of baptism, &c." Turning to " Hand- book to the Grammar of the Greek Testament ", publish- ed by the London Tract Society, and used as a text-book by [students under the Ottawa Presbytery, it gives as the ' first meaning of bapto, " to dip ", under baptizo it says, "(in form a frequentative of bapto), (l)r[i\d. to bathe one- self, (2) to baptize, (3) figure of overwhelming woe ". Now if the root bapto means to dip, how can the em- phatic form baptizo be made to mean, to sprinkle or to pour ? Liddle & Scott's Standard Greek Lexicon de- fines baptizo as " to dip, to plunge, to immerse". Now if this Greek verb does not mean to immerse, the Greek vocabulary does not furnish one which does. There is a verb which clearly means to sprinkle, rantizo ; another which means simply to wash or cleanse, louo ; and yet another which means to pour, keo or cfieo. Now how comes it that never in a single instance do we find any one of flhese three verbs used, interchangeably with baptizo in describing the Christian rite now under consideration. 18 We are told sprinkling is a mode of baptism. Yet the Greek verb which means to sprinkle, is never used in describing it, but one is used which in all Greek litera- ture never means to sprinkle* We are told pouring iH ff mode of baptism, yet keo is never used in reference to this rite. The Commission reads, Go ye therefore and t>9ach [disciple] all nations " haptizontes " [immersing] them, etc. And yet we are told sprinkling is a mode of baptizing, in other words that sprinkling is another way of immersing ! which is absurd. Just sujipose I announced this evening that so many believers were to be immersed next Sunday evening, what would you think of one who would still persist that I meant they were to be sprinkl- ed? yet the position of the advocates of sprinkling is not less amusing. The Greek plainly reads, " to immerse " yet our pedo-baptist friends go all over the world sayings Oh, well, it means to sprinkle ! ! Our opponents will allow that the Greeks know their own language better than any of us. Now it is a notorious fact that the Greek Church universally immerse unto this day. Were any other Greek word so twisted, contorted, tortured, and made to mean ideas so diametrically opposed to one another, as haptizo has been, you could make the New Testament say, light is darkness and darkness light. We always understood our pedo-baptist friends believed in the verbal inspiration of the Scrii^tiues. How therefore on this theory can they explain the Holy Spirit selecting haptizo from the Greek vocabulary instead of rantizo f The testimony of the following distinguished authori- ties leaves not even a doubt as to what was the apostolic MODE of bajitism : — "From these words (John iii. 23), it may be inferred that baj^tism was administered by John and Christ, by plunging the whole body vjider water. Here we perceive how baptism was administered among the ancients ; for they immersed the whole body in water.'' (Calvih 071 Joh7i iii. 23 ; Acts viii. 28). " ' Buried with Him by baptism.' In this phrase the apostle seemeth to allude to the ancient manner of bap- tism, which was to dip the parties baptized, and as it were to bury them under the water for a while and then to draw them out of it, and lift them up, to represent the burial 19 of our old man, and our resurrection to newness of life.*' (Westminster Assembly of Divines, consisting of fifty eminent ministers, Annot. on Bom. vi. 4.) " The word baptizo, to baptize, both in sacred authors and classical, signifies to dip, to plunge, to immerse. It is always construed suitable to this meaning. Thus it is, * in the water,' 'm Jordan.' The whole phraseology, in regard to this ceremony, concurs in evincing the same thing. The baj^tized are said to ascend out of the water, (Matt. iii. 16 ; Acts viii. 39). It is to be regretted that even good and learned men allow their judgments to be warped by the sentiments and customs of the sect which they prefer." (Dr. GEoaoE Campbell, Principal of Mar- ischal College, Aberdeen, on Matt. Hi. 11.) " The original meaning of the word baptism is immer- sion ; and though we regard it as a point of indifference whether the ordinance so named be performed in this way or by sprinkling, jet we doubt not that the preval- ent style of administration in the apostle's days was by an actual submerging of the whole Dody under water." (Dr. Chalhurs on Bom. vi. 4i.) ' ■ , " Christ submitted to be baptized ; that is to be buried under the water by John, and to be raised out of it again, as an emblem of His future death and resurrection. In like manner, the baptism of believers is emblematical of their own death, burial and resurrection." (McKNionx on Bom. VI. 4.) Luther — " Baptism is a Greek word, and may be trans- lated immersion — as when we immerse something in watei', that it may be wholly covered." Again he says, "Being moved by this reason I would have those that are to bo baptized, to be altogether dipped into the water, as the word doth sound and the mystery both signify." (^Hinton, p. 52.) . . ; Dr. Brewster of the Free Church — " Baptism in the apostolic age was performed by immersion." (Edin. Encyc. Art. Baptism.) Whitfield — '' It is certain that in the words of our text (Rom. vi. 3, 4), there is an allusion to their manner of baptism which was by immersion, which is what our own church allows." {Eighteen Ser., j). 297.) . 20 John Wesley — "Buried with Him, alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion." (Notes on Bom. vi. 3, 4.) (2) Let any candid intelligent Christian man read for himself (John iii. 16-17), the inspired account of Christ's baptism; also Acts viii. 38-39, where we have the record of the baptism of the Eunuch by Philip, with such pas- sages as John iii. 22-23 ; Eom. vi., and can he come to any other corclusion than that the apostolic mode of adminis- tering the ordinance was by immersion I (3) The symbolism of baptism demands immersion as the only mode of administration. The death and resur- rection of Christ lie at the very foundation of the Chris- tian system. Interest in the death [and resurrection of the Redeemer constitutes the very substance and joyous- ness of the believer's hope. Now in going down into the water, and being buried in it, and in coming up out of the water [rising again], the believer symbolizes his death, burial and resurrection with Christ (See Eom. vi.). A believer immersed therefore tells those who witness the ordinance : (1) That by nature he is a sin- ner unclean, but now his sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ, so that his old Adam life is reckoned crucified and buried forever; (2) That faith in Christ has given him a new life, viz., the resurrection life of the glorified Christ. Now does either sprinkling or pouring symbolize these grand facts, in a believer's experience ? What anology is there between sprinkling or pouring and a burial ? Can it be said that sprinkling some ashes or dust on the face of a corpse would bo a burial ? if not why should the sprinkling of a few drops of water on the face of a child be called a burial with Christ ? Moreover what " old " or " new " life can be predicated of an infant that it may be said that he has symbolically buried the one, or given resurrection to the other ? Many puerile objections have been urged against im- mersion as a mode of baptism, foremost among these is the assertion that the three thousand converted on the day of Pentecost could not be immersed by the twelve in one day. To this we reply, (1) it is not necessary to sup- pose the three thousand were baptized the same day that they were converted, (2) nor that there were only twch^e to baptize them. The twelve could immerse the three thousand however in one day. There would be only two hundred and fifty condidaten for each, giving two minutes for each candidate, the two hundred and fifty could be immersed in about eight hours. But there were 70-f-12=82 who could baptize, which would only give 36 to each. The whole three thousand could thus be im- mersed within twenty minutes I But supposing for argument sake the three thousand could not have been immersed in one day, the question arises could they be sprinkled ? It is us much the pedo-baptist's duty to find time to sprinkle the three thousand, as it is for us to find time to immerse them. I have seen many achild sprinkl- ed, and I am satisfied the ceremony was twice as long as an immersion ! But we are further informed that there was not sufficient water in Jerusalem to immeree the three thousand ! In other words a city capable of accom- modating at times 2,000,000 of people was not able to provide water sufficient to immerse three thousand ! To what straits are the advocates of sprinkling driven when they condescend to such a paltry style of reasoning as the above. Will our pedo-baptist friends, with all their preten- sions to literary lore, ignore the fact, that Jerusalem has from time immemorial been known as the City of Baths and Fountains? The mere school-boy need not be told of some fountains in Jerusalem (see John v. 1). Have our pedo-baptist friends forgotten all about the Pool of Siloam thirty three feet long and eighteen broad ! or the Fountain of the Virgin connected with it, fifteen feet long and six broad? Then there was the Fountain of Gikon where Solomon received his anointing for his kingdom. Greater than all was the royal cistern under the temple — a veritable lake — where hundreds could be simultane- ously immersed 1 Strabo thus describes Jerusalem : "a rocky well-enclosed foi'tress within well watered, but without wholly dry." Dr. Robertson says : " The main dependence of Jerusalem for water at the present day is on its cisterns, this has possibly always been the case. I have already spoken of the immense cisterns now and anciently existing within the area of the temple. Almost every house in Jerusalem of any size is understood to . 22 have at least one or more cisterns excavated in the soft lime-stone rock on which the city was built ! But it has been urged that immersion is altogether unsuitable to our climate. Parts of Russia have the cold- est climate in the world. St. Peterrtburgh is 60° N. Lat, while Ottawa is only a little more than 45°, yet all the members of the Imperial Family of Russia are im- mersed ! Baptism is only to be administered once, and if one does not possess sufficient spiritual warmth to enable him to symbolize his death unto sin and resurrection unto holiness, he is knocking at the wrong door when he sieeks admission into the Church of which Christ is the Head. " Again, some have the unholy boldness to affirm "immer- sion is an indelicate act!" "Evil be to him that evil thinks." He who can detect any indelicacy in the act of burying a brother or a sister with Christ by baptism has an impure heart and an evil eye. Avaunt with such profanity as to sneer at an ordinance instituted by Him who endured the cross, desjjising the shame. "We have thus seen that baptism by immersion is an institution of Christ, and that His apostles faithfully ad- ministered it to all believers. It now remains to be shown that believers^ immersion as a law o/ Christ is of perpetual obligation ! He who instituted the rite of immersion alone can change it. It takes the same power that legislates to repeal. Christ legislated, " Go ye, and make disciples of all nations, immersing (baptizontes) them, etc., and, lo, I am with you alway to the end of the world. Amen ! " The law of baptism was to be a statute in the Church for ever. If Christ has repealed it, when ? No, Christ could not change it, for the Commission states it is to be of perpetual obligation, but Rome who defies so many of the laws of Christ, changed it. Listen to the candid testimony of Dr. Stanley, pro- fessor of Church History at Oxford. You will find it in his History of the Eastern Church : " There can no ques- tion, that the original form of baptism, the very mean- ing of the word, was complete immersion in deep bap- tismal waters, and that for at least four centuries, any ':■ 28 other form was either unknown or rogarlod, unless in the case of dangerous illne^^s, as an exception ftl, almost a monstrous case." To this foi iv the Kmim-n Church, stUl regidly adheres, and the most illustrious and venerable portion of it, that of the Byzantine Empire, ftusolutely repudiates and ignores any other mode of administration as essentially valid ! Stanley then proceeds : "The Latin Church, changed the mode of baptism on its own authori- ty, without even "attempting to plead the teaching of Scripture, or primitive usages ; and that now the only witness for the scriptural mode of baptism among Eo- manists, is the Church at Milan ; and among Protestants, the Baptists!" and yet with such evidence as this on our side, men calling themselves learned, will hold us up to ridicule for practising immersion. We find Protestant ministers,working themselves upto an extraordinary zeal in denouncing the traditions of Kome, while all the lime there may be seen flapping about their own garments, some of the very first rags that Babylon wore I " But the quantity of water used in baptism is of no importance," continue our pedo-baptist friends. We re- ply, Qhrist must have thought immersion essential to the obedience of His new law, else He would not have commanded it. Why should men therefore persist in putting their carnal reasonings in opposition to a positive institution of Him who is infinite in wisdom ? My officer tells me to take a red flag, and hoist it as a signal on a pole. I in my superior wisdom think a white flag, with a few red spots will do equally well ! What will my officer think of me for thus betraying a sacred trust ? Am I not guilty of a gross and deliberate act of disobedi- ance unworthy of a soldier ? God gave the Christian Church immersion as a banner around which all believers could show their allegiance to the Great Captain of their salvation. This allegiance Baptists faithfully yield, but what a poor show of loyalty pedo-baptist regiments ex-, hibit in hoisting that miserable unscriptui-al substitute, in- fant sprinkling ! I have spoken plainly, but faithfully, on this question. " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Let no sophistry mislead you from " Thus saith the Lord." You are responsible to God to jwssess an cmlightened conscience on this question. Kindly let me ask you two questions : (1) art thou a believer ? With- out faith ordiiiancea can avail you nothing. (2) If a be- liever, have you been baptized ? Remember your being 8pi*inkled as an infant wa» no obedience on your part to a command only addressed in God's Word to believers. Go then, believer, seek the consecrated grave along the path He trod. May the Holy Spirit help you to respoiMi, "Yes, Lord," and <' Should it rend some fond connection, Should I Kufier shame and loss, Yet the fragant, blest reflection — I have been where Jesus was — Will revive mc When I faint beneath the Cross.''^ \\ \