^ A^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ^ 1^ 12.2 I* 4^ •UUu m L4 III 1.6 m 6" -^ m ""?;. -A Hiotographic Sciences Cornoration 33 WEST MAiN STREE. WEBSTER, N.Y. MS»0 (716) 872-4503 > CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVl/iCIVlH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiquet» T«chnical and Bibliographic Notas/Nota* tachniquaa at bibiiographiquaa Tha inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of *ha irnagaa in the raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chacliad balow. D D D D Coloured covara/ Couvartura da coulaur r~~| Covara damaged/ Couvarture endommagAa Covara raatored and/or laminatc'd/ Couvartura raatauria et/ou pellicula Cover title miaaing/ La titra da couvarture manque Coloured mapa/ Cartea gAographiquea en couleur Coloured inic (i.e. othe." than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire) I I Coloured piatea and/or iiiuatraticne/ D Planchea et/ou illuttrationj 9^ couleur Boimd with other material/ RallA avac d'autrea documanta Tight binding may cauae ahadows or diatortion along interior margin/ La reliure aerr^e peut cauaar de Tombre ou de la diatortion la long tie la marge intArieure Blanic leavea added during reatoration may appear v> Origen. Origen (born seventeen years after the death of Polycarp), who had travelled in all the noted churches then in the world, speaks of the baptism of infants as being universally practised, and also as appointed by the apes- ties. He says (Homily on Luke xiv.), '' In- fants are baptized for the forgiveness of sin. None is free from pollution, though his life OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 43 be but of the length of one day upon the earth. And it is for that reason, because by the sacrament of baptism the pollution of our birth is tr.ken away, that infants are baptized." Again, he says (Hom. viii. on Lev. chap, xii.), " Besides all this, let it be considered what is the reason that, whereas the baptism of the Church is given for the remission of sins, infants also are^ by the usage of the Church, baptized, when if there were nothing in infants that needed forgiveness and mercy, the grace of baptism would be needless to them." Once more, he says (Com. on Rom., Book Y.), " For this also it was that the Church had an order from the apos- tles to give baptism even to infants." We have here not merely Origen's opinion, but an explicit affirmation that infant baptism was the usage of the Church and appointed by the apostles. Celestius. About a century after the death of St John, Celestius was accused of the heresy of denying infant baptism. He replies, " As for infants, I always said that they I 44 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. stand in need of baptism, and that they ought to be baptized." Apostolic Constitutions. *' Baptize your infants, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; for He says. Suffer the little children to come unto me " (Book VI. chap. xv.). The Council of Carthage, a.d. 25 1. At the Council or Synod of Carthage, held during the life of Origen, and only 150 years after the death of the Apostle John, Fidus, a country pastor, asked if the bap- tism of infants ought not to be postponed until the eighth day. The council — composed of sixty-six pastors — unanimously decided, '^ That since the mercy and grace of God is to be denied to no human being that is born ; therefore, dear brother, it is our opinion in the council, that we ought not to hinder any person from receiving baptism. And this rule, as it holds good for all, we think more especially to be observed in reference to infants, even to those newly bornJ*'* OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 45 Ambrose. Ambrose, in commenting on Luke i. 17, says, " But perhaps this may seem to be fulfilled in our ti7ne and in the apostles^ time. For that returning of the river waters back- ward toward the spring-head signified ^,he sacrament of the laver of salvation, which was afterward to be instituted, by which those infants that are baptized are reformed back again from a wicked state to the state of their primitive nature." Ambrose here plainly speaks of infants as baptized in the time of the apostles. This passage of Ambrose is quoted by St Augustine in his book against Julian, chap- ter ii. Therefore, these three distinguished Fathers, Origen, Ambrose, and Augustine, expressly affirm that the baptism of infants was ordered by the apostles. Chrysostom, a.d. 347. The famous Chrysostom says (Homily xl. on Genesis), *' Baptism has no determinate time, like circumcision, but one that is in 'VWWMMalMMHMHMNMHHHMi 46 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. , I Ml m the very beginning of his age may receive it, as well as those in middle life, or in old age. »> Augustine, a.d. 354. ih J Augustine in the Pelagian controversy (Pelagius denied original sin) asks Pelagius, '' Why are infants baptized if they have no sin?" implj'ing that if he denied original sin, to be consistent, he ought also to deny infant baptism. Pelagius replies, " Men slander me as if I denied the sacrament of baptism to infants ; " he adds, ** I never heard of any one, not even the most impious heretic, who denied baptism to infants." Augustine responds, " Since they (the Pelagians) grant that infants must be baptized, as not being able to resist the authority of the whole Churchy which was doubtless given by our Lord and His apostles^ they must consequently grant that they stand in need of a Mediator." HiEROM. St Hierom, writing twenty years prior to the Pelagian controversy, says, '' If infants ' OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 47 be not baptized, the sin of omitting it is laid to the parents' charge." Paulinus, Bishop of Nola. About the time of the Pelagian contro- versy, Severus, who had built a church, desired Paulinus to compose some proper godly sentence to be inscribed on the font. He complied in the following distich : — " Inde parens sacro ducit defonte sacerdos Infantes niveos corpore, cordej habitu.'' For the next 800 years a few quotations from Wall must suffice (Hist. Infant Baptism, Part I. p. 310). Aftor recording all that has been written by the ancients for and against infant baptism, impartially, he sums up in these words, ** That I may tell the reader, in short, the substance of the places to which I have referred him, tkei/ do all speak of infant baptism as a thing taken for granted. I am confident there is no passage in any author from this time to the year of Christ 1150, or thereabouts, that speaks against it, except Walafridus Strabo about the year 850." i< ill k -CTorf oi ii iii B ■ 48 OUll CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. *^ It is notorious that almost all the learned men in the world that have occasion to mention this matter, do conclude from what they read that it has been the general prac- tice of the Church from the beginning to baptize infants " (Wall, Part II. p. 9). " We find no baptized person (except this Gregory) that did so leave his children unbaptized " (page 61). Gregory had his children baptized at three years of age. I s a t c 1 Modern Practice of Greek Churches. " In the Greek Church there neither is, nor lately has been, any such thing known as the delay of infants' baptism " (p. 22). ^' The ancient Britons were Pedo-Baptists. Pelagius was born in Scotland, and yet he never heard of any herecic so impious as to deny baptism to infants " (p. 89). In summing up, we have to say that by means of the highest authority in the Church, the inspired Word of God, we have traced the membership of infants to the close of the New Testament canon ; and for the next three centuries, by the concurrent testimony ■ I OUU CHILDREN FOll CHRIST. 49 of the Church Fathers, we have conclusively shown that the ordinance of infant haptism was received by command of Christ and His apostles, and was universally practised by the primitive Church. Let all therefore obey God, and ** despise not any of these little ones.'* IS, «:i W '■I ' n PART 11. T//£ MODE OF BAPTISM, I. /SaTTTL^CO. Although the learned labours of Dr Dale, as given to the world in his Classic, Judaic, Johannic, and Christie Baptism, leave little more to be done in this field of criticism, for the instruction of theologians ; yet there are many young Christians in our Church, who are seeking for a brief explanation of some particular texts of Scripture, with which they are continually assailed by Baptist controver- sialists. There are many admirable little treatises, covering pretty much the whole ground, so far as the grand leading principles are con- OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 51 as corned ; yet none of them that has come under our eye, makes the discussion of par- ticular texts a specialty. A man may be well posted in all the general arguments usually advanced against the Baptist theory ; he may be thoroughly conversant with the admirable tractates of Dr Samuel Miller, Rev. Peter Edward, Rev. Isaac Murray, Rev. D. D. Currie, Rev. R. Sommerville, Dr Fair- child, Dr Taylor, and others, and yet be floored by an illiterate controversialist by a simple reference to a knotty text. Such has bee' he experience of many of our young Chiiotians ; and, at the request of a number of them, we will endeavour to reproduce some brief conversational notes on a few difficult points. It is wonderful with what an air of autho- rity and defiance the meaning of the word is flaunted. Dr Cramp affirms that '' all the lexicons say that the primary meaning of baptize is to dip, plunge, immerse. No learned man will risk his reputation by af- firming the contrary." We ourselves heard this outdone by a Baptist preacher, '' defying any man on God's earth to get a dictionary 52 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. to give any meaning but to dip in, to immerse. The true answer to any such statement is, that it is gratuitously false. Dr Dale translates ^aTTTiXoy '' through all Greek literature " with- out either dip or if/imersc ; and no Baptist writer has ever taken either dip or immerse or plunge^ through one half of Greek litera- ture; and, moreover, no two of them have agreed in defining the word. Dr Carson, of whom they have boasted that '' his like will not be found for a millennium of years," says, '' My position is, that it always signifies to dip^ never expressing any- thing but mode,'''' He adds (page 54), " I have all the lexicographers and commentators against me in this opinion." Wonderful ad- mission ! But Dr Carson was candid as well as scholarly. This same distinguished authority Dr Cramp, in the Preface to his '* Catechism," recommends to his people. Morell, another eminent Baptist authority, says/^ That the word uniformly signifies to dip, I will not venture to assert, nor undertake to prove." He says again, ^^ We surrcLder the question of immersion, and m doing so, feel no small pleasure in finding ourselves in such good I ^'-. OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 53 »> company as that of Dr Cox." But what does this eminent Baptist writer Dr Cox say? Here it is : — '^ A person may be immersed by jwuring; were the water to ascend from the earth, it would still be baptism, were the person wholly covered by it." Dr Fuller gives up the word dip, and holds to immerse — a word which does not express action at all, as dip does, but simply condi- tion : '' My position," he says, '^' is, that /SaTTTi^Q) means immerse ; it matters not how the immersion is effected.'' Dr Gale (Baptist) also gives up mode. He says, ^' Baptism does not necessarily express the action of putting under the water." Dr Conant, the latest and — not excepting Dr Caison — perhaps the most scholarly writer on the Baptist side, uses no less than seven distinct terms to define IBairri^ci} ; and then, conscious that none of his defining terms can carry him through all Greek literature, says it means " a ground idea expressed by them all." Three of the seven terms are dip, plunge, immerse ; so on his authority, none of these terms accurately define l3a7rTi^co, And yet, with what consistency we cannot say, he uses 1 H Hi' i K I 54 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. ,: ill I I I f I X: immerse in his new translatica of tlie New Testament. Now, immersion does not express the action of the Baptists in baptizing. It does not express action at all. Dip is the only English word to express their mode of baptism ; but Conant translates the whole New Testament without using it even once. And, in one hun- dred and twelve passages from classic authors, he can venture to translate ^ainL^a) by dip only seven times ; and several of these, as shown by Dale, are clearly in violation of the English idiom. We remark, as a self-evident truth, that any term that accurately defines /SaTrr/fo) must be capable of being used through all Greek literature without violation of sense or idiom. There is perhaps no better term than our Anglicised Greek word baptize, although Dr Dale has performed the task by employing another term. But take the Baptist defini- tions, dip, plunge, immerse, and apply them to a few passages selected at random, and note the absurdity. lake the oft-quoted passage from Aristotle, *' The sea-coast was baptized by the tide.'* 1 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 00 If the Greek ^aTrr/fo) is equivalent to Baptist practice, the sea-coast would have to be taken up and dipped^ plunged^ or immersed in the tide. So also of the ^^ wail baptized with arrows^ The wall, however, was not taken up and plunged OT dipped into a bundle of arrows. The arrows fell in showers upon the wall. Alexander the Great, having drunk to ex- cess, is said to be " baptized with wine." If ^aTTTi^co here means dip, plunge, immerse, he must have been immersed in the wine-cask, and left there a sufficient time for the absorp- tion of wine through the pores to produce intoxication. Probably he would get drowned before he would get drunk The ancient Greeks poured water into the wine, thus '' baptizing it." The servant of Leucippe, ^^ baptized by the same drug," according to Tatius, was not, immersed or dipped into a pile of drugs, but simply brought into a condition of stupefac- tion. So also when " Midnight baptized the city with sleep," who thinks of midnight taking up the city in its arms and dipping or plunging it into sleep ? Again, those who are '^ baptized into w^l ii ! L 66 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. Chrish " (Gal. iii. 27), or ^^ baptized into one body" (1 Cor. xii. 13), cannot be supposed, by any constraint . of figure, to have been hastily dipped into Christ j and as quickly taken out^ which must be the case if Pairri^m is equivalent in meaning to Baptist practice. The true significance is found in the abiding union between Christ and believers by the baptism of the Spirit : ^^ for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, . . . and have all been made to drink into one Spirit " (I Cor. xii. 13). Dr Dale goes over every instance in Greek literature where ^airTi^co occurs, and after an exhaustive examination of every passage he concludes, ^' I know not of one case, where /3a7rT/fa) puts a living man into the water simply, and withdraws him from it by the party putting him in." He adds further, ** To say that a baptism may be produced by a dipping, is to say what the Greek language will be searched in vain to sustain." His conclusions have been endorsed by nearly all the eminent scholars and divines in America, as may be seen by consulting his works. OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 67 But a word about the lexicons, of which so much has been asserted. 1. Parkhurst's Lexicon. Under jSavri^M we have these words, " Baptize with the Holy Ghost ; for anciently the water was copiously poured on those who were baptized." 2. Gases, a Greek, and a very learned man, in his " Lexicon of Ancient Greek " defines /3acrr/^w by brecho (to wet or moisten), louo (to wash), antleo (to draw water). 3. Scapula defines in Latin, tingo, dbluo, lavo, immergOy haurio. The first, tingo, is the exact equivalent of haptizo. Dr Smith, classical examiner to the University of London, defines these as follows : — (1.) Tingo — To moisten, to wet, to bathe, to colour, to tinge, to dye, to paint. (2.) Lavo — To wash, to bathe, to moisten, to wet, to bedew, to wash away. (3.) Ahluo — To wash off or away, to purify, to cleanse by washing. (4.) Immergo — To dip, plunge, sink, immerse, to thrust into. (5.) Haurio — To draw out, to drain, to spill, to shed, to breathe. No fairer exhibit of Scapula can be given than this, and yet Baptist writers have the D ! ■J 'I !i Im 58 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST, effrontery to claim his distinguished authority for immersion. 4. Hedericus* Lexicon — Abluo, lavo, ehriare (to in- toxicate), aqud obruo (to drown), opprimo (to oppress). He does not give dip or immerse as a possible meaning. 5. Stockius* Lexicon (1725) — Luo (to wash), lavo, intingOf tingo, haptizo. Again we have no representative for immerse, 6. Schrevelius' Lexicon — Baptizo, mergo, ahluo, lavo, 7. Robinson's Lexicon — In New Testament, (1) to wash, to lave, to cleanse by washing, to wash one's hands, to perform ablutions ; (2) to baptize, to administer the rite of baptism. 8. Greenfield — In New Testament, (1) to wash, to perform ablutions, to cleanse ; (2) to baptize, to immerse, to perform the rite of baptism. 9. Dr Samuel Miller — To wash, to sprinkle, to pour, to immerse, to tinge, to dye. 10. Prof. Moses Stuart — ** Most evidently jSa'TriGfihs (Heb. ix. 10), refers to the ceremonial ablutions of the Jews which had respect to external puri- fications." lit OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 59 lavo, 3rse. 11. Pickering's Lexicon — *' In New Testament, to wash, to cleanse by washing, to perform ablu- tions, to baptize, or perform the rite of baptism." 12. Yong^, English-Greek Lexicon, renders — To dip by ^d'^Tca j to dip in by f/^jSa^rw ; immerse by /Sacrrfiti and iii^dTTTbi ; immersion by /3a^9) ; a dipping by jSa^jj and jSa-vJ^/j. ySaTTT/fft), jBdiTTiofia and ^airrilio^, the Greek words used in the New Testament for baptize and baptism, are not even noticed as being possible translations of immerse and immer- sion^ to dip and dipping, Kobinson, in his Lexicon of the New Testament, under /SaTrr/fw, has the following note : — " In reference to the rite of baptism, it would seem to have expressed not always simply immersion, but the more general idea oial 'ition ov affusion ^^ovixmg), . . . "The idea of private baths in families in Jerusalem and Palestine generally is excluded. In Acts ii. 41, 3000, and in Acts iv. 4, 5000 are said to have been baptized in one day at the season of Pentecost in June. Against the idea of full immersion in these cases there lies a difficulty, apparently insuperable. • iD i 60 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHU?ST. i| III in the scarcity of water. There is in summer no running stream in the vicinity of Jeru- salem, except the mere rill of Siloam, a few rods in length. In the earliest Latin ve^'sions of the New Testament, which go back to the second century and usage connected with the apostolic age, the Greek verb ^airrl^to is uniformly given in the Latin form — baptizo, and is never translated immergo^ or any like Tcord^ showing that there was something in the rite of baptism to which the latter did not correspond." Such is the testimony of the best lexicons. JSTo wonder that Dr Carson, in defining ySaTrr/fft) by ' to dip,' was constrained to add, *^ I have all the lexicographers and commen- tators against me in this opinion.'' And be it remembered that, when these and other lexicons give immerse as a possible translation of ^airritco in the classics, immerse has its true signification, viz., '^ to put under water there to remain^'' — not Baptist practice, which is immersion and emersion, putting under water and taking out quickly. The true import of the word is, according to Dr Dale and Dr Hodge, that it expresses OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 61 a change of state or condition^ without speci- fying mode at all. Hence — 1. The sbore is baptized by the overflowing of the tide. 2. A wall is baptized by a shower of arrows. 3. Nebuchadnezzar is baptized by the dew of heaven. 4. Alexanaer the Great is baptized with wine — in- toxicated. 5. Wine is baptized by having water poured into it. 6. A lake is lapted {(3d'7rru) by the blood of a frog. 7. The Israelites were baptized (1 Cor. x. 2), in pass- ing the Red Sea dry-shod, by the pouring of water from the thunder cloud (Ps. Ixxvii. 17). 8. The Jews were baptized by washing their hands. The washing of hands (Mark vii. 3), is trans- lated by (SarrTi^Cfj in ver. 4. Now before Baptists can make good their boasting assertion that haptizo signifies " to dip, and nothing but to dip," they must take these passages and several hundreds more, and baptize the subject or object after their fashion. They must take the ship and dip it in the spray. They must take the sea- shore and dip it in the tide. They must take up the city wall and dip it in a bundle of arrows. They must dip Nebuchadnezzar in 62 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. ' the dew. They must immerse^ or dip, Alex- ander in the wine until he become intoxi- cated. If they accomplish this, we will then ask them to immerse hyssop, and cedar wood, and a living bird in the blood of a slain bird (Lev. xiv. 6). If they successfully accomplish these several feats, then, but not till then, can they truthfully claim for /SaTrr/fo) that its primary meaning is dip or immerse,* Let us quote briefly a few more " Men of note and learning" who deny that /SaTrr/fw means to dip or immerse exclusively. Dr Charles Hodge, of Princeton, U.S.A., acknowledged by all Scotch and American colleges to be one of the ablest living theo- logians, says (" Systematic Theology," Book III. p. 536): ^' So far as the New Testament is concerned, there is not a single case where baptism necessarily implies immersion ; there are many cases in which that meaning is entirely inadmissible, and many more in * It is a significant fact that the Bible Revision Com- mittee have unanimously agreed to retain the words "baptize " and " baptism " in their new translation, no one of all the Committee being, for even a moment, inclined to substitute the words "immerse" and "immersion." OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 63 in which it is in the highest degree improb- able." This is his conclusion after a thorough discussion of the several passages where /SaTrrtfcw occurs in the New Testament. He also shows from classic and patristic usage that immersiouists have no counte- nance from these sources. Many texts can be quoted from the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), to prove that ^ttTrro) and fiaTrrl^o) cannot, by any stretch of metaphor, mean to immerse the entire hody, pairril^ci) never means * to dip;' and fiaTTTco only to dip a part — to touch slightly^ like the Latin tingo. Daniel iv. 33 — " Nebuchadnezzar was wet {€^d7j(Tav) in the brim of the water." They were not immersed; therefore bapto cannot mean to immerse or dip the entire hody^ but simply to touch or dip a part, 1 Samuel xiv. 27 — Jonathan ^^ dipped" (e^ayjrev) the end of his rod *^ in a honey- comb." Now will any man affirm that ^dino) even, in these passages, means entire im- mersion — a plunging of the whole body, according to Baptist practice. Baptist writers have assumed (later writers have given it up) that /Sairri^eo is derived from ^cLTTTcoj and that ^dTrrco means to im- merse. We have quoted these passages to show that they have no warrant for such an assumption. The celebrated Dr Owen (Art. on Baptism) says, — ^^ /SaTrr/fo) signifies ' to wash ;' and instances out of all authors may be given, — Suidas, Hesychius, Julius Pollux, Phavorinus, and Eustathius." He says further, '' No one instance can be given in the Scripture OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 05 wherein /SaTrr/fo) (loth necessarily signify either ' to dip ' or * plunge.' In every place it either signifies ' to pour/ or the expression is equivocal. In Suidas, the great treasury of the Greek tongue, it is rendered by made/acio, lavo, abluo, pur go j mundo,'''^ Origen, the most learned man of his time, a Greek by birth, and wrote in Greek (born seventeen years after the death of Polycarp, the disciple of the apostle John), commenting on 1 Kings xviii. 33, says, ** Elijah baptized the wood of the altar." Now the record tells us that the water was poured on the wood. They did not take up the wood and dip it in the water. Yet Origen, who of all men should know the correct signification of ^aTrr/fci), uses it to express this pouring of water on the wood. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, John's Disciple. Dr Walker in his ^^ Doctrine of Baptisms" narrates the following circumstance : — A Jew, while travelling in the desert with a company of Christians, was converted, fell i 66 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. sickj and desired baptism. Not having water they sprinkled him thrice with sand in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He recovered, and his case was reported to Polycarp, who decided that the man was baptized, if he had onlv water poured on him again. The formula of bap- tism could not be repeated, as he was already baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Now Polycarp was for many years a dis- ciple of the apostle John, and must have known apostolic practice. The mode was pouring^ and he refused again to pronounce the name of the Trinity. He knew no such thing as re-baptizing those who once had received Christian baptism. II. PARTICULAR TEXTS DISCUSSED. We have now shown the inconsistency of Baptist writers, and their want of agreement with reference to the meaning of the term ^aTrr/fo). We have also shown by passages from ancient Greek authors, and by a large number of lexicons, that dip and wmierse are not the primary significations of this word. We have seen that Dr Dale has carried ^aTrr/^o) through '' all Greek literature," without translating it by dip, or immerse, or any such word; and that no Baptist can carry dip, or immerse, through one-half of Greek literature. Let us now, standing on this high vantage-ground, take a survey of New Testament literature. The term first occurs in Matthew iii. 6, *' And were baptized of him in Jordan." Much stress is laid upon the expression ^^ in 08 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. Jordan," as indicating that they were bap- tized in the river. Even if it could be shown that the Baptist, and '' Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan," had actually gone down into the waters of Jordan, the immersion would still require to be proven independently of the other circumstance, for they might have gone into the water, and yet be baptized by pouring. The most ancient pictorial illus- trations represent John and Jesus standing ankle-deep in the water, while John pours water on the head of Jesus. But we do not require this explanation to understand what Matthew means by the expression '' baptized in Jordan ; " for John is more minute, and says expressly that it w^as *•' in Bethabara beyond Jordan " (John i. 28), showing clearly that ^' in Jordan " in Matthew refers, not to the river, but to the district. If ^^ in Jordan " is made to mean *' in the waters of Jordan^"* then Jesus must have abode in the water, for He came ^^ into (a?) the place where John at first baptized ; and there He abode " (See John X. 40). We next meet the term /SaTrr/fw in Mat- OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 69 thew iii. 11, '* I indeed baptize you with water ; but He sball baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." In conversing with a Baptist young lady, we once remarked, " You are apt to suppose from the expres- sion, ' One Lord, o ae faith, one baptism,' that since Presbyterians differ from you in baptism there is agreement only in two-thirds of our religion — two points in three. But let us look at baptism to see how near we are to each other even in it. It is done by Presbyterians and Baptists in obedience to the same command — the command of God ; it is done by the same person — the commis- sioned servant of God ; it is done in the same name — the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; it is done for the same purpose — to introduce into the Christian Church ; the same element is used — water, typical of cleansing ; and the only afe>ignable difference is that the one ba^^tizes with water ^ and the other in water. Which do you say is right ? " ^* Of cour,- ," she replied, '' I say IN watery Yes, but "John baptized w[TH water r A Baptist off his guard is no Baptist. 70 OUR CHILDREN FOli CHRIST. i We are well aware that some have asserted that the orignal — iv vBarc — might be tran- slated '' in water " as well as '^ with water." Such an assertion could have force only with a superficial Greek scholar. However, the Holy Spirit cannot at one time record '^ baptize with water;" and again '* baptize in water." We hold that ev vBarc is purely the instrumental dative — mtk water — denoting the element by which the baptism is effected, and not the place in which the baptism was performed. Apart from the Greek construc- tion, which in itself is conclusive, we note that there are other passages, such as Acts i. 5 ; Acts xi. 16; and Luke iii. 16; where ^aiTTL^G) is followed by the dative case with- out the preposition ev — l^dirrLaev vhari, vhan f^aTrrlt^co 'u/ia? — and admits of no choice, but must be translated " mtk water," denoting the instrument. We give a simple illustra- tion for the benefit of those unskilled in Greek construction. If I say in Greek, iraTaaaa) /oa/SSq) — 'I strike with a rod — I use a con- struction exactly parallel with iSairrl^o) tf^arc — I baptize with water — as found in the pas- sages last noted ; and it would be just as V HJ OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 71 jrfced fcran- ,ter/' only ever, icord absurd to render these, " I baptize m water," as to say, '' I strike in a rod." It is simply impossible to render these passages, that have the simple dative without the preposi- tion, to suit immersionists ; and as the Spirit cannot prescribe two positive modes, the pas- sages that have the preposition en, — v/hich superficial scholars might render " in water," must, apart from Greek syntax, be rendered — " with water," as given in the authorised version. We can confirm this argument, conclusive in itself, by another distinct argument. We have the same construction in both clauses in Matthew iii. 11, *^ baptize you with water," *' baptize you with the Holy Ghost" — the same in Euglish aiid the same in Greek. If " baptize with water " can be correctly rendered " baptize in water," then it logi- cally follows that we must also say '^ baptize in the Holy Ghost;" if water baptism is performed by plunging or dipping the body in water, the baptism by the Spirit must be by dipping the body in the Spirit. But Spirit-baptism is by j^oiiring (Pro v. i. 23 ; Joel ii. 28, 29 ; Acts ii. 17, 18; Isa. xliv. 3; 72 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. Ezek. xxxix. 29) ; this is beyond dispute and admitted by all : but water baptism is ex- pressed by the same construction in Greek ; and, therefore, it logically follows that it must be by 'pouring also. Baptized with fire, — ^* There appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts ii. 3). The baptism with the Holy Ghost and the baptism with fire were promised in the same breath; the fulfilment took place at the same time. In both cases the baptizing element comes down upon the person. The person is not dipped or plunged into the baptizing element. Some Baptist writers indeed, doggedly holding to plunge^ translate *^ plunged into fire," making the passage refer to everlasting fire. However, but few Baptists would consent to read the passage, '' When He is come, He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with hell-fire." It shows, however, how very diflScult it is for them to reconcile Spirit-baptism and fire- baptism with dipping and plunging. But if baptism by the Spirit and baptism OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. i*o hy fire be by the descent of the baptizing element upon the person, as every candid man must admit; so in baptism hy water ^ the baptizing element (water) must descend upon the person^ else there is no meaning in words : for the same word — '* baptize with " — the same in English, and the same in the Greek — is used to denote baptism with water ^ with the Holy Ghost ^ and with j^r^. Before leaving this chapter we note the baptism of Jesus (ver. 13-17). Jesus replies to John's objection in these words: — '^ Suffer it to be so now ; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness" (ver. 15). What law of righteousness was to be fulfilled by His baptism ? Evidently the law of consecration to the priest's office. Every priest and Levite, before entering upon the service of the sanctuary, had to be thirty years of age (Num. iv.), and set apart by means of the water of purifying. These purifications Paul calls " baptisms " (Heb. vi. 2 ; Heb. ix. 10) ; "and thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying (Paul baptism) upon them" (Num. viii. 7). The priest had also to be anointed (Exod. xl. E OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 12-15), as well as washed with water. Note how this law was fulfilled in Jesus, when He said, ^' Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.'* 1. The priest had to be thirty years of age. Jesus is not publicly set apart by the water of baptism (purifying) until *' He began to be about thirty years of age " (Luke iii. 2, 3). 2. The priest had to be washed with water (Exod. xl. 12), sprinkled with water of purifying (which Paul calls baptism), Num. viii. 7 ; Jesus " was baptized of John in Jordan," by having water of baptism (purifying) poured or sprinkled upon Him. 3. The priest had to be anoinced (Exod. xl. 13) ; Jesus was anointed, receiving the anointing or unction of the Holy Spirit : "and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him" (Matt. iii. io). This argument will appear new to many ; but let it not be rejected on that account ; all we claim for it is, that it be allowed to fitaud upon its merits. We are glad to discover that no less an authority than Gieseler supports our view, so far as to say that one object of Christ's baptism was i OUK CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 75 [ote hen all Fesus )tisin hirty .d. xl. which " was water Lupon Jesus nction eaveiis I Spirit Lghting many ; 30unt ; .Uowed ^lad to r than to say m was '' His consecration to His Messianic activity*' — this activity being that of Prophet, Priest, and King. Now we are ready for our argument. If His baptism was to be a dipping, or im- mersion, as Baptists would have it, where was the law or ordinance which He must insist upon having fulfilled? His being consecrated to any of the offices of prophet, priest, or king, did not require an immersion. It is, therefore, but fair to conclude that there could have been no immersion in the case. But does some one, grasping at straws, exclaim, '* But Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water " (ver. 16). '' Must not He have been m the water before He could go up out ^ it"? We are just going to prove that in baptizing they went down to the water, but did not go in; so that they could not come up from under the water as Baptists would infer. However, to settle the point on its own merits, we remark that the preposition used here is aTro, from; and Dr Conant in his new Baptist version so translates it — '' Jesus I III m m 70 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. went up strsiightyfVLj from the water." As a scholar he was compelled to translate it thus. Into the water, ^* They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch" (Acts viii. 38). This is a favourite text with immersionists. It is well for them that so few of their leaders, even, are masters of the Greek language. Let us see what countenance the original of this passage gives to their pet theory. ^^ Into the water" — el? to v8ft)p. Their theory j- rives a show of plausibility from the word " into " (Gr. lii). In motion to a placo, this word should be translated ^^ to " and not '^ into " as in this passage. Dr Campbell, a leading Baptist writer, lays down the following rule for defining or translating words. All must admit its fairness. " To test the correctness of any definition or translation, we have only to substitute it in the place of the original word defined or translated. If in all places the defining word makes good sense, it is correct, if not, it is incorrect.^^ Let us apply this rule to the passage before us, and other passages '•u OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 77 it where et? follows a verb of motion. We will first substitute *^ into " for eU, and see if in all places it will make good sense. ^^He fell into (eU) the earth.'' < }} have conclusively shown that el? to vBwp can- not be rendered '' into the watcx," except the verb has eU prefixed also, which it has not in Acts viii. 38, nor in any passage referring to a baptism. With reference to the baptism of the eunuch (Acts viii. 38), we have shown from several passages that el? to vBcop cannot be translated ''into the water," but simply "to the water." We have thus established the negative side of the question, viz., that the narrative does not favour immersion. It would seem indeed to afford some positive evidence in favour of sprinkling. The very passage, from which the eunuch has been led to believe in the Messiah, expressly states " He shall sprinkle many nations" (Isa. Hi. 15) — the last three verses of this chapter being properly con- nected with the 53d chapter ; and in the rolls then used there were no divisions into chapters. If the apostolic mode of baptism was not by sprinkling, how would the passage suggest baptism to him that he should exclaim, " Lo, water ! what doth hinder me to be baptized?'* We remark, in passing, if immersion had been the mode practised by John the Baptist 80 OUE CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. and the apo^itles, and, as Baptists would have it, did it exist in all ages of the Church, to the entire exclusion of any other mode, then it would follow that this prophetic utterance (Isa. lii. 15) as well as (Ezek. xxxvi. 25), ^^Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you ; and ye shall be clean," could never be fulfilled to the end of time. What an argument for the infidel, were the whole world Baptists ! " He shall sprinkle many nations " — an argument not only for mode, but for the subjects also. A nation cannot be sprinkled, if infants are excluded. We are curious to learn how Baptists would undertake to " sprinkle many nations " by immersing or dipping the adult population. '' They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea " (1 Cor. x. 2). Baptist writers try to evade the difficulty suggested by this passage, by representing the children of Israel as being boxed in by the waters on each side and the cloud hover- ing over them. This is not even a plausible solution of the difficultv. Much better ac- knowledge the difficulty, and say with Carson, ii ■'Tryk OUK CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 81 or " Moses got a dry dip" (p. 413). According to Paul, the Israelites were baptized, yet they went over dvy-shod — '' on dry land " (Exod. XV, 19). How can Baptists, who are such sticklers for the exact mode, dare wet the feet of the candidate for baptism ? No sane man can say that the passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites was an immersion, yet Paul says thej/ were baptized; therefore men, women, and children, may be baptized witl ,ut being immersed. But how, are we asl ;, w^as the baptism effected ? According to Asaph it was by a thunder-shower, therefore by pour- ing or sprinkling : ^' The clouds poured out water, the skies sent out a sound ; . . . the voice of Thy thunder was in the heavens ; . . . Thy way is in the sea ; . . . Thou led- dest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron" (Ps. Ixxvii. 17-20). Here we have a most vivid description of a thunder- storm ; and the Psalmist expressly states that ^* the clouds poured out water." Paul says they " were all baptized by the cloud even in the sea," for ev rrj ve^ikrj is correctly rendered '^ by the cloud," it being the instrumental dative. The Israelites were not immersed^ yet ■W ^H i U 'PWfWWW OiiW PW n M l Of OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. liii -II they were baptized ; the Egyptians were im- mersed but not baptized. Hero, then, is a baptism by pourinf^, beyond all controversy. Baptists will say — No ; but we prefer the opinion of inspired men like Asaph and Paul. Here, too, men, women, and children were all baptized. In 1 Peter, iii. 20, the salvation of eight souls by water in the ark is made a type of baptism (verse 21). Certainly Noah and his family were not immersed — did noi even get '•a dry dip" — yet the apostle makes their deliverance from the general immersion pre- figure baptism. When Peter preached in the house of Cor- nelius, and ""^ the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word,'' Peter says, " Can any T[i?iX\ forbid water ^ that these should not be baptized" (Acts x. 47)? This mode of speech naturally implies that water was to be brought to him, rather than that they all should be taken to the water. The jailer of Philippi was baptized, ^' he and all his," in tlie prison at midnight, as the narrative clearly implies (Acts xvi. 33). He would not dare leave the prison at that OUK CHILDREN FOK CHRIST. 83 get he v liour to go to a stream, even if there were such at no great distance. The narrative, however, settles the matter, affirming that '^ he w^as baptized, he and all his, on thespoV^ — this being the literal meaning of the Greek word translated ''straio:htwav.'' So also Paul (iVcts ix. 18), 'Mie received sight on the spot^ and, standing up (dva<;Ta^), was baptized. "^ In these instances the narrative records nothing about rivers, or going down to the water, yet individuals, and families, and, in the case of the 3000 (Acts ii. 41) and the 5000 (iv. 4), multitudes were baptized on the spot^ wherever they happened to be at the time, whether it was in the hous3, or in the prison, or in the public assembl3^ *' The idea of private baths in families in Jerusalem, and Palestine generally, is excluded" (Robin- son, Lex. N. T.). "Much Tvater'^ (John iii. 2, 3), ^non is a Chaldee word signifying " abounding in springs!^ This is in exact accordance with the Greek, vZaTa rroXka, which is plural, and should be rendered ^^ many springs,^'' ^' A place still called Ainoon, a short distance from the southern boundary of Galilee, has iiii l£ 'iS 84 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. been discovered, where there are mani/ beautiful streams or rills. This, no doubt, is -^non where John was baptizing'' (^^ Imperial Bible Dictionary "). Such a place would naturally be selected to meet the necessary wants of the multitude who waited upon the ministry of John. The evidence against immersion in Mark vii. 4, is very conclusive. In verse 3d it is said, " The Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash (vlyfrcovTai) their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders." This washing was effected either by pourina.. or by sprinkling. Water was "poured -.i the hands of Elijah " (2 Kings iii. 11). The Jewish purifications from defilement were effected by means of sprinkling (Num. xix. 1 7). There was no immersion in the case, — " they washed their hands; and the Pharisees, so scrupulously exact in fulfilling law and tradition to the very letter, complained to Jesus respecting His disciples, not because they did not immerse themselves^ or wash the entire body before eating, but because " they rcashed not their hands^ when they eat bread" (Matt, XV. 2). The Greek is vl-y^rovrai — wash. OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 85 ?> According to Robinson, '^ the idea of private baths in families in Jerusalem, and Palestine generally, is excluded," but here we are told, Mark vii. 3, that ''all the Jews''' as well as '' the Pharisees " observed this tradition. From every point of view the argument for immersion most signally fails. It must be conceded, therefore, that this washing was effected by poaring or sprinkling. Now note the argument. This " washing tlie hands " (Mark vii. 3, also Matt. xv. 2), is called a baptism (ver. 4), '' When they come from the market (dyopa) — ^'any open place where the people come together, either for business, or to sit and converse" (Robinson's Lexicon, sub voce) — except they baptize them- selves (Gr. painlawvTai), they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the Baptisins (Gr. ^aTTTKTfiov^) of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables" (/cXtvcov, couches). Here, then, we have the washings of verse 3d expressly called baptisms in verse 4th. But, lest the objector might cavil and say that two different circumstances are here referred to, the one requiring merely a washing, the v*a SG OUK CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. other a baptism^ we make ^^assurauce doubly sure," by noting that in verse 5th the disciples are charged with *^ eating bread with unwashen hands, ^^ not with neglecting to immerse the body. The Greek word here is dvLirTot^ — unwashed. The inspired evangelist, therefore, employs ySaTrr/^o) and ^aTTTca-fio^ to denote a washing of the hands merely, where an immersion of the entire body is necessarily excluded. So also Luke, ^' The Pharisee marvelled that Jesus had not first been baptized (I^utttIgQii) before dinner " (Luke xi. 38). What then becomes of tbe Baptist postulate, originated by Dr Carson, — ^^dip, and nothing but dip, through all Greek literature'^? It is eminently false, if Mark, and Luke, and Paul (1 Cor. x. 2), and the author of the Epistle t j the Hebrews (as we are about to show) can be relied on, as expressing the mind of the Spirit of God. In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament and Apocryphal books, tlie sprink- lings for purification and separation are tran- slated by /SaTrr/ji). Of Judith, a beautiful Jewess, observing her ceremon.al purifications in the camp of OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRLST. 87 bly the ead :ing Holoferne?, it is said, '' she baptized her- self in the camp at the fountain" (Judith xii. 7). Again, '^ He that baptizeth himself (^aTTTc^dfxevos:) from touching a dead body " (Sirach xxxiv. 27). This purification was effected by ^' sprinkling the water of separa- tion " (Num. xix. 20). In 2 Kings 5th chap, we have the narrative of Naaman the Syrian, who came to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy. Why did Elisha send, saying, '^ Go, Tvask (Heb. rakhats — to bubble up, to pour out, to wash ; never dip^ or anything like it) in Jordan seven times^^ (ver. 10)? Evidently because the Mosaic ritual said, ^' He shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from his leprosy seven times, and shall prone unce him clean" (Lev. xiv 8). ''Then went he down and baptized himself {l^aTT la aro) seven times in Jordan" (ver. 14). The English ren- dering *' dipped himself," doe:^ not give the literal meaning of the Hebrew word tacaL Fuerst's Hebrew and Chaldean LexicoD, (latest and best extant) defines tacal, to moisten^ o sprmkie^ an i gives dip. immer.^e^ only as secondary meanings. He adds, more- over, '^ The fiiadamental signification of the 88 OUR CHILDIiJ N FOR CHRIST. stem is to moisten, to besprinkle!^ This word the Septuagint renders by /SairTl^w, as express- ing the action of Naamau in obeying the prophet's command to wash, which we have seen never means to ''dip," and which the Septuagint renders by Xovaat, which also never means dip, or any like word. Tims the Septuagint agrees with Paul and Mark and Luke, in translating the ceremonial purifica- tions by /SaTTTi^co, What more should even a Baptist want; and yet we have not exhausted our store of evidence. The arsenal of Scrip- ture is full of weapons for self-defence. '' God is His own interpreter.'* The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also speaks of the ceremonial sprinklings for purification as baptisms (Heb. vi. 2) : " The doctrine of baptisms {(BaTrTLo-fjuSyv) and the lay- ing on of hands " — viz., on the heads of the sacrifices (Lev. iii. 2). So also Heb. ix. 10, •' Meats and drinks, and divers baptisms {^aiTTicrfjioL^), and carnal ordinances." These " divers baptisms " are the various purifica- tions of the law without exception. Tliis verse ig a summary of the bo -k f Leviticus ; for ten chapters treat of ^' meats and di-iiiks," OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 89 7» i.e., meat-ofFerings and drink-offerings, — five treat of '^ divers baptisms," viz., piirificatiou by sprinkling and washing with water, — and the rest of the book treats of '' carnal ordin- ances." By noting this fact, we get positive proof that the apostle uses the word baptism to designate the legal purifications of the Mosaic economy. Thus our evidence accu- mulates. The expression ''baptized for (with refer- ence to) the dead" (1 Cor. xv. 29), in some re- spects bears a close resemblance to the passage quoted above from the son of Sirach, whicli very clearly points to the ceremonial cleansing ''from touching a dead body" (Num. xix. ] 1). If such were the mind of the apostle, this difficult expression would have some light thrown upon it. Death being the occasion of administration, it might appropriately be called *^ baptism in reference to the dead," Administered in the verv f\ice of death, it might be regarded as teaching a resurrection. Its close connection with the context, however, might seem to indicate that tlio ro- i'ereiice here is to Him that died., viz., Christ, — baptized with reference to the dead, viz.. 'IWjf "Mil mm 90 OUR CHILDllEN FOR CHRIST. I: ! Jesus who died ; for the same expression, *' if the dead rise not " (vcr. 29), is found closely associated with Christ (ver. 15, 16). The whole tenor of the apostle's argument is to estal lish the resurrection of Christ and those united to Him by faith. If the dead rise not, what shall those of us do who are baptized with reference to the dead Jesus, whom God has not raised, if so be that the dead rise not? If He be not raised there is no v'rtue in His death, and consequently no value in our baptism. If He be not raised, why are we then baptized into Him? The virtue and value of our union to Him is derived from the fact that He has triumphed over death — overcoming him who had the power of death. We are baptized, therefore, not merely to Him who died, but to Him who died and rose again; ^* Who died for our sins and rose again for our justification." Whatever exegesis of this passage is pre- ferred, it is evident that the dogma of im- mersion finds no support from it. There are two passages on which special stress is laid by those who favour immersion. These are Rom. vi. 3, 4, and Col. ii. 12. It is OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 91 uon, )und 16). nt is those ) not, )tized iGod i rise v'rtue ue in ly are virtue erived i over power •e, not m who ■or our ation. is pre- of im- special nersion. 2. It is to be regretted that so many concessions have been made l)y Anti-Baptist writers with refer- ence to these passages. The meaning is very evident ; and there is not the slightest allusion to water baptism of any kind. In Rom. vi. 3, the apostle says, " As many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death," not merely into His life and obedience and atonement, but also into His death and burial. The refer- ence is to the intimate union between the believer and Christ, as the result of the ope- ration of the Spirit upon the heart, '^ by the faith of the operation of God " (Col. ii. 12). Hence it is called tJ e baptism of the Spirit^ the Spirit being the agent of faith in the heart of man ; '' For by one Spirit are we ali baptized into one body" (1 Cor. xii. 13). *' For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ Lave put on Christ." We are here plainly taught that we are baptized into Christ by the baptism of the Spirit, which unites ihe soul to Jesus by faith, making it one with Him — *• one with Christ Jesus " (Gal. iii. 28) — thus making us partakers of His death a? well as of His life and obedi- •^' - *:'v- -. n "r ^- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 23. 125 ISC ^ 1^ ui Ink 3U US 14.0 11-25 III 1.4 m m ^?W w /A J Wa om m Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145S0 (716) •72-4503 W^^B. M ^ ^ >v ^ ,.v ^ ^^^.'^- : ^. i y. * mmmammtk 92 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. i Hi ence. How are we buried with Christ ? how do we die with Him ? We did not lay with Him in the tomb literally, we did not actually hang with Him on Calvary. Nor did we tread the hill-sides of Judea with Him, yet we are said to live with Him^ to suffer with Him, But by faith we become one with Jesus^ and are reckoned to have lived with Him, suffered with Him, to have been cru- cified with Him, to be dead with Him, buried with Him^ risen with Him^ glorified together with Him, — all in virtue of our union to Him by faith and in love. If any one should object and say, '^ But how are we buried with Christ ? we never saw His tomb. How have we died with Him ? " Here is the answer, Kom. vi. 4, ^^ buried together with Him " (how ? not literally, that could not take place centuries after His death and burial, but) ^' by baptism into His death." Being one with Christ spiritually, we are reckoned (Rom, vi. 11), as having died and been "buried with Him." We become one with Jesus and heirs together with Him, not by water baptism, but bg faith, of which the Spirit is the agent (Gal. iii. 26-28, Rom. viii. 11). OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 93 '^ In whom also ye are circumcised, . . . having been buried together with Him by the baptism by which also ye have been quickened " (eyelpco, made alive, raised) Col. ii. 11, 12. Now, by what baptism are we quickened, or made alive in Christ? Is it not the baptism of the Spirit ? That men should find water baptism in these passages, can only be accounted for by gross prejudice and ignorance of the method of salvation. And any plausibility that the theory seems to possess, from the fact that immersion in water has some slight resemblance to our modern manner of burying in earth and covering over the body, is destroyed at once, by calling up before the mind the fact that the body of Jesus was carried into the tomb through an open door, and laid upon the ledge of rock, in the same manner as we lay out a corpse in the room preparatory to burial. Where is the analogy between im- mersion, and the laying out of a corpse in a sepulchre, or in a tomb where there is stand- ing room for several persons ? Thus we see that in every possible aspect, in which we can look at the theory of immersion, 94 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. C t as deduced from these passages, it utterly fails. Believers* Baptism, — Such passages as, " Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized " (Acts xviii. S) ; and, ^' He that believe th and is baptized shall be saved " (Mark xvi. 10), are adduced to prove that baptism ought to be denied to infants. (The latter passage is not found in the two most ancient manuscrints — the Sinaitic and the Vatican.) This conclusion, however, in erroneous. Such passages prove that the adults, who had not received Christian baptism in in- fancy, on account of the fact that the rite of baptism had not been instituted when they were infants, or who had not believing parents, are entitled to baptism on their own profession of faith in Christ. But to infer that no infant ought to be baptized, because some adults receive baptism, is a glaring fallacy unworthy of a mind capable of in- telligent thought. We hold to '^ believers' baptism " as firmly as our Baptist brethren ; and we baptize adults, who have not been baptized in in- Kfl OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. 95 as. fancy, on profession of their faith. Such has been Presbyterian practice in all ages of the Church. But we also hold to the right of believing parents to have their infant children dedicated to God in baptism ; for there is not a single instance in the New Testa- ment of an adult receiving baptism^ rcho could possibly have been baptized in infancij. This is a fact worthy of particular notice. The fact that the early disciples were grown to manhood before Christian baptism was insti- tuted, and that many of the early Christians J were converts from heathenism, thus making it impossible for them to be baptized in infancy, seems to a superficial student of the New Testament, to give a great promi- nence to the baptism of believers. But the universal practice of the Christian Church, from the time of the apostles for more than one thousand years, as we have already shown, was to baptize the family, or house- hold, on the profession of faith by the parent. Before Baptists can deny our right to baptize infants, and thus by a sacred rite have them initiated into the Church of God, they must show a positive precept which deprived them 96 OUR CHILDREN FOR CHRIST. of their right to Church membership which they enjoyed under the Old Testament dis- pensation. This they have not done, and can never do. Then let all ponder the words of Him, who was to take the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom : " Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. »» THE END. PRINTED BY BALLANTYNB AND COMPANY EDISBDRGU AND LONDON V ifpli p which Ejnt dis- ne, and le words in His " Take jse little BOOKS PUBLISHED BY LYON & GEMMELL aEORQE IV. BRIDGE, EDINBURGH. V 8vo, cloth, 6s., THE SHADOW OF CALVARY: GETHSEMA.NE-THE ARREST— THE TRIAL. By II UGH MARTIN, D.D. Crown 8vo, cloth, 5s., with Preface by Dr Smeaton, M*CRIE'3 (DR THOMAS) STATEMENT: A DEFENCE OF CHURCH ESTABLISHMENTS. 8vo, cloth, 5s., LITERARY GLEANINGS, ARRANGED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, WITH INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND SCRIPTURE TEXTS. By the Rev. JOHN TYNDAL, Author of "Antidote to Morisonianism ; " "Modem Pelaffiauism •" " Free and U.P. Union," &c. 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