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 1 2 3 
 
 12 3 
 
 4 5 6 
 
</ 
 
 4 
 
 BAPTISM 
 
 The Sacrament of 
 
 / 
 
 Regeneration, 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 i] 
 
 PREACHED IN THE HOLY CROSS CHURCH. 
 
 LOCKEPORT, N, S„ 
 
 ON EVENHn'G of -first SUNDAY IN LENT, 
 
 By REV. S. eiBBONS. 
 
 FHICE 5 CENTS. 
 
 YARMOUTH, N. S. : 
 PRINTKD AT THK TIMKS JOB OFFICE. 
 
i 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
SERMON. 
 
 i 
 
 
 I 
 
 Titus iii, 5. 
 
 "He saved us by the Washing of Regeneration 
 and renewing of the Hoty Ghost" 
 
 " Is it not dreadful to think the Cliurch people 
 believe a child is ' convei ted ' in Baptism ?" It is to 
 dissipate such ignorance as the asking of such a 
 question implies, that I have resolved during the 
 Lenten fast, to set plainly before you certain 
 teachings about different phases of Conversion. We 
 must never forget that the principal duty of the 
 pulpit is to teach. St. Matt, xxviii, 20 ; Malachi ii, 7. 
 
 This evening I propose to set before you, 
 
 What Regeneration is not : 
 
 What Regeneration is : 
 
 What is actually necessary for the Sacrament of 
 Regeneration : 
 
 For whom this Sacrament was designed : and 
 
 How the Sacrament is to be administered : 
 
 In the first place lot^ me say, the Church does not and 
 never has believed that a little child is converted in Holy 
 Baptism. Conversion implies a change from a life of .sin*- 
 therefore conversion is impossible in infancy. 
 
 37<?b"C= 
 
'' But yon say in your Baptismal sorvico, ' Soein;,' now tliat 
 this i-hil(l is iv.j,'eiit'ratcil,' dors not Ro^'onorattnl nioau convert- 
 ed?'' No\v-u-clays,ainon^thoso who do not si)oak withTlioolo 
 gical precision it does, but it does not moan so in our Prayer 
 Book, nor in tlu^ New l\'.stament, nor in any writer over oOO 
 years airo. (^ur Prayer Dock is substantially the same as that 
 put forth in l.V)2, sinco which time many words have changed 
 their meaninj,'. Thivwonl Kegeneration is now :j;enerally 
 us.'d to mean "conversion", or " change of heart," a good 
 jneaning for it, but it had another meaning before, which the 
 Church has held to. When a sinner is converted, ho may bo 
 truly said to be honijroin (</yor< (for such is the literal translation 
 from the (xrck). P)nt the word Kegeneration never meant 
 this in the olden time. Ancient writers invariably use tho 
 phrase, as St. Paul does in our text (TtVifsiii, 5), for the bless- 
 ing- resulting from admission into the Church by bai)tisni. 
 Our natural birth admits u"^ into Adam's family— Baptism, 
 like a now birth admits us into God's family. In the Prayer 
 Book, the two ideas of Regeneration and Conversion are kept 
 carefully distinct— PiOgenoration meaning admission into 
 the Ciiurch of God by Baptism ; Conversion tho turning from 
 wickedness to (iod. 
 
 WII.VT UP:(JENEK.VTI0X 18 NOT. 
 
 "When vr use the word Regeneration, we do not mean 
 conscious or active co-operation on man's part with tiieHoly 
 Spirit; we do not mean "a struggle with sin, ending in 
 assurance of peace." W< do not mean self-condemnation, 
 abhorance of sin and penitence ; we do not mean implanting 
 of new habits by which what vas a mass of corruption 
 becomes a spiritual man with formed habits of Religion. 
 AVe do not mean a visible change, felt in a moment and 
 wrou^dit amid excitement of high strung feeling and much 
 
& 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 Luinan iiorswadin;,'. Wo do not inoun such a ^'ift of tlst'. Holy 
 Si)irit. ius iiMCCSsarily implies coiitiniiod ii'lvancemont ami 
 final iKM-sc.vcraiu'c. If liu'. Churc-li iiHnint any of theso ihin-^s 
 by Ke;zw\oration, mo could n(.t look upon llioin as tlio. ofloft 
 of n<»^y Baptism. Wo ackno\vlod<:o that somo of tho abovo 
 arc i.!4oludod in Conversion and in Konowal, two processes 
 -Nvbinh ^vo koop distinct from llo'^'onoration. 
 
 WHAT liKCKNEKATION IS. 
 
 5 
 
 ^ciienoration is 
 
 that si.iritual chan^v, by which W(^ aro 
 
 trajsslatod from a state of wrath ( /v>/'. ii, :'); 
 
 to a state of 
 
 gra<Te {Titu^ iii, .1) and covenant with (Jod, wi j.'.^dit by t?io 
 Eoly Spirit, onco for all. 
 
 l:*aptism is connected with liemission of 8ms i.i three 
 l>laces— Jc/n ii, :;.S ; Jds xxii, K".; A>/c.s-. v, 20. With 
 Salvation in :; places— -l/<fr^ xvi, KJ ; 7\7?/s iii, ."> ; ll,f,r iii, 
 21. With mystical burial with Christ in two place.-— A'o//i. 
 \i, i-4; Colu!^. ii, 12. 
 
 Our Catechism dex-lares that in liaptism we are mado 
 
 •uneni 
 
 il\K 
 
 her.'i of CJirii't (ongrafting). cJdldrni of (Jod (adoption), 
 
 \ 'nilnrHor-^ of iJi. K'ni<j'Jo,n of Ilndv,)! (heirship). St. 
 
 aiiv of vou as have been baptized into 
 
 Paul says, " as m 
 
 Christ have put on Christ "—GV//. ii, 
 
 accounts us as 
 
 For Ills sake God 
 
 His children, and if children then heirs— heirs 
 \vvitli (Jod and jonit heirs with Clu'ist [Rom. viii, 17). Onco 
 laaptized into Chri.st Ho is our father, and once a father 
 iilways a father. Tl>e children may be sinful, rebellious and 
 wery disobedient— yed iJioy are His children to whom His 
 joromises are 
 wanted gifts. 
 
 mad( 
 
 ilJK 
 
 A who claim His blossinirs as cove 
 
 liegeneration is more 
 
 than an outward act. It is tho 
 
 ■fclamping of an image, the iu)i)arting of the gift of the Holy 
 ¥*J)ost. as a f^nxl sown ; but it does not follow that every seed. 
 
.sewn grows, any more than that ovary Israelite who crossed 
 the Red Sea arrived safely into the land of promise. 
 
 " Don't you Church folk believe, then, that every one you 
 baptize is saved?" Certainly not. Putting a man into a 
 state of salvation does not imply his remaining there till 
 the end. In short, Ilei?eneration is birth into God's family, 
 with all consequent privilejjes and blessings. 
 
 " You don't believe, then, that an infant is converted in 
 Holy Baptism ?" No. Conversion implies actual sin— a life 
 of unrighteousness. About it we will teach next Sunday 
 
 night, i>.F. 
 
 " But I don't see any diffierence between a man who has 
 received the sacrament of Regeneration and one who has 
 not." I dare say you don't. Do you see any diffierence in 
 the same man after he has been made a Freemason ? No— 
 but there is this difference: before he had no claim upon 
 masonic charity or privileges or recognition. After he has a 
 covenanted interest in every priviledge belonging to that 
 body. Let me illustrate what I mean. 
 
 " A sailor, born in England, had naturalized himself in 
 ■the United States. During one of the many insurrections in 
 Hayti he was at Port au Prince, and was seized by the 
 military commander and condemned to be shot as an insur- 
 rectionest. The American consul interceded for him as a 
 United States subject, but in vain. Entreaties and threats 
 were used to no purpose. Early next morning he was led 
 forth to be shot. The firing party was ready. Both 
 English and American Consuls appeared with their flags, 
 wrapped his body in their colors, and dared the com- 
 mander to fire upon the colors of the two greatest nations 
 in the world. The man was saved." He was not born in the 
 United States but he had been naturalized there— he was 
 " born again " there. He was tiie same man after as before 
 

 his naturalization, but those papers gave him a claim upon 
 Uie United States governmei.t. It made liim a covonscptpd 
 child of that Republic. In the same way, by nature we are 
 children of wrath, but by the Sacrament of Regeneration we 
 enter into covenant with God, and He i^ermits us to be His 
 children and to claim his protection. 
 
 " What is actually necessary for the due administration of 
 this Sacrament?" Water (Christ was baptised in fre^h 
 y water ai^^iiinM^rfMAaUAJUMi^, as the proper element for 
 cleansing, and the name of the Trinity. There are some 
 people wlio claim for themselves John Baptist's Baptism. 
 They know not what they claim. In Acts xix we find that 
 John's baptism was not into the name of the Trinity and 
 therefore Paul baptized again those who had not received 
 Christian Baptism. If the material (water) and the form 
 (in the name of the Trinity) be wanting, the baptism is de- 
 ficient. 
 
 "For whom was this Sacrament of Regeneration designed?" 
 Who can enter into covenant with God? For whom did 
 Christ die? To whom were the promises made? Whom 
 did Christ order His disciples to baptize ? 
 
 The sign of admission under the Old Testament dispensa- 
 tion was circumcision for every male on the 8th day. Rev. 
 Joseph Parker of the City Temple, London, (not an Episco- 
 palian,) says : " Listen to the covenant : * He that is eight 
 days old shall be circumcised among you.' What an over- 
 sight on the part of the Lord not to observe that a child 
 eight days old could not understand what it was about? 
 What a waste of piety to baptize an infant of days when it 
 cannot understand what you are doing to it? For mvself, 
 let me say that when I baptize a child, I baptize life- 
 human life,— life redeemed by the Son of God. Tlie infant 
 is something more than an infant, it is humanity ; it is an 
 
8 
 
 lioir of Clirist's immortality. If Uioro bo any who can laujih 
 n^S^n infant and mock its woaknoss, fltty har.' )io ri(j}it to 
 liaptiz) (tin! roust crati' if, and /jirr so iman a tJi'mg to Go'l. (Jod 
 llims(!lf baptizes tlio i^rcat troos, duos Ho tnor baptize 
 a daisy? IIo onriclios Lobanon and Bashan witii ram, 
 but did IIo over ban^r tbo dew (if tb(^ niorninj^ u^wn tbo 
 siirinkm;^ loso? . . Tbo cliild doos not amhrstaiul tlio 
 alphabet, do not teach it; the child doos not wnUrsland 
 language, do not teach it; tbo child does not undtrslamf tbo 
 Lcjrd's Prayer, do not teach it. Von say tiie child will inuhr- 
 xtaud by and by. Exactly so; that answer is good; ond % 
 (Old hy tlir <-]idd n-'d/ uixfi rsfdtid (Jad it n'us hajdizcd in tbo 
 Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy (ihost, 
 throe persons in one (Jod." 
 
 IJAI'TISM IS AlhMlSSION INTO COVKXANT ^VITH (iOI>. 
 
 Tlio groat (question about Infant Baptism is, '' Can infants 
 bo brought into covenant with God ?" Is not God's order 
 plain in JJnif. xxix. vs. If), 11, IL' (?) : "You stand this day 
 all of y(»u before ti)e I^ord ; your captains, &.V., your littlk 
 ONES, ike, that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the 
 Lord thy God, and into His oath." 
 
 This was a covenant, not only to give them the land of 
 Canaan, but "to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after 
 thee." The man's })art was "to love the Lord, to walk in 
 His ways, and to keep His commandments.'' The coven- 
 ant of the Ton Commandments was also with infants. 
 Forty years after, Moses said : "The Lord made a coven- 
 ant with us m Horeb, even with us who are all of us hero 
 alive this day." Jhid. v, 2, :5. Most of these were at that 
 time infants and little children. To Abraham and those 
 who believed, it was " a seal of the righteousness of Faith" ; 
 to infants it was a seal of the covenant by which they were 
 
 ■ 
 
9 
 
 I 
 
 
 eiv^a<?o<l to Ixiliovo in thu trim (iod when tlioy vcro old 
 cnuugli. 
 
 Wlioui (lid tlui Saviour order His «li,sci[)les to Haptizo? 
 All nations. It i.s j^athe.rod from .statistics that tuo-jifths of 
 n'li'i/ )iafiuii ((I'l' chilth'ni iiiidt r ^inu //'"»•>! "./",'•■• l>i<-l tl»o 
 Saviour say l)a{)tizo tlireo fifths of evory nation? 
 
 To whom woro ttio oromises mado? "To you and your 
 rItiMm,:' .Ir/x ii, :]\K 
 
 But infants cannot kec[) Clod's law '.' Cannot thoy ? God 
 says tho <'hild of eight days old can broak His law (Gon. 17, 
 14.) Hoir wc do not know, but (loil says so. What is capr,- 
 able of breaking is cai>ablo of keeping. The command to 
 Baptize all nations is not fultilled by those who would ex- 
 clude infants from being Baptized, any more than tho com- 
 mand to destroy all the Canaanites would have been obeyed 
 {IJiut. vii, 2, 10) if instead of taking the command literally 
 the Israelites had argued, on independent grounds — that God 
 must have meant (dl hut the cJuldnh. 
 
 "But there is no plain command?'' Is there a com- 
 mand for keeping Sunday holy ? Is there a command for 
 family worship? for Sunday Schools ? for women as Com- 
 municants? 
 
 The Jews ahvai/s included little children in tho covenant 
 with God. St. Paul in writing to the Epiiesians addres.sos 
 not only the fathers, mothers and servants, but also the 
 children. The same apostle in 1 Cor. vii, 14, calls the child- 
 ren "holi/.'' Whole households (and according to Greek cus- 
 tom, the household included dann and their chlldnn) were 
 Baptized Artx x\i, Ki, (Lydia's) Ads xvi, 3:'>, (Jailor) Act>^ x, 
 (Cornelius) 1 Cor. i, Ki, (Stcphonfis). Is it at all likely that 
 in four liouseholds there would be no children. For we 
 read "he and cdl his wore Baptized?" Among the Jews, 
 Proselytes and thoir cbildron were Baptized. 
 
If the admission of children into God's covenant was a 
 thing unheard of, an express command to admit thom 
 would have been necessary, but, as itwat the rule, and Christ 
 did not forbid it, we must believe it His will to admit the 
 children. 
 
 Did He forbid the coming of the children ? S3e Mark x, 
 15, 16. He bluiued those that would have kept them from 
 Him. He sets the little cnild as a model— a pattern for them 
 iftheywonld enter into Hi? Kingdom. Will Christ admit 
 these made like to the pattern and exclude the pattern it- 
 self ? If they are fit for His Kingdom above, are they not 
 fit to be admitted into His Kingdom on earth, the Church ? 
 Is the Christian covenant narrower than the Mosaic dispen- 
 sation which admitted children of eight days old? 
 
 Christ says : " He that helieivth and is Bapti2,ed shall 
 be saved." ''Children cannot believe." Perhaps not. 
 But have they not the germ of reason ? Why not the germ 
 of Faith also? The Saviour concludes the verse that you 
 have begun by saying : " he that believeth not, shall be 
 damned"— will any one be foolish enough to say " a child is 
 damned because it has not understanding faith?" "Ex- 
 cept ye repent, ye shall likewise perish." Children cannot 
 repent, shall they therefore perish ? "If a man will not work, 
 neither shall he eat ?" A child cannot work, shall he there- 
 fore not eat ? 
 
 For 1500 years after Christ, Infant Baptism was practis- 
 ed—and the most learned opponent of Infant Baptism has 
 never yet been able to adduce a particle of credible histori- 
 cal testimony which tells tho time and the place where this 
 practice took its rise. 
 
 " How is tl e Sacrament of Baptism to be administered ?" 
 Has aiy particular mode been ordered ? Where no order 
 is given liberty is p3rmitted. We acknowlelge as legitimate 
 
modes of administering the Sacrament, immergion (Rubric 
 in Baptism for Those of Riper Years, says : " Then shall 
 dip him or pour water upon him"), pouring or affusion and 
 sprinkling. But we do mot Hmit the validity of the Sacra- 
 ment to one particular mode of administering its outward 
 sign, for we recognize the precise mode in which the 
 outward sign is administered only as a matter of ritual, 
 and no mere matter of ritual is binding upon all, nor can it 
 invalidate the Regenerating Sacrament. 
 
 Reference is likely made to immersion in connection with 
 Baptism in Roman 6, 1^, and Colosians 2, 12. But we can- 
 not believe that it is consistent with the law of Christian 
 liberty to make the blessings of the Sacrament depend upon 
 the meclvanical method of its administration, nor upon the 
 quantity of water used. It certainly is not consistent with 
 analogy that the details of the initiatory Sacrament should 
 be legally arranged any more than those of the Sacramont of 
 the Lord's Supper; and it is a fact that in some "swell" 
 congregations in the neighboring republic where '' immer- 
 sion only" obtains, that a waterproof suit or some other 
 device permits only a small quantity of the fresh water 
 used to touch the face of the " immersed." If Baptism be 
 tne only means of admission into the visible Church of 
 God, and Baptism by immersion the only valid means of 
 of performing the Sacrament, for hundreds of years during 
 vihich immersion ivas not practiced there could have been no 
 visible Church of God.* This would make Christ's words 
 untrue, for He founded His Church ; with that Church He 
 promised to be always ; therefore it must al^vays have been 
 in existence. There was, is and ever will he in the world His 
 
 •When Roger Willianid instituted his Society of Baptists in Rhode 
 Island in 1639, he could not find any innner'ied person to immerse him. 
 Bo Mr. Ezekiel Holliman (or Hollahan). nfttnminyifer, lutt limurrHi'.d, n'4 a 
 member <>/ a Church, immersed Mr. Williams, then Mr. Williams im- 
 mersed him. 
 
12 
 
 visible C'luirch. Men inuy fouiul societies, doing good 
 ^V(.i•k fijr Christ, ])ut nr always think that the Soeiety 
 foiuuleil by Ilini must be the best, the widest— so wide 
 that it 4'an take in tlie children of eight days old. 
 
 '' But does not Baptism always mean immersion in the 
 New Testament?" Certainly not. I can understand a man 
 ^vh() has no ac(iuaintance with the language in which the 
 ^'ew Testament was mainly written saying this, but I cannot 
 understand this argument being used by the editor of a religi 
 ous journal without sui»posing he had forgotten his (ireek 
 Testament. Such an argument may do for those who think 
 the New Testament was written in English but not for 
 anyone with an unbiased mind and a little knowledge of the 
 Greek in which the Cospels were written. If we can lind 
 one place in which the Greek word for baptize cannot 
 mean immerse this argument is quite overthrown. But 
 we can find not one but//v places where the word cannr.t 
 be rightly translate) "immerse." In St. :Mark vii, 2-:')-4, 
 we read: "And when they saw some of His disci])le eat 
 bread with defiled (that is to say with unwashen hands) 
 they found fault. For the Pharisees and all tl.e Jews, 
 except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding tiie 
 tradition of the (dders. And T.hen thcv come from the 
 market, except they wash (r/yv/j bai)tize) they eat 
 not. And many other things they have receivtMl 
 to hold, as the washing [Gr<i'L- l)aptizing) of cups, and 
 pots and l)razen vessels and tables." In St. Luke xi, 
 37-:')8, we are told that a Pharisee marvelled that Christ 
 had not first washed {Gnrk l)aptized^ before dinner. The 
 washings {Greek baptisms) were ritual cleansings from 
 legal or ceremonial uncleanness. A Jew did not immerse 
 himself every time he came from the market, an<l even if 
 the cup'S and pots were immer 1, it was generally impos- 
 
• 13 
 
 sible to immorst' ;i tubl > twi'lvi' or fourt'HMi feet lon.ir. If 
 you would know what thcs ' haptisius were, and how 
 they were p^rforine.l, you have only to turn to the IJook 
 of Numbers, xix, 18 to end, where the whole eereniony is 
 des>^ribed as eonsistin;z in spr'niki'nuj water upon the furniture 
 to be cleaned with a bunch of hyssop. For this purpose 
 families were sup[>lie I with " \vaterp:)ts containing two or 
 three firkins apiece." Jnlm ii, (">. 
 
 Another passa;j;e wher(> "baptize" cannot be translated 
 imni 'rse is I Cor. x, 1-2 The Apostle says the (diildren of 
 Israel were baptized in the ch^id. If we turn to Exodus 
 xiv, 19-20, we learn the cloud changed its position from 
 front to rear. As for immersion in this cloud, it is 
 absurd. The only way in wdiich they could ])e bai)tized in 
 it was by its pouring or raining upon them. Tiuis tlie 
 baptism here spoken of was by sprinkling. 
 
 St. Paul informs us they were l)aptized in the sea. Many 
 people who do not compare Scripture with Scripture Avould 
 at once jump to the conclusion, "Tliis certainly means 
 immerse in salt wa^er." We know better. In Exodus xiv, 
 22, we read they went over on drff ground; in the 29th 
 verse, " walked upon (hy ground in the midst of the waters." 
 Though they were not immersed, they were baptized; 
 those who were that day immersed, the Egyptians, werj 
 not baptized. 
 
 In these five places liaptize cannot mean immersa. The 
 word baptize has a generic meaning, similar to our English 
 word travel— \\Q travel, whether we journey by water, by 
 foot, or on horseback. A short-sighted m'ln might have 
 limited th^ blessings of the Sacrament of Regeneration to 
 one mode of administration, but the all-knowing Sajdour 
 could foresee that a man upon a sick bed, or perlu^ a 
 deathbed, could not be immrml; is he not to haw3 the sign 
 
14 
 
 of admission into the covenant with God ? The Saviour 
 knew that ministers would sometimes suffer from acute 
 diseases which would prevent them ffom immersing any 
 one desirous of being baptized ; are they therefore to 
 remain unbaptized? Can we suppose that the Saviour 
 would institute any sucli mode of admission into His 
 spiritual Kingdom as could be enjoyed only by those who 
 were favored with good bodily health? What has the 
 condition of « man's mortal body to do with the salvation 
 of his immortal spirit f Baptism is the seal of the covenant 
 and may be applied to every creature whatever the 
 condition of his body. 
 
 Baptism with water is emblematical of the work of the 
 Holy Spirit. Does the Scripture ever mention immersing 
 in the Spirit? I^t us search the Scriptures and see. In 
 St. Matthew iii, 3, our Saviour promises to baptize His 
 Apostles with the Holy Ghoat. How was it done? In 
 Acts ii, 1-4, we see how. In verse 16 we find St. Peter 
 saying the Holy Spirit was " poured out" In Isaiah Iii, 15, 
 we read : " So shall He sprinkle many nations." In Ezekiel 
 xxxvi, 25 : " Then will I sprinkle clean \^ter upon you and 
 ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness and from all your 
 idols I will cleanse you." In Hebrews x, 22 : " Let us draw 
 near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having 
 our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies 
 washed with pure water." In I St. Peter i, 2. "Elect 
 through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." In 
 Proverbs i, 23: '' 1 vfill pour out my spirit upon him." In 
 Joel, ii, 28 : " I will pour out my spirit." In Acts ii, 17-28 : 
 " I will pour out my spirit." In Acts x, 45 : " On Gentiles 
 also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 I^Acts ix, 18, we do not read of Saul's going out of the 
 house in wiiich he was when Ananias baptized him ; neither 
 
15 
 
 I 
 
 do we read 8o of Cornelius in Acts x; nor of the jailor 
 baptized near midnight, in Acts xvi. But In Acts viii, 
 35-39, we read of the Enuch's g^lhg into the water. Into 
 does not mean under. May a person not go into the water 
 without being immersed ? Moreover the same word which 
 is translated into in Acts viii, 38, is translated unto in both 
 St. Matthe^v xxii, 4, and St. John xi, 31. 
 
 It must be plain to every unprejudiced person that 
 restricting to one mode or one a^e the blessings of a Sacra- 
 ment, made " generally necess.^/y" to Salvation by Jesus 
 Christ is "watering down" His wide, world-embracing 
 covenant to a greater thinness than that of the Mosaic 
 dispensation. For when God first established Bis Church 
 on earth, he decided for reasons which it does not become 
 us to question, that His Church should be composed of 
 adults and infants. By His explicit command little children 
 at the age oi eight days {Gen. xvii, 12) were to be made 
 members of His Church {Acts vii, 38) by receiving the Seal 
 of the Covenant. Are these things so? Search and see. 
 To say that an unconscious child is not a fit subject for 
 membership in the Church of the living God is to accuse 
 the Almighty of folly. The idea of infant membership was 
 not a mggestion of Abraham, but a command from God. 
 
 It may be objected that Christ came to do away with the 
 Mosaic dispensation and all that pertained to it. If we 
 grant this (though He >vas to do away with it by absorption 
 and improvement, not by annihilation), the claim of this 
 argument is not long enougn to reach Infant Baptism, for 
 the Church membership of infants was not Mosaic but 
 Abrahamic, a covenant older than the birth of Moses by 
 
 300 years. 
 
 Brethren, let us remember, whether our Baptism l:>e^^t 
 or adult, by immersion or affusion, that in Baptism we are 
 
16 
 
 .»?#- 
 
 priviloized to (Mitor into covcMiant with Gol ; t)iat it i.s the 
 beginning of a ('t>v(Miaute.I liiV \n the wilJcriu'ss of the 
 worlil; that for that hfe^e want h('li)S l)y the way, ami 
 wo must obtain thorn d'lih/, unlor tlie same coulitions im- 
 pose;! r.i»on the I.sraelites Avhen they — also a covenanted 
 peo}»l<> — wore (••mmanle;! to ,L;ath(;r their fooil day by day, 
 wlioi: the frosliu'vss of God's dew was upon the <rround. 
 
 N(.n, to (io;h tlie Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into whoso 
 Nam > wo aro baptized, be ascribed all miglit, majesty and 
 udttry, now and forever. Amen. 
 
 NoTK. — Some atlirin til It wiiilc the Hiptists h ul no orginized (!hurcli 
 until the ITtli ci-ntury (W.i'J), yet indiviifiiil.^ who held li iptist sentiments 
 were rJci'-tcred tlu-oii.;hoiit Chri-itendom in o irly :isos, known a.s \lhigensei 
 and AValden:?e-!. 'I'ir- Waldeiine.-s were a sect whieh ai>pe ired m the Tith 
 c?n- 'iry and h id a llii-cef<jld niiui-lry of b'sh')]).^ pri^.-t.s an i do icoas. 
 
 m 
 
 I^infi'l (it III' Thiir^ OrVu'i', Yarmouth, N. S.