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 Strmon iTirst, 
 
 INFANT BAPTISM SCRIPTUEAL. 
 
 The subjects to which, according to announcement, I am to 
 direct youratteniion to-day, are of a somewhat contiover.Mul 
 character. Many persons regard religious controversv as a 
 great evil to be sedulously avoided. But it is not an "evil in 
 itself considered. In proof of this I need only mention the 
 fact that much of the Word of God is controversial. Tho 
 Epistles of Paul are striking examples of tiis. Moreove'-, we 
 owe the prevalence of truth so far as it is now spread in 
 the earth, very much to the cfFoct of controversy. Enor has 
 fiercely contended with truth for every inch ofground it has 
 gained. The glorious Reformation of the IClh century, was 
 commen'-f d and canied forward by conlroversy.and the enor 
 yet remaining in the church and in the woild, Is to be purged 
 away in the salutary fires of Cree and candid discussion. But 
 religious controversy should always be pursued in a Christian 
 spirit. It is often made a bad use of, and then, bursting all 
 icstraiuts, it operates— not like the summer thunder-storm, 
 clearing the atmosphere and diffusing refreshment, but like 
 the impetuous and Avild tornado, " strewing yonder sea with 
 wrecks," aiid spreading devastation and ruin. There ought 
 to be no bitterness, m;.srepresentation, vituperation, or con- 
 tempt. These are the weapons of Satan's Kingdom, and 
 not Christ's. 
 
 In the paesent instance, I design no provocation of strife, 
 no stirnng up of ill-feeling, but a simple and kind, yet firm 
 and decided exhibition of what I deem to be t' e truth, on 
 the important, and much debated subject of Baptism. Per- 
 mit me then to invite your attention to the following pas- 
 sage of Scripture : — . 
 
 i^atthew 28, 19. " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
 baptizing them m the name of the Father, and of the Son. 
 and of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 Ihii vorao i.^ part of iha commission given by our Lord 
 
 m 
 
I 
 
 aiul Saviour to his Apostles. Thev are commanded to 
 " tench ;" i.e., (as in the mai'gin,) to " disciple or christianize" 
 " al! na^ons, baptizing them," &c. 
 
 My present remarks will apply exclusively to the latter 
 part of the tdxt, viz. : the command to baptize. 
 
 I shall not stay to prove that Baptiam s a divine institu- 
 tion, a standing ordinance of the Church of Christ; as it is 
 not likely that any of my iieaiers doubt this fact! 
 
 It -was doubtless intended as a symb<jl of internal or spi- 
 ritual purification, water being commonly employed to 
 cleanse the human body from defilement, and its applica- 
 tion to the person in the name of the Triune Jehovah, being 
 what is involved in the command to baptize. It therefore 
 solemnly exhibits the ipleansing of the soul from g«ilt, by the 
 blood of Christ, and its renovatien and san<!tification by the 
 Holy Spiiit. 
 
 Yet Baptism neither communicates, insures, nor proves 
 regeneration. It is not of saving eflScaey. "It is an out- 
 ward and visible siffn^' of something inwardi 
 
 Christians are divided in opinion with respect to the sm6- 
 jects to whom this ordinance is to be administered. They 
 are thoroughly agreed with regard to grown-up persons not 
 baptized in infancy, that when they profess to believe in the 
 Saviour, and seek a place in his church, they should be 
 baptized. In their caee the command is explicit, the duty 
 clear. _ i 
 
 But whether the offspring of believing parents are scrip- 
 tu-ally entitled to Baptism, is a much disputed question. — 
 Those who maintain that the children of professing Chris- 
 tians are proper subjects of the ordinance, are called Psedo- 
 baptists ;• while those Avho deny this position, and practise 
 only adult or believer's baptism, call themselves, and are 
 usually styled by others, " Baptists.'' Tlie assumption of 
 this name is intended to indicate that those alone who hold 
 it baptize, or have been baptized, in a Scriptural manner. — 
 Against this we decidedly protest. While admitting freely 
 the learning, talent, piety, and usefulness of many who ario- 
 gate this exclusive title; and while granting thera freely the 
 
 I- 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 ♦ From two Greek words signifying ' infanl' or ' eliild,' and ' bapliiin.' 
 
 W-' 
 
f 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 3. 
 
 light lo hold and advocate their own principles, we strongly' 
 object to llieir thus virtually asserting that the point is set- 
 tled in their favour. We unhesitatingly avow our firm con- 
 viction, that it never has been so settled, and that it never 
 will be. Our brethren who do not believe Infant Baptism 
 to be a Bible doctrine and practice, should choose and era- 
 ploy some designation which does not imply a bogging of tho 
 question at issue. Wo liave no disposition to thrust " Ana- 
 baptist" upon them, since they regard it as an offensivei 
 epithet ; but they should remember that " Baptist " is aa 
 unpleasant to others, as "Anabaptist" is to them. Let* 
 name be adopted which characterizes their peculiarities^ 
 without ungenerously reflecting upon others. As the nature! 
 of our subject will compel some reference to our opponents, 
 and some use-of the name by which they are commonly 
 known, we put in at the outset, this decided disclaimer 
 against the; inference involved in it. Believing firmly that 
 the practice of Infant Baptism is scriptural, 1 shall proceed 
 to notice — , 
 
 I. The direct arguments whicU support it; and 
 
 II. The objections made against it. 
 
 I. DIRECT ARGUMENTS FOR L\FANT*BArTISM. 
 
 1. I argue that children have a Scriptural right to this 
 ordinance, because Baptism sustains the same relation to the 
 Cfospel dispensation, that Circumcision did to that of the 
 Old Testament. . - 
 
 In proof of this; let me adduce the following tram of 
 thought : 
 
 i. A peculiar covenant relation existed between God and 
 his ancient people, as parents. _ 
 
 2. Tiiis same covenant relation exists under the Christian 
 dispensaticfn. < < e \- 
 
 3i Circumcision was the Divinely-appointed token of tbis 
 covenant in Old Testament times. _ ^ 
 
 4. Baptism has taken the place of Circumcision, as tha 
 token or seal of the same covenant under the Christian dis- 
 pensation. 
 
 1 wiH endeatour to establish tboso positious : 
 
1. A peculiar corenant relation existed between God and 
 his ancient people, as parents. 
 
 This is fully and plainly stated in the history of Abraham. 
 
 T'l Oon. 17: 1, we are told that God entered into cove- 
 nant with this distinguished patriarch. " 1 will eatiibli;h my 
 covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in 
 their generations, for an everlasting coA'cnant, to be a God 
 unto thoc, and to ihy seed after thee." 
 
 Tills covenant plainly comprehended sjyiritual, as well aa 
 temporal blessing-i. * It is not '- '_ promised that Abrahaai 
 and his seed shall have the land of Canaan for a possession, 
 but it is added, " I will be a God unto thee, and unto thy 
 seed after thee." "I will bo their God." When Chris- 
 tians exclaim with joyful exultation, as did the Psalmist, 
 Ps. 48 : 14, " Tliis God is our God for «ver and ever," it is 
 r.ot a mere earthly interest in his love that gladd\jn3 their 
 souls. The terms of the ancient covenant, and the manner 
 in which it is frequently alluded to, clearly show that it 
 cniliraced blessings of a spiritual nature. 
 
 This covenant was also mutual. 
 
 The obligation resting on Abraham in connexion with 
 this solemn compact, is thus expressed : *' Walk before me, 
 and bo thou perfect;' and Jehovah on his part, engages to 
 be his God. 
 
 Further, this covenant embraced his children. His 
 •' seed " are pjirticularly named ; and to them, as we shall 
 Boon have occasion to observe, the seal of the covenant waa 
 applied, in token of their participation in its blessings. 
 
 This interesting relation was not limited to Abraham. — 
 The same covenant was formally renewed with Isaac, Jacob 
 and others. Indeed, we have frequent references to it, and 
 traces of it throughout the Old Testament. 
 
 2. This same covenant relation between Christian parents 
 and the Infinite God, exists under the go-jpel dispensation. 
 Its blessings are just as accessible now, as in ancient times. 
 Tliis will plainly appear from the following considerations. 
 When first made, the Divine declaration was, that it should 
 be *' an everlasting covenant ;" and we have no account of 
 its having been altered or annulled ; nay, it is said to have 
 been " confirmtd in (7hri$i," Thii it distinctly taught, 
 
Oal. 3 : 15 n. Il is there said, thnt evt*ii ia the cbm 0/ 
 a man's covenant, " Yet if it be confirmed, no man disan- 
 nulleth, or nddelh ihoreto." The Abrahamic covenant is 
 said to have been thus " confirmed of God in Christ," and 
 not at all ulTocted by the giving of the hiw 430 years after 
 Hence it is still in full force, unchanged by the lapse of 
 time. Nothing has occurred to make the original " promise 
 of none effect." It may here be asked, are we not told, 
 lleb. 8 : 8, that God has made " a new covenant" with hia 
 people? I answer, this was not to displace the one made 
 wiih Abraham, but the one made with the people of Israel 
 ■when they were led out of the land of Egypt, Heb. 8 : 9. — 
 This new covenant was, in effect, a re-affir.nation of that for 
 whose peppetuity we are contending. 
 
 Moreover, it is positively stated in the New Testament, 
 that this covenant is yet in existence. The following chap- 
 ters are to tha point, Rom. 4. and Gfil. 3. Suffice it here 
 to quote a verso from the last mentioned chapter, Gal. 3: 29. 
 *' If y#hre Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs 
 according to the promise ;" i. e., if you are a believer in 
 Chriit, yrtu are one of that promised seed of Abraham, to 
 whom this covenant was given for " an everlasting cove- 
 nant." S.) the «acred word affirms, and who shall gainsay 
 it ? Who d;ire do this ? What Christian would dmrs to 
 do so? (See also R)m. 15: 8.) 
 
 3. Circumcision was the Divinely-appointed token of the 
 Abrahamic covenant in Old Testament times. See Gcn» 
 xvii. 11. 
 
 " It is," says a commentator on the place, "a sign, evid- 
 ence, and assurance, both of the hlcssi- '^remised by that 
 God who appointed this ordinance, aiKJ o. man's obtigiition 
 to the duties required." Circumcision is called (Rom. iv. 
 11,) " a seal of the righteousness of faiih." A seal is used 
 to authenticate an instrument: — "to furnish an obligatory 
 proof of the engagements of the scaler." Circumcision made 
 every subject of it, " a debtor to do the whole law," (Gal. 
 V. 3.) It brought him under a solemn obligation to serve 
 God. It was a sea! of spiritual blessings, pointing to " the 
 righteousness of faith," and solemnly binding men to obey 
 the Infinite Jehovah. It ia reoeatcdly said to be eaihlu' 
 
maticalof the {uiiirioalion of tlic heart. (Dent r Irt • R^m 
 ii..2S, 29.) It sealed all those hleJng.. tnnpo,;,! a.ul 
 spirituul. which were included in the promise made to 
 Abr.,hMm. JL was also (he initiatory rite by which persons 
 >v.Mo admitted into the Old Testament Church heiiiL' i 
 'hiT'len l""'*'"''"'"^ °" "" proselytes to Judaism, and their 
 
 4 Nqw. we affirm that Baptism occupies the same rela- 
 tion to the Qos[.td dispensation ; for the foliowintf reasons • 
 
 ( .) U 13 exprersu'o of t!)o same things. Is the followinir 
 Etnkipnr analogy either aceider.Ml or forced ? 
 
 1. -Abniham gave himself up to God a.;d pron ised to.crve 
 him, and God promised tq protect and bless Abraham and 
 Ills seed alter him. 
 
 !?. Asa seal of this promise or covenant, Abraham wai 
 circumcised. 
 
 3. riiis circumcision was also a seal of Abraham's faith 
 and purification of heart. 
 
 4. As Abraham's seed were included in the prolPHso or 
 covenant, he was commanded to apply the same seal to 
 them, ?. e , to the males in his household. 
 
 .5. Tliis implied that they were included in the covenant 
 and needed the same faith and puriQcation pf heart which 
 Abraham possessed. 
 
 6. Tliat he wag solemnly pledged to brio- them up for 
 uod,— In Uaptxs.\i;— ■^ r 
 
 1. Believing parents give themselves up to God, nod pro- 
 vnise to serve him, and God promises to be their God and 
 the God of their children. 
 
 2. Their B^iptism is a seal of this promise qr covenant 
 
 3. It is a token of their faith or purification of heart 
 
 4. As t'leir seed or children are in.-Iaded ii) the same'pro- 
 mise or povenant, they of course apply the sarae seal to 
 them. ' 
 
 6. Thus applied, it signifies that they need the same faith 
 and purification of heart, which the parents believe thev 
 Jiare, / 
 
 6. That the parents are solemnly pledged to brin^-- them 
 \i\) for God. ° 
 
 (g.) That baptism has succeeded circumcision Jis the sfaj 
 
mfi lola- 
 renjons : 
 
 's fuith . 
 
 msR or 
 seal to 
 
 of tlio covenant, jippoirs from tlin fncX Ihni it is the rife of 
 initiation into tlit- Clnistian Churcli, just as circumcision «•&*» 
 int<» the Jewish Chinch, t-'iin this position be qncstionfrl f 
 if then, the ancient scil was apj)iiL'(i noi only to converts 
 liut to tliL'ir ciiikl.en, what valid reason e.an hourtred acrainst 
 Infant Maptism? . " ° ' 
 
 (3.) Tlicre wero under the ancient economy two stnndinff 
 opiinance.s, the Passover and C*r(.umcisi(in. Tt is ijener-illv, 
 if not universally admitted, that the Lord's Supper "is 
 Buh.^iUited for the Passover, and yet some deny that the 
 same is true of B.iptism and Circuti.cision, though both are 
 confessedly alike, at least so fir as this, — that tliey are in- 
 itiatory ordinances. A little reflection will convince any 
 one that the ordinance of bapti.Mn agrees as well with cir- 
 cunici.-ion in its nature and design, as the Lord's Supper 
 does With the Passover, if not better. Would it not bo 
 singular indeed for them to resemble each other closely in 
 every r articular except one, and in that one, viz.: their ap- 
 plication to children, be perfect oppo.sites ? Circumcision 
 introdu -ed into the Jewish church, and was administered to 
 c'lildrcn; baptism introduces into the Christian church, but 
 must bo denied to children? Wherefore? 
 
 (4.) i'lie following pasnage settles the point ii, question. 
 (Col. ii. 11, 12.) " In whom also ye are circumcised with 
 i\)9 circumjision -made without hands, in putting off the body 
 pf the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ ; buried 
 wilu him in baptism," &c. Now, whctl-.er from the scope 
 of the passage, we conclude that the ApostleMs speakintr of 
 the external ordinance, or of the inward work of purification 
 to wliich the ordinance points, the argument from these 
 verses is equally conclusive, showing that baptism is the 
 Christian ciicumcision. 
 
 We concludfe, therefore, that infants may now be bap, 
 tized with as much propriei;y as thcy were anciently circum- 
 cised. 
 
 f erhaps it may be well here to advert to the most im- 
 portant objections commonly urged against the vi'iw of bap- 
 tism which has just been presented. 
 
 1. It is said, «' circumcision was a sign of carnal de.^cont. 
 a mark of .aitional distinction, and a token of interest in those 
 
8 
 
 (empornl b!i?8siiiga wliioli vrere promised to Abralnm." 
 Giaiiteci. But was this atli We have shown that all this 
 and much more wms hicltuitid in the ancient covenant. 
 
 Whoie is the Scri|)tnro proof that the Abiahamic cove- 
 nant was n charter of eirtiily blessings onhj ? 
 
 2. Pengilly, fi standard Uaptist writer, says (p. 61) Pas- 
 dohaptist^ make baptism, i'self «' a fi^fure, a ti/pe of a figure" 
 nnd reoard it as 'Hhe enil imd fulli'linent" of circumcision. 
 But this ia a great mistake. We airree with this author 
 that baptism and circuaici^lon nrc both tijpes or fi{fures,fmdL 
 BO far from maintniniM',' that baptism is the end orfuriilment 
 of circumcision, wo deny it. The fulfilment of circumcision 
 in its spiritu;d bfariiijji; was regeneration, " the circumcision 
 of the heart." This too is the fulfilment of br.ptism. Ail 
 We affirm, is, wliat I have ;»'oj;erf, viz.: that baptism sustains 
 tiie same relation to the gospel dispensation that circumcision » 
 did to the forra«r dispensation. 
 
 3. It is objected tliut cirr,umrision wng only applied (o 
 males. To this I reply, ft parent who dedicated his nv^le 
 children to God, did that as a token that his wiiolo fai ily 
 belonged to God, So it was considered by Jehovah himself. 
 See (E'.'^k. .\vi. 8 compared with v. 20 of tiiesame cliapt.) • 
 In the first of these pa-^najfos it is written, " I entered into 
 covenant with tiiec, saiti) tJio Lord God, and thou be*imest 
 mine." In the second, thi! following complaint is uttered, 
 
 " thou has t\ken m^ sons ami m;/ danjhlcrs whom thou liast 
 borne unto mt\ nnd tliuac hast thou sacrificed," — " thou 
 hast slain my chilli'cn" — Sec also Deut. xxix. 10--12. — All 
 were admitted into ii covenant relative to God, though males 
 only received the sign. It is well known that in tlie Jew- 
 ish church, females held n very inferior and subordinate 
 place. The gosjxd (liMpcnsilion'is niori/ 'lar^re and free. — 
 Gal. iii. 28. "Tliere is neither male nor fenvUe :" — all' are 
 "one in Christ Jenus." Xlic gospel makes no dislinction of 
 sex, any more than of nation, in the enjoyment of its ordi- 
 nances and priv.h^ge'j, 
 
 4. " No doctrine," says Pengilly, '< can bo more danger- 
 ous (because calculated to bo fatally delusive,) than this, 
 *' That becaiisn persona are bofn of pimis paretifx, they ^"Q 
 thcreforo under some peculiar Bpiritual and advantageous 
 
 A \ 
 
A 
 
 diHll.iction, on account of winch they are entithid to sacred 
 piivilogcs, !ind do not need equally with others, the samu 
 conveiting grace and mercy, and the same atonin^'Siicrifice." 
 Now no such doctrine as that embodied in the latter part 
 of tliis objection is held by us. We believe that thechildieii 
 of pious parents do " need the same converting grace and 
 mercy, and. the same atoning sacriiiee," as others. But are 
 there therefore no peimliar spiritual advantages ccnuected 
 with having pioiis parents ? Surely there is sue', i thing 
 as befjng " beloved for the fathers' sakes." Ro. xi-. 28. 
 And God threatens to pour out hjo fury upon the families 
 that call nolt upon his name, while he will bless those who 
 keep his coveHant. It is no small privilege to be the child- 
 ren of parents who have given themselves and their offspring 
 ■to God. Such have a pobilion of eminent distinction. .Their 
 pai«6nts have laid hold of the " everlasting covenant," and 
 yehovah is solemnly pledged to be a God to them and their 
 •Cliildren after them, which includes among other blessings 
 that he will'arrange his providence to bring about their con- 
 version and usefulnCis, and that he will pour out his spirit 
 fur their regeneration and sanctification. 
 
 5. If it be asked. Why then are not all baptized children 
 *.ruly converted ? I answer: 
 
 , 1. Many biing forward their chllijren in Baptism who are 
 iiot themselves Christians. Even where ministers require 
 evidence of vital piety prior to infant baptism, — as all we 
 think ought to do, — many who are not truly converted, 
 bei!:g niembei's of the church, will, of course observe its 
 ordinances. 
 
 2. It is to be feared that few real Christians have a cor- 
 rect view of what is i"V(,Jved in embracing God's covenant 
 for themselves and. their children. Tliey do not realii ■ 
 
 " How large tlie promise, liow "divine 
 To Abraham and hia seed." 
 
 3. The salvation of the children of Christians, is con- 
 ditioned, not only on Divine grace, but also on parcnkd 
 JideUtif. 
 
 2. I argue from the text, and the circumstances u^ider 
 which it WHS spoken, that the baptism of infants is sciiptu- 
 ral. They are cot e.vprcssly excluded from t!io ordinance, 
 
10 
 
 and h;id their exclusion been intentlvd, it would have Iveert 
 coniniaiuled. True, ihey are not oxpresbly included, but 
 the silence of the Saviour is an nrgumont for Infant Bnplism, 
 ■and not against it. For consider ; 
 
 1. Those to whom this commission was givo'rt, were iev^, 
 stronglv r.tliched fo Jfwi.-.fi pracdces. 'J'hey had been accus- 
 fomed to s«.t ■Genin<.s and I lu'ir households circunirised on 
 liien- cmbi Aflng Ju'd-.i^ni. thir had been jewi-li practice for 
 age>', j\ow they a,e rommanded to ^6 forth teaching, and 
 "Pl.'lj'i'ig a lothei- st-al ^inl;l.lr to Ihe formcl- one In nature a;d 
 oeMgn. Had the Saviour said to liis disciples, " Go, teach 
 all nntio 8, circumci'ingthem," &.•., how would Ibfiy haVe 
 \i !de. slood him, and » hat would they have done? The ter^ns 
 ot thcc.mimissiuh put baptism in tiic phice circumcision had 
 ti^Yme.ly occuiied, and as nations include young cliildieri, and 
 t hribt did not prohibit the extension of the rile to ihem, but 
 left the matter jun't as it stood before, they would hutlirally 
 understand that they were to do in baptizing just as had 
 pre\ioin-]y, and up to that lime, been done in circumcis- 
 ing. ^ When a parent embraced Cluistianity, they Would 
 b'iptrae him and his family. 
 
 2. A statute must be repealed as explicitly as it vvasfiisl 
 Jjubhshed. There must be a definite counierniand. But in 
 this case there is none. 
 
 3. The Apostles would not drop such a practice of their 
 own accord, in the absence of a command from Christ to 
 that effect. 
 
 4. Had children been excluded, it is impossible but that 
 some trace of dissalisfaetion would be vi,sible either in the 
 Acts or the Epiitles. We know how tenacious the early 
 Christians were of everything Jewisii. How thev cliing 
 to Ihe ceremonial law I Would there hot have befeu 
 commotio! ., and invidious con)i)arisons between the laW and- 
 the gospel, had children been shut out from baptism ? The 
 New Testament gives us no ncoouiil of any difficulty having 
 taken place, so that we may fairly conclude that 'children 
 were admitted to this ordinance. 
 
 6. The language of Peter on the day of Penticost, so far 
 (rum intim.nting.-irrponl of infant privilege, rather asacris 
 Jts permanence. Acts ii. 38, 3o ; " Tlie piomisc is unto you, 
 
clunsr 
 
 11 
 
 and to your cliildion." How would liis audience under- 
 stand this, but as showing that under the r.ew dispensatiou 
 their children as well fis themselves were to enjoy precious 
 privileges ;— in a word— that the covenant and the promise 
 were unchanged. 
 
 6. There is nothing in the genius of the gospel to ex- 
 clude children. Behold how the Saviour treats them. Mark 
 X. 13-16. Some parents bring young children, (in Luke, 
 " infants,") to Chi ist for his blessing. The disciples repel 
 them, but their Lord encourages their approach. He lakes 
 them up in his arms, lays his hands on them, and blesses 
 them. But it is objected, " he did not baptize them." 
 True. 
 
 1. " Jesus himself did not baptize." See John iv, 2. 
 
 2. It is not unlikely that these children had been bap- 
 tized already. Their parents were evidently believers in 
 Jesus, or they would hardly have brought them to him for 
 a blessing. 
 
 3. Even though these infants were not baptized either by 
 Christ or his disciples, it would be no proof against t!ie 
 point we ar.i contending for, because baptism was not yet- 
 formally ulstjtuted as a standing rite in the Chiislian 
 Church. 
 
 This circumstance is introduced here to show, which it 
 does conclusively, that the Saviour encourajjed the dedica- 
 tory presentation of children to God,— that he manifested 
 his condescending grace by taking them in his arms and 
 blessing them, and that he exhibited the real nature of the 
 gospel disp^ensation, by declaring, •' of sucli is the Kingdom 
 of heaven." To make this latter expression mean, " grown 
 persons of cbijdlike dispositions," is a piiifui evasion of tho 
 argument here furnished. in favour of infant baptism. Our 
 Lord might as well have said, "Suffer lambs or doves to come 
 unto me, for persons of a lamb-like, or dove-like disposition 
 belong to my kingdoui." 
 
 7. " It may not be out of place to refer here to a pas- 
 Riige in Paul's writings, which clearly shows how children 
 R;e to be regarded under the present dispensati'^n. I refer 
 to isL Cor . VI . l-l. An attempt has been made by so.ne 
 to prove that I'uul only asserts here, that these children 
 
12 
 
 vct're h</!liinnte. .But " liuly" means " bet iipail," " dcdi- 
 Ciiled to God," and the moaning here plainly is, that though 
 onl}' cme parent be a Christian, the children are not exclud- 
 ed from the blesiing of the covenant on that account, since 
 tlie unhelievintr partner is " reputed as if sanctified," because 
 of one lk'=li with tlie believer. No otlier interpretation seems 
 so common .sense and natural as this. From this passage 
 ve conclude, that the seal of tlie covenant can only be ap- 
 plied, with propriety, to the children of believers; and fur- 
 jlier, that if only one of the parents boa Chrisiian, that one 
 may claim the. piiviloge. 
 
 3.,i ar^ue tl;e propriety of Infant' Baptism from the in- 
 stances of family baptism recorded in the New TeslamMit. 
 
 1. The casie of.Lydia and her family. Act; xvi. ll, 15. 
 Observe, when the Lord opened her heart, — not the hearts 
 of the. whole family — when she- believed, not when all lier 
 family believed — " she was b iptired and her household," 
 (literally, " family,") and she said, " If ye have judged me 
 to be be faithful," etc. Lydia became a Christian, and for 
 this reason her family were baptized with her. 
 . With regard to this family baptism, it is alleged by our 
 opponents that all wee believers. But this is not stated by 
 the inspired historian. It is a mere conjectuie. There is 
 not a word about the faith of any besides Lydia. Moreover," 
 the very point at issue is assumed in this supposition, that 
 none but those wlio were persoivilly bulievers were ever 
 baptized by tho Apostles. 
 
 It is also said that Lydia's household might have been 
 scrvtmts. But which is more likily, that this "seller of 
 purple" liad a fam ly of childien, or thiit slie had several 
 servaiits ? Besides the ori 'in il word " oikos" here trans- 
 l.ited " houseiiold," ."nbids this supposition. This term 
 })ropeily means "family," and is generally used to denote 
 cliililiea exclusively. Wiion olh(.'r relatives or servanls u.-i 
 well as children, or servants only are-intended, another term 
 •• y//.;-/' is used. Thus, Pliii. iv. 22,- " Cfesar's household" 
 is mentioned. Here the word " oikia" is u-cd pointing out 
 domestics or servants.* No reason cau be given for tho 
 
 * lu !l.e account if the jailer's conversion, wo have the tli»linction I«« 
 
 /., 1 
 
13 
 
 opinion., Unit Lydia's liLtusoliolcl were servants, except tiiat 
 it harmonizes with exclusive adult or be'iiever's baptism. 
 
 Pcngilly says, after various conjectures, " but more satis- 
 factory to the pious reader than tea thousand surmises, the 
 quesliou of the persons of Lydia's household may be answer- 
 ed with the greatest piobability from the last verse of the 
 chapter," Acts .\vi. 40— "when they had seen the breth- 
 ren, they comforted them, and departed.'' 
 . In this opinion there is assumed, without a shadow of 
 proof,, that Lydia either had no children, ar that they were 
 grown-up sons. It is also assumed, w ithout the least proof, 
 that theie were no other cases of conversion at Philippi, 
 except tliose of Lydia and the jailer, with their families.— 
 Pengilly makes bold to affirm that no others were brought 
 to Christ, up to the lime of the release of Paul and Situs; 
 besides those just mentioned. But I would ask, is this at 
 all likely? We are told in the 18th verse,- that "many 
 days " elapsed between Lydia's conversion, and the impri- 
 sonment of Paul and Silas. We know with what rapidity 
 the gospel was then spreading. Is it conceivable that du- 
 ring those " many days," none were led to believe in Christ ? 
 Is Philippi to be made an e.xcoption to the universal success 
 which crowned the preaching of the cross, lest Infant Bap- 
 ^tisra should receive some countenance from what transpired 
 *tliere ? If, as we think, there is good reason for believing 
 that other converts rm-e made in this city, they would na- 
 turally gafJier at the residence of Lydia, on the rdease of 
 Paul and Silas. Lydia's house was liitir lodging-place, and 
 liaving " seen the brethren " there, and " comforted them, 
 they departed."* 
 
 t\. oen these two terms very clearly inarked. In the .31st v., it is said— 
 " thou shih be saved and ihy /(ou«," viz " oikos," family. In the 
 next veis,' wo aie told, " ihsy spake unto hiin the word otthe L.jrd, 
 and to all that were in his house. " oikia," hoiiselioUi. Th. se terms 
 poi resiKiiid very aetrly witti our E>ighsh4eiins " house," uiid " house-, 
 hold." 
 
 • Two iiidividuals of opjKisite sentimenti> discns.sing the Scripture 
 passa^re n:le red to above ; one alHraied that the brethien conilorted 
 Were Lydia'.s hou.-ieh<'W. " How do you prove il ?" asked tiie other. 
 '• I cannot pio\fc it," iie loiiicd ; " but 1 jfuf-w thev wore." '• Btit I 
 (£U(\ii tliey WQJo uot," uuii' his oppoiieiit j •• jud itiy'suctt U as sood at 
 your*." 
 
 o 
 
11 
 
 But oven granting, for the sake of tho aigiimoiit, Pengil- 
 ly's gratuitous assumption, that no others were conv^erted at 
 Philippi, the 4i)th verse can be readily explained Avithout 
 resorting to conjecture. It can easily be shown from the 
 chapter itself, that there w.ere at least two other brethren in 
 company with Paul and Silas. In the 3i d v. we are told that 
 Paul would have Timotheus go forth with him. He had 
 previously secured the compmy of Silas. See ch. xv. 40. 
 And " they," j, e., Paul, Silas, and Timotheus, " wont 
 through the cities," by Mysia to Tioas. At the last-named 
 place, a vision appeared to Paul, in consequence <^f which, 
 " immediately," (here tiie style of the narrative suddenly 
 changes,) " we," I, Luke tli« writer of this book being added 
 to the company, " endeavoured to go into Macedonia," and 
 " WE came with a straight course to Samothracia, the next 
 day to Neapglis, and from thence to Piiiiippi." The plural 
 pronouns, " we " and " m," are used in the rest of the 
 account. When the trouble occu, red, P;iul and Silas wore 
 " caught," their companions escaped, and remained at Ly- 
 dia's house, where all had been lodging, until the release 
 next day. Here, then, are brethren, to be seen and com- 
 forted, without making Lydia a present of a family of grown- 
 up sons, or a housefull of men servants. Timotheus seems 
 to have remained but a short time at Philippi, joining Paul, 
 and Silas at Berea shortly after. — (See next chap.) Luko 
 stayed longer. His departure from Philippi is mentioned, 
 Actsxx; 6. 
 
 Would not the natural conclusion formed by an unpreju- 
 diced reader of this narrative, be simply this, that Lydia had 
 a family of children which was baptized with her when sho 
 professed her faith in Christ? 
 
 2. I adduce the case of the Jailor and his family, recorded 
 in the same chapter. Acts xvi. 33, 34". 
 
 "He, and all his," are said to have been baptized 
 «« straightway." It is said, by our opponents, in this as in 
 the preceding instance, " all the jailor's house believed in 
 fiud." But here also, I ask, where is the proof of it? The 
 expression in 3lth v., " he rejoiced, believing in God with nil 
 his house " is usually quoted as stating the faith of his family. 
 But a mere glance at the original disprove* the assortiou' 
 
 \l 
 
16 
 
 Tlie verb "rejoiced," is tliiid person singular ; the participle 
 " believing," nominative, singular, masculine.; and the 
 Jill rase " with all his house," is, in the original, 'a single 
 word, (" panb'ki,") an adverb qualifying the verb " rejoiced," 
 and signifying "domestically,'* or, "in the midst of his fami- 
 ly." The literal rendering of the passage would be, as every 
 grammarian, whether Greek scholar or no, will at once per- 
 bcive, " Hcj having believed in God, rejoiced in the midsjt 
 bf his family,"* 
 
 3. Paul acknowledges that he baptized the family of 
 Stephana-!.— See I Cor i. : 16. To this instance of family 
 baptism, it is objected (as usual) that they were all adults 
 and believers. The following passage is quoted in support 
 t)f this opinion, 1 Cor. xvi. 16. Here tlie household of 
 Stephanas is commended for "addicting" itself to "the 
 ministry of the saints." To this I answer : 
 
 i. In the first of these passages the original word is 
 •' oikos," (family, children,) and in the second, " oikia," 
 household,, suggesting the idea of relatives or domestics. — 
 These two words are Uh-ed by the sacred writers with great 
 discrimination, as any one may find by consul ing passages 
 ivith a Greek concordance. So tlutt it is most likely, if not 
 absolutely certain, that the "oikos" of Stephanus, is not 
 the same as his "oikia." The first passage records the 
 baptism of his children, and the second the religious activity 
 of his household. 
 
 2. Can no family be hospitable and benevolent, that has 
 young children'in it ? This were a strange assertion, indeed. 
 
 3. The quotation from 1 Cori xvi. 15, has occasioned 
 much difliculty to •commentators; The reference to the 
 household of Stephanas is enclosed in a parenthesis, and 
 reads very awkwardly as it "now stands. Our Baptist 
 
 • Jt is taking cotiiinon readers at a disndvanfage, thus Id notice in 
 argument, a dtfect in our translation. But il any jierson thinks tlie 
 above criticism a mere snhferfuge, let iiini go to some one wlio carl 
 read Greek, and ask whether it be So or ncJt. Sonletnnep jTeople say'^ 
 " I take Scripture just as it t'eads ;" and they will stick to the very 
 letter of the translation, rif^ht or wronjr, when it suits their ciiuse. — 
 Apply this principle lo 2 Cor. .'):|i|.,and yon will make the puiliy 
 rebels lor wlioiii Christ died, jiericclly sinless, and render the jiHSSiigi; 
 absui'd and faUe. 
 
 »<l 
 
r »« 
 
 •16 
 
 friends (many of them at least) suppose that tlvo lious< hold 
 ot Stephanus consisted of active joiing men, lilted lo Uike 
 the lead in Ciiuich aflnirs. But this supposiiioii makes tlie 
 apostle command the whole Church at Corinth, which 
 " came behind in no gift," together with Stephanas, their 
 father, one of the bearers of the epistle, to " svbmit " them- 
 selves to these active and promising young Christians ! It 
 IS most likely that the words here enclosed in a parenthesis, 
 were originally written in the form of a marginal note, or 
 appended to the close of the epistle. Hefer for a moment 
 to the passage in question, and judge whtlher the following 
 be not a natural ano simple renderinof : Commencing at tho 
 10th V. <'Now, if Timotheus come," &c., read to the close 
 ot the 14th V. Then, «' I beseech you, brethren," (omit the 
 parentheticarwords,) " that ye submit yourselves unto such;'' 
 <i.e., ' tt -h as i im tlwm and ApoUos ;] ' and to every one that 
 helpeth with us, and laboureth." Ye know the house of 
 Stephanus," Ac, with the 17th and 18th verses. This pro- 
 posed rendering fiees the passage from all difficulty ; but 
 its adoption is not necessary to our argument, nor will its 
 tejeetion at all weaken it. 
 
 Here, then, are three baptized families, for which God 
 has "^"en thanked that he had preserved sufficieut pioof that 
 Ihey were adults. But what does the supposed proof 
 amount to ? Mere conjecture,— nothing more. 
 
 A few additional observations seem necessarv here. 
 
 1. In ."peaking of the baptism of families, "the inspired 
 writers use precisely the same term which elsewhere in 
 Scripture plainly includes children. Can we separate tho 
 idea of children.— young childretr,— infants, from the phra- 
 ses, " house of Israel," " hoitse of Jacob," " house of Judah," 
 ;■ house oTDavid ? '—See Gen. xlvi. 26, 27. The same term 
 IS used in the New Testament in reference to children, when 
 Baptism is not referred to in connexion with it.— See 1 Tim. 
 iii. 4. — v. 14. I ask, then, whom did the apostles baptize 
 when they tell us they baptized " hou.^es ?" 
 
 2. In usii g "family '* ratlrer than any other word, they 
 avoided ambiguity. BaptiHI tell lis when extracts from 
 early Ecclesiastical History are brought forward, that the 
 Urra «' infant" is very indefinite, being sometimes applied 
 
17 
 
 to tlio«e who Imve come to years of undeistninliner. Thcj 
 say it nifiy desigimte any age from 20 days to 20 years, — 
 One writer enurn'^ratt's ]S terms in various Innffuaj^es, usod 
 for "infant," or ''child," and denies that tiiey necessj^iily 
 mean wliat tliey seem to do. Now, if tiie A|)ostIes iiad 
 said, "we bajtized men, women, and infants," this objection 
 would have been started p^ainst the t-acred nnrralive. But 
 wlien tlicy tell ih the-y bnptized 7nen, women, and their fami- 
 lies, they state w^hat adniits of no (juibble. 
 
 3. The proportion these family baptisms bear to other in- 
 stances of baptism mentioned, is a strong proof i.i favour 
 of Infant Baptism. Three instances liave been named'. 
 But several other families are mentioned in such a way that 
 there can be little or no doubt they were baptized. The 
 family of Cornelius (Acts x.) we know was baptized. The 
 Jamily of Oiispus, (Acts xviii.8) 'believed," and was ofrours** 
 baptized, else what becomes of believer's baptism ? 'iho 
 family of O;iesiphorus is mentioned, 2 Tim. i. 10. Those 
 of Aiislohulus and Narcissus, Rom. xvi. 10, 11, are said lo. 
 be " in the tard.'' Doubtless all these families were baptized 
 either on their own faith, or the faith of their parents. Four 
 of them are dcscrihed as baptized, and the baptism of the 
 other four is clearly implied. Now take 8 families at a 
 hazard any where ; in a given street, or in their pews in a 
 place of worship, and cnlculate cluinces as to their iiaving 
 young children in them. Pengilly says, " there ate thoH- 
 san<,^s, yea millions of families tiiat have no infant children." 
 But our argument does not depend on mere infants at the 
 breast, or in arms, but on young children. Another wrilev 
 ntrainst Infant Baptism has made the astounding discover)-, 
 that there are as many ffimilies without young children as 
 with them. Indeed I Are not these exreptions to the 
 general rule? And were not these exceptions even mora 
 rare in ancient times .than now ? 
 
 But look at the proportion in round figures. The number 
 of persons haptized after (Christ's resurrection, mentioned by 
 name in the book of Acts, is 28. Among these we have 4 
 laptized families, a proportion of one in sevem The whole 
 number of converts named in the New Testament is 55. 
 Out of these we have 8 families ; — a proportion still of one in 
 
18 
 
 [i 
 
 seven. Novv the brii-f memomndrt of Apostolic hhmua 
 given us m the Now Toslatnent, are only a specimen of 
 what was going on constantly. Ilgw many converts may 
 l»e inferred from the whole history in the hook of Acts '' 
 Jenthqusand? Certainly not le.ss. If then, w« say the 
 hMptized lamihes were as one in ten, this gives \i3 1,000 ban- 
 tizc-d lamiiies. How many converts may be inferred from 
 the whole of the New Testament ? One hundred thousand '^ 
 i his 18 not extravagant. Thjs >yoqId give us l,000 baptized 
 
 And yet we are called on to conclude that ajl the families 
 mentioned or implied in the New Testament narrative 
 were adult, or cgnsisted only qf bejievers ; vyith no proof 
 but the opinion of tho opposeri of fcifant «apti.srn — 
 tehali we form this cqnclusion ? Nay, verily ! 
 
 4. " In the records of those churches that Ic-ject Infant 
 J>aptism, and more especially in the account-, transmitted 
 by their missionqnes. there is nothing analogous to the state- 
 nients of the New Testament on thjs subject. Jt has indeed 
 been said, that a minister from America, when in this coun- 
 try, gave oral testimony that some cases hgd occurred in hia 
 e.vperience of baptizing households, where the family con- 
 sisted only of grown-up persons, and had embraced tho 
 gospel nearly about the same tiine. When that minister 
 puts his statement in writing, that tho world may see it, and 
 judge of It, we shall then knqw better the circumstances of 
 the case. But what vve say is, that none of them mako 
 statements, or can mal^e statements like those we find in the 
 New Testament. If a Baptist missionary were to write 
 home, that about the middle of a certain night he had met 
 wuh an individual, who, in coi sequence of something that 
 bad happened, was in great terror ; that he had spoken the * 
 word to him, and to all who were in hi i house ; that the 
 individual then believed, and that he hdd oqptized him, and 
 all his straightway. If another were to \ rite home that he 
 bad been speaking in a certain place to §ome women wl o 
 resorted thither; and that thcsre was a iristress of a house- 
 hold, whose heart the Lord opened ; and that he had bap- 
 tised her and her household, and that he hvhrod her f-^ be 
 fuithlul ; what would be ihe effect 6f such tidings as these 
 
10 
 
 «ent liomi? to the B iptist cliurclies ? It would crea'e instant 
 confusion in tlio ciim|). It would exfite a coainmlion in nil 
 tlioir churches. It, would inSlajUly ho said, these men arc 
 dcsertinj? their principles ; tliey ai'e baptizing holicvois and 
 their children. I have no doubt, that if they could sond homo 
 tidings exactly analogous to what is recorded in the Acts, 
 they would be deserting their principles ; hut it would be to 
 adopt better principles — those of the apostles." 
 
 6. " We find no histance wlialever, of their bap.tizing, or 
 making any reference to baptizing, those whose parentg 
 had been baptized -when they were children, There must 
 have been a hirge number of such living at the time of the 
 New Testament being wiitten. The history of the Acts of 
 the Apostles comprises a space of tl;irty years. And up tq 
 the timp of John's Epistles being written, there was a spacQ 
 pf sixty years, AVhat a vast niimber must there have been, 
 in the cou^e of that lime, of per.sons who were infants at tho 
 time, or after the time, of their parents being baptized ? YeJ 
 you never reixd of any o( these grown-uD cliikiren of believers 
 coming forward to receive biiptism. What is the pUiu in- 
 fereiice from- tliis ? Tljoy must have been baptized when 
 they were young. But take anther view of it. Not only 
 only do we find no record of their being baptized ; but wq 
 find no exhortation addressed to them, iu any one of the 
 Ej)isties, to come forward for baptism. In the Epistles of 
 Paul, of Peter, of James, of John, and of Jude, we find ex- 
 hortations addressed to all classes, to ministers, and private 
 Christians;— to the rich, and to the poor; to masters, an4 
 servants ; to men, and women ;— tq hustjands, and wives ;— , 
 to the married, and to widows; — to parents, and to child- 
 ren ;— to old men, and old women ;— to young men, and 
 young women, Biit we never fuid one word to unbaptize4 
 children of believers, Surely jf there had been such a class 
 in existence, we should have fouiid the apostles writing tq 
 to them, and mghig them to tread in the footsteps of their 
 parents ; antj nof only tp bqlievc, but fo be baptized. Hac} 
 there been any such class in existence at that time ; and 
 had any persons, like our modern Baptists, been living then 
 they would have sent them their tracts ; in which they say, 
 " No one has a Scriptural warrant to expect salvation, if hq 
 
t^te to be bnbtizoc),'' (tliat is, to te dipped) " mnko Imste, 
 
 and dolay nol.' The entire absence of any sucli langiiitfcas 
 tliis from the Epistles, is a proof that there weir no unbnp- 
 tized ciiiidreii of believers in those days, and tbat there 
 were no such persona as our modern Uaptiht.s in existence 
 then." * 
 
 0. I argue that Infant Baptism is Scriptural, because it wm 
 practiced by the primiiive cbuich, imaiediaU-ly after khe 
 days of the Apostles. 
 
 Justin Martyr, born about four yoais after the death of 
 Ijiji the Apostle John, and who wrote when about forty yeara 
 
 '' of iigf, f*ays, "We Jiave not received the carnal, but the 
 
 ppirifual ciicunnoi^ion. And it i.s enjoined upon all persons 
 to receive it in the same way." lie evidi'iitly means'thiit 
 baptism had taken the pbice of circnmcisiun, and like that 
 ancient rite, is to be applied to infants as well as adults. 
 The l^ame writer speaking of members of the cliurch, men- 
 lions some who were " di^^ciplcd to Christ from their in- 
 fancy." There was no Wiiy of d; .cijiliag from infancy ex- 
 cept by baptiam, and we have l\eie an incidental but itilerest- 
 ing comment on the apostolic commission. 
 
 Irenoeus, born about the year 97, a disciple of Poljcarp, 
 who was liimself a disciple of tlie Apostle John ; says, 
 "Christ came to save all who by him are regenerated unto 
 God, infants, and little ones, and children, 'and youths, and 
 older perions." The ancient Fathers, as all admit, used fre - 
 qucntly to express baptism by regeneration, it being the out- 
 ward sign of it. T! as history assures us that infants were 
 baptized, within 80 years of the Ajjosilcs. 
 
 Origen, born 185, ttlls us that, " Infanto also, by the 
 usage of the church are baptized." Now Origen was a man 
 of learning, his ancestors were Christians, he had tra\e]!i'd 
 e.xtensively, and lived so near liie days of the Aposilts, 
 that h« must have been well acqiuiintcd with " the i . ■- ■ ' 
 the church." He adds in another part of his writmgs •' the 
 church has received a tradition from the Apostles, to apply 
 baptism to little children." ]f the word " tradition," be 
 
 Fwim an excellent Sermon on Bafiiim by Rev. J. Law, of Scot- 
 
 t)lS> 
 
ngti igu ns 
 10 unhap- 
 hat tlicre 
 existoiiee 
 
 use it was 
 after »hd 
 
 death of 
 rty years 
 , but tlie 
 I persons 
 [jans'thiit 
 
 like that 
 s adults, 
 cli, men- 
 
 tlieir iii- 
 ancy ex- 
 . iiitereat- 
 
 oljcarp^ 
 11 ; snyri, 
 ted unit> 
 illis, and. 
 used f re - 
 ;tlie out- 
 iiits were 
 
 , by the 
 
 !is a man 
 
 tl'Uv .' C 
 
 t ^^: - < f 
 gs " the 
 to apply 
 ion," b© 
 
 ', of Scot- 
 
 objected to, 'let the followliijjf passagCH Lo read and pondec- 
 ci: 2,i:l Thens ii. ir. ; 2iid Tim. ii. 2. The word simpiv 
 nieiins " onler," '« ;, ; Miction." It is sometimes s:iiJ by our 
 oppon ,1?, in .illu!,.,,.., to this historical tcstiraony, '^you have 
 nutliui^^ but ' •adUion for infant baptism." But wc have an 
 imanswefahj course of aigumeni from Scripture, and tra- 
 ct it. < ^ lo covjirm it. 
 
 iertuljiiui, who lived about tlie same time as Ori<ren, 
 wrote sonM.'irguments against Infant Baptism. He is ihe first 
 opponent of the practice, of whom we have any account. 
 Proni various considerations, he reconi mends the delay of 
 baptism, but he docs not urge against it that it is an un- 
 scriptural and unheard of practice. Now, the fact that ho 
 wrote against it, proves that it was a prevalent practice 
 then. Ihu was within 150 years of tha planting of iho 
 early churches Ly the A pos^Ies. Of course he could not have 
 oposed what was not in existence. But why did he not say 
 " It 18 a noveuy, a thing of yesterdav, something unknown 
 to the Apostles." Couid ho have said thia, it would have 
 settled the question nt once. This one argument would 
 liave proved the battering-ram of destruction to infant bap-, 
 tism. But we have not a word of this sort. And while 
 Tertullian was penning his sophistical reasonings ar/aiu>rt 
 Infant Baptism, his contemporary Oiigcn, ns we have seen, 
 WHS placirrg on record the fact, that it was " a usage of the* 
 church, enjoined by the Apostles." In Teriullian's scruplis 
 against baptizing infants, we have one of the first instances 
 of departure from apostolic, rule which at length thorout-hly 
 corrupted the Christian Church. 
 
 Cyprian, who lived about the same time as the two pre- 
 ■ceding P^Uhers, giv* : us an account of ii council of si.\ty-six 
 bis'iops or nimisters who nut at Carthage to discuss a qucs- 
 uun proposed by one of their number, viz.: " whttlicr an in- 
 fant might be baptized before it was eight days old ?" They 
 deci(!ted that it might. This council met only 153 years 
 after the apostles, and there was no disiiute among thoso 
 assembled, as to the propriety of infant tuptism, the ques- 
 tion being, if, as in circumcision, it should be delayed until 
 the eio'hth dav after birth 
 
 Augustine, who livod ab.ut 300 years after John's death, 
 •tat«e that ..ifnnt b.piism " was not insliluled by any coun- 
 
i ! 
 
 li! 
 
 m 
 Jiii 
 
 
 2ii 
 
 fcil, but nUvnys Imn bt'oii in uhp." Hk adds, that, " he had 
 never leiij or, heard of any Chrislmn, Uutiiolic, cir sectary, 
 who Iield otheiwisi'." 
 
 Peliigius, (nullior of Pclrigiaiiism,) liad a controversy with 
 this sahio v\ngu9tiiie, in wliich lie is tliargrd with virtually 
 denying infant l)ij|)li,sh), llellius meets the charge, " men 
 slander nie as it 1 (ioiiied tlii' sacrament of baptisrii to infants. 
 I i:tver heuiii of uuj/, not even the most impious heretic, 
 V'ho denied bujitism to infants." 
 
 In short, axvdtt'r* who had thoroughly examined tlie his- 
 tory of infant bni)ti»i1f), giVrs the following as lh<5 result of 
 Lis inquiries. 
 
 . ^ •' Fiist. Duiinfj tho Crst 400 yeiirs from the forinatibri bf 
 tiie Christian Church, Terlullian only urged the delay of 
 baptism to infants, and thkt olily in some cases ; and Gregory 
 tinly delayed It, perhaps, to his own children. But neither 
 any society of nil'n, nor atly individual, denied thd lawful- 
 ness of bapiizinj^ inlaiitH. 
 
 , "Secondly. In the next ^00 years, there was hot a sb- 
 ciety, nbi- tin individunl, who eVen pleaded for this delay ; 
 inuch less any who denied the right, or the duty of Infant 
 Bantistn. 
 
 Thirdly. In thh year 1120, ohc sect of the Waldenscs de- 
 tlared against tho bapti.sni of infants ; because they supposed 
 them incapable of salvation ; but the main body of that peo- 
 ple rejected the opinion as hereticalj_and the bfect XVhicli 
 held it soon came tojiolhing.f 
 
 • Dr. Willi, from i^-tiono History of Infunt Baptism, the above cita- 
 lions are given. (Jiir nuplisl^fi ieiiils cannot fflyect to these testimo- 
 nies from the i''iiihei's, tiikeii iVom Dr. Wall's work, for they quote with 
 great salisfaiMion i-oiiie roiict'ssioiiis llie Dr. makes on th« subject 6t 
 hiihiersion, aM<l leler to liitn a»|;»n auihorily not to be dismted. 
 t Pi-ngiliy, ])ng,i 83, speaks n« iliongkall the Wak'.enses rejected In- 
 lant Huptisui, and sceteH tlelij-htcd with the idea that the Bapti.sts rr.ri 
 claim knidred wilh tlioso iitihle spirits who were "the seed of the 
 jirimitive and purer ehnrrh." Hut the fact is, Only a small sect ^the 
 Waldenses, the I'et roll) UNsiaits, followers of Pe(er\ie Briiis, did this. 
 The AViildcnscs usa liody always practised Infant Baptism. "The 
 Kev. Mr. Bint, the mWlerntor fit tlic synodjof the Waldenses, said to 
 Mr. Dwight o( Boston, a few years a^o, " We present our children i^i 
 
 linpiisni, — We brini; 'Hir I'liiUhen to b» brs'itirpH, wp b.".v? n!w»- - 
 
 bapti/.ed our infants, and have nhv,i3,« bajitized them by affusion." 
 Hen " Huimrholt] BaplihU'," |)ii|,'e l('7. 
 
 m 
 
" he had 
 
 r sectary, 
 
 versy -.vith 
 h vhtualJy 
 ge, " men 
 to infants. 
 Mi fieretic, 
 
 sd tlie his- 
 i result of 
 
 rmntibri bf 
 s delay of 
 d Gregory 
 ut neither 
 ha lawTui- 
 
 hbt a sb- 
 his delay ; 
 ' of Infiuit 
 
 denses de- 
 ■ supposed 
 f that peo- 
 ict Which 
 
 above cita- 
 !se testinio- 
 ^ quote with 
 I Biibjecf bt 
 tiled. 
 
 rejected In- 
 kptists rnri 
 seed of Uie 
 ilsect «('the 
 IS, did tills. 
 itn. " Til a 
 ses, said lo 
 childicn i-n 
 ,,,- "1. 
 
 f offu»ion." 
 
 2^ * • 
 
 " FniiiLhly. The next appearance of tliis oninioa was iu 
 the reiir 1;V22." 
 
 I leave these plain ami indisputable testi-n )n!es (o your 
 impartial coiisidoralion, simply observing in the languigeof 
 another, " it appears that Infant Baptism was practised hy 
 the whole Cliurch from the 1st to the IGlh century, with 
 the exception of a few who held that infants were incapibla 
 of salvation, that each generation of Christians received this 
 practice from its predecessor as a divine ordinance, and that 
 the doctrine that adult believers alone are proper subjects 
 of b iptism, is an error of very recent date." 
 
 It is sometimes said Infant Baptism was not " generally 
 practiced fll the end of the second century." Ls not this 
 next to saying " it was aa Apostolic practice ?" How could 
 such a practice have become general, so soon, if it were not 
 Apostolic? During the first two centuries. Oh istians were 
 very much on their guard against heresies and innovations, 
 and if Infant baptism had been attempted to be intioduccd 
 then, as some of its opposers say it was, they would have 
 risen en manse against it. It would certainly have made 
 "_ no small stir." But according to the suppositions of Bap- 
 tists, it must have come, over the whole church, as sleep 
 creeps over a tired and drowsy mm ! 
 
 IL — I will now answor, as briefly as possible, 
 
 THE OBJECTIONS URGED AGAINST IiXFAXT B.^PTiSM. 
 
 Some of these have come up in connexion with the argu- 
 mentfl wliich have been adduced, but there are others that 
 must not be overlooked. 
 
 1. It has been said tlwt our Lord was baptized by John, 
 not when he was an infant, but when he was 30 years of 
 age. «• 
 
 1 _ To this I answer : Our Saviour could not have been 
 baptized by John when an infant; for John was at that time 
 an infant himself, there being only about six months' differ- 
 ence in their ages. 
 
 2. If the period of Christ's baptism rould proTO anything 
 as to. age, it would show that nil should be 50 yea'rs old 
 boiore being baptized. But tlie trut,!) is, that the Saviour's 
 baptism, whatever view we take of it, is no proof against 
 ■Infant Baptism, any more than Abraiimrs being ciicuincised 
 
m 
 
 m 
 
 re,: 
 
 ii 
 
 I: 
 
 - * S4 
 
 con emptuously, ..t,,g Sonnt. ^ ' '"« sometimes sad 
 Rabies!" Now, it is true fft M.T"^'"'^ ^""^ ^P^'^klin^ 
 B'ble m which the word ''uTnl " n " '' '•' P''^^^^^« '" t''« 
 1 ap ism ; but fumiliee wo Ctizor "' .'" '°""«^'^" ^^''J' 
 .tl'at he expressions used iT 'poc hw h' ""'' ''" ''""« '^'^^''^ 
 nfants We have also shoZ / >,,' " ^'"''^T^y include 
 would not have settled tlu oue i 1^ . '"' '"''^^ ^'"'^ "««'l. 
 Baptism would still have been d n,w" ''TP'"'^>' ^^ 1"^'"" 
 «'e our opponents prepured to Jffi m ^ ''''"''^ '^^''^ ^'^'' 
 but what is stated £ bi sioh n so ma„ ''' "r'^-"'" '^ ^ '^"O' 
 I^so. see what MlnWH \t JX^ ''''''^^^^^^ 
 Pomts, by inference; for ^xamnl/t ^"^ ^"'^ °» «^""y 
 commanded to kee^ ,1 « tirsTL If T '^"'^'^'^''"^^ ^•^P'-^^^^I^ 
 b Uh-the duty is derived bv 1 i. ' r ' ""''^ ^^ *''« Sab- 
 are nowhere stated X ,jil Yr"-'- ^ff'"'"' «'omea 
 I^ord's Supper; part^Us ar^ n . '°'''^" to observe the 
 V^'' ^^''-'irVhild e^ toZ^h M ■' r"''"''"^^'^ *« P'«>" 
 f'erefore. not duti^^ ? Tfo „ h' "l '"r^" ^'<^ ^''-^e. 
 ^npl'cd in Scripture, or 1 "inS 'f '''''' •'' I'^''''''^' 
 ^"'•ely, our " posiiive-proo bj^ ^. '^-'^ J'°'" "'. ^^ ^«'//-^ 
 to comj>Iain of fair do luction a.ri r '""^ "nconsistont 
 
 well asou.sdves, ..o p i'^T ! 7'^^ •''"^" ^'''^y- "» 
 tlie ca.es ju.t mentioned .. ^^ :?'' *'"'^' "o"- o^'b' i« 
 
 ■ -p'--^^ionom;;S' wTi!.^""''-^'^^^;"''" F-- 
 
 eerta.nlv most offonsive pocidiaraii T """'' f^'^' ^"^^ 
 '"*«'.-th<.y act from infSe a one ~nrr '^''' '"'"'"- 
 warrant fiom Scripture foi thl !l -i " ^]' ''^''^ "'^ '"'^P' ^'"S 
 tico. Thov also d.Se , lo ,• n • ^^ ^"^ f '^ ''P"'^'^^ P'"'^^- 
 f.-on. mere-inferenc as v s I "." "n '^^' '""'^' °^ ^^p' '^'"' 
 3. It is obiecf,.,^ , . r • . ""^^ ^''"^ even n<j. 
 
 ti^« <.'>em. Our op "Im'd ;',?''' ,'^ '^ T' ''^^'' '' ^ap- 
 
 »;S<^, that inthel^^c Te,tnm t T!-""''^''P"J"'- '^''''/ 
 nlways ^o to.retiK-r • (1m« i ' ^^'"-'^''"y and baptizing 
 
 -cain„„easc;/'S;:;:t^^rS-ltheo,.i. 
 
 ■ •- "• ■' -liO wurJs, 
 
'ijfiintdesceiulanu 
 
 pommancl in Sci-Ip- 
 Jtis sometimes said 
 and for sprinkling 
 no passage in the 
 s m connexion with 
 id we have shown 
 necessarily include 
 is word been used, 
 
 propriety of Infant 
 I would here ask," 
 nothing is a diity[ 
 31'ds in Scripture ? 
 ir duty on many 
 lowhere expressly 
 *eek as tlie Sab- 
 '• Again, women 
 >n to obser\'e the 
 imandcd to pray 
 ead. Are tliese, 
 Uever is plainly 
 m it, is dut;/.— 
 very inconsistent 
 , when they, as 
 this, not Oiily in 
 eii" iuading piji,, 
 ost striking, and 
 an close commti- 
 have no express 
 repulsive prac- 
 ode of Baptisnj, 
 in ing, 
 
 1 Biipfism, and 
 >t right to bap- 
 is point. They 
 and baptizing 
 , and the m<:n- 
 >n of tlie ordi- 
 ^n the words, 
 
 25 
 
 ''repent "and " believe," coming before ' be baptised "_ 
 Applying tins principle, viz., that what the Bibl? mentioTs 
 first, must always come first, John 3: 5.. " Except Tma be 
 born water and of the Spirit." would show thlt iH^erv 
 case. Baptism must precede Regeneration ^ 
 
 liut we hold to. and practice " believer's baptism " as 
 m.ucn as our Baptist friends. We believe that no aduU 
 
 ^^I'if in C ^is '' w'b r^^P\^'-r bo credible tiS^en'ce" 
 tairh in Lhiist. We believe also, that none but the children 
 of .Sieving parents have a Scriptural right to BapUsm So 
 
 Bat If mfants may not be baptized because they cannot 
 bdieve for themselves, a person might, by the same so?t of 
 r^soning. show conclusively, that they^cannot be saved 
 Jo. evmple; faith is essential to salvation- infants are 
 jnc^ipahle of faith : therefore, infants cannot be saved tZ 
 IS Baptist log>c exactly. Is it not plain, that in these pat a- 
 ge.. faith IS required of those who a;e capable oHt^pro 
 al.ke to salvation and to baptism ; while nothing t affiled 
 of he rest And if infants may be saved, though in" apXle 
 ol faith, why.may they not be baptized ? ° incapable 
 
 J ust apply the sort of reasoning resorted to on this subject 
 
 ^ 'less. 3.10 Here it is commanded, that " if anv wou'd 
 
 bccuise they cannot work? U it not evident that such a 
 mode of reasoning will not bear examination ? 
 
 *. It IS further objected, that baptism is that of which 
 intants are incapable. " Baptism is the fulfillinr. of H^ht 
 eousness: but infants can neither commit sin'iwr fulfil 
 righteousness. It is the answer of a good n^nscW but it 
 
 T. TdT""- "7 \ ^''' "-^^ ^ bad conscirc:.- 'l" im- 
 plies, and IS a sign of. dying unto sin. and living unto God- 
 but mfan s can neither die unto sin, nor live unfo Qod It 
 « a bpil with Christ, and a rising with him thrauch ait r 
 bu tiafan ts can neaher be bunod no? riseNvith Christ ough 
 faith. J IS a profession of discipleship to Christ.-a put- 
 ting on of Christ : but infants cannot put on ChS." sCh 
 
 y mean, 
 is 
 
 13 
 
 the account which.Eaptist. n-lue .f. i ;f ♦!- — 
 
 their words seem to imnlv. ) (t,.,« n.-, .,.. .•', 
 
 to imply,; that the external lite 
 
 13 
 
''li I! 
 
 III J! 
 
 20 
 
 things. and\.ssurer.u;se wlioTr *? ?m '.'"'^'<^^'" ^^ ''"-^^« 
 t»Il have all these o ssint f, '■'''t^'^!:'^^'^"^ ^hat ^hey 
 chiidren have thisemb rg'-i^Jl^^'/.f l^' -1^7 rn.y no[ 
 eel on them ? ^ "S^ ol blessedness bestow- 
 
 Willi undeJSLdin^tut^wKt'lr-r^rL''- ^' P^^'^onned 
 J-'-^ve of its being ban ized f "^'^'^'^^'^"^'"g «"" ^ child 
 thaterery diUv shoidd h. r ^T' '^ '« qi»'e true 
 But the iifant il no^ erfoLl' ''T'^ ""'' understanding; 
 of an infant's duty „^ blr^al L^",^ "w"" ""'^^^ '^"« 
 parent's duty, who^ring "tis ch jl h. IT' '^'f' °^ ^''^ 
 ought to perform , wiuTun'e^Undfn^ ''''''' ' ''' '^ 
 
 a vo,un^.^'Si^" r^^J;:; ^f ^^ -^ ^ P--a, and 
 one must stand or Ml fnr T ^r"^^' ^""^ ^''''^^'<''- Eve' 7 
 force in religion. Eve y o„e 'l^u'^','"' '^'" '"''^^ ^^ - 
 act with his Swn free-S >n LTc^. f""? ^"'' '^''"^•^^^' ^"-"^ 
 true that religion is a pe son fl , „ ' ?'?"' ^"^^' '' '« 
 answer for another. Ir^ the" efo .r ""^ "''' "^ """^ '^^"^ 
 nioryofgodfothcrsand Jodnol.r .' '■V"°""'^<^ the nium- 
 Hnd making promises TnirLt^ '"f^"'- 
 
 Hnd irrational But this s nofw ' . "'^'^'l^' ""scriptural 
 to do. when he present hs ch Id k^ P"'""*^ '^ ^""^^ on 
 ses nothing for his c I d • K ' '"'^P^'*™- ^1° Promi- 
 
 ;;:-b,e de^endet tli :yS;^?J^-^^r^i--lf, ia 
 "13 child for God Tl,« ,.:^ ^ ' ^ "® "'dl bring ud 
 heart to give u^'his child t" G^d'^nnd ^"^^^^---th hi? 
 "8 depends on l)im, his ch"ld ^11 h T^''' ^'^"^ '"^^ ^^'^ 
 ^^nd who is there ^n ilod . o ^ "" '^''"'P^^ ""^ Christ. ' 
 
 such rosohuions;'a.:3':'omi g^X IT:' ''' '"'"'"^' 
 
 -rt;^^Sd^'^h;t^^^;^'"" f'^y sr ^,i 
 
 had said.SpeS ^'t^X-T^'^''''''' '' ^'^^ ^^ 
 andttvolunarv thin^ n J v ^ ' "^''''S'on is a personal 
 
 thing about yXr house Ui' -0^^?" ^'^"^ ^^'"'^^'' -^ "o! • 
 grandchildren, are all I'i' ^'"' ^^y-yo^r child^-ei, ov 
 
27 
 
 the Lord, and snid of lier new-born infant,— "lie shall bo 
 ent unto the Lord,— i:s long as he liveth, he shall be lent un- 
 to the Lord, —would it have been proper to say to her 
 th:it she was was all wrong ;— that religion was a personal, 
 and a voluntary thing,-that she ought not to have dedica- 
 ted her duld to God, but to wait till the child could choose 
 lor himself ? * Or, when we see parents at tho present dav. 
 with their family around them, worshipping God,— the lit 
 • tie children with serious aspect, and sweet voices, joining 
 as they can ; who would come in among them, and say, put 
 away these children ? Why do you call them to such an 
 exercise as this ? Religion is a personal, and voluntary 
 thmg. Wait till your children can judge for themselves, 
 whether they ought to worship God or not ; and then in- 
 vite them to join with you. Would not a pious parent be 
 right in saying, O do not separate between me and mv 
 children. ^ Let us all go together, and all wear the badg« 
 of Christ 8 discipleship. 1 account it a great privilege to 
 have had from my earliest dnys, the token of a discipro 
 ?. iven to me ; and because religion is with me a pergonal 
 thing, and the choice of my heart, I seek to have the same 
 token for my child. If he shall be removed from me ia 
 his infancy, I trust it will be to go to the company of the 
 disciples in a better world ; and if he shall be spared, I 
 will try to bring him up for God, and trust that, ere lon-r, 
 lie will shew that religion is in his own heart. "f " 
 
 1. The alleged evil consequences of baptizing infants, arc 
 urged against our practico. A tract entitled, "The evil 
 consequences of substituting infant sprinkling for believer's 
 baptism, is now being actively circulated bv tho Baptists. 
 Ihistract asserts that Infant Baptism " is a part and pillar 
 
 " xWfcthl ^'f ^'^^"' '^'«?,- "'-' '« comnactKicd by Go-l himself, thus : 
 «fLrH^ »i %^ '"^ Win<:o«u««nd his children, and hi. honsehold 
 auer mm, Pic. Looh, too, at an opposite case, that of Eli. He is 
 stricken with sore affliction and .udden death f;r not using parental 
 n eC^f, ,'^"' ""'honty aright. Assuredly, a parent is bound to use aU 
 d.lttr, "'""°""^''°'" ll'e.r earliest childhood to make his children 
 christians Does this inlcrfere Willi their future voluntariness ? I» 
 this an infrmpMnont of their personal liberty ? Ought we not to usa 
 every fond alhireiTient. npd everv atron- •■••4rrr.ant ;., "';""''" "f° 
 their salvniio., 1 ' ' T^. ■" ."("ement m Our power, for 
 
 their *alvatio;i 1 
 
 t Law's Ser. 
 
28 
 
 n ■} 
 
 ;^:n''::^-tSrS:=-'^-u..«r 
 
 ^f the.c/oss, &c., are m^'Z t'l^f!' ^P— ' 
 
 liili iii 
 
 lorm soevti ,,, ,a pracusod," "Oil <!r.;<.i-. • ' — "* """? 
 the s:g.i ofthe.cross, &c., are mero Z • ' 'T'"'"'' 'P°"«o^s, 
 leaves and branches of a IJ lietaiis— they arc but the 
 
 cut off. but .0 llrn" as the KTsTi '?' '.-^'^'^ ™'^>' ^« «'» 
 untouched, it .viut-ontinuV^V ^^''»"ding. and its roots 
 
 Ti,o above ext acTs aro f ^[''^ d'^s«I<''tion and death." 
 Jract; the romai cTe i^dev^r,*'" ^^ Part of the 
 
 following evil conscq reneci ;?!„. n^f 'r''''°" "^ '^'' ^"'^ 
 teaches men to disobey God "S v^'T' " ^'^^'' I* 
 Gospel." It seems iSlyntessSri' ' ^'^-"P'« ^^'^ 
 barefaced assertions: they 3ain H, ^ ^ ^'^ ?'"'''' ""'^l^ 
 would only say tint vvp w T *''''"" '^'^^ refutation. I 
 the seycrosVrepVeh nsb^ S^B^f 'f p^'^^*'^' '^'•''^■-«" -'» 
 the most determin.,1 o;;"osiLon^toT ""'^ '» 
 
 <« .^V. ..«7 m.«.vr« . r ';,' 2-f '%?^-'"^-ffe proof 
 views and in the mamm-lrTf7l'^ ordinance with the 
 aftd grievous wro^fr o maH ^t '"I '''"''"'^- ^' '« « g^^s^ 
 .vith liorro;. f,om ?h" Set o R ?' ''fP^^'^^^^ '-^"^ «l"'»k 
 sponsible .or the misch e?it h fsT''"''' Regeneration, re- 
 As well might we ch r^l f J ? ^?^^' ^?^ '« ^'iU doing— 
 ing from Camplellt °L m.^"P''.''^ ^'"^ ^l^^ «^"« ^^fuU. 
 doctrine of atteme,; I'deeS'T ,^^ -» -'S'^t the 
 pervert it to their ruin A= ^ . ' ?^''^"'*' Universalists 
 
 God;-.whether what Is t:;,rsa 51;'? ™" *^''^°^^^ 
 such tendency, W^ew. f,lT^ ^ ^ morning has any 
 
 would ask, ii'Ctismth^gop7rfrr"°^'"^^^P^^'^ 
 pure a gospel as the BaptiS? L "" T' P'"^'"^^'^ «« 
 dwelling more on an oSa d HteSn i^' "'^ "'' "f'^" 
 tively to the tro^pel sciieml. -L n t .''' ""poftance rela- 
 
 tree of Infant Cttm\ il?' '"^' "^^'''^ ^'^^ ^^'^dly upas 
 
 greatest care, as much ^liSin. ?1- ""'"'"'■^'^ ^^'''^ ^he, 
 
 vigour, as th^se wlTlfw Id^uT U i'^ t^^ 'f '^^ 
 8 It is sni,! ♦-^ K """'.'I pull It up by the roots ? 
 
 thisti le is bin' put "1TT\ ^"'^"'•^^ *'-^' '-v-g 
 
 attempt 'to ptl^Sf ^r t tu wliK" ''^"' ^''^ ^ '^ 
 a 8'gnal failure. IWards fh7 7 c '' '^'^'n'^cnces. is 
 
 - ..i>,r.jon, a "gross conu|)tioH of a 
 
29 
 
 christian ordinance," "popery," &c., wo are presented with 
 the follownig specimen of christian charity. '< As to a S 
 caUon, tns notion is tacked to it, to make ti,e otl>er 'o dowr 
 «s the H.rm.ngham men make shillings, by wl,i in. oveTa 
 piece of base metal. In the midst of their abunda.Up'ev 
 they would be shocked at such a corruption of u hSi 
 o.dinance, if .t were not varnished over iith the san thy f 
 a dechcatwn/ This is the garb which is made to hide tlo 
 
 ^i tJr;: It'ofT'" '"^«"^'-"\"d to save the conscL a 
 h-ora tlie Rud of havmg corrupted a Divine institution."— 
 So then Rodobaptists are a despicable gano- of Sious 
 coiuuerfeuers ! Such assertions reflect no credi Jn t1 o"e 
 
 ctulaTo„''Tre'v°J T^'?," *'*^" ""^ ^"^''"^ ^''^ i"to 
 circulation, ihey weaken the cause they are intended to 
 
 support; and though they may pass current wkh sor^o' 
 little minds, t unking men will be disgusted at them We 
 ask to be met ma dignified, courteous^manaer. Sh does 
 not need the help of any thing low and mean., PH, ciples 
 that re-iuirp such modes of advocacy, will ere lone Je for- 
 saken by all the wise and good. «= 'wiio oe lor- 
 9. "The variations of Infant Baptism "are ur^red arrnin.^ 
 «ie practice. . This is tlxe title of another tr^c t by m f n o 
 which Baptists are endeavouring to enlighten the Tblb 
 
 the differences of opinion on some minor poin s whinh nr« ' 
 vail among Po^dobaptists. But this is a .^^poi: dttfu l" 
 live to the Baptists as t is to us " Tha^r »/ • .^^","° 
 houses should not throw iTes." H ;rny;VHafio^ 
 prevail among th.m, as to the nature of J()hn's llanf sm th« 
 vahd.ty of some of ti.e- arguments brough L-war5 to su 
 port ' believer's immersion ;" and especially, how are the v 
 racked and torn asun'ler bv diffpiPn,.^ ^n'uw .ue mcy 
 
 Communion question! kaixe a no'itiii TTT '" ''" 
 tlip siihippt r.f '1,^,; '^^"'I'L^O ^ positioii is taken upon, 
 the sut)jcct ijaptism, by some of their writers but it i« 
 denied by others. Is it consistent for ^Uo employ an 
 argument such as this ? If it proves any thing aTafnst o«^ 
 cause. ,t proves just as much against (heirs. UisZTtheZ 
 
 are d.versuies ot opinion amoni Pa^dobaptists bit Xfimv 
 hold and strongly contend for the scnnL.y^L Z^iSl 
 
 ^. infant Baptism. Besides, on many ^n;po.-t;:nt"a. d ? t"^ 
 
i 
 
 11 
 
 30 
 
 Ubc can derive no good from fc;^.'''!^^;;-:^'?" 
 lily meant that, at tho t!m<. r,f Wo „ i • • ")^.""s " '» pruha - 
 
 "o'^im^ediate benefi a eXct ButTt iff'^"'/^ '""'^"'^^^ 
 suppose that the onlv ,-« nf ^i • v " ^ ^'eat mistake to 
 
 experience of Mr N * uo S the't.wTr"'"''^'' .^'^«^ ^'^^ 
 the Churrh ^f v ^ y ^""^ '^^ '"s secess on from 
 
 Md tl e"dtn.a of'StmiLr jftbered among those .i" 
 other communions, where the ordinance is^obso.'ved i /^ 
 ™=^he parent,, if el,ri»Ua„,, U do tbo ^reiru^'s o,; 
 
 entitle him to the esteem of aTS^ Thoth''"" ° ^l^'"=><=ter, 
 • he principles he has recently esmTwT ,V'°"S/i. opposing some of 
 from a high sense of duty Ik ha^fSiL^K'^*' ''™ ^ '"'^•^ a'^'ed 
 o/ no independent, large^e^i'^SS1,;^^Sn^y ^:;Jt^:r «" 
 
Tdke, for in- 
 itioned. Dif- 
 ctent, must it 
 h or practice, 
 Ij the rubbish 
 rd the gold. 
 
 iincoiisciou» 
 is it is pruba- 
 . It produces 
 't mistaiie to 
 
 the moment- 
 e», that "a 
 n individual, 
 cradle when 
 lised at the 
 
 Noel's new 
 'ver derived 
 e churches, 
 ■d that the 
 ession from 
 
 those who 
 i sponsors, 
 
 • wonder he 
 surpribing 
 
 . and silly 
 !i-. But iu 
 Pived in a 
 that they 
 y children 
 n. tiiat in 
 I Baptism. 
 g-ood ; be- 
 thiijo-s on 
 
 W. Noel,) 
 His ardent 
 
 • character, 
 >ig some of 
 have acted 
 itiid esleem 
 Baptibt. 
 
 31 
 
 behalf of their children that they promise to do in hnptlzinff 
 them, withonl uttendinjf to this ordinance. So I mi-ht sa\^ 
 with equal truth, adult baptism does no good whate^ver, fo'r 
 the same reason. But is Mr. N., or any one else, authoiVzed 
 thus to sit ill judii;ment upon Divine institutions ? 
 
 11. Finally, it is sometimes asked, " What is there accept- 
 able to God, in the sprinkling of u screaming infant ?" To 
 this I answer : 
 
 1. Nothing, any more than there is in the immersion of' 
 a struggling, gasping, or fainting adult. 
 
 2. Scieaming, struggling, gasping, and fainting, form no 
 part of the ordinance. 
 
 3. The baptism of an infant, despite its screams, (when 
 these occur,) is doubtless as acceptable to God, as the cir- 
 cunicision of an infant ever was. 
 
 4. What is there accepiable to God in this contemptuous 
 way of speaking ? Paedobaptists are conscientious ; thoy 
 are satistiud that it is scriptural to baptize their children.—- 
 Thoy, therefore, do not merit contempt, though they often 
 get it. Many of you will not soon forget the' tone of ridi- 
 cule in wiiich the venerable l>r. McClay talked about " baby 
 spriiiklii g." in the public services he held in this town not 
 long .since; It is not uncommon for Baptists to show thig 
 feeling by hurrying out of places of worship where they at- 
 tend as occasional hearers, when they behold preparations 
 for Infant Baptism. All this is wrong : we ought to respect 
 and honour tlie honest convictions of others, even if we can- 
 not agree with thei«. 
 
 I close with two remarks. • 
 
 1. If Infiint Baptism be scriptural, persons ourrht to be- 
 ware how they renounce it. We say to all, pause, '• search 
 the scriptures," wel(/h the matter thoroughly and independ- 
 E.vTLr, ere you do this. Let me urge this upon christian 
 parents.* Beware lest you reject a Divine institution. 
 
 * I address Chrhtian parents thus, because unconverted parent, 
 have anollier duly to pcrf,jrni, prior to their own Baptism, or tllo Ba,> 
 t>sm ot their ihildren. And here I must express my sor,ow, that L 
 muny Pajlobapt.sl ministers w.th an ill-judjred and unscriptural libe- 
 rulity, baptize the children ol all applicants, irresivrtive r.Fiheir ix-li 
 gjous character. How can tho.se ambrace God's covenant for their 
 
32 
 
 2. Lot those who worn baptised in thoir infnnoy, rpniem- 
 bor that m this oi.linance, their parents solemnly gnve thorn 
 I ' ■ r , - ''' "''*' <;f^"-'^f c'iiti(in as your own ; confirm 
 uliaf. t hoy di, l.y makin^r it your own act. " Yield yourselves 
 to Crod. Witliuut this, no outward form, whetlier obs.-r- od 
 in infancy or maturor aye, will do you any jvood. " Ve 
 mum lie Lorn or/ain."* ^^ * 
 
 
 1.1 I ■ 
 
 cl ,i en wl,o have never yet covenanted with him on tluMr own bo- 
 cl i iL ,r'' ?" " «""^^-!'''y '••^P'*'** If'*-"- eanifst wish lluit llu'lr 
 o ■ oe,"^,?,. ^';f "•-:'■'•"«'' '^"'^ «^?'"' ^vhontl.ey.loMoKeel their 
 SI iV < r "'ese blessm-s, but are showing their Inditierenoe on the 
 SI .jecl of ixMsonal religion, by negiectinn; the " ?rea» sulvution ?"-- 
 d MrnnV r '"/'.'" accept a pro ,)i,se that they will train u;, their 
 ' V ho , " • 1 ' 1"""- ''^"^^^ "I'o "'^« "° '"m'ly 'illar, who are living 
 ill one. ^«'j"'^' ^"li"."t l'"P« '» tlie worUl," an,l whose whole in- 
 re'l w,,""; ''^ f' °^f' " "r' ,^'>f»" ^ } '^""^v it is olien .said, " to 
 rLiuse w II give offence." This however is not certain to occur. We 
 
 ^iof^nf ' "f^' fO"''f""«Iy. resiocctliilly, and with .such expre.s- 
 son., of concern tor the .salvation of such parents and their off.n -in-, 
 ami solemn coun«.ls on the .subject, as shall increa,se rather Ihun les- 
 
 diUL go.xl. But, ,1 01 herwise, duty Is ours ; resull s are God'i^. 
 m , "f "fi f "l«l"«'-^e lor the niragre. skeleton-like lorm of some 
 pa t.s ol the loregoin- discourse. It took an hou. and a half in the 
 delivery, and I speak rapidly, so that a gr.. deal of condensation 
 oocame necessary m preparn,g it lor the press. I may also add that 
 
 ohm' h",!'""■'.'"'^ '•""?' J!rf ''''"^'''' '° "'^ argument, such as the 
 ohuich-n.r_mber.shipol children, &c. have been purjiosely omitted, for 
 ine sake ol brevity. • t j > ' 
 
 m 'U { 
 
f gnvc tlu'iu 
 
 Sermon Sccoiib. 
 
 IMMERSION KOT THE SCRIPTITEE MODE 
 
 OK D A 1' T I S M . 
 
 FiioM tins lanjrnngc, many i„,|iv I, conclml,- ll.al tho 
 
 «:;•, cl ^'^"°'""'-'"-»«-" This statement, however, .sh 
 
 It i3 well known that many of those who adminis er bin 
 t.sm by pounng or sprinkling, are ready to admit irttho 
 Apostc he mode, at least in some instances, 'v. s by a -o . 
 p ete plungmg or .mmersion, hut, from holding L^mod o 
 be of secondary m.portance, and from motives of conveni- 
 ence prudence and comfort, tliey adopt affusion But 
 whatever may be said of the candJar of these pa Ss thev 
 are not to be extolled for their learning, info^tYonor 
 patient research on this subject. A Cursory 'k^ce a 'tiw 
 inspn-ed narrative may lead to the ■„nn.., . ; ^l,\^,^^ ,V'^' 
 ■nuch and others were^lul^V nd "T^ttrbut a^^" ^'m 
 
 »..j wi„ „„t foil to »„„,v m;.»i?o;i„"L :f"v «^i; ^i;- 
 
 But, be ,1 remombcreJ, ll„,t I ask dear „ J ' T htlfvh^ 
 aJvoo. c tim modo, lay groat stress o,/ ■' LuJ.°^,l^" 
 nnd .III be .„l,.,M win, „„tl,i„j, ,,,5. Tl,is"'a|o„o „ ™'il 
 t. couv„,cc me that ll,o A,»,,ks ,,l„„gea the ' ™ve n 
 
34 
 
 PI 
 
 V li 
 
 l( the wliole question be, which of tioo inferences is most 
 yrohdble, after looking af Scripture statements, " positive 
 proof" ground is forsaken. 
 
 How, then, docs it appear that Philip baptized the cu- 
 nucli ? I answer by pouring or sprinkling, for the follow- 
 ing rensons : 
 
 I. Their both going down into the water is no proof of 
 immersion having taken place, nrtr is their both coming up 
 out of It, proof of this. For if tliis proves the immerbiion 
 of either, it proves the immersion of both, since both are in- 
 'cluded in the description. Rut it may be asked, why should 
 they go iiilo the water at all ? I reply, we have no 
 evidence that they did. We are not told that either of than, 
 wet the sole of his foot. No one is authorized to gather this 
 from the Greek prepositions rendered " into," and " out of." 
 Tiic whole weight of this argument for the eunuch's being 
 dipped, is laid on two little words, which are certainly in- 
 nocent of saying that Philip plunged his convert, or even im- 
 plying that he did so. " Eis," translated " into," is said by 
 Schleusuer, in his celebrated Lexicon of the Greek Testa- 
 ment, to have 26 different meanings, and " eek," translated 
 " out of," 24. . The translators of the New Testament have 
 rendered the first by 36 difTcrcnt words in various places, and 
 the second by 32. Now we maintain that the preposition, 
 " eis," here translated " into," ought to have been given 
 " to," or " unto," since our translators have thus rendered 
 it in 538 other places ;—n\-\A that "eek," here translated 
 •' out of," ought to be " from," sirce tliey have thus rend- 
 ered it elsewhere no less than 18G times. An instance of 
 each shiill be given. 
 
 In John xi. 38, when Jesus canje, " e's to mnemeion," 
 " to the scpiilchre of Lazarus," we kno\> ne did not enter 
 into it, for Lazarus could not come forth until the stone was 
 removed ;— and in John vi. 23, where it is said, " ships came 
 from Tiberias," " eek Tiberiados,". we do not suppose they 
 biiiled " out of" the midst of the city, but that that was the 
 }.l:!ce from which their voyage commenced. The preposi'- 
 lion " eek," simply means the point from which, and " Eis," 
 the point to which, a movemeut is made. In the case before 
 tis nothing more iei intimated by the sacred histoiian than 
 
 \% 
 
36 
 
 ces is mosi 
 , " positive 
 
 p(l the cu- 
 tbe folic W' 
 
 10 proof of 
 coming up 
 imnioriiiioti 
 oth are in- 
 vhy siiould 
 'e lifivc no 
 \er of them 
 gather this 
 "out of." 
 ich's being 
 irtainly in- 
 Dr evon iirt- 
 is snid by 
 jck Testa- 
 translated 
 ment have 
 places, and 
 reposition, 
 jcen given 
 3 rendered 
 translated 
 bus rend- 
 instance of 
 
 nemeion," 
 not enter 
 stone was 
 ihips came 
 poiie they 
 it was the 
 c prc'posi- 
 id " liis," 
 ase before 
 nian than 
 
 31 
 
 that Philip an>! the eunuch went to the place wliore they 
 saw watur, and that after baptism they both left it. In 
 this and other similar places, we are simply given to under- 
 stand "that they went to the water, were baptized ivit/i liio 
 water, and then returned from the water."* Let it be ob- 
 served that we do not read of persons descending to the 
 water, and ascending from it, except in cases of out-door 
 baptisms. These e.\pressions are natural in such instances, 
 because lunning wuier was always found in channels lower 
 than the adjoining land. But people baptized in cities, 
 houses and villages where running streams are not found, 
 are never said to go down to the water, or come up from it, 
 enough water for baptizing them by aft'usion being always 
 at hand. 
 
 2. It is very improbable that at the spot where this bap- 
 tism took place, there was sufficient water to admit of plung- 
 ing. Let it be remembered, that it was in " the way that 
 g'leth down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which ii desert." Tliey 
 were travelling-over a sandy waste, where water is generally 
 very scarce. Jekcme, who knew the spot well, calls it u 
 small brook, such as we often cross in a common road ; — " a 
 clear proof thiii, in his time, (about 370,) it was not uni- 
 versally believed that the eunuch was dipped." The ex- 
 clamation, " See ! Water !" shows plainly that it was ar- 
 rived at unexpectedly. It was probably a small rivulet,* 
 or fountain, for no lake, river, or stream large enough fur 
 immersion can be found there now, or be proved to have 
 ever existed there. 
 
 3. Besides, (to use the language of another,) " is it likely 
 that this black gentlemen, and he a eunuch, would shift his 
 
 • A frivolous remark is sometimes made with respect to one of these 
 prejiositior s. It is tliis, " if eis does not signify into, then, entering 
 Into heaven is only going to the gate of heaven ; and entering into 
 hell is only going to the gate of hell." But Pcedobaptists never denied 
 that eis sometimes signilies into. All we contend for is, that Bwp- 
 tists cannot prove such to be its precise meaning in this passage, and 
 in other places where baptisms are recorded. No conclusive argu- 
 ment can be based ujKin if. Wliere heaven and hell are spoken of, the 
 connexion, taken with'ot'ier passages, settles the meaning plainly. 
 
 * What are call-l " creeks'* in thiseountrj-, not imfrequpndy have 
 to be dammed up, prior to an immersion, t'< make water enough ht it, 
 
'f 
 
 
 111 I 
 
 I 
 
 36 
 
 clolhes in his o, on onnin.Lro. boforo Philip and his servant. 
 
 f;.,f;n''^^"-'" 'y/'"'" "PPoncnts. it is wrilton, "he bnn- 
 w 1 'iT '• '■•• '^ ''"i ''.':'''' ^'' f''='"^lated, he immersed him.- 
 
 depends on h.^ lran.hiti.,n of the word " baptized," why is 
 so much .aid about tho prepositions, " into," and "out of" 
 and why do our I).p„.t brethren prochnm, as they descend 
 the banks ot some stream, u.ed by them for bantisma 
 purposes " tlu-y w.nt .hnvn both into the water."! a 
 t^iongl, ,t wore do.nunstralion absolute that they weVe7rea3! 
 ing m the very looislej.s of Thilip and the Eunuch ' Now 
 I have already shown that no argument can be founded on 
 he prepos,t,on«, and also that if " going down in"o " anS 
 conung up out ol'." prove thrt one was plunged, hey prove 
 hat both were. «o that the whole argiLen^t n^w turns on 
 the meann^g ot , ,o word ■• baptized." Our Baptist Sds 
 say ,t means to dip plunge, or immerse, and that his s its 
 ou/y mecnunp. his [ do deny, and ^m prepared to d 
 
 ine con o\eisy I Khali proceed to the more formal discus- 
 
 i/y/.,S m : I """'.'•'•■!'"'' "• ""^ ^^'^' Scri^^tt^e mode 
 oj naptMii, and mldncing m Us support: 
 
 .< ,.•.'.''• t" *" '"l'" '* ""^ ^''« '^"'^ 'iieaninff of the verb 
 baptize." I n.od not (HI you how positivelv^he reveri of 
 h;s suae, ent ,h insisted on by our ^pponenl I^kU " m 
 ni.rso i.thosolo moaning of the Greek verb " bantiz "' 
 and that d.pp.ng was tho way in which the eunuch an.f o 1 .'rs 
 were baptized in the Apostolic age ;-theso ire L , 
 "-"; r-li-s of the liaptist edifice. U>e Jin and o.^ of 
 
 Iheie ,s noLhing ,„ this whole di.eiission at which T .,m 
 
 '""'" ^"^""•-'' ^'"^" ti... positive aud dog^ittrm^uil';:; 
 
 • J'cilijiily. 
 
37 
 
 IS servants, 
 ,^ dripping 
 ive against 
 
 "he bnp- 
 ■sedhim."* 
 immersion 
 fi," why is 
 
 " out of," 
 ey descend 
 
 baptismal 
 :r," &c. as 
 i^ere trcad- 
 h ? Now 
 ounded on 
 into," and 
 [hey prove 
 V turns on 
 ist friends 
 
 this is its 
 ?d to dis- 
 hickest of 
 lal discus- 
 ropositioii 
 ture mode 
 
 the vei-b 
 
 reverse of 
 
 hat " im- 
 
 bnptizo ;" 
 
 Hid others 
 
 tlie two 
 
 Bo.az of 
 
 Samson 
 
 iig arms, 
 
 ch I am 
 auiier ia 
 
 whir.li it is asserted that the word " baptize" mrans cnli/ 
 " to dip." I most sincerely affirm that I regard my Bap- 
 tist brethren with unfeigned affection as tlie children of God, 
 and would not willingly drop a single expression indicative 
 of a diflerent feeling, or say a word purposely to give them 
 pain. Yet I must avow the conviction that they assume 
 ground too sweeping, too positive, and too unfair on this 
 point. 
 
 It IS generally admitted, that the primary meaninrr of this 
 tei-m in classic authors, is to plunge or dip, but who that is not 
 a Baptist will venture to affirm that this is its o?iZy meaning ? 
 There is abundant proof that its jnore common signification 
 IS to wank or wet without respect to the mode in Avhich it is 
 performed. This is almost invariably its import when used 
 '^n a religions sense being expressive of cleansing or purifica- 
 tion. Many words are to be found in all languages which 
 are commonly used in a dilfurent sense from the primary one. 
 How absurd would it be to take tlie first meaning to a word 
 in a dictionary, and contend that it has no other? Andrew 
 Fuller, a celebrated Baptist minister, says, " I do not deny 
 that tlie figurative svmo of a term, may, in many cases, be 
 ot equal, and even of s2^p?v'or importance to the literal one." 
 lo take a woi4 from the New Testament, ecchsin, "church." 
 Its literal and primary meaning is a promiscuous asserabiy 
 of any, and every sort of persons. But its common use in 
 the Now 'i'estament, and by religious people, (the Baptists 
 not c.Kcepted), is to denofe a society of Christians, a widely 
 difterent signilication. Many other instances in point miglit 
 bo given. 
 
 That the word " baptize" does not always mean «• im- 
 merse'' or " dip," may be proved .•— 
 
 1. By the following instances in which it occurs, where 
 this rendering cannot possibly be given to it. 
 
 If we turn to Dan. iv. 33 : v. 25, we sball find two 
 passages of this sort. Nebuchadnezzar's body is said to be 
 " wet" m the original '' Lapli-ed,' " with the dew of hea- 
 ven. But how was this done ? Not by plunging, certain- 
 ly. Tho proud monarch was not dipped into a reservoir of 
 dew. It distilled upon liiru. We spoak of iho " deio he, 
 n^niukkd nraaS'''' 
 
m 
 
 II 
 
 
 n 
 
 38 
 
 nof'IJf^^' I'""' ''"'■ ^''" ^^"''' '-^ ^^'^"'^J* the ^vord doos 
 not and cannot mean immersion. 
 
 Two examples have been quoted from the Knorrvnh. 
 wh.ch, though not inspired, is as good 1 Wde, ce d" SecTk 
 usage as any part of the Bihie. Judith (Jud xfv) is s. d to 
 
 tlie camp, at a fount of water. Tins could not have been 
 
 son of Sirach. fEcclus iwitr «>-\ ■, "» s^'iminug. IJie 
 
 W be. Pui^tn^^i^i J: £;^^-2: 
 a dead body calls him '< baptized from the dead." No v If 
 ue look at the law of Moses here referred to, we shaY .'.d 
 tlutsu^h parties were puriHed by .^rinkl^, gee Num 
 
 I-t is said Jst Cor. x. 2, that the Israelites were " all bin 
 uced unto Moses in the clond and in the sea " Alt lou J^; 
 the Israehtes passed through the sea referred to drusko 
 some try to show that there is a distant allusion to fmner' 
 
 iiiem, and the cloud above completed the immersion This 
 
 mo";'.b's:fru r r ^'^'^^ "'""^''"'="'«- ^^-' -« -/t-hin t 
 
 more .ibsu d than to suppose a cu.,e of plun<rin.r o/diuf,in.r 
 
 dentlj they were baptized either by the spray produced bv 
 the strung east uind which divided the watJ,f or bv the 
 t"aT"to ;T.'r •''%^'^:;^'^' ''''' '^- latt'er'occJrrS 
 
a word doas 
 
 ! Apocrypha, 
 ice of Greek 
 i. 7) is said to 
 e camp or by 
 )t have been 
 untain, " epi 
 lin, or spring 
 ed to tliis is 
 in or near a 
 Ived an ex- 
 tain was no 
 with water ;^ 
 ng, general- 
 ili'ig. The 
 person who 
 by touching • 
 ." Now, if 
 e shall lind 
 See Num. 
 
 2 " all bxp- 
 Although 
 
 , dry shod, 
 to imnier. 
 
 A side of 
 
 ion. This 
 
 ny thing be 
 
 >r dipping, 
 
 m? Evi- 
 
 duced by 
 
 ir by the 
 occurred, 
 
 riier does, 
 
 Iter," and 
 
 ce, is not 
 
 vhicli.tho 
 d(.'5ciibocj 
 
 39 
 
 as clothed in a gnrment, — " dipped in blood" says ottr 
 translation, literally " baptized with blood." The connexion 
 excludes the idea of immersion altogether. Christ is described 
 under the figure of a warrior and a conqueror, and the gar- 
 ments of such a personage are not " dipped in blood," but 
 stained or spritilcled with the blood of his enemies, which 
 has spirted from their wnUnds during battle. This is the im- 
 age presented in the parallel passiige in Is. Ixiii. 3, where in 
 the same character, Christ is described as saying, " Their 
 blood shall be sprinkled on my gaiTnents, and I will stain all 
 raj raiment." 
 
 Some. instances, if possible still more Conclusive, might be 
 given from the Greek classics, btit ft single plain proof is 
 sufficient for oUr purpose, and every candid hearer will ac- 
 knowledge that I have produced more than ore, so that the 
 supposed argument from " baptize" always meaning " im- 
 merse," vanishes into thin aif. 
 
 2. The following testimonies go to prove the same point. 
 Dr. Owen, affirms, (Ser. p. 581,) " No one i|fctancc can be 
 given fiom the Scriptures where " bapHzo'' necessarily means 
 to dip or plunf^e. 
 
 Schleusnec, one of the ablest lexicographers, says, " The 
 .vord never signifies to immerse when used by the sacred 
 penriien." 
 
 Dr. Dwightsays, (Theol. p. 831,) " 1 ha\-e examined al» 
 toiost 100 instancies, in which the word " haptizo," and its 
 ■derivatives are used in the New Testament, and four in the 
 Septuagint ; these, so far as I have observed, being all the 
 instances contained in both. By this examination it is to 
 my apprehension evident, that the following things are true : 
 That the primary meaning of these terras is cleansing; 
 the effect, not the mode of washing : 
 
 That the mode is gencnilly referred to incidentally, wher- 
 ever these words are mentioned ; and that this is always the 
 case, wherever the ordinance of baptism is mentioned, and 
 a reference made at the same lime to the mode of administ^ 
 ration. 
 
 That these womb, although often capable of denoting any 
 mode of washing, whether by affunion, spvinkHng or immc-!'- 
 sion, (since cleansing was familial ly accomplished by the 
 Jews in all tliese ways,) yet, in m.iny instances, cannot 
 
if. 
 
 40 
 
 • oxan,i„od .Kl tie'i Ja'arh/Tv^-^K"?*^" it. and careful!^ 
 
 tives occur in tl.e^a .^^ ^^^^r a„dt '' '"'^ '^^•'^'^^=- 
 number of tliose in wl,icli it kT ""^ ^/<^'T considerable 
 «'n free to confess I u^^e VoVL t '" "^'"^''^ ^'"^'>«'-« = I 
 in vvhich it can be s sfno^nn " 'T ^ ''%^'« '"'Stance 
 
 cpnveyingtlK^idea,rhat tSbn •'"'' "' ""^ ^»n,e time, 
 that the body thus subn en-ed Tun? 7 ""'^ ^^''■'"«''*«^' ^^ ^•' 
 f-r as has yet been asceS d' e ulf" "' '''''■'• ^"^ 
 any ancient author in thp Jl J '" '^ ^'"''^'' ^^ed by 
 
 bung this ii^a with us to (l,ir r V, "'^'■<^s«'»y that we 
 
 betWe we of affix to f' it" al'S"^ '^^' ^^'" ''''''^'»'' 
 of immersion." "^ '^' ^' ^^<^"' «ccumng the sense 
 
 been cUed. but for ilie fact th 'if I "'""^'^ ""* ^^^'^^ 
 
 --n-s t. be arrayedl" e oUer side'^TT" ''' ^'.■^^' ■ 
 J^ow. while some are bold enouH n ll ?/,'*"• 'l"««t,on. 
 only to immerse, there are ^W^r n 7 "*«;'feo" means 
 
 affirm the contra ylflS^ to b^r ""'^r'""'"*^.''^ '''^'"' ^^l'« 
 *l'o Baptists are iry ar from 1^!^^ " ^^.g'^'-^^"-™^. 
 general thing, the more I omn t,^ ? ' "'"■"'■•*>'■ ^« ^ 
 the more dogmatical are tie o1 hi nl'';"'%"^''^'-^ ^^''S'"^''* 
 uncommon 1o hear peL s\vj o ^ T'! ', ^"'^^^"^^ '^ '« ""^ 
 Jotter from another and wl.. ?'' ^""*^ «'"'« ^''^^k 
 
 their own r.£\::i:'^.Z.T't'''''^ ""^- ^''^^ 
 
 n:;:ji:t:rh-t^fR^^-^^^^ 
 
 t Lettci to.Rcv. A. Ilrandram, on the Bible ^cicty. . 
 
41 
 
 fy immersion ; 
 
 ne of ibeniost 
 espect to tho 
 almost every 
 
 and carefully 
 lid its deriva- 
 
 considerable 
 •al autliors ; I 
 iiigle instance 
 it signifies a 
 e same time, 
 nnanent, i. e., 
 i more. So 
 'ver used by 
 crfarining an 
 sary tiiat we 
 k' Testament, 
 ng the sense 
 
 ■ were PAgy 
 d not have 
 )n for great 
 e questionk 
 \izo" means 
 
 them, who 
 reat nam^ss, 
 I'ity. As a. 
 he original) 
 ied it is not 
 one Greek 
 
 nor write 
 ,' out their 
 Is relating 
 ance,^ that 
 
 the unfair 
 sonjolirncs 
 
 
 quoteJ. Men who hy no means admit that tho word mnang 
 to dip only, are arrayed along with those who tako this 
 presumptuous ground, as though they ng-recd with them 
 VV hen It IS well known that an anther did not hold a par- 
 ticular sentiment, what can be more unfair than to O'loio 
 him as if ho did? Pm//% for example, whose " fe'erip- 
 tufe Guide to Brfptism," is literally studded with great names 
 in attempting to prove'that " baptise," signifies only " im- 
 rnerse, cites Mr. Ewing, author of an excellent Greek 
 Lexicon, in the following partial mannsr. "Mr. Ewing of 
 Glasgow, " Baptizo," in its primary and radical sense, \ 
 cover imth renter. -It I's used tO denote, 1st, I plun<re or 
 sink completely under water." Compare this garbled ex- 
 tract with the subjoined quotation, taken direct from the 
 Lexicon. " Baptizo,"— In its primary and radical sense, I 
 cover with water or some other fluid, in whRtever manner 
 tins IS done, whether by immersion or afimon, wkolty or 
 . partialb/, jwrmanently, or for a moment, dx." Then follow 
 eight different meanings to the word, all of which are amply 
 sustained by instances from the Scriptures, and from the 
 authors of antKjuity. Many others are treated with equal 
 .unfairness in the wnk referred to, ' . 
 
 ^.-,^jwd\\y, many of the more intelligent and candid Bap- 
 tist writers deny the bold "position lam combatting, and ad- 
 nut that the word ^ja^ several meanings. By .some of -them 
 the correctness oPan a^phabet]cal list'of renderings, amount'" 
 ingtonoless fiian 42, hag been acknowled-Tcd. Luleed 
 th« statement that " baptize" means only to dip, refutes" 
 Itself.* Let any individual apply this only correct transla- • 
 tion wherever the word occurs in the New Testament, and 
 see the absurdity it will make. We need only take the 3id 
 chapter of Matthew as an illustration of this. 
 
 Yet in tiie face of these plain fact?. Dr. Carson, in his cel- 
 ebrated defence of Immer.sion, p. 392, says, " Sprinklinr/- 
 cannot be called baptism with more propriety than sand 
 can^e called water"! And I doubt not some present,, ag, * 
 
 • Carrying out Iheir own principle to its issues, our Baptist friends, 
 onghl to stylo themselves " Irnmer.ers," or ps that is as much a Latin 
 term as "Baptists ' is Greek, in plain old klaxon " Dimwrs." But 
 tliey would t ake the application ot these f eims as an insult. 
 
42 
 
 ■ni-n as myself, recollect tlio strange nsseition of the vener- 
 ahlu Dr.McCky while preaching in this town, a few months 
 ago— "They might as well have rendered * baptizo' to eat 
 roust beef, as to sprinkle." ! ! 
 
 Howgver positively and boldly it may be asserted that 
 the vvoid means to dip only, it is utterly impossible to prove 
 It, The tiuth is, that/rom the word alone, no satisfactory 
 conclusion can be formed as to the Scripture mode of bap- 
 tism. It neither proves definitely, dipping, pouring or 
 Bprinkling. There were words which might have been used 
 by the fcacred wiiters to express with certainty either immer- 
 sion or affusion, but these are avoided, and a term of mora 
 general import chosen, •' Baptize,'' like the words wash, 
 cleanse, purify, js of sufficient latitude to admit of either 
 mode. Christian Baptism is the application of water, as 
 emblematical of purification to a person in the name of the 
 Trinity, the manner of doing so being indeterminate and 
 unexpressed, so far as the word adopted to designate the 
 ordinance is concerned. 
 
 Jf, then, the question cannot be settled by an appeal to 
 
 the word '"baptize," we must look at the circumstances in 
 
 which the ordinance was orijjinally administered, to ascer. 
 
 tain what was the mode practised. I 
 
 This leads me to observe— 
 
 II.— That no case of Baptism recorded in the New Tes- 
 tament can be shown positively to have been by immer- 
 sion. More than this, all the probabilities are against this 
 mode. 
 
 It is plain from the inspired narrative that, as soon a^ 
 people embraced the truth the rite of baptism was perform- 
 ed without delay. Whole families, and even thousands at 
 a time were baptized, without any account beirig given of 
 their having to wait for preliminary arrangement, or go to 
 a distance for a sufficient supply of'water. 
 * It is often argued that the places chosen for baptizing by 
 John the Bc:ptist, prove that his mode must have been dip. 
 ping, because had he practised pouring or sprinkHng, suf. 
 ficient water for such a purpose might have been found any 
 where. He is said to have baptized in Jordan, and it is 
 also mentioned that he selected Enon near to Salim for the 
 same {)urpose, because (here was much water there, 
 
>f the vener- 
 a few moiuhs 
 aptizo' to eat 
 
 ssorted that 
 ibie to PROVK 
 • satisfactory 
 ode of bap- 
 pouilng or 
 te been used 
 itlier immer- 
 rm of more 
 i'orda wash, 
 it of either 
 r water, as 
 arrn if the 
 minate and 
 signate the 
 
 I appeal to 
 mslances iqi 
 J, to ascepn 
 
 New Tes- 
 by iramer- 
 gainst this 
 
 IS soon as 
 3 perform- 
 lusands at 
 J given of 
 s, or go to 
 
 ptizing by 
 been dip- 
 Jing, suf- 
 bund any 
 and it is 
 n for the 
 
 43 
 
 Now, according to the statements and practi^-e of Bin 
 ti.ts, "water about 3 feet deep, pure and quiet, is be.t adapted 
 lor immersing grown up people. Were it mucli deeper 
 or shallower, or foul, or mucli agitated, it would be unfit 
 or such a. purpose, rendering immersion exceedindy 
 troublesome, it njtunpossible," " ■^ 
 
 But the Jordan did not otter these advat>ti«res 
 " The baptizing spot has been visited and" ra'inqtely er- 
 amuied by many intelligent and credible travellers, who tell 
 us that here " the river Jordan is of considerable width-^ 
 - the wat .r turbulent-the bottom rocky^the edges of the 
 bank abrupt-and the depth about six or seven feet clo.o 
 to the shore \oluey says. "Its breadth between the 
 twoprmcipal lakes, m few places, exceeds 60 or 80 feet 
 " but Its depth is about tenor twelve."- Monro says " The 
 " nver here, at the baptizing spot, forms an angle, &e. • the 
 width of u might be 35 yards,aW t/te stream was running 
 with til, precipitous /ur;, of a rapid ; the bank was steep; 
 shelving of abruptly into deep water.' —Thompson says 
 tt isexceeduig deep, even at the edge of the inner banL"-. 
 Dr Shaw computes it '« about thir.y yards broad, and thre<, 
 yards m deptli. '-Chateaubriand found the J.rd.m to bo 
 6 or 1/eet deep close to the shore."* 
 Unless, therefore, men and women in John's time, were 
 twice the lieight they now are, dipping them in the Jordan 
 rnu.t have been quite impraciicable. They must have 
 been baptized by pouring or sprinklin.T. 
 
 Tlie waters of Euon were doubtless,°as much too limited 
 for the purpose of dipping, as those of Jordan were too 
 deep and abundant. 
 
 '^ Enon, as the word imports, was nothing more than a ' 
 mil; or, as described by a Baptist writer, " a cavernous 
 spring, called the Dove's^e; lud such w'ere of g."" ac- 
 count m J udea especially in some seasons." Eobinson — 
 It is remarkable that no such place, disiinguished by an 
 abundance of water, can bo discovered at this day " Cal 
 met -It IS most likely that Euon was to Saiim what Jacob's 
 well^was to the inhabitants of Saraariu-a place of drawing 
 
 • Thorn's Dipping not Baptizing. 
 
n: 
 
 ¥i 
 
 41 
 
 The original terms, rendered much water, are lite nil ^ 
 many waters " • They do not designate mer e /L Xj!, i^ 
 water, simply considered as deep and aio«« /^ b«t nume 
 reus waves, fountan.s, or streams, however siSill theTm 
 ount of water .n each. ^^m.^.-Had a lar.e b^dy oAv^^l 
 
 pre" T"kf"' 'T "^"■'^ '^'^^^ beenCpIo^ed o " 
 K . if 1' «se used, no more indicate that the ?vater was 
 adapted for dipping than for sprinkling. In a counT^v .U!?! 
 wells or fountains are often tJn or twenty mllp.nn^ 
 gregaiions could not assemble, no canfvm;,?.^^' T' 
 from them for the space of a d^y.'^ith ^ ZTtZ.t' 
 OHS consequences. Had John made Enon or anrotl p. P 
 a mere preaching .station, without baptiz g aSd" v du^f ' S 
 would have needed much water for felreshi'i" his vlsJ'andi 
 encfs, who probably continued with him f . . '" 
 
 together, and for pLeivh^ th^n f o neriT'"^ "^'^^ 
 thirst i,. that arid land. " penshing with 
 
 But had the river Jordan and thp wpII P'n^^ u 
 nicely adapted for dipping, thdr loSirtie] m h'"" rS;."- 
 ed them very unsuitable for such a mode of purification 
 It IS manifest that in all out-of-door immersions nf^; 
 multitudes, where there were few or no hous fa U.p .n ' 
 njandof the Bapti.er-which appears to ha "be nLca^; 
 m. the present instances-the candidates, both mei and 
 women, rich and poor, youn<r and old si-k ^^a T 
 
 must inevitably ha?e b;in exJosTd n^tdtithrlnZ- 
 shifung then- clothes, or once, while being immered of 
 to avoid this indelicacy, they had been dione din f l.'. ' 
 
ulcl not have 
 \qmnti(i/ of 
 i'l the liver, 
 cli, at best, 
 '■ immcrsiiiff 
 
 O 
 
 are literally 
 Y qtiantity of 
 ', but uume- 
 Liill the am- 
 •ily of water 
 loyed to ex- 
 e water was 
 untry where 
 apart, con- 
 incainp, far 
 lostdaiiger- 
 other place, 
 iividu.ij, he 
 s vast audi- 
 many days 
 shing witli 
 
 een ever so. 
 ive render- 
 urificatioii. 
 i'M, of vast 
 t the corn- 
 er! the case 
 men and 
 I sound — •. 
 loice, while 
 ied ; or if, 
 n the gar- 
 turned to 
 . dripping 
 I and lives 
 
 . 
 
 45 
 
 There is not the slightest evidence that Our Savioi-r n-ns 
 baptized by immersion. The remarks made concernin<r the 
 baptism of the eunuch apply with the snme force here 
 Jhepreposiiions r.sod in this description afford no proof of 
 plungmg having taken place, nor does the word " biiptize" 
 nccessaiily imply it, as has been abundantly demonstrated. 
 
 CoRNiiHus and his household, were doubtless baptized 
 by aftusron. " They went to no river, they are not said to 
 go down to any water, nor are we told that they had a bath 
 adapted for such a purpose in their house." Indeed Peter's 
 question, " Can any Jorhid water? " &c., clearly indicates 
 that It was to be Irought to him for the administration of 
 this nte. And, particularly, it ought to be -noticed that 
 when the apostle saw the Holy ^\->mi dcscendinfr upon them 
 he wa3 reminded of what Christ had said of John's baptiz- 
 ing with water. Why i^hould tJds have been suggested to 
 him if baptbm by water, did not resemble the descent of 
 the Holy Ghost, in the mode of its administration ? What 
 js there either in the narrative or th« allusion, at all favour- 
 ing the idea of itnmersion ? 
 
 ';That the Samakitans, Acts, viii. ch., were baptized by 
 sprinkling or pouring scarcely admits of a doubt. They 
 had no rivcr or fountain of pure water in their city or im- 
 mediate neighbourhood ; what was required for domestic 
 use being fetched from Jacob's well, which wf>s both distant 
 and deep. Now the immersion of an adult \wuld reciuire 
 about 180 gallons of water, and to have obtained this from 
 a distance in every case of baptism would have been next to 
 impossible.' , 
 
 "The ca.e of Pacl. Acts, ix. ch., is equ^illy conclusivej': 
 lie was evidently baptized in the room where he wassittinir: 
 He waii directed, as he himself tells us, Acts, x.xii. Ifl to » 
 sturd vp, (not to go away to a spot lit for immersion) but 
 ic baptized there at once.. This act is^calk-d washing away 
 .lis sins (ceremonially of course,) which was ahvafs done 
 by sprinkling the penitent offender with blood or water. 
 \Vh.Je to hav<j plunged him under water, when weak and 
 ei.::iusted with three days fasting and excitement, would 
 have been anything but humane and christian like." * 
 
 • Pip. not Bap. 
 
irn^t^!^!^ "" 't •''^"'"" "^"^^ '^^"^'•'^ve been by pour- 
 magine tlu t thej-e was a bath in the jail at Philinni "a 
 
 boa e.) nl ^''' '.^^'^-^-^ '" ""cier.t or n odern limes, evJ 
 r.rin ili.v V'^r'''''-^''"^"^ b..etbren" draw Jargly un.,n 
 
 band am E "•"' '^''"J^'^l*''-^' H"^' H^ere were always at 
 
 comnll :•„ ^'"'^''' I* i« <^«»btful wl,ether bathing by 
 S d to in .r"' ''1 ''^"'"^^" "' ^''« «=«"»*"«« «"d timers 
 
 CO mnr.rm!i • l!"* " '""•^'' " ^-''^^' '" ihe east, is not a 
 or Tm ho ThhT"' ^"* -^ ''"^'•^^^'"" °f *P-««M«;,, mora 
 
 «nce tZr T «";orronenis, in .be absence of evid- 
 Srn o tr' "' '^^ P"^°" ^* P'""Pr'i. contained a 
 
 Ot e^ « ' '"^'F''^ "^ ^^^''"^'« f°'- «n emersion, 
 out P u^aSSr' Y ''^'''' '' .'' ^^**^ ^'^^'^^»'°' " brought 
 
 r^eror!?.!! f ' ^u^^' '' '^''' ^"^ ^°™« neighbouring 
 me. 01 st.P ,m wbe.e the immerMon was r«rfortned iBuch 
 
 t^ lo^n ' P'T'''^ '''" JHilorhad -thrust them in 
 lla f.om r"' '"^ "-'^^ "'"''■ ^^■'^^ f^«^ '» ^1>« stocks." 
 tl arPHu^nd tr^'^^'T' ''°^"'''«"^"/''''^>''^«^'<'^^'A^'• 
 E alt for , . r '' "'!'^ ^'■°"^'^*' ^' ^'"^ customory in the 
 
 p. son Nor would the laws of the Roman- Empire nor 
 
 «bou ot '^•, fT''"'': '" '"'■^ ''"^t°'^>^' to let them walk 
 about the c ty at large for purposes of their own. The 
 
 I me hiT" i""^'" -'^ ^'^ '""^'"^ t''^t be, who a short 
 
 t me before was on the pomt of slaying himself, " supposing 
 
 hM hi?.T"""^Jr1 ^''" ««^''" -><i knowing thatZ Ia"f 
 "fPu ««ronH.ble or all in his diarge. would, as the re- 
 iut of bfheMugm Chnst. have been ready, not only to 
 
 
 I 
 
 FU 
 
been by poiir- 
 i of immersion 
 
 Philippi, "a 
 >ire, or in nny 
 Tn limes, ever 
 IV largly upon 
 es, concludipg 
 vcrc always at 
 er bfttlis," but 
 r butiiing by 
 lies and times 
 NE lells us in 
 
 cast, is not a 
 iklin<!s, mora 
 skin." 
 eiice of evid- 
 
 contained a 
 Bersion, 
 or " broUgbt 
 ; til em out of 
 valked away 
 leighbouring 
 med. Such 
 strict charge 
 rust them in 
 he stocks," 
 iilaltv(/ether 
 omary in the 
 s-alls of the 
 Empire, nor 
 larged as he 
 . them walk 
 own. The 
 his keeping 
 re released- 
 I'ho a short 
 ' supposing 
 hat tlie law 
 , as the ro- 
 ot only to 
 
 17 
 
 let his prisoners go at large, but to lenve the premises him- 
 self, and with hU family accompany them to some stream to 
 be immersed. There is no need for snch unfounded sup- 
 positions. ImmodiiUely on belikving, this individual and liis 
 family were baptized, and wiihout any shadow of proof, we 
 aie asked to believe that thty were all plunged over head 
 at the roiunight hour, when all was agitation and haste, and 
 when it cannot be shown that there were any conveniences 
 at hand for so doing. Surely it must appear pliin to any 
 unprejudiced person, that this baptism, adininistcred with- 
 out dday and within the prison walls, as it unquestionably 
 was, must have been by pouring, or sprinkling. All the 
 probabilit'cs are in favour of this mode, and against the 
 other. 
 
 In the canes that have been referred to, the question 
 whether baptism was performed by dipping or by affusion, 
 can only be decided by c'rcumstantial evidence, and I leavQ 
 my hearers to judge on which side that evidence prepou- 
 dtrates. 
 
 I^^;— '^bere are no Scripture allusions to Baptism which au- 
 thoiize4,he conclusion tiiat dipping was the mode practised. 
 1. An a-gument has been attempted to be drawn from 
 V hat our Lord said in relation to his sufferings, Luke xii. ,5a, 
 " 1 have a baptism to be baptized with," die. " Here/' it 
 h:ts been observed " is a reference to iho..e deep waters of 
 Pivme justice into which he was soon to sink for man's re- 
 demption," But sui d(y an unprejudiced reader of the Scrip- 
 tures would rather say, " Heie is an allusion to ihepoariL 
 out of the Divine wrath upon him for the sins of men." No 
 figuie is more frequently employed in the word of God to 
 denote the infliction of suffering than that of " pourimi out " 
 as when we read of pouring out indianulion, pouriny out 
 fury and wrath , (kc. 
 
 We have a plain instance here of the impropriety of ah 
 ways rendering the word " baptize," to " dip" or •' nluno-e '» 
 Apply either of these terms to the passage under considera- 
 tion. " 1 have a dipping to be dipped with,"—" a plun^dncr 
 to plunged wjtii !" How manifestiv forced, uiu^atural,"un. 
 irieuning and absurd ! 
 
 'i. An amazing amount pf stress is laid b^- many of our op, . 
 
48 
 
 poiiPnts upon tlio lantjuncrc of iIk^ Ann<,fl.. P ...i ■ n 
 iomWcs burial-/ I i, ,U„ ri ,„ ""'""""»" " i» n«kej re- 
 
 .y bit;; cf,i";-:ii™:; -"iT;,;: ? '"^-^r r*- 
 
 tie's anrument in,! fl7„ '^ "^^ .^ "^° ^'''"" 'j' '''^ ^pos- 
 
 show =fcr^° u;, ." r.,:r'.°"™i: "■; "'"f" '*""''°"' 
 
 naAn>A *„ • i- ■"' " 1") ' "6 <isl{3, " how o;in We wIlQ 
 n e dead to sin, live any oii'-'er thoiein 9" a,„i m 
 
 .0 ii,e &L oft SH^io-u'riX' """'■ »- «-™''l-— 
 
1 in Rjm. vi. 
 f buried with 
 is nsked ro- 
 thatiiliPte- 
 t this is con- 
 !ie Apostolic 
 J many allege 
 ce ill i'lvor of 
 iteiK a, intt'l-- 
 ) tlie exprcs- 
 5 their c;ui80 
 
 his countri/, 
 
 )ostIe is here 
 
 loscd analo- 
 ijf the Apos- 
 in question, 
 II J,' inward ; 
 
 ! of ll»e g03- 
 
 that "the 
 "e, tends to 
 3 encounigo 
 n.'in We who 
 lid tlien ho 
 reality tencj 
 s couv'ncing 
 riio, or the 
 mredly, the 
 1 of Christ, 
 ed out, not 
 esemblaiice 
 
 omraon for 
 m as a set- 
 ;tion. One 
 sign of this 
 ir." Ano- 
 
 49 
 
 ther says, " Th.it cinnot bo Chri->t*i truo baptism vvlierein 
 there is not a hvv'ly ropro^entition of the death, b-.irial, and 
 rcsunocLiomf. Fosm Christ," 'J'his we (Id not he^iiiite to pro- 
 nounce, fi t(>(((l iiili«i/>ji//r(illi>no/ the ordinurice. Tiie LirJ'« 
 Supper, and not l.aj)tism, is the sacrament in whieli Chris- 
 li;ini "show forth the Lord's deuih till he comj." Th? 
 Christian S:ibl)itli, and not b.ipt'sm, commeinorales th<» 
 ■Saviour's resurie.ni ,1. Jhptism is a symbol of internal 
 purification, and it, is to tiie sjiiriiiial, inward experience of 
 that pu ification, and not to the outward mode of a rite, that 
 the Apostle is c illinj; attenti in. A spiritual resurrection, 
 a rising to " newness of life," is spoken of as the result of 
 this b iptsm, wo are therefore warranted in concluding that 
 the inteiiiicnt is npirifutl, as well as the resurrection, and 
 not a mere natural ])liin/ing. 
 
 It ii/not necessary here to dwell on the second of the pas- 
 sages in which the allu-sion Wi. are consi leiing occurs, Co!. 
 ii. 12. If there be evidence that the burial in the first pas- 
 sage is spiritual, and n )t a parUciihr mode of performing'- 
 baptis n, there is still more evidenjc of it in this, as any on.* 
 may at once soa by perusing the vor e and context.* 
 
 2. Farther, the an ilo^-y between the burial of Christ, and 
 baptis:n by immersion is/uncied, and not red. I'ersons who 
 quote these expressions with so muc'i liJenco, seem to 
 suppose that oar Lord was buried afie. liie ma mer of our 
 own coun'ry and times. But evt;. granting this for a mc- 
 raent, " what resemblance can there bo between dippinc 
 a person under water, and a burial, where a corpse is con*^ 
 veyed by a train of mourners — ;s K-t down slowly into the 
 grave, — covi;M-ed over witht;i th, — and left there" ? 
 
 But the burial of Clirist was not like our modern burial-!. 
 Mr. Robinson, a Bap' ist writer, jas'Jy remarks, " the first 
 English Baptists, wlu i they read the phrase, 'buried in 
 baptism,' instantly thought of an English buiiil, and there- 
 fore baptized by laying the body in tiie form of burying in 
 their own country ; but they might have observed that Paul 
 wrote to Romans, and that Romans (at that period) did not 
 bury but bu.ned the dead, and bu.ied nothing of the dead 
 
 -1 tTfOafi n-Tf- ,n..,!, .•■ n., i-ar,K- :i:ij :u brcUucr. m tie miii'.iTry, 
 ,1 mo5t masterfy defence of th« intirml view of these pissi^'os. ia 
 %):. Bsecher's new work on Bapti'sm, pp. 83-114. " 
 
50 
 
 VM 
 
 but their ashes in urns • n.n that .,« r • 
 
 the defui in Kiiglmid." 
 
 burj'ing 
 
 Those Ij.nvevor, who fancy any resemblance between an 
 
 takef I '";:'; ,' ""'^ ''^'^* ^^^^^^ ^^«^'°^'-' ^^e entirely mfs- 
 taken. II s i),)rly wna not lowered into the earth a rl 
 
 m the rock, .Ko ,v «niali apartment, the floor of ..huh was 
 on a level w,th Iho ground, or only slightly depressed f.om 
 U, and the corpse was laid in a niche^or on a^Jlfe If at Z 
 
 clothes' P"ti"^' "" '\'] '^""" ''^'^'^' —J only w th g avC 
 clothes iho sepulchre was so capacious that a person 
 could s. or stand uprigl-.t in it, and h was closed by a^s one 
 be.ng rolled o the entrance. Let Baptists now pV„t out 
 If they can, ho least resemblance between the plS^n"L of 
 a person und,M; water, and -ho burial of Christ. Jn iuhere 
 was no more Hnn.larKy to the clipping of an individual und 
 fir water, than when the body of Dorcas was can' ed un 
 stairs, a«d luu upon a bed. .- No two thmgs are are mo e 
 mhke, and the entire argument drawn fro^°thesepassal, 
 13 one of soimd, not ol ncusc. ^ '»»<"o«s 
 
 3 Finally in thc-so pas.^ages, we have several figures 
 emp byed. Iho Apostle not only speaks of i«r/a/,bu of 
 planting, cruch.vion, and circumcision, and all with reference 
 to the same suhjecl Kow wJiy amidst such a variety of 
 figures, IS one selectod, and the rest avoided and passed bv " 
 Can we suppose this would be dune, were there not a theiv 
 to support ! Is u, not fur more natural to suppose that th^ 
 Apostle IS not speaknig of an external rite, but of the in- 
 ward reality? Ought not our opponents to be consistent 
 and eiiher symboliiso nil these iigures or jione of them '> 
 But, as Dr. Beechor pertinently remarks, "had there been 
 no external rite but nilernnl baptism only, the force of the 
 anahgy would have ,;alled for the use of burial in both the«e 
 passages. In speaking of the spiritual caicifixion, death 
 and resurrection of the believer, how could Paul help in- 
 serting bur.al ?_ The real origin of the language is obvious 
 Chn.t was hurted injact, as well as crucified, and the same 
 
 ;. -.^!.--i! nitnir-ilou tu luui all the rest oi hs 
 
 iigurcs, would naturally furnibh this." 
 
 By applying those pussngcs to the>ut\vard rite, powcr- 
 
 .Vv 
 
61 
 
 soning oh the 
 de of burying 
 
 :e between an 
 ! entirely mis- 
 e earth, and 
 mb h^wn out 
 of rthkh was 
 ipiessed from 
 
 shelf at the 
 r with grave- 
 'at a person 
 id by a stone 
 )w point ou.t 
 
 plunging of 
 In it there 
 i vidua! und- 
 s carried up 
 ire are more 
 ese passages 
 
 'eral Jiff tires 
 ■trial, but of 
 ith reference 
 a variety of 
 pa.3,'<ed by ? 
 iota theory 
 ose that the 
 t.of the in- 
 ! consistent 
 of them? 
 there been 
 orce of the 
 I both these 
 ion, death, 
 ul help in- 
 is obvious, 
 d the same 
 rest of his 
 
 Lc, power- 
 
 ful exhortations to holiness are frittereJ away to maan, ^'t 
 fellow creature putting ui under water, and the.i lifting lis 
 wp again." ! ! 
 
 IV. I argue against Immersion, furtlier, because it is not 
 fitted to represent what is set forlh in B iptism. 
 
 It is generally admitted that Baptism denotes tho purrfi- 
 cation of the heart by the inflaenee of the Holy Spirit. — 
 With the promises and descriptions of tlie co nnainication 
 of the Holy Spirit, Baptism by sprinkling or pouring, beau- 
 tifully harmonizes ; while dipping is not ada^ited to repre- 
 sent it at all. 
 
 It is never said we are immemd in the Spirit, or dipped 
 in the Spirit. O.i the contriry, ii is written, " I will sprin- 
 Ideclem water upon you, and ye shall be clean."— Ezeic. 
 xxxvi. 25. The Holy Spirit is said to h>}. poured upon men, 
 -—to f.ill on them, — and to be shed forlh. Is it at all pr.,- 
 bable that Go 1 would speak of his own operations in one 
 way, and symbolically denote them by another ; th it he 
 would promise to sprinkle or pour out his Spirit upon us, 
 and represent th:it blessing by a plunging ? " Surely the 
 eign by w.iter, will correspond with tiie sign by words." 
 
 Moreover, the disciples are said to have been baptized 
 with that, which descended, or wx^i poured upon them. John 
 said. Mitt. iii. 11, "I indeed biptizeyou with w.iter, but 
 he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy 
 Ghost and with fne.'' Here t!ie ilea of dipping or immer- 
 sing is excluded by the very form of expression used ; and 
 accordingly we find, l)y comparing Acs ii. 3 33, with thii 
 passage, that when this prediction was fulfilled, the Holy 
 Ghost descended on the disciples, and cloven tongues as of 
 fire, came do^vn, and sU on each of thein. Speaking of 
 this marvellous occurrence, Peter says, " He hath shed forth 
 this, which ye now see and hear." Thus also, in Acts v.. 
 44. we read, thit while Peter spoke to Cornelius and his 
 family,^ '< the Holy Ghost fell on alf them which heard the 
 word." The Apostle recognizos i\m as the fulfilment of 
 the language already referied to, saying, " Then reme mberod 
 I the word of the Lord how that he .■,akl,.l()hn indeed bapt'zed 
 •with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Gliost."* 
 
 * See also, Is. xxxii. lo.; xliv. 3.; Iii. ].^. Ezek 
 
 xxxix. 29. Joel 
 
 )i.28.29. Z.'ch. xxii. 10, Compared with Acts li. 17.; viii. 16 
 38. Titus iii. 6.; &c. kc. 
 
f!< $ 
 
 Hi 
 
 52 
 
 Here it ought to bo borne in mind that the Jewish people 
 .vere fam> lar with Baptism as a sign of ritual purifiJatiL 
 and that hese religious or ceremonial purifications, were ner- 
 
 fn!! """"^ f^'T |7.P°"'i%' 0'- sprinkling, .eluefly by 
 the latter method. In Hub. ix. 10. we read of the serfices 
 of the first tabernacle consisting in meats, and drinks, and 
 divers washing. ' In the original it is " divers baptisms r 
 and how these baptisms were performed, we may learn bv 
 akmg into consideration the fact, chat the laver wheiP 
 they were performed w;as a portable vessel of brass, stand- 
 ing on one foot, and quite too small to admit of immersion ; 
 and also by consulting the details of the ceremonial law 
 where again and again the priest is directed to sprinkle the 
 people, sometimes with Mood, sometimes with oil, some- 
 times with ashes, and sometimes with water. We repeated- 
 ly read of persons beiig cleansed, purged, sanctified, and 
 washed by a mere sprinkling either of water or blood The 
 Aposllo, shortly after speaking of these "divers banf^ras " 
 mentions some of them thus : " if the blood of birils and of 
 goats, and the ushes of an lieifor sprinkling the unclean 
 sjinctifieth \o the purifying of the flesh." &c — Heb ix 13* 
 Doubtless the mode of applying the purifying ehment, so 
 common among the Jews, was adopted by John the Baptist 
 who was liimself a priest, and perpetuated by the Apostles 
 01 our Lord. ^ 
 
 In passing, I may just refer to a passage in Mark vii. 4 
 Tvhich speaks 01 the " washing," literally the iaptizing, "of 
 cups and pots, of brazen vessels, and of tables." It is their 
 ceremonial purilicalion which is here referred lo as vou 
 may see bj looking at the context. Now, although Ave can 
 read.Iy conceive of cvps and pot^ being washed by beintr 
 dipped into water, it is impossible that " beds," literally 
 " couches, used while taking their meals, and large enoucrfi 
 for three to recline upon at their case, could have been 
 immeri^ed Dr. Carbon,- wliilo admitting that it is thei^e 
 long couches that are here referred to. says he will maintain 
 an immeision until its impos,ubili(i/ h proved, and therefoio 
 ingeniously sugge.Ms that they might have been so made as 
 be taken to pieces, for this end. The learned Dr. seems 
 to nave forgotten that there may be absurdity, wherfi thero 
 iS not vP2>ossibilit)j. 
 
53 
 
 wish people 
 purification, 
 8, were per- 
 , eliiefly by 
 the services 
 drinks, and 
 baptisms ;" 
 ay learn by 
 fiver where 
 rass, stand • 
 immersion ; 
 lonial law, 
 prinkle the 
 oil, some- 
 e repeated - 
 ti^ed, and 
 ood. The 
 baptisms," 
 irlls and of 
 e unclean, 
 eb. ix. 13. 
 kment, so 
 be Baptist, 
 e Apostles 
 
 [ark vil. 4, 
 tizing, " of 
 It is their 
 0, as you 
 gli we can 
 
 by being 
 '' literally 
 [>e enougU 
 lave been 
 t is theue 
 1 maintain 
 
 tbereforo 
 3 made as 
 Dr. seems 
 lere therd 
 
 V. I argue against Baptism by immersion, fMrther, because' 
 it is impossible that thu vast numbers who came to John the 
 Baptist, could have been so baptized ; and also, because the 
 baptism of the 3,000 on the day of Pentecost, by i'.nmersion, 
 is equally impissible. 
 
 According to the inspired narrative, it would seem that 
 John alone baptized all that came to him during the period 
 of his ministry ; and there is no reason to think he was en- 
 gaged in the work more than six 'nonths. We are told, 
 Matt. iii. 5, that " there went out to him Jerusalem, and all 
 Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were bap- 
 tized of him." If we take this language as signifying, literally 
 all the inhabitants of the places specified, he must have bap- 
 tized (according to a calculution gathered from Josephus) 
 abo it two millions of people. This would have been 12,000 
 a-d',y. To have dipped sucli vast 'aultitudes, would have 
 been impossible, had he (K..,9ec.«ed the strength of a giant. 
 
 But lost any shoiv '. ;; .ak the calculaUon just given 
 formed on too large . .■ -..e, we will suppose that John 
 baptized but a tmtk oP tlm probable inhabitants of the 
 country. This ia a very moderate estimate , yet to Irive 
 accomplished this, he must have dipped 1,280 every day — 
 about 107 every hour, and neaily two every minute ! ! One 
 in two minutos is the quickest rate of performing immer- 
 sions that our opponents give us any account of ; but this 
 falls far short of the work of John the Baptist, even 
 though he had stood in the water from dawn till twilight. 
 All these, and still greater numbers, could have been sprink- 
 led with perfect ease; and who can doubt th^it this was the 
 mode adopted ? 
 
 Neither could it have been by immersion that the 3,000 
 were baptized on the day of Pentecost, as we read. Acts ii. 
 41. _ That all the converts made on that day, were actually 
 baptized ere its close, is evident 5 and is not only admitted, 
 but contended for by our opponents, who maintain thai 
 baptism always preceded admission into the visible church. 
 " Now, supposing immersion to have been the mode, and 
 the 12 aposiles to have been employed in the work, it must 
 have been a most laborious and disagreeable, if not utterly 
 ifc-prac It-cable undortakliig, to be accompii.-hed in the course 
 of 5 or 6 hours. It should bj taken into the account, 
 
r ? 
 
 54 
 
 moreover, tliat at least 24 robing-rooms and a dozen dippinff- 
 places, must have been (Stained for the nuiposr. And if 
 raore agents assisted, and lightened the labours of pach a 
 proportionnte ircreM^e of both kinds of conveniences, must 
 liare b<en provided."* 
 
 To remove one part of the difficulty in this care, it has 
 been supposed " that not the apostles only, but all the male 
 members ol the church, eng! ged in admini>teiin)^ tlie im- 
 merMon ; tlwit as there were one hundred and twei.tv mem- 
 lers m all at JeiusaU m, 60 of the^e may have beenV.ales • 
 that each of th.ese CO might immerse an individu;d, and go 
 through the whole service in two minutes ; and that thua 
 ihe whole 3,000 might be imraeried in one hour and 40 
 mmutes. 
 
 But wo have no proof from Sciipture that private mem- 
 Leis of the Church ever b:iplizod, so that the idea of eo 
 many b.Mng engaged in bnptiicing, is purely imaginative.— 
 .i ;TJ"'f '^^"'••^••^e of GO persons being i ni^aged in immersing 
 J,000 others, at the n:te of two minutes to each. What a 
 scene I How little like a solemn oidinance of religion •— 
 But more than all, and com| letely fatal to this absuid con- 
 jecture, there was no place within Jeru^ah■m whe^e such a 
 •sorvice could be perfoimed. " In ihfl . iiy itM-lf," says a 
 oeitain writer, ■' theie was neither a river, m.r fountain of 
 wn'.er. Kt'dron was little better than the cmmon sewer of 
 i.ie city and waF dry except during the earv and latter 
 rams, feilnnm was only a spiing without tl e walls, not 
 always fl( wmg, the contints of which were somelimi s sold 
 to the J eo|.le by measure ; and tl e pools suiplied by its 
 puny sti earns when flowing, were either u.ed lor wa- bin./ 
 sheep and similar pui poses, (lendeiing them very unlit fo'i- 
 etrtmonial lustrations,) or they were the property of per- 
 sons not ve.y likely to lend them for baptizing apostate 
 stiargers in. The water used for domestic puiro.es was 
 obtained from the rains of heaven, and preseived in hou^c 
 hold tanks, and, of cours.-, was guarded with the utmost 
 care, and used w th a rioid economy,— it raining in that 
 country only twice a year." It may be further nieniioned, 
 lh.it L AMAR1I^■B in his travels says^ of the fountain ot Moaw, 
 
 * Dip. not Bap. 
 
65 
 
 en clipping. 
 
 0. And if 
 i of each, a 
 •uces, must 
 
 ace, it has 
 ill the male 
 fig tlie im- 
 eiit}- nicm- 
 een males ; 
 ;tl, and go 
 that thus 
 ur and 40 
 
 vate mem- 
 idea of go 
 sinalive. — 
 immfising 
 . What u 
 ■fligion I — 
 bsuid con- 
 eje such a 
 
 1, sa} s a 
 'oiintain of 
 n sewer of 
 and latter 
 walls, not 
 lim; s sold 
 lied by its 
 r wa-hing 
 y iirifu for 
 ty of per- 
 
 : apostate 
 f:o;-es was 
 in hou5:e- 
 le u I most 
 ^ in that 
 lentioned, 
 3( Si!o8ir!, 
 
 k 
 
 that it is " the onli/ place in the environs of Jerusalem, 
 where the traveller can moisten his finger, quench his thirst, 
 and rest his head under the shadow of the cool rock, and 
 on two or three tufts of verdure." That the case was pre- 
 cisely fcimilur, in the time of the apostles, may be clearly 
 proved by a reference to the writings of Joseph us, their 
 countryman and contemporary. 
 
 " But it has been said, where was Bethesda with its 
 pools? "I may reply," says Mr. Law, "where indeed? 
 Tliere was one pool called Bethesda, though, there are no 
 traces ofjt to be founa now. We gather from the account 
 in John 5th ch., that it must have been a narrow and con- 
 fined phce, into which only one person could step at a time," 
 
 " Under these and many otiier equally outward circum- 
 Btances, which cannot now be mentioned, where could tha 
 despised and persecuted di? ;iples and their no less anathe- 
 matized converts, obtain convenient places and a sufliciency 
 of fair and pure water for such a hasty and extensive dipping ! 
 to say nothing of providing second dresses, or dipping naked, 
 or walking through the streets streaming with water, — ono 
 or other of which must have been done by every person 
 baptized. 
 
 In a word, immersing such multitudes, on these occa- 
 sions, without the intervention of a miracle, — wliich appears 
 never to h:.ve been wrought in furtherance of a baptizing — 
 was a thing incredible, and the very next step to an utter 
 impossibility. Suppose them all affused or spiinkied, and 
 every difficulty vani.-hes in a moment."* 
 
 The same remarks apply with equal force to tlio still 
 greater number, viz. . S.OOO wlio believed under Peter's 
 sermon preached in Solomon's porch soon after, and v/ero 
 of course, immediately baptized. 
 
 Vi. I would adduce, as a fuither reason against Baptism 
 by Immersion, that we have no evidence of its being thus 
 practised immediately iifterthe days jf the Apostles. We 
 have no posiiive instances of imrn'Msion until Baptism and 
 other institutions of Christianity, began to be pei verted, and 
 the Church began to grow sadly corrupt. Thorn says : 
 
 " There is no proof of dipping, in a single instance, tor a grea* 
 
 * Dip. not Bap. 
 
I 
 
 56 
 
 SsT'a gu^itl aVr^"r of purifying water." Ancl abo'ut 
 
 fen J;rix^^£^"^^--ii-t ^j^s^^^ s f^;: 
 
 U' fSr di, ,t f/o^^^^ ""' opponente have no more authou- 
 ha, rhuKf'f^^'^"''""'""^' '^'^" Catholics and Episcopa- 
 cross minlZ/i^^ V"^ sponsors, making the sign of the 
 re?enVa o!r C ',M ' ^^°''''^"'' ^"^^ inculcating %aptisrnd 
 
 .e^m a?S VlTAfT- "' •r^""'^''? ^^^ 5 ^"^ '^«"^* should 
 iti the iuTlim^.rnf f^l''''*'"",'°'"'''^^'« f""'* distinctly, 
 m lue judgment of half evange zed profesvors ihp nntti.,,, 
 
 represema^ on^ ?►' f "y"'^''^, ^ ^n^ient carved and painted 
 representdtions— the best possille evidence in such a ca<!f. 
 
 was thrs: the candidate stood in the water up .ol.rs anck's' 
 knees or middle, and the minister, from his hand o a ves.p)' 
 poured he element on his head. So that, u^one whole S 
 tory IS far more agauist the mode of our opponents Ihanlo ft 
 Even -he Greek and other eastern churches, (on the t,ad tioi: 
 aiy knowledge and practice of which the Baptists talk so elo- 
 quently,) never admmister -.his ceremony w thout pou ing or 
 .pnnkl.ng, as the last or most important part of it ; ami, inhe 
 ca.,e of adults, as he whole of the rite. In some o'riental com- 
 munions It IS still custonriary to take their children to a r"v^r 
 irraHb^rinS''^ -nning water upon them-a^X 
 Ecciesmsttcai History is often appealed to by our oppo- 
 
5stle ! nor until 
 )y sui)erstitious 
 y as much so 
 !• tloes it appear 
 n Baptism, by 
 ndt'ed, at aiiy 
 tinns. Acita- 
 0, J^lst^n Mar- 
 Gentiles M'ith 
 liision to dip- 
 rian says that 
 ' About 300, 
 tiles by bap- 
 " And about 
 ized IS either 
 ore, as far as 
 3e is in favour 
 more aulhoii- 
 md Episcopa- 
 ! sign of tlie 
 mg baptismal 
 irst notice of 
 
 then it should 
 re distinctly, 
 J the putting 
 id was in the 
 ly themselves 
 ed by another 
 luring of the 
 the second 
 d and painted 
 ch a case— 
 » liis ancles, 
 i or a vessel, 
 e whole, .lis- 
 ts than for it. 
 Ihe tradition- 
 s talk so clo- 
 ut pouring or 
 ; and, in th« 
 )riental com- 
 en to a river 
 them—as the 
 
 y our oppo- 
 
 57 
 
 nents, but it really affords them no succour. True, they 
 affirm that for more than 1300 years, dipping was the uni- 
 rersal practice, and that it was only in the Uth century, 
 that a change was introduced. 
 
 Now, the New Testament gives us the history of the Jirst 
 century, and I have abundantly shown that there is no proof 
 of dipping having been practised at all during that period. 
 
 You have just heard the testimony afforded from the end 
 of the first to the end of the fourth' century, and with re- 
 gard to the practice of the churcli, from that time to the 
 iMi century, no one acquainted with the real state of things 
 then existing, will pay much attention to it, for any sect of 
 X rotostants must be hard pressed for arguments when they 
 are obliged to go for thern to the dark aqes. 
 
 VII. Finally, I object to immersion, because it is a mode 
 attended with many diificulties, inconveniences, and -jven 
 dangers. 
 
 Baptism, as a religious ordinance, was intended for all 
 nations, in every climate, for all persons in every variety (f 
 condition and circumstances. 
 
 But in some parts of the world, the polar regions for ex- 
 ample, how could dippi'ig be practised ? In how many 
 spots on the earth's surface, is water too scarce to admit of 
 It without the greatest difficulty. Even in this town where 
 we are blessed with a plenteous supply of this necessary of 
 life, how much trouble is.connected with filling the baptis- 
 mal box prior to an immersion, when it is wished to have it 
 performed comfortably in the chapel, instead of imitating 
 Philip and the Eunuch, by goinf/ down into a stream of 
 water, as the Baptists say they did. 
 
 How impracticable is the "dipping, of aged, infirm, and 
 sickly persons, on their being brought to believe on Christ, 
 particularly in the winter season. 
 
 What a shock to the minds of timid, delicate, or nervous 
 females is the idea of submitting to such a mode of baptism 
 as this. How natural is it that they should shrink from 
 being plunged under water by a stranger, or even a friend 
 of the other sex. And how much indelicacy is there often 
 in connexion with immprQidna Tfo'* mnpt r^( tiw. if.".^<» n-^A 
 dresses used by John the Baptist and the aposlles(?), scenes 
 of exposure have sometimes occurred, whch have filled th« 
 
58 
 
 inodc3t and refiaed with shame and confusion, aad caused 
 the VLilg.r to indulge in shouts and hisses. On tliis point I 
 
 nnw. f' ''"' "v"'' ^^'"y '"'-'^t have operated still more 
 
 powerfully in aposto ic times, when cliristUnity wus strug 
 ghng for a foothold, when every evil report was n "ed 
 
 cluded and bashful than now. when indeed, the eustoms of 
 the country and the times, shut them out ;ery much f?ora 
 social intercourse with men. Are we to suppose tat^ 
 same aposth. who carried their ideas of reml delicacy so 
 
 hLt\ 1". '"T"!' W^""^' »"^'eil«d in public assem- 
 blies, would nevertheless dip them under water in the pre- 
 
 S r. I h^'-"'^° '^T^' prevailed on to think that it is 
 oTnfl ^ to be .immersed cannot muster courai^e sufficient 
 to go through with It. Indeed, anxiety and fear^renot un- 
 f.equently visible in the administrator and spectators.* 
 Pf«,7^% says, referring to these things. "Thank God that 
 the ordinance is a cross Christ never intended his reli.non 
 or his ordinances to suit the fancies of unregenerate men." 
 
 Mu" T" ^';^'-^^f ^'•^'''.^'^o foe] these difficulties, and 
 Avhile Ills true that religion is not shaped to please worldly 
 mmds 11 IS also true that it does not war against the ftner 
 tensibihUes of oar nature. Be it remembered that the same 
 
 M\!!l T fv "'■?'"?"'" ^^ ^'^P^''^'"' has implanted 
 \^ithin us those feelings which are outraged by the indeli- 
 
 3;' N ' /'^., ^^n?'- '"""'^"^^^ °f ^'^'« objectionable 
 mode. None of the Divine institutions conflict ivith the 
 naturallavvs he has wisely ordained. There is nolhin<r un. 
 I reasonable ,n any requirement laid upon us. Many things 
 
 k are to be found ,n the Bible ahove human reason, but notS! 
 
 mg can be met with contrary to it 
 
 Further, this naode of baptism is quite inconsistent with 
 
 : ' P'"."'P"'; f'".'^™%^[ niind on the part of the individual sub- 
 
 '']ittn>g to ,t. When he ought to be in a composed, calm. 
 
 : .rUe'd'LX4ilT,"''°", ^ ^^^ '"""'*"' "«°' ** ^^•^"<=h the minister 
 
 4 ;:',,7» <.TH»7_'^t"f '^"'^ ,""« the Wdter, " that no accident mmh. or- 
 
 . I ••that -^y'r^l^t k^fJ^ca^V^^ '° '''^^•^'"'-^ '^'» ^'^'' 
 
 IB 
 If 
 
1, a;id caused 
 )ii this point I 
 if dinioulties 
 ted still more 
 ty was strug- 
 t was raised 
 tanic hatred 
 ifth more so- 
 le customs of 
 y much from 
 lose that the 
 e delicacy so 
 Jublic assem- 
 3r in the pre- 
 is are there, 
 hink that it is 
 age sufficient 
 ir are not uii- 
 spectators.* 
 nk God that 
 1 his religion 
 lerafe men." 
 ificulLies, and 
 ease woildly 
 nst the finer 
 hat the same 
 IS implanted 
 J the inJeli- 
 )bjectionable 
 ct with the 
 nothing un- 
 lany things 
 1, but noth. 
 
 sistent with 
 ividual sub- 
 )osed, calm, 
 
 h the minister 
 lent might oe- 
 iheir minds," 
 
 69 
 
 .devout frame of mind, lie is beforehand fearing, and at the 
 moment of being dipped, guarding agninst suffocation In- 
 stead of such a mode of baptism being calculated to surrre^t 
 and foster spiritual ideas, it is just fitted to drive theTn all 
 aw^y. How unlike the spirit of Christianity, which enjoins 
 no burdensome, pamful ceremonies, is this mode I How un- 
 like the sister sacrament of the Lord's Supper, where all ia 
 emmently calculated to excite and to aid profitable and 
 devout contemplaiion ! 
 
 It issomelimessaid byBaptists, and was much dwelton by 
 Rev. J. Inghs (late of this town,) in the Evangelical Pioneer, 
 that the solemnity of this mode of baptism, is one proof 
 among others, of its being the right one. Whatever im- 
 pressions of a solemn nature others may have received from 
 spectacles of dipping, I can only say, they wear to me any- 
 thing but a solemn appearance. Besides it is not uncom- 
 mon for accidents to take place which render seriousness 
 Uiipossible, and give rise to confusion and mortification * 
 
 Nor IS It in some cases unattended with dantier True 
 Baptists liave affirmed, 
 
 bv inimeisingUiem in cold witpr n bant .m » t ' , '^'■V'" "T" '""'""' 
 nioretlm,. itvoubl tl.e aclouZ I have S of nenl^,ri nlT.' """r'!^'' ""y 
 tism and g.mt by flndin,. their houses o , fl e Sue ref„u 'Lw 'i""'""- 
 aecidei.tal, contraiy to Ihe natural course of things ..nfi' ''""'^yr- "re 
 by the parties thenLlves- WherL?cau.in.^''Se uf „and' .m'in"'.?''" 
 ki.ecsbuia minute n cold water, or pl»n.^nrMK'„,|nri,if- "^ '""•" 
 advance.i!i„.years, heate.l by excitement o'a%rowd <// necti^o s o,^i?;',^b' 
 J eel to chronic diseases, or having a tendenev of b o.V.i iV. ,h i ' ? "'"•'- 
 heart ; i. calculated to ,',roduce th^ moVt se o^„s ph "s oal mis „ ^''And ""' 
 this conclusion, weareJully borne ont hv the nrL- ..;>■? -. ■*""' '" 
 
 lyiour experienc.d opponeuts. Hid benealh'^hi, h J'' '"""'T" "''»"^- 
 Uas been known to wem- leathern bootrreachin^abvehi*'^"'!'!,''''^ niinister 
 in the baptistry has been privately wr,nedSetir,H^.''''*~^ "'"" 
 -the baptism of many invalidrhas Snostn^^^^^^^^ • '^'"^ T '^'"''"'«"c«il 
 anilcvei totheendolUheir veithronTih^.r^ "■'' ""l.""'" ^'"^ y^"'". 
 
 _J^are these dangers wholly imaginary ; sicknesses! a^d 
 
 ♦.A case of this sort occurred 4 years ago in the villa-re of r W 
 
 A Baptist minisler was in the act of immersin- a mirripTImni " 
 
 tT.e wt^''°lft'S''"V'?"^'^'^''''y "^^y -"- both" outil ing^.^' 
 
 hewatei. Ihe husband tearing that his wife would be literfl v 
 
 "buried in baptism," and find a w.-iferv r--— - ■ nterally 
 
 .-r»'flC 
 
 rr.p-" 
 
^ 
 
 nil 
 
 60 
 
 €VOn deaths have been known to result from pluimin'^ nor- 
 son8 u. CO d wnter. Now we do not ^ay that any duPu IL 
 be avoided, because of either difficulties or d:ingers, but no 
 good proot can be given that thh is a dat,,, and iience we 
 rnaintain that to enlbrce it as ..n I, is to attempt to burden us 
 with a yoke which cannot be shown to be of any advant- 
 nge o ourselves, the church, or tiie world. Pourinrr or 
 sprmkhng shuns all these difficulties. U more expressive, 
 more solemn, and more easy of application to all. 
 
 wl>; 1 ''"^'f/.'V''^"^'?" ^'i«" '" f-^'-^iig the conclusion, in 
 which vve thmkyou will heartily join, that immersion is not 
 the mode of baptism we are required to adopt. 
 
 I close by observing ; 
 
 1. It plainly appear^ from what has been said, that it can 
 only be an opinion with the Baptists, that Immersion is 
 the ONLY ScniPTUKE MODE of Baptism. Ti.is is asserted a. 
 tliough It were an ascertained certainty, a fixed fact. 
 
 irom this they infer, 
 
 I. That all other denominations are unbaptized, because 
 xinimmersed, and that thoy are therefore in a state of dis- 
 obedience agiinst God. 
 
 II That other denominations cannot be recognized and 
 treated by them as members of the church of Christ. 
 
 III. J hat other denominations are guilty of mis-translat- 
 ing the word of God, or at least of covering up its sense on 
 the subject of baptism. 
 
 Now I would earnestly and affectionately ask, arc they 
 wan/anted in founding such sweeping and tremendous con- 
 elusions on a mere matter of opinion, respecting the particu. 
 Jar mode of observing an outward ordinance ? 
 
 " I speak unto wise men, judge ve what I say." 
 
 ~. I cannot conclude without one word on the necessity 
 of haying the heart riglit in the sight of God. It is not 
 enough for us to be right in externals : our righteousness 
 niU3t exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees. -The 
 kingdom of God is not meats and drinks ;" it does not con- 
 sist in outward forms, but in "righteousness, peace, and 
 joy in the Holy Ghost." * ' i > 
 
 ihon^'h'f1i?r^*'°"'u"^*' abruptly, for want of space, but it wa. 
 £if:gremiE.^'"' Ihe argument entire, and omit , marly all the 
 
 ^