^ ^ ^ ■^J^ V ^ ^1^, ^^^ ^ ^ " ^. ^\> A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) W A ^ U.. 1.0 I.I 1.25 IM li^ 12.2 I b° 12.0 I. ^ !M 1116 ff /i % 7^ ^ ^ 'ci O/^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WfST MAIN STiiEET WEBSTER, NY. USSO (7)«) •72-4S03 signifie "A SUIVRE ". le symboio V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely incluoed in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames aa required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmis i dee taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seui clich*. IS est filmi * partir de Tangle sup4rieur gauche, de gauche A droKe. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Lea diagrammea suivanta lllustrent la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 -^-■^i'- '■'•■<:iB':j J^^ ii%.l •#1 ■=.*.v< -■th-- ■:-:t~-'-!r. :i^iM;iWlf^?M^-: BEUEV£R nmiEBSlOlf, AS OPPOSED TO UNBELIEVER SPRINKLINQ. ritsT ON THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 8KC0NB ON CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. VO WBICH ARB ADDIDi . TO JliR. ROSS OP^PICTOWj CMfTAJmia STRICTUUS OIT HIS FIMr LCTTM T» M». CLJ>BE OF ANJIArOLn. B» ALSXR. CRAWFORD. fkaadjt m tb* wayi. aad m*, udnk far tlM old pttb, when ia the CMd wt» •Ml wittk iheret., ud ya thai] «od f aat f«r your aouir /erS* And an bigkwar iIhII b« ibew. and a way, and it ahall be called the way of hdi- ■eaa ; tho andean ahall not >a«. oter h j bot it aball be foe the.. : the wayfarinc ■en, UMogh fools, fhall not erptheiein. bUmh. Themeokbewillgiddeiniudcneul: the mtek he wiH teach hia way. Oaoid If any nan will do Ue wUI, be aball know of the aoclrine, wLciber K be of God, - Chrirt.' '"/./•"'•"*'^'. ^•''^«»'"« 'lowly. Ueiermine cautioQaly. Resolve firnlr Adhere tenacious^. Execute prowpUy. Despatch ia the life of buiinew. Del.T. •re daiigoroui. ProcraetiiMtioa ia the thief of time. eUABLOTTZ-TOWir, PRINCB VbWOCB IIIOIW. Friated by JAM£S D. H ASZARP. 1827. PI iT*^ I ' ,r . \ ' ^ 1^ . -^ ^. C t- ■ • ^ • ■. S 1 ',»»'■■ * ■ c ^ ■ 1 > t . - '•)■•■ ^ J V ,' ■• .- •v • . * • ■■ ^ • V ' "*♦ ■' • • * THE CONTENTS. rr^ku t. f. a 4, CS8AT I. ^ ^ . OnHuArakamkfknmmi. Th« BAtoM of a Covenant, The BleMiofs ol' th« CovobmI, Tb* Ratifieaiioo or thA Govaoant. ThcTokwoftheCovtnaDt, ^▼i«wof tb« 4lle|.iry ia Gal. 4th ebaa. Ai KjMloaie of tb« AbrabamicCoTenaal, ESSAT n. i" i,J®-?tf'*''* **'' *^« **»'^ Baptize, 9. T«e Sabjucts of the Ordiaaoco, 4. Objectiona answeredv J. The Pratieal uios of Baptism, •. Mrstakea concerning Baptism, 7. Evile conaequent on Jbaptiaiflg onbelieTew, Iff. n » «• . . LETTER I. Mr. Boaa's IHustrationa oi^the CoTenaot* eumintd, u a, LETTER II M^ Roas's Argumenta ««4Proof« ezaminedl, %r- » . . LETTER III. nr. Beaa'a Retaonaand RecapiiuUtioiu ezamiiied, Concluaiobi • , t «. SI t4 tf 41 44 fif 67 7f tf n IM > VCr, -'^i^.^Cj^ ^ms^MM PREFACE. THE subject discussed in the {oWov'mf; pages, has ajritated the religious dudUc in no small degree. This is not to be attributed wholly to Mr. Ross, (hough I havM been iuformed he was the firjt who wrote upon the si ' ject in these Provinces. Be the cause what it may, the fact is certain, that a great majority of Ihc settlers in these Pro- vinces, believed the propriety , and followed the practice, of infant bap- tism. Mr. Ross also informs us that it ir stiil p.-nctised by a vast major- ity of rhnstiaos. Thisgivsi li rcspjctab:h*v, tnd also atlbrds an ar- gument in its favour, upon the principle of the well known maxim : " Its success proves its justice." As it is essential (o, so it is pradised in every religious (istablishment In Christendom. It has therefore the sanction of the great: an argument of no ordinary weight with many, as is evident from the considei" fion, that very many continue members «f an establisheHf chuich, even after they publish ngainst many of it? observances. Having ?uch a vast majority of the most respectable »f mankind in its favour its abettors wiil, of corrse, include the bulk of the most learned men in the world. Wlience another arjiniment in its favour: for how couid so many great and learned men be all in an error? Besidrs, it has been a long established ttistom, anfJ many, till lately, did not know tfcat thure was, ia all Christendom, a dissenting voice on - the subject, in these parts, therefore, the prejudice of education was strong in its favour. This prejudice formed the minds of the rising ge- neration in its own mould. The mind, hus formed, became it?elf a mould. The youth were (ar^ht to understand the scriptures wholly in the Pcdobaptist line; and w latever they read in the scriptures, was readily cast into their mould, and as readily acquired its shape; at least to such a degree as satisfied the unsuspicious reader, that in that line he had the Irue meaning. And if, percha' -o, any passage should seem ra- ther hard and unyielding to take the im|i. ession, it could easily be passed over, as the bibk^, on the whole, is supposed to he a boolc, fit for the cleigy only, fully to understand. Add to all this, the example of the clergy, together with their private instructions, and ablepubhc exposi- tion of the scriptures. As far as religious instruction was at all obtained in the country, the above is a true representation of the state of these Provinces in regard to b-iptism, when Baptist principles were first adopted by a few of the setilers. These were first started among obscure and ilhterate people; and both the principles and those who embraced them, were viewed and treated with the utmost contempt. A remembrance of thdr forefa- thers wno had sealed their testimony with their blood, was, at that time, luflScieut to settle the faith, and remove the scruples of thousands, with regard to a practice so extensively popular as infant baptism. It ought to be remembered however, that no person ever suffered for fol- lowing the practice of infant baptism; and that it is adherence to the esnential principles of the Baptists, that drew upon christians most of 'c^^iMttHiiiiiiii tt »R*:t.\CE. the pf rsecations they havp ever experieiieetl- Aliuost every Baptist knows the erounds en which infant baptism is supposeii to be founded. Very few-Pedobaptists kttow the grounds on which it is rejected by the Baptists, except wha*: ciistorted views they may obtain fronj the inisre;4rescntations of other Pcdobaptists, and from the scriptures, viewed with a jaurrdiced eye, throujli the mcdiuHi oT educational preju- dice. An epistolary correspondence between a Baptist and Pedobap- tist in E u'ope, came to this country; the Pcdobaotist's letters were read so extensively as to become almost illegible; while the leaves of the Baptist's letters, thou;^!; a part of the same pamphlet, were still hi>- cut. Here, however,.! wouM citeerfully apply to some, the remark of Mr. Ross to Mr. Ei.DEH,p. 611. " A person may be under the influence of an undue bias without being sensible of it." The Baptists are still viewed by many r>s a strange, en-oiioous, enthusiast ic people; and many wcvild attond and sncourage their meetings, only for the prejudice they have against them as BapUsts. Thus, they are condenmed at the bar of the public without a hearing. A Pedobaptist, in order to become a Baptist, hss to- cope with a^I the ob-^lucles arising from tke state of things here represented'. Had Pedobaptist principles been congenial with duistianity, one ■would think, considering the above incontrovertible statement, that Pcdobaptists in this country had little need of publishing in defence of them; unless the opposite principles werr rtcommended to the depraved Blind, b~ being pecvi''arly faivourabie to the ind\ilgence of ambition, avarice, and lust. Of this, it is impossible to accuse them. It was the Baptists, if any, who had need of publishing to iUustrato and confir.u their misunderstood, unpatronized, uiiprpaiar priucipfes: which were like to be crushfc>l by opposiiion; but which, like tt;e bush in the wilder- ness, though burning, could not be cousiniicd. Instead of publishing, however, tiicy waited patiently to let their infant cause gain permanent; stability, by the gradual iucrc*ase of evangelical knowledge: for they were confident, that among convprted people, their principles, in order to be approved. Reeded only to bo umlerstood; and to be understood, needed only to be viewed impnrtially upou gospel principles. Notwithstanding the Pedobaptists were already pos^irssed of every rcasonnble advantage hut truth, a treatise by way of familiar dialogue, said to be written by JMii. Uoss, nppi;irod about sixteen years ago, in comlrmation of infant sprinkling-. A low yeai-s after, a volume for the same purj)Ose, by a Mh. Mu>ko of Aiili:;,onish, made its appearance. The Baptists, conlidont that tiie new Testament impartially viewed, is the best jiosiible treatise on fheir side, took no notice of theie publi- oatSons; but ((uictlylabourftd to promote evangelical knowledge, as the best means of promoting the Baptist interest, whicii they believe to be identified with the best interests of mankind. Lately, Mr. Jackson, alarmed at — I know not what, unless the increasing progress of gospel knowledge, published his letters to Mr. Priestlv. These, at length, stirred up the bplrit of Mr. Elder to write Mr. Jackson five letters in defence of Baptist principles. Mr. Jackson, unwilling to let thie Bap- tists have either the first or the last word, wrote to Mr. Elder ai» an- swer so large, as seemed almost sufficient not only to overthrow Mr. Blder, and with hint all the Baptists, so they should never rise more^ m^ PREFACE. Ill knt alsotoMdsfy many, without erer Madiiif it, tbat, in so larre a tpeatksc, he had unanswerabfy vindicated his cause. It appears that however confident Mr. Jackson felt ofliaving given Mr. Elder anirra* coverable overthrow, Mr. Ross did not view it in tlje same light: instead of giving Mr. Jackson credit for a victory, he himself aspired after th« laurels of the conqueror, and though their opponent betrayed no inten- tionofrenewingthecoaibatjhejudged that he must, a second time show his opinion; and add a fifth clerical treatise to those already published m these Provinces, to defend infant sprinkling; or rather, towage nar against the Baptists in the person of Mr. Eldkr. I hope it will appear that the leng silence of the Baptists, notwithstanding their many provo^ cations to publish, is to be attributed to their peaceable principles and not to any dread of the ccnsequcnoes of .agitating the controvU^ • Their opponents, who showed such a Bropensity Jo publish in defence of their system, were not likely behind them, in importing ard circulating treatises on their side, uor yet in defending their system from the oul- pit. '^ There was a time when clerical authority had full sway over the con- sciences of men, independent of scriptural proof. On this foundation iBfant sprinkling rested secure; and therefore its abettors, without fear of consequences, made many important concessions in favour of the Baptists; especially, respecting the meaning of some scripture nas- sages, on which the late Pedobapstists lay very great stress. Lately however. Gospel light is increasing; believers are ceasing to call men masters in religion; and their appeal is to the infallible standard The spmtualnature of Christ's kingdom, in its government, subjects, and ordinances, begins to he understood. This is visibly undermining un- believer sprinkhng ; and wherever evangelical truth prevails. Baptist principles are suggested to the enhghtened mind, as most consistent with the spirituality of the kingdom of heaven. Under these circum- stances, the advocates of iafant bap(ism feel alarmed for the conse- quences, and exert all their force to maintain their stand against the rising tide of gospel light. Herein they are now reduced to Ihe nar- low compass of maintaining it from the scriptures; and arc, therefore imoer the necessity of the most assiduous search after coiitirmine evi- dence m the sacred volume. Th» Abrahamic covenant is the fcrtress to wh.ch they retreat, the source fiom which tlity expect a supply ©f evidence. On that ground Mr. Ross has taken his stand; therefore I judged It proper (o enter fully inlo the explanation of that covenant to see it we could understand alike, and love as brethren. Whatever error anu misrepresentation the difrereut publications on the subject may contain, they will, on the whole, promote the spirit of inquiry ever so congenial with the interests of truth. Thinking it unnecessary! if not unlair, for Mr. Ross, while his coadjutor had the last word to .join him in the contest with Mr. Elder, and unfeeling in the Baptists to allow the latter to keep the field alone against such powerful anta- gon.s s, I show my sympathy by dircctiBg the attention of Mr. Roos te myselt, leaving the original combatants to settle their difference them- selves. •^ Had they folio • abundantly poured from the treasures of literature, then is still one consolation, viz. that the laoon shines nothing the dimmer for the doga barking at it. With whatever success I have opposed Pedobaptiam, the only artillery I have leveUed against it, are the principles o£ th« * 1 have insisted but little oi. those passages which are generally thought most farourable to the Baptists; mot because I think them in- sufficient to establish believer immersion, but because I had nothinj| new to advance concerning them. If my pamphlet were only a repeti- tion of what had been wellsaid by ethers, who formerly wrote upon th« subject, it wQuld be criminal i.i me te impose it on the public, alrea- dy groaning under a load of books. But it often occurred to me that ths sentiment of the religious public, respecting the covenants, stood much in need of reform . On this part of the subject, which is the forU of the Pedobaptists, I have, as far as I know, followed no person s track. My view of this part is as new tomanj- Baptists, as to Pedobf^} tists. The generous reader will make some allowance, if, in striking out a new path, mv fducational prejudice, which cost me much trouble to shake off, (for I was once a rigid Peaobaptist,) should occasionally lead me into trilling inconsistencies: CKpecially as my circumstances are evidently very unfavourable to study and reflection. Should any per, ton who ever wrote for the public, know the disadvantages under which I have written this my firvt attempt, he could not withhold his sympar thy. I have dwelt chiefly on those passages which are generally sup- posed to favour the Pedobaptists. The reader cannot but se« that 1 have not at all been satisfied with repelllig the enemy from our terri- tory. I have carried war into the very heart of his country. I have pursued close on his heels through every retreat in which he took shel- ter; nor shrunk from the mouth of his cannon, even before his maiu battery : and if I hava not taken possession of his very fortress, eveiy one must grant that I boldly attemptedit. Mr. Jackson builds on the two pillars ©f hereditary Christianity and unbeiievcr justification. Though he should lose all support from the Abrahamic covenant, as transmitting Christianity by hereditary right, he might still be supported by that justification without faith, which he maintains comes on all mankind through the death of Christ. But jus- tification bv faith is a citizen of great celebrity in the kingdom of Christ; whereas justification withoui faith is a strangsr and an alien, whose temper and habits are so repugnant to the genius of the chris- tian commonwealth, that he never can be naturalized there. Though Mr. Ross has not professed his faith in unbeliever justification, his sys- tem, including unbelieving christians, necessarily implies it, unless the christian cqmmonwealth include unjustified christians. Though his system has only the one pillar of hereditary Christianity to rest upon, he seems as confident and unconcerned as his ce-partner. Mr. Elder's system rests on the divine counsel, divine veracity, and divine operation. Let the reader judge which system he will embrace. As I hold to the immersion of believers, I have no rifjht to be offend- ed at beinc called a dipper, or at the system I embrace being called be- VI pRirAoii. Iierer immersion, any more than aj)«won bora in Scotland, has, at be- ing called a Scotchman. As Mr. Ross holds to the sprinkling of unbe- liciTws, he has no right to be offended at being called a sprinkler or at the system he embraces being called unbeliever sprinkling, anymore than a person bom in Ireland, has, at. being called an Irishman To avoid arv cause of oflcnce, I have used the terms sprinkle, sprinklin?. fce. only where baptize, baptism, &c. %vould seriously injure my mean- 's f~w no'y «"'^ i'*'^"'®"'* *'*'"^' '"^ ^^^ scriptures, applied, as titles, to Almighty God, and never to mortal man, I feel no liberty to depart, in thrs mstance, from scripture precedent. And I must radically alter my views of Christ s kingdom, before 1 can use any title whatever, at a rtenralMle.— Though I have not covered much paper with pompous profcssteiTs, or ostentatious displays of christian friendship and can- «;(rar, perhaps li may bte lound upon triai, that I do not want eyes to see, judgment to appreciate, taste to relish, w a disposition to encom- age, true, evangelrcal piety wherever it appears. Thf> Baptists have been fi-equently char{red with the crime of lavinff too murn sl^Tss upon the ordinance of baptism. But of all those who practice the ordinance at all, the Baptists are the only people, who, by ffieir very distinguishing principles, a»c necessarily preserved from lay- ing undue shess upon it; is they maintain '' ""*^"« "'''^•''^ "P<"^ baptism; profes. what he may, cannot, on that f erj- account, he a Baptist. But many l-edobaplisi s maintain that baptism cleanses from original sin, and is a passport tolicaycn; some that it regenerates, and mak.s the baptised amembei' of Christ's church; ai.d evon tho.e of them who disclaim a^cijbriig to (he ordinanrc any s.ving efficacy, arc, notwithstanding, ^xcecdingty (onacious of the ^pfi.-m of infants, as if conferring upon them some mystermns indescribable benefit, which will avail thein much m the sight of God. Let Ihe benefit derived to infants from being ban* tisedbe distinctly specified, and not left so vague that people may mako ofit whatever tht.r fancy dictates. U there be no benefit, then, the Bap- tist principles muu be vci y harmless, depriving the inlbnts of nothiiiff talna We; r.nd thereto. r.'M,g>L not I o be attacked so keenly as if hnitfultS souls Here let prarlirc nnd not mere professioii, ascertain what stress IS faid upon bript.sm. It is msy to see, then, that it is the Pedobaptists, and rot the IHptists, v,h., are most in dan^-er of laving undue stress npo« the ordinance. I may be M.imed for clasMi.g together all sorts ot Pedobaptists: but it .nppe.Tt-s that whatever diHerenees they hav<> among themselves, (hey Jar them asiue as of minor impoitanre, ami proceed ma united phalanx, to make an attack upon the baptists. Let the case of Messrs. Jack.ov audRos suliice as an oxan-ide ^ In writing the folIoniMg sheets, I felt my mind peculiarly ..nfettered, :romthc consistenoyot the view I have taken, uilh tlic most impor- tant doetr.nes of the gospel The moral depravity of ournature--the nature and necessity of regeneration, m «rdei to fit us for spiritual ex- ercises and spiritual enioyiuent-; — the rr-(-o.c"cifv ,.r -ilvl: ;> rr-n5..-,,r h. --.. !r<'nera(ion--thft eternity" and immuiabilify «r"the div ine r^uSl'-tho reeness and sovcreijrnty of divine graee-'justificalion by faith alone— trie real hoiiuess ..ftl,e cliri^tian r!,ainrtei~th" divine ori-in and Mii- mudl nature of the rliristian reiijioi,_nnd ".c snr».iior c'rri-.cs' v'>;- HtPAcrfi. Til tituality andglory of the gospel over the law— these, and kinUred doc- trines, seemed, in mj mind, to be identified with the very subject I Wjs writing upon. They so naturally fell in, and so readily 'lent nie their aid, that, sometimes, I almost forgot hut one or other of tliem was the y«ry point I wished to establish . Whereas, had I taken the other side, it appears to me that these doctrines would constantly withstand nre to ray face. I felt as if I were laying the axe to the root of the cor- ruptions of Christianity, and that, by taking the opposite side, I woi>kl \e strengthening th( ii. Christian baptism in its very form, implies a firm belief of the exist- ence of the sacrsd Three; and of the scripture representation of tiieir character, and various ollices in the economy of salvation. No person «an come forv ard for baptism, without thafc belief, or the most profane and horrid prevarication. It is the first, hy far the most comprehen- sive in its meaning, and therefore, the most important in its r.at irp and censequences, of all cliristian ordinances. In estimating; the com- parative importance of the iJiiierent subjects of Christianity, it is a food rule, to give the highest place to those that are mor,t noticed, or possess the most prominent place, in the sinp»ure.,ven. The promise which, to human appearance, cou'd not • ossibly be ac.otiplished, he '.)elicved, relying on the divine veracity ; and it was counted to him for rigkteou.sness, v. 6. Hitherto the blessings were siniply premised. The inheritance being promised again, v. 7. he asked, v. S. the important question : " Whereby shall I know that \ shall inherit it ?" Then Jehovah ratified the promise into a covenant, aud it is generally e\cr alter called a covenant. The same covenant was a ft erv.'ards renewed to him, Gen. xvii. a token remjndinV'hen a dying man be- queaths his pi-opcrty to his eliosen heir, the appointment, disposition, aHd arraiigemptit of hispropetty, to sush a^persoit, for such a purpose \ subject to snch regu'' d'lOhs, is a will, testa&ent, or covenant, i. e. a free voluatarj, authoritative, appointed, lUsposition of affairs : compare Ezod. zxiv. 8. with Het>. ir. 20. yet the heir perhaps, enters into no covenant. Not attending to this, has occasioned several mistakes res- pecting covenants. Both may make a covenant, Gen. rxi. 27. and then, the ful^lling of the promiiie by the one party, may br viewed as a condition by (he other. When Jehovah makes or reveals a covenant to man, neither promise, condition, or covenant, is required of man. All Jehovah's covenants with men, are gracious intimations of his merciful designs of doing good to man. Si;e the covenant of safety with Noah and all flesh, Gen. ix. 8 — 17. the covenant of circumcision with Abra- ham and bis seed, G*!n.xv. 7 — 21.\vii. 1—22. the covenant of ceremonies with the literal Israd, £x9d- xxiv. 7, 8. renewed in the land of Moab. Deut.xxix. 1, 10—15, the covenant of priasthooUvith Levi, Numb. xxv. 12,'13. Mai. ii. 4-t). tiie covenant ofroyaltyvyjthDp.vid, 2 SamLvl:. 12— 17. xxiii. 5. I Chron. xvii. ?sah Ixxxix. mnd the new covenant withttit spiritual Israel. Jer. xxxi. ;30— '34. Ueb. viii. 6 — 13. As far as I rememr ber, these are all the covpr.arits that Jeiovnh«;ver made with, orreveaIe4 to man. They all ."ieem to be iHct.-'lied ezthisively uy Jehovah; and man is bound to believe axiU obey, by tiivln* anthw ity, not by voluntary ea- gaeement. The principal parts of a covenant are three: — a promise, c ratifica-f tion sacrifice, and a token. First, a pr')mise of some particular benefit. There may be en's brnotit, or mp.ny. The promise may be fulfilled soon, or remain to be fulfilled a Ion; time alter: yet it is acted upoa with all confidwvce, fron. the time of its ratification. There will be some reason why the promise is made, some specified channel through which the promise .^hnU he fulfilled, some medium of intercourse bttween the parlies, am! ^onle pl;m of conduct naturally arising from the promise. Second, a ratifn ation sacrifice; without which the covenant is of no force — is v.o more tLaa a simple p4"omise, tieb. ix. 16 — ^21, The ratificatioK sacj-ifice ussti to be. mit t^irough in the middle, +hen the party engaging passed bet\Yeen the parts, s'gmfying a wish to be so divided, if he should retract from his eMgajreni-nt; .ier. xxxiv. 18, 19. In the case of a person's las* w '11 nnd Testament, when his soul is se- parated from Ills bO('\ , he ca>mi)t recall his promise. A smoking fur- nace and a burning liimp, attenilaiits on the divine presence, passed between the parts of thfi r:\tificat'ijn sacrifice; Gen. xv. 17. and thus Jehovah, in foira. c(?nfirm*>.l the covenant to Vbraliam. Third, a token reminding both pirt >s of the latification, consequently, \he certain fulfilment of the ^jroralsa; er, V.iq satTcd obligation of the engagement. That the token may atsawcr tlie pvu'pose of a token, it must, when ne- cessary, be dis« ovcraHe hy th« i'enses. Thus Jehovah shall look upon the bow in the cloud, ami icmei'.iber the everlasting covenant. Gen, ix. l'^ — 17. Kach of these is occasionally called the cuvenunt. The promise. Gen. xv. J». tlu; sacrifice, isaiah ilix. 8. and the token, Gen. xvii. 13. Enc.h of these essential tearts, must bear some relation or pr!j|;urji;jii li: iji;: Ctii; r, ;n UaT iire anil iii .^siiie, 11 liits uiessinir promis- ed is very valuable and difficult to oi>ta»n, t^e sacrifice must have s»me proportionable value. If the blessing be temporal, the token will be temporal; if spiritual, the token will be spiritual: in which case, it is discoverable only by the senses of the mind. On this scheme, it is sup- posablethat engagements of quite inferior importaiu,e,mi..iiij-j Vicic I'liici'v' iUiee. I wisi, a s( ( i ; second an inheritance ; and third, Jehcrali to be their Goil. En i of tliese had, Srsl a litcra', and second a spiritual racaiiing, ncccs.s-- . to ho di'.- it 5, ^ t.nsjui..hed, and kept distinctlj in view, whether we consider the pre- mise of the blessings, or fulfahnent of the promise. Not carrvintf thi<^ ' (hsc.nct.on fairly through all the parts of the covenant, but joinirfg th« literal meaning of the one promise, to the spiritual meaning o? th« •.her, was the capital error of the Jews; when they thought that, be- cause thf^y were the literal covenant seed, they had a riffht to the spiritual inheritance, and that Godwould be spiritually thei?God ThI. 1. what made thetn so tenacious of the Mosaic law, interpreted in this .|um!,.ni5 manner by the Rabbles, and such enemies to those teacheM niomMstctlonthe necessity of a second bi-th, a spiritual relation t0 \brahon,, and doing the work* of Abraham, in order to participate in t ic spmtua blessing,. It is not the Jews only, that stumbled on this !^ '''!!!i !., ''i".^- ,,h **''^ "'"'^^ confusion has arisen from con- lou«r3b9m for children: non" are I«ft out of thi. promise, so they could he the children of any other b,- .ever: none are left out so thejr themselves may become fathers In ^LVsTsTe'r^u'T.t'/a?* :" " ''^ inferior decree: no room for t fllV K i •♦ • .u*^"** *^^ promise was made to Abraham and his .hUdren to Abraham; not ,n the capacity of falhcr,-^t^ZySu]^ed mjr>, usv,eU as Mraham h.melf, that the promise i, made tT het Sn. f»^L '"'''''^'"«^'^-^'''"^' '* ^^** of ch.Iclren not fathers. Only one father .s recognized m the covenant. A, Abraham could neithej rehnquuh he capacity of father to become a child, no/occupy the place of both father and child; so, other believer, cin neither relin! ^'rK^^'^u^r''*^ of children to become fathers, nor occupy the place of both cbddren and fathers. It is therefore as improper,^, unconst^ tut.onal,«s arrogant and presumptuous, for any belieVer a, 3. to consider himsell a covem.^j.,lker " f'-o"' uncircumcised nptions; the ora- cles of God; and access to the temple worship. Those of the spiri- tual seed, are peace and fellowship with God, access to him in worship iCi^ a-nej'tator; victory over sin; the Ho.y Spirit to show them WnSlii''-^*^^"*^''^'*'*" "''''" "*'^'''^' ^'"^ to fit them for cnjey- Lameut oiUinances being called carnal, is not on account of the mat- ter or elciiifliit used, nor yet the manner of using it, but because ihey point Jmmcdiri«ciy, iindin theirprimary signification, toeatthlv Uiings: they refer to spiritual tilings, ^uly media Icly and in a secondary sens". The ne-.v te-tament ordinances are spi»itual, icusmuch as Ihey poiat directly ami imuiediateiy, in ilitir primary a.id only significatiou, to spiritiai things. Tliey have up earthly meaning by \^ hidi tl»*y repre- sent heavenly thiii;,\s. The elemeats themselves, or the uctjon itself, and not- eartii'y objects pointed out by them, are the emblems of thr ultimate objocls jiitonded to be made known. Tlic old testament or- dinances ;->oint to heavenly lliinjs,c£ afuble points to the mcr-x!, through tke medium of an earthly representation: the new teslameiit ordiuali- oes, hke piaitr language, refer immf diiilely to t!.c moral, orultimuie. instruction intended to4ie convf^tJ. 'J'iie car-ial seed Lave a tempo- ral polity; are governed by Lus civil arid reKgions, suited to «uir slate,, as auunregontiato, rebellious people, and aanc.ioned by the threatning of temporal punishmejit p. ;rportiontd lothecriniP, in rase ofdisobedionoe. The spiritual seed Law; a spiritual po'.ify; arc go- verned by laws suitable to tiirir stole as regenerated, ohodient chil- dren; influenced by Cii^l fi-ar, love, and "latitude, and posbesM.d oi' a nature tha^ de'ijhts in the law by which < hey are governed: but r.o temperal sanction to enforce obediencf. The means of drfeu(4ing the carnal seed were carnal weapons. It is true that as God v.as Their Protector, no meajis could prove successful vvitheut dejiftudeucc on him; but though this trust oltained success for the means, it was not itself the meaiis. The spixllual seed are defended hy the sword of fhr Spirit, wiek' -Hi by the .Spiiit. The nfcans of promoting the interest of the carnal seed, were commerce, agriculture, &.c. Their intrre_st ac a covenanted nation, was, in the days of Solomon, promoted to the highest pitch tliey ever experienced. Let any i)ersou read the hisiwv, anu see by what mev\i. Dependence on God is here equally iicc^ssa- Tj as in the former case. The interest of the spiritual seed is promt)- ted, by reading the scriptures, prayer, medication, and attentl.>n to all the means of grace. Nothing calculated to excite temporal fear or temporal hope, is at all conducire to their interest. In the nature of things, the relation between father and son is in- dissoluble. The Jews are still the descendants of Abraham, though jiot his covenant offspring: for the covenant itself ha vine vanished, the xovenant relation is abolished, with aJl the blessings of llia't relation: thereiorc, they do net now jHtssess the inheritance, because it was as a covenant seed, and not as a carnal seed merely, the inheritance was f>remi*ed. No one ever included in the covenant, could possibly .g«t out of it, but by the abolition of the cerenant itself. Believera also arp perpetually the spiritual offspring of Abraham; and tbe iaJw- «ianceis swe to all this seed. Tiie'covenant by which they are re- lated to Abraham, is spiritual and indissoluble : therefore their coven^ *»t r»}ati9«i9 indissoluble; and they cannot fail of obtaining thepi*- -win** This brioga us to the Mcotid {iromise ia tk« covuiant, vi». § in fi!? .'Jl^*^;*'""'^- The principal thin« to be considered with r«Mrd 1^ »**"'*»»«. "« 'l- nature, by wLm and to whom grante "on ^ht^rld eve^rToL* U^**' *°' ^"' '^'^ '^^ ^'^^ ^^'^ -^ -hethe; By referring t& ii4e covenant itself, a« described in Genesis it an- tiie land of Canaan wherein the Cyxaanitcs dwelt; Gen. xr. IG-llI th. land m wn.ch Abraham stood anJ nhich he saw by looking northward lal ?'^ ''**''''-'''..^"'i «"tvvard, and westward. Gen. xiii, 14^18 thi land that was ..tnat^d between the river of £gypt and tl r Eunhrates- and was possessed by those sinful nations, which the Israe ite"Ce^ to destroy out of .t, uhcn their iniquities should be full. It iaTno? merely n«r chiefly temporal support, nor a land wherein to dwlll; bu that p^t.cular land, bounded and described as above: a land flowin' with milk and honey; the land of promise. Thi. i. the i^ ^.eritance fi'S which Jehovnh brought (hem, which was divided an JnM^em bVlot and wheremtLcy were raised, in the days of Solomon, "tohThighost Jshovah promised, Gen xiii. 1.5, and Jehovah fulfilled, Jof. 37. X. Ifi. vti. 8. Tfaus also, whea evil waa threatened, those who pleaded with God for the people, did not plead (heir righteousness, nor that of their immediate predrcessors; hut went directlj back to the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a* the ^ant or promise, which laid a foundation fur th^ir faitii, and furnisheii a plea for their in- terccs*iona. Exod. xxxii. 13. Dcut. ix, ii7. Jcr. xiv. 20, 21. When inent-on is made of God't doine, having dene, or promising to do Ijoo'lto them, it is Mid to be in remembrance of his covenant. Exod. vi. J, 9. Lev. xxvi. 49, Deut. iv. 31. 2 Kings xiii. 23. Psal, cv. G— 13. cvi. 45. cxi. 5. Lukei. 51, 55, 72, 73. Thus, it appears that the covenant was the grant deed of the inhrritnnce ; it was in pursu- ance of the promise in tlie covenant, that the inlieritance was given; the covenant itself contains no condition to he performed b/ the heira, unless circumcision be one; therefore, they must have held it bj a free, unconditional grant. " P'or if the inlieritance bo of the law, it is no tnore of promine : but God gave it to Abraham hy promise." Gal iii. 18. As God made the covenant nith Abraiiam and hi.f seed, in their generations, it appears that natural descent from Abraham, in the line of Isaac and Jacob, was the foundalion of his posterity's right *.o coven- ant blessings. For all the descendants of Jacob, and they only, were the carnal covenant (eed. Wherefore then serveth tlie law? if obedience to it does not afford a title to the inheritance. It was added brcaiue of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. The dervavity of our nature is manifested, in wir propensity to love and serve the creature rather than the Creator. The Israelites, forin.stance, showed this propensity in a vvondeifnl degree. Xotvvidist.Tiiding tlie many miraculous interpositions of God in their faviuir, in Kgypt, in the red sea, and ia the wilderness; and tliey hail but a little ajjo, " believed the Lord anu his servant Moses;" no .sooner was Moses tak«n from them, than they made a calf to worship it, and paid divine homage to the work of their own hands. To ]>\irii>di this tiansfrirssion, and to prevent aimilar transgressions in future, God imposed on them a number of bur- densome ceremonies, which, however, were not against the promises of God, but subservient to thoni; f.rst, as being types of the ' .essinga promised, in their spiritual seri'-r:; serond, as tending to keep the Israel- ites separate iVom idolatry, and i'.lolatroi.s naiiuits, till Clsrist .should come to whom the promise wns mad*-; and wlio was hiiaselfihe fulfil- ■icnt,end,ortermijiatin2; point, of tlie law. IM.iii being tlesli as well as spirit, it is necessary he should h(i\ e sodielliing sensible to engage ]iis attention in r«ii^'ious woisliip. 'J'iie rry f^i;i^ ,ence of all exttrnal forms of worship, is in condesceiision toh - . kness; ' f signed to stre igtheii faith by represerttin:i to th<^ . , u> ,,ensible objects, the same things (hat i»re represented to tlio understanding hy report, whe- ther testimony or prouilsa. As none is fittjd, or authorised to deter- mine the proper furm of worship, hut tlie <;reat Ruler of mankind; hu appointed then* many ceremonies, calculated to engage their aitentioa, and render it unnecessary for them to borrow external forms fVom tiw ktaiL-r-n; Vidthus preswve them from idoiuiiy, while 0« i|j«i*eif Wgi the auth(V r ^1 the object of nil the ceremonial worship. The law ct- i«rr9flt* ^httjpfror modeloftlHtseheme of mercy: thia model cvm- 11 raeaced in Abrahtna. Istiah li: 1, 2. It wm in tii« icheme of mercy. Like a parenthesis in a sentence. • As God gave the inheritance to Abraham by promise, it was enjoyed l>y faith m the promise, according to the tenor of, and during the time specified in, the promise. Thus, t'ley that fell in the wilderSess, couM not enter in because of unbelief. Moses and Aaron, though believers in the Ood of Israel, and in the divine Redeemer; and that to the savinr of their souls, fell in the wilderness through unbelief. The apostJf ot serves, tha( the gosnel is preached unto us as well as unto them; but not being mixed wUhfaith in them, it did not profit them, so that they entered into the land of Canaan. The gospel which was preached uato ih*Ta was evidently not God's testimony concerning hi« Son, but the good news to Abraham's seed, of entering into the rest of the earthly Ca- naan. Even those who have believed God, and whose faith Is reckoned to their account for righteousness, sometimes gives too much way to unbelieving despondency, concerning tcraporal beneftt.t. Thus it hap- pened to Meses and others, who, thouah heirs by faith iothe tpiritaiU inhcritanc-!, cime short through unbelief of the promise relating to it of the earthly inheritance. While the Israelites had faith in the divine promise relative to the earthly ip>" liance, they were invincible; even though they shoulJ be strangers to the Redeemer of sinners Oeut XXA1I.30. Josh xxiii. 9, 10. But when they disbelieved the divine promises, and trusted to horses, and chariots, and allies, they were pven up to their enemies, and sometime^ the possession of tteir land was suspended. Wc read that thry'fell at ^st by unbelief It is certain they lost the the land of Ca laan: but tome it is very doubtful, whether the Ml through unbelief, mentioned in the eleventh ol the Romans has any special reference to their losing the land of their inheritance. The land of Canaan was itself earthly and temporal and therefore could not be an everiasling possession, in the most unlimited jense ot the phrase. Tliere must thou, have been a specified point of time, m the counsels of Jehovah, when the Jews, however faithful and pious, would cease to inherit the land. 2 Peter i^i. 10. But the land was given for an everlasting possession. Gen. xvii. 8. Whatever dura- tion, therefore, the term everlasting means, or refers to, in the coven- ant, the covenant seed of Abraham must necessarily possess t\ve pro- mised inheritance, to the full end and completion of that duration It is npni.ed to the ro\enanf. relation between Jehovah and Abraham! and Abraham s seed in their generations. It is applied to the inheritance and to the token of the covenant. Gen. xvii. 7, 8, 13. Can any person suppose that it refers to different durations in these three instances > It 18 the same word, from the same author, relating to the same coven- ant, within the compass of a few verses, as capable ofbeino- under- stood in a limited or exten.leJ sense, in the one instance as in the other ana no notice given of its being used in a different signification in .he different passages. As long as Abraham had chUdren succe^din* !!fi!,*'-:^li"J.^'''•^^"f **'«"'.' ^Z 'l',"? _*^'^* '««d was capabfe of T"? •"--■-'^="^-se-^ 5- tiie licsh of the fureskin, and of enjoyin" he hind of Canaan lor a possession. The term everlasting seems pphed to relative duration rather than to absolute, and is to be inter- .refed according to the nature of the subject to which it is applied It « applied to the d;ff>»"-" *■»-*• -" » J' ■ V V2 c»u«e it is, in its literal sense, typical of the new oorcnant, which js everlasting in the most unliinited sense; and that what it strictij trua of the antitype, is commonly applied te th« type; see Jud« v. 7. but also, liecause it was strictly applicable to the full end and completion of the Jewish age or state, to which that covenant, in its literal sense, refer- red. Aa the land of Canaan was typical, and belonged to, and was a part of the typical economy, can nny point of time be iniaj;iiied, when it couW, with greater propriety, cease to be possessed as a typical in- heritance, than that point of time, when the typical economy, ts a who!e, having received its full accomplishment, vanished away as a shadow, to make roem for the siibslancc— flie antitype, which cannot be shaken, but remaineth. If so, though wc are to ascribe the subse- quent afflictions of the Jews to their rejection of the Messiah, yet, though they had not rejected him, they would not hold the land on any other footing, than that on which heiievinj: (itnlilcs would hold their own possessioas in heathen countries. 1/Ompare Acts v. M with Kmgs xxi.S. "jTrue, it is not for us to speculate what woald hare been the consaqnence, had the Jews, as a nation, received and obeyed theKiugofZion.^ But they did net receive him, and the consequence is, what it is. VVliat would have been the con«fquence to the Israel- ites, if the Canaanites, instead of fdhng up the pleasure of Iheir iniquity, hsd repented, and become obedient to the truth.'' Every thin» 'i» ordered in the counsels of Jehovah, that every punishment inflicted is clearly on account of deserving iiiiquily; and every blessing conferred is evidently <« without money, ami w itliout price." ' Should thif reasouinp; bt- thou^dit to militate against the future res- toration of the Jews lo thrir ancient possession, I ask: Arc not all the passages whi-h are iindtistood to prophesy that event, i . capabie of being understoo.l Jij^nialivoly, as many'other passaf;ps which ate se understood.^ For instance, Jer. .x.wi'ii: lit. Mai. i: ll.Isa. lii: 1 When Moses propitesied of (lie IVFcssiah as the Prephet whom God should raist! up unto the dews, the divine command to those to whom h« was sent was " unto him shall je heaiKcu.'" Whosoever will not heark- en unto my words whUU he .<=liall speax in my name, I will require it of liim." Deut. Aviii. l,"., 10. That Jesus was the Prophet meant is put beyond a doutit l.uke ix. .T-, Acts ii. 2;1. Thus, the law carried in itself the seeds of its own alolitioii: lor when that Proph.t shonldeome, tht' law w?s of no more force, without the sanction of his authority. The Governor ol'a Province hr-s a-ithoiily from the King in that Province; but \\lirn IlisMaje-ty himself ap|raiiam, and heirs !>.-,oiding tothe pro- ruise? Did not Christ himself pvonoimce his benediction on tliemeek, as the proper heirs to the land ot |.romise? Plainly showing that, under )>i.^ n.i..-.;.,;. «..-< ■ 1 I . _ .. " , '". '. : --.li;; :ir::, !;:v: j: t;i;ui .tCirr Vi u„ GI iiiOir VaiUft iur ooiuillin"' tne inheritance, than carnal relation. lie preached the gospf>| ©f the lungdom, s;iv|..„r- «. The was ch.ngad, the feuJdatioH of hdr, 1 w« changed as a necessary consequence. A. it was never intended ZtThe new hen. slieuld possess the old inheritance, the inheritance itself miut hare been changed also rfheuM any person object and say; that fS Ob ta. led It by faith, (Abraham's faith, not theii «wn,) and lost i by un- belief, .t contrad.c s the sayinir, that God ffave it to Ibrahan, by promise- I answer, that M.y faith," - by ;jrace," -by promise;" coSe "„d haimonizc, and thaf ca.Mi is dirf>ctly opposed to " by the law" br the doedsot Uielaw," " by uo.ks." Su^Lbjectors Cdd do weVSo consider, Rom. iv. IH. «' It is of faith that' it might be by grace" Compare Rom. iv. 4, 6, will. xi. 6. Those who%et aside faitTn T,vZ^ '"agn'fy Sra-e, prove that they have very confused ideas if divine revelation, and very anti-scriptural views of faith particularly There is no other way than by faith, that the divine favours can be ronferred m consistence with the divine character. The JewSwere Abraham s covenant children, and, conscjuently, heirs by carnal birth olr iVrrr*'- 'l '^^ 'f " •" ^^^•'*^ it included^* errnafoff: spring, was only typical, in that sense, it vanished away, when the time was fulfilled ; and consequently they were no longer ACham'; covenant seed, nor heir, ofthe earthly inheritance: for by divineTn- pom ment, that slat, of things in which a carnal offspring^re reco?^ rnA^r"''"""* 5'""'' ^" g'^«npJ«'^etoa state of things in wJ?S none are reco|ni;.ed as such, without a spiritual birth. Those who be- ,'.!'" ♦t^?'*^'"'^''' ^*"'"'' lovc.ant heirs in the spiritual sense- .nd though the typical sense of the covenant vanished, and their Tvn: .oal relation, with all it. privileges, vanished with it ; yet they did nJt thi In^Htnn?'"'" • '"Y.T' ''*'"''"'" ^*"/ ^"« ^f''''l''«° according to the spiritual meaning of the rovenant. Being Christ's, they were co- venant children and covenant heirs. Those who rcjeaed Christ, lost aL?S"''*''''1 *'!'*, r"''^"*"*^'''''''''^''- '^ appears then that t fh. rl" .'^•^^^"f"^ •children are always covenant heir., according • U tn'^ir-'t •/ '""''r'*""^ '■ ""^' ^''^^ "^'y •^"''•J "«t lose thei? • ight to the inhenta /ice, dui,:,ff the term intended in the covenant Rnn;.?""! or r' i^ thls^uhject, I .uhjein an explanatory note oil ,. J?, ; / ; ^' *?u''""8^ ^^' ^""'^'^^ ^^'y ='•* ^"e'nie^ for your !wr» Vr ''iT'""^ ^^^ •'""*'""' ^^'y =^''^ ^''^^'^'^ '■or the father's sake. Ihe old covenant restricted its blessings to Israel after t'le flesh, as the pecuhar people of God Jpluiv-.h oi Israel, had lixed 1 people of God were to resort, three t lis residence in Ihe temple, and thither th ^t the festival imes in the year, to worabip ? 'ioQ and As long as this constitution listed, the rel V, v.orsliip of God, could not become general over the 14 V I whole earth. Though the covenant by which they ' c constituted the exclusive people of God, was aboUshed, yet Irom the high value they set upon their privileges, the religious aversion they had to other nation*, and the contempt with which others regarded them, great difficulties would arise to the universal spread of any religion, which had its origin among the Jews, and was so nearly related to the Jewish, as the antifype is to the type. Therefore God saw meet to leave them in Llindnoss, concltide them in unbelief, and allow them to continue in their natural enmity against the gospel, for the sake of the destitute Gentiles, that Judaism mijfht be universally understood to havt been fully abolished, that cliristiaKity was not a new form of Judaism, but was quite distinct from it, and that thus Judaism should be no longc a bar in the way of the univprsnl ^:pread of Christianity. But though thus cast out for a * 'tie, yet respecting the purpose of God in calling them once to be his peculiar, chosen people, God has not forgotten their fathers, Ahraha)ii, Isaac and Jacob, and they are beloved for thf ir fathers' sakes; so that the vail shall yet be taken off their hearts, ^ and they shall generally believe the gospel, and be saved by it. The gospel which they were allowed to reject, that it mi^lit spread more generally among the Gentiles, tl.ey shall receive back from the Gentiles, and great shall be the joy. Tims the election touching which they are belovc'i is not inconsistent with the gospel touching which they are enemies. But there is also a spiritual inheritance. CanantT was a type of heaven; and the rest Irom tii.^ fatigue of war, a type of the rest th^.t remaintrUli for tlie people of Go\e shall be fully satisfied with what we enjoy, and fully certain oi' its continuance. This inheritance is wholly spiritual . no- thing earthly or rarHal enters into its nature, oris in any sense, con- ducive to its [((rfectioh. This is a land of pure delights: a city with fouudations, whose builder and maker is (io(i : an niheritance ''icnr- ruptibie, nmlcliled, and lliat fadetli not away. Heirship lo fUcU an estate, is uoillij of our liijiirst ainhition. AU tliiuo-s are of (.-ml. Kvcry gooi! and peifef^t gift is f.'nni the Fatlrcrof li}^llt^, wiHi whom there is no variablencvs nor shadow of turning This is the promise that he hath promised us, even tternal life. Aiul this >.s the will of .(he Father, yea, tlie last will, for he changethnot, that cvny one\\;;o seeth the Sr»ii iimI bi!i;>feth on hiin, .shall have etemil life. Is it au inheritance f li is he, of his abundant mercy, that hath h'';;(i(teu u> to thelivei\ h^jn; o! ii. Is it a crown .' It is till' \A)r.\ lliiit hatli pro'tK.iHl a crown of !iib, ;.:'.'l it \ the Lord, thtf I'ighleous .hu'j^c, tliat -luill :rive it at tin' ia-^t dav, 'a ail who love his appeariii;j. VVIvu the vainlv are put in i;u--ve>-i(i;i of it, they shall never tire acknoisiodjiins; h\< i»ou' Iv in iic^tuwin^- it, and asc.ihing to llini all the gloii , saving- : •' H<> i^ uorthv." ■> ■. It is Abraham's seed only wiio are heirs ai',-or(!i:i>r to the promise. The natural man rereiveth not the things of th:' Spirit of God, hut they are foollshtiessunto him ; neilh.cr canh' know t!i:')u, because they aie spiritually discerned. Ksau »vjld his hiethri^ht iu»ronc mess of pet- 15 Ug«. He will ver, like Moses, choose to suffer aiTlliliou with the Seopleof God, nt.lier than enjoy the pleasarei of sin for a season. l)it the trui heir of promise, purceiva* a glory, and beauty, and suit- ableness in the inheritance, which attracts his attention, leads him to este' 1 and value it, and count himself rich and happy as the posses- sor of it. He ill count all things loss and dung, for the ( njoyment of it. He will hate all that would stand in the way of his enjoying it. He will deny himself, take up the cross daily, and submit to Jesus as Lord and King; thit he may be his di&ciple, and so an heir of the erown. As the covenant was made with Abraham concerning him- self and his seed, that God would give them this inheritance, none but he and his seetl can possess it; or else, the constitution of things established by ^. ' is disannulled; Abraham will not then he the fa- ther of all thf eve; there sliall be covenant heirs, and non-covcu- ant heirs. B.. -; are assured that all who believe are the children of Abraham, anu blessed with faithful Abraham. Gal. iii. 7, fl. Again, all that believe shall be saved; all Abraham's seed are heirs according to the i)romise; none of tli-i sheep shall perish, hut shall all have eternal life. ' Thus the promise is sure to all the seed. If then, you lay claim to the inheritance, produce your testimonials that ymi arc of Abraham's spiritual seed; show the mark of his children, and you shall possess the inheritance without fail. Are you sealed with the Spirit in tlie heart .^ i.e. are you the true circumcision which is in- ward in the spirit ? Are you doing the works of Abraham > A re you walking in the steps sf his faith ^ If not, it is unwarrantable presump- tion to lay claim to tlie inheritaHce. As the covenant compiohends an earthly and typical'sced, and an earthly and typical inheritance; and also a spiritual and typified seed, and a spiritual and typified in- heritance; is any thing more natural and reasonable, than that the promise of the typical inheritance should be to the typical seed, whe had a suitable rapacity for enjoying it; and the promise of the spi- ritual inheritance to the spiritual seed, who only have u suitable ca- pacity for enjoying it .' Does not the fac':bliow this to have been tl^e case ? Did not the earthly covenant seed actually inherit the land, withoHt regard to their being the spiritual seed '' And docs not the joiritual ooed actually inherit the antitype "Canaan, whr-ther they are the earthly seed or not .' and is not this according; to the pi-o- mise ? The blessing of Abraham cometh on the believing Gentiles through Jesus Christ. Those who believe not, whether Jews or Gen- tiles, so fer frem inheriting the blessinir, are cond< mned already, are under the curse. Under the typical economy, spiritual covenant re- lation was >iothing ; earthly covenant relation was every thing, for en- joy;.!g the blessings ofthat dispensation. Under the spiritual ecoifb- my, earthly coveiiant relation is nothing, spiritual covenant rela- ticHi is every thing, for enjoying the blessings of this dispensation. Yea, under the new testament, the old testament with all the rela- tions it recogui;^ed, and all the blessings it bestowed, are vanished. The bond-woman and her children are cast out of Abrdbam's family. It ii essentitihjr !u;ct^»ury to tiistingMi.sh between the iVbie and the mo- ral, between tke model and the thing represented, between the sha- dow afid the substance: in other words, between the type and the anti- tjfo. Unless tois Uistiuatioa be carefullj and uaiformly observed I- 1^ thiDughout, til? ktter and spirit, the carnal and spiriluaJ, that which rcmainetk and that which ia Aone aw ay, will be strangely mixed anJ coafoundefi, and a heterogeiieous system will be i.itr«ducei. This was the great error ef the Jews and Judaizine •hristians. Cbrist and his apostks strove hard to coirect it. Read the 3d of Matt, the 8th of ,'ohn, the epistles to the Rom. Gal. and Heb. 2 Cor. 3d chap, and many oihtr passages of scripture; and it is impossible not to see, that great pains are taken to illustrate and enforce the distinc- tion ia question, so absolutely necessary for understanding the truth. Now, to suppose that in virtue of a carnal covenant relation, one has - right t» the promised spiritual inheritance, is to break through this distinction, and estaMisIi a connection betwpcrtHesh and spiiit, which is contrary to the whole tenor of scripture. THirefore all the spirit- ual seed, and none else, are entitled to, and sliall actually possess, the promised, spiritua' inheritance. It has been shown already that the grant of the earthly inherilanre, to the carnal covenant seed, was free, absolute, unconditional. This is still more eminently true of the jjrant of the spiritual mheritance, to the spiritua! coveuanl se^d. (^d gave his Son to redeem them; and v ith Lim, shall he not fi-eclyirivc them all things ? They ara justified freely by his grace, throiijch tiie redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Thej are reconciled to God through the death of bvs Son. Much more then, being recaocJIcd and juiitifitd, they shall be saved from wrath through his life. Whout money and without price, is the motto on ail rJ:c di- vine blessings. The very end and intention of Christ's death, is to ^ave his people from sir aid .HiU'ering, and bring them lo glory. There is therefore an immediate, inseparable, and necessary connection, beJ tween the death of Christ and the salvation of those for whom he died. He died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live toge- ther with him. Having felt and manifested sucli love to Ihtm, such interest in their happiness, and embarked in their cause so far, as to redeem them to God, even by his own blood; and having bcgotteii them unto God by the incorruptible seed, which remaineth in them as a principle of grace, he will not leave them to perish, but shall give un- to them eternal life. They have not, and he knows it, any thing wherewith bliviB|[ can be justified, rmt that the spiritual blessing of Abra- 17 A5 the inheritance is by faith, will it not be lost by unbelief ? All who bel.eve, be .ere to the saving of the soul. He /hobeUeveth not £,tJ T^^ ^'''''' '^ ''^^ '"'^'' •^•'^^ back, Jehovah shall have no pleasure m him; yea, every drawing back is toward perdition The gospel .s the incorruptible seed, their believing the gos^elX only way of receivmg th^ seed and this seed remainetb in tll^rdtvine prilu? tt'Jit T.u'^'-'u^' ' "^ ^^"'^' "«•• ''« wholly dormant When we read that the .nhen. is of faith, or that it is by the new Wrth we understand the sam .....,, God promised to make w' h tli, eed an everlas mg covenant, that he will not turn away from them to do them good; but he will put his fear in their hearts, that they s5 not dejart ThSr "el- ^"';''k*"' '"'^ *''.'''' '»'«1»'««S he will remembe^no r^Sre Their .ehev.ng, the.r continuing in the faith, and po.sessino- the eterna «ut the Almighty has g,ven thorn, on tb. behalf of Christ, to believe oahis name: he mcreases and strengthens their faith, thus theyTre kept by the power of God, the agrnt, by the means of tl is fl th^vh ch to ^hatiou; tdl they receive possession of that incorruptible, imde- t.led never-fad.,.g ,r.hPritanre,re.'3rvedin hea.cn for them GodSre- pared It for them bdore the fomuUtion of the world; he n^eparerthem or a n. t.mo; and, nt the end of time, give, them the ?u7;os Session V '^- r r '''^;:ys^^' V"" """'^ ^«'''^' '» tJ>«"» will carry it on, untq he ^l{i'T?T- K^'-;''*^ evny plant which God ifath no planted! ' m'/'*'^" '' ''' "" •■^^■^"- *'« '""^^ '"- born a^ain. lheTh.rdbless.ns:,„lhecovcna„tis:,JehovahtobetheirGod. Ilhas nreaoy been noticed that the promises are .nude ir. language which in ils itfrai sense IS app, cable to his sj.iritual character; 'nor rajoi . h. spi.. u- ahtyofworsh.p ashchas ..ruler the gospe' Economy. M.e ^o pd 7h.%lZiT^' 'r " ^?r ■?"' ''\ '^''^■^ by typ/, an.I shadows. Christ v^a L^V*""-^- *!'"" S'^"?;'^^ . <^>";''«tion of the world, hut it was in the tv^! .-a: _-.ijii-^c. i-tiriiicario., Hum .siri was laught by Cf-remonia. nurinca- tion from cer.mom.l f.3!lution. Regeneration, oi th. renevv'ngof the Sf^l'?^^''^' a,igbt; but it was in the rite of circumcision. The offices of Mediator, Intercessor, &c. w«re exhibited, but it was bj u. 18 ^rthly wd tjpie*\ •fficers, exercising their offices in a typictl minaer. The true and heavenly realities, were vailed by the ttpes, till fully brought to light by the gospel: for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. There is no doubt but many were ilhiminated to undei&iand the truth, and see through the vail, the glorious realities couched under the types. But still, to by far the greater part, the appsthc gospel wa^ vailed by that which is done ?:\vay; by which, even now, the (5od of this world hath blinded the minds of them that beliere not, lest the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. ( hrist is the way to the Fathei; but as the way to thp Father, he was not thus made manifest, while the vail yet inter- vened. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express Imige of his person. No man hath seen tiof' at any time; the onlv begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him. Ti; is in Christ, the moral character of God is revealed. He who hath seen the Christ, hath seen the Fatlier. Till Christ is seen and believed, the spirituality of the divine character is hid. Though Jehovah wa» manifested under that covenant, as very diiferent from the heathen Gods, y«t it must he admitted that his moral attributes and his spirit- uality, were greatly vailed by types. AVe are accustomed to view the types through their accomplishments, and so they a, , ear to us tnuch plainer than they would under that covenant. So inudels see natural reli(;ion through the glass of revelation, and therefore discover more divinity in it, than the brightest philosopher could, when destitute of that light. Jehovah became the God of the whole natio.' of Israel, took them for his peculiar people, and set his seal or mark upon th''m, that they might be distinguished as his. This relation was really temporal and typical. But hi virtue of it, they had many privileges. They had the inheritance, the divine protection, the oiacles of God, and a system of religious ceremonies, of which God is the aullior, and which pointed out directly or indirectly better things to come. Their code of laws was calculated to make them just, lionest,humaJie, benevolent, chasie, orderly, contented, disinterestrj, and peaceal)le among themselves. To be under such laws was a great priviieat First Cause, a Su- preme Being; and it tixhibited, thon-h darkly, »(,..ie of his moral attri- butes. It required thom to arknau ledge the covenant relation sub- sisting betwefii them and God. It leciciif d, < hey were typically accepted, and SVSn'T "\'*^' ^"^r'^''^^' '- tJ^^ t^^^or of t:.e typical mLni;.^ of the covenant. See Pr. JEusk.ne's Diss, on the S.nai Covenant. See the prn'ileses of th^^ carnal coveiir.nt oHipring, enumerated: Romans If'Ji^'Z. ^f't Jehyeijance fom Ihe guilt, dominion, and punishment Swrf?hW'-T .*!'"/*''''"' or the necessary consequence of them. S&l* f*'^ ha^Unic, married to it by a covenant, even When It was most sunk into idolatry: forth., covenant always contin- ued in force, till the fulness of time was come, an-l it vanished to mak« room lor the new and better covenant. Though Abraham did not himself possess »ny land, yet Cod was not a:hamed to be called hj. God; for ne provide, lor him a city, such a one as he desired, even a heavenly; a city with foundations, whose iniilder ;,nd maker is fJod. As he was Abraham'. God in a spiritual sen.., he provided fprhjm a spi- uZt'^{ I ^•'PPears then that '.here is a nccessaiy connection he- clt .n f w'"""/ ^^"'^ ■ ^'"^. ^^ I^^'^P'"' ""*^ '^'^ preparing for them a city and the c.ty must agree in nature, with the relation betw^en him thorI'r,r • '"'f ?■;' ^-'"'^ ^^Pi'-''''' «»'-city«ill he earthh ; if the relation :* spiritual, the c.ty will be heavenly. Seein' ^"'^ ^""^^ and Jesus Christ whom thou ^'ont7 r» • v"'' '-y «'iat i,f KtK (vs God, and keep not his command- rnents, he ,s a bar and the truth is not in him. The want of thi teadiiuicanddivinc !:i ' " they arc born into tl heart, s in"ce nappy, in. THE RATIFICATIOX OF THE COVENANT. The Second part of the Covenant is theRatification Sacrifice. There IS good authority for raying that, while the ratification sacrifice liveth. a covenant is of no force, Heb. ix. 17. That it may become unaUer: able, It m«»t be confirmed by the death of the confirming victim. -al m lo. God made promises toAlnaham, Gen. xii, 2, 3, 7. xiii. i* ;.?'• f '''■• b ' • '"'''i* ^^^'^^'^^ '"t*^« Lord, and he counted of the Ti'; "^^''^f^'\'^ Clen XV 6. Having repe'ated the promise vL, J fi'ln- ^^^^'^"^ -ked,v.8. Lord God, whereby*^ shall I IZV ;^^" '"^«"t t > '.n. gh Abraham had believed God, and it was counted unto h>m lor righteousness, yet God, who is w Hin **>»* P^^^^d between those l!-o„- r.rii' 't\ -"'"^ ' -nace cii:u a ouiiiiiig lamp, auemiants on, or to- firr?. 1 [k ^^ ^' ^^''r^ ^'*^^*^" '^"^^^ P'^'^^*- ^''"« ^^^^V^h COn- hrmed the covenant mform, when he passed between the parts of the animals slaia for a ratifying sacrifice. See Jer. xxxiv. 18, 19 P« vpno^f f formerly been a promise, was now ratified into a co^ venaut, and i^ mostly ever after called a covenant it. «s II ' The covenant is n^w confirmed; but as the language in which th« Weiiiags wera promisad, taken in its literal mcfaaing, ligniiied tempo^ ral bU ssingsonljr, and could signify spiritual blessings, onljin a figu- rative sense; so the ratifyjng sacrifice '.fas plainly an earthly sacrifice, but figuratirely pointed to the spiritual sacri/icc/by which the spiritual pronaise should be ratified. <' Howbcit that was not first which is spi- ritual, but that which is natural, mid afterward that which ia spiritual.'* Tbis^ppins to be a maxim of general application in the economy of salvation. It is applicable in the prtsent case. The natural meaninf ©*■ the covenant was brought into full exercise before the spiritual meaning. The Sinni covenant was made in purfuance of the literal meaning of the Abrahamic covenant, and agreed with it in its token promiser, and confirmation. Christ is the ratification sacrifice of the Bpiritnal covenant. Except as it was figuratively pointed out, in the Abrahamic covenant, and perhaps in the r<>gal covenant, the spiritual cavenant was only matter of promise, till ;t was confirmed by the death of Christ, who, as the ratification sacrifice, is called the covenant. Isa . xlix.' 9. It is as the confirmation of the covenant that all the pro- mises are yea and amen, or truth and faithfulness, in him: for they are ratified in his blood. Oh ! the mercy and condescension ef Jeho- vah ! Who would not beiieve him ! Who would not trust him ! Who Would not love and obeyhina ! The chief promise in the covenant was the promise of the Messiah, a« tbc seed in which all the nations were to bo blessed. The appointed BKjnner in which he tva:; to bless the nations, w;.s by beiog made a curse for (licin, tliat .Iius he might redeem them from the cars*. He sufferedthe just for the unjust that he might bring sinners to God. He laid down his life for the sheep. He bore their sins in uis own body on th« tree. It is hy liis stripes thry are healed. The verb translated " coiii'lrnied" lleb. vi. 17. is derived f ■♦m the noun trans- lated mediator, and that a,';;oinfrom tlicnoun rendered middle. Christ, as the ratification sacrifice, was the confirmer, intcrposcr, or media- ,*or, in the middle between God and sinful mait. Thus he, by death, became the testator, by which tho Divine institution was confirmed rato a Irstament. Many of tho ablest critics in the sacred languages maintain, that tl.o real meaning oi' the Hebrew word translated coven- ant, is purification sacrificr , and that it is applied to the dispensation founded upon such sacrifice, only as fonndcd upon it, and ratified by it; and that the word translated covenai, means properly the sacrifice; and that it means the dispensation, only by accommodation, and in a secondary sense. Re tbat as it may, it is certain that no transaction can properly and strictly be called a covenant in the scripture sense of the term, without vhe death of tliC cPTifirtuing victim. See Park- hurst's Greek Lexicon on Diatheke and Brbaios, and his Hebrew Lex- icon on Caret. Seeing Christ washcth his people from their sins in his own blood, he is properly their purification sacrifice. An instituMon, dispensation or covenant, and the blessing-, of such dii^pensation, must correpond in itature with ilif purification sacrifice on which it is iounded, and the ratitiealion sacrifice by u.Mch it is confirmed. Where the sacrifice cut off, is temporal and typ"ical, the institution of which it is a sacrifice, and the promised blessings of such institution, must be temporal and typical also. It is impossihk tlio blood of biiUs jind of ^^^:smi ■^mTmtm.'Ji 23 gotis should taks away sins, or make him that did the service perfect aipertaining to the loiisccnce; nor were they ever intended to be thus elhcacious: for if a law had been given which could liave given life Terily righteotisncss would have been bv the law. But as there IS no remission without «hedding of blood, and it is v, ith blood things are purged by the law, it was necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should he purified with these typical sacrifices, but th« heavenly things thems. Ives with better sacrilices than thts*. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer, which »..« the blood of the typical covenant, Ex. xxiv. 8. Gen. xv. !», 10, n, 18. •prinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how mu.h more shall the Wood of Christ, which is the blood of ihe spirit- ual covenant, who through ihc tternalSpirit, oflered himself without «pot to Ocd, purge your conscience from dead work' to serve the liv- ::^gGod? And for (his .:aMsc,becauso his blood is thus efficacions in purgmg the conscience, in putting away sin, in perfecting forever them that ar-; sanctified, he is the RU-dialor of the new teslament ; that by means of death, which he suffered for the redemption of those who transgressed under the first testament, (for the death of the first testament victims could not redeem them,) they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Thus the apostle' proves the disannulling of the commandment, from the weakness and unprofitableness there a? the law, with all its sacririces andpurifi- eations matle nothing pe.fect, but the bringing in of a better hope does, by Uio. which we draw nigh to God. As the sacrifices of the old dispensation were weak, so its promises were not faultless : for finding fault with them, God promised to make a new and better covenant which having Christ for its Mediator should be established upon better promises. The promises and sacri- lices of the new covenant, being different from those of the old, it must itself be a different covei int. Had the promises and sacrifices of both been the same, or ol ihe same kind, the covenants themselvet could hardly be proved to be different. But the promises and sacri- fices of the Abrahamic covenant, and of the Sinai co.juaat, ar-? of the same kind ; and both are different from those of the new co- venant: therefore the Abrahamic covenant and the Sinai covenant are ofthe same kind with each other, and both are different in kind from the new covenant. The promises and sacrifices of both the Abraha- inic and the Sinai cevenants, were temporal and typical ; therefore the covenants thtmselv^s were temporal and typical. Will it be said that no arguments can prove the Abrahamic covenant to be temporal, when God himself calls it an everlasting covenant, Gen. xvii. 7. I answer, that the covenant is everlasting in the same sense in which the land of Canaan, as explained already, is an everlastint possession, Gen. xvii. 8. and in no other sense. The apostle also proves the difference of the dispensations from the change of priesthood. For the priesthood bemg changed, there is made of nece.ssity a change also ef the law. He says that under the Levitical priesthood ih*: people received the law. it is evident that fie makes no distinction between the Levitical priesthood and the Aaroiical : for Aaron was a Levite, and it was onlyhe aodhis famHy «tat were properly priests^, under the Siaai dispeowtiaa. But Aaro« ^r u fcnJ his ^ons «ei-^ not cons.icrat»>(l to the priest's offiro, r,€r 8iii •n.l ytli chapter^ till after the {civin«r of the law from Siiiai. E . aOth rhap Hmrt^cn was thft lawgiver! under the Lcvitical nrie,n,on these respects between the Aaronical and patriarchal Viesthood ' but were not both in those respects ddferent from that af Jesus Christ.' »^hethe^Melchi^edec^»ason!yaty|)e of Christ, or was the word ©f Ciod manifested as a prelude of his becoming incarnate ; on *'r M ""Pf""'''"^' *'i« particularsjiist mentioned, in which the onW of Melchizcdec excelled th • order of Aaron, willapplv to .JrsusChrist a.s well as what is directly affirmed ef Christ himself' Jle is the one priest of the new dispensation, the one surety of the better testairtont He 18 able to save to the uttermost all that come unto (Uh\ hv him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. lie is without progenitor or offspring, beginning of days or end of life, predecessor oi successor m office, 'mt abiding a priest continually, hath an unchaii- geable priesthood, lie is made a priest with an oath, after the powf i of an endless life. He is holy, hamileis, undeliled, separat*^ from sin- ners, not needing to offer first for his o%vn sins, nor to offer dailv the sam» sacrifices; for he offered himself a sacrifice of such effcacy'ns to take away the sin of all who believe. Thus his office as piiest, is ex- ercised not about things temporal and typical, but about things real and eternal. Thus has he by his own bkod, entered into he'>v.P- tself now to appear in the presence of God for us. " Seeing then we huve an High Pricbi, &c." Heb. iv. M— 16. IV. THE TOKEN OF TAB COVENANT. The Third part of the Covenant is the Token. This is mv cov. nant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy se«d after thee. Eve- ry man child among you shall be circumcised, &c. Gen. xvii. 10-17 Here it IS evident that circumcising the flesh of the foreskin was the institu- ted token of the covenant, betwix^ '..-land Abraham, and Abraham's lamily; and that, as the token oi iv covenant, it was itself called the covenant; yea, an everlasting ooveuant in their flesh. Eight days old is also the appointad age fer being circumcised. Everv male In the iamily, by whatever meajis he come there, if he is eight days old, must Scuds -oe circumciseu. E very neglect of circumcision alter eight days o d, bemg a contempt of the divine authority, and of the promised .lessmg, was a reaouueing of thecovenaat relation, a breack of tita ^nn!?«olV''"AVr''^' ''*?'••'' ';"*»'" constitute th«rov«n,nt p«opho. n^od, Abraham was immtdiately obwdient, ho tooi^ Ishmarl i^ t ?K '•^'ir^*'""'".''''" ***^ 'elf.„meiJay..Godh.id,.id uuto bim. lathe self-same day was Abraham circimcised, and Uhmae! hit aon and all the men of his homo. Though Abraham was ■ old he- lore th, 7 were circumcised, that hl.man! was not included in the core- Lm lI**i'Ti rK"'T"'*°" "V ^''•' ''^ "'• '""'^ «f t»'« covenant fam. y w.nle Ishmael was a male in the family it was requisite he should be c.rcumcsed; and so he was. All the Jther males .u Th^ fa! mdy were circumcised on tht same footiue. There .-i.-e three xvords which oujht to be inquired into, i. order to ascertain the merning of r.rcumris.on. The fi/.t is word tik « Th« bow was m the cloud that God might look ou it .nd remembe- 1 it promise that the earth should no more hn destroyed hy a Q.^l- w4 ' tne ratification of which he has a token before his eyes Gen x I«— 17 Aaron s rod that bud.led was brought before the testi,. onv^ f<, be kept for a token against the rebels. Numbers xvii. 10. Tha harlot m.de the spies swear to her, and giv. her a true token, that v he. Vu, army would come to destroy the city, atid she wo Id present hj oken toth^rn, they should show her" such kindncs. =: she sho^'a hem A token then mvLst be capable of being produced, at least (o thooe concerned wben requisite, as a proof, evidence or demon.trl! tionof the tnithof that with which it is connected a- l-n Cir cumc...ionwasamark fitted to be a proof or eviderre. sVi. the k^n" Thel!';^ "Vr'T"''^'*'^"- '^^''* '' '-"'^ t'^*"*"^ '« to! f hT' i fu ! u*"" "'^.V''*''' ^^- were made into broad plates to cove^ S'n.»Ek*"^^''''°"'^""'^ ""*'•*« ««"«•• '"'=^"«'' before the T\u *? i ^ ^''' ■ 'f "" ^'^ ^ '^'^'^ ""'^" 't <^»» l'« ^«n or felt. The third word applied to circumcisien is seal. A seal seems (o uZZm "'?'"'■ *^" '•".ti'Ication, than the other two words foTi' i^ used, not only as an evidence that a thing is sure, b,>t also to make it jur. Thus he decrees of kings, grant deeda of'property, &c are ra led by seals, and the person in whose favour th^e decree is made or he grant g,ve«, can sue at law for the benefit decreed or grTnted ?o lum But in the Abrahamlc covenant, that which ratifies, Kpuij! fie .butbe.ngonce oflcrodit is not discoverable, and therefore canb^e m n dence or demonstration. A seal on the contrary, at th. same time h.ih^h ™*^'7'''"'l 'r""'''"'^^'^^'^ ^*'^'"o»«t'-«tion that t™e fhii^hasbecnconfirmed: butithas rothi.g to do with purificat4n Th,. sufficiently distinguishes the ratification sac.ifice f-om the token' As each king or emperor had a signet with his own en„^ra. mg on i?" whiihr"'**" '"Vu'*' '^^"''d tJ^-^ «a'. distinguished the JtJ. on which It was set, as the property of the person whose seal i; was oZ Til ""Y •''""'. •^"f''^'"'* ''"'' '" secure property to ^'s rj^ht o; e- 7hl^ . k" ™r'"^:'!^*/^ on '♦. "on« ^^n lawfully medd:e with it/hut the person whose seal it bears. A letter i, „ow I .1, d tr. -o>!cl 1 "r 1!';^'!*^%^ content, from the view, us 3 or i, format ion, ei ^jj b. . th^ perstn addressed; and u seal is so sacred that it is sacrilej^e to break 26 a. Thus the book sealed will, seven seals couMnot be lawfully op hteousness of the faith ^hich Abrahau had, yet being uncircunui.ed. Komans iv. 10. There ii 15 also called the sign of ciprumcision. As a s. al then, it wa* a sign, >-e.nonal, mark or token, that was obvious to the senses, uhenefc; t uas necessary, that t-hc thins; sealed should he proved t^ the satis- iactiou of those concerned. Unless it >va. thus obv ous, it could not answer th,. purpose ot a seal. Of what was it a confirming proof.> It Zll V"^ ^^ nghte4>usiicss of the faith which Abraham had, be- fore he vras circumcised. Should Abraham ever feel dismwrUed about hi, acceptance with Cod, or thi«k that somethir.g n;ore tha la>th, or that some other faith th^ he had, wasnecrs-.,:v in order to or assisted m,ustir:catio>., the sign of circumcision vvhic!, he c^ntin: hf^Ar' "' f *''"'"' * '"'' ""^ •'■" righteousness of the faith which hchadbei„jyetunr,n:u.nc,sed, v.ouldiuslantiy sileno nil objectio . and remove a scruple.. Should h. .yer niter being c.rcumcised, be-' gin to glory; hmkii.g that, as a ,ii.cu...cised man, he or his circum-i- .Jd children, had . pvrfen.ble claim on divine acceptance, the sTme n im;. r"'H%'" ''^"'' '^^^Z' "■'"^'*^ i'—iiaiely cEntradi.t such a i? i? 'k 1 ^^'" '"'" «" -^""•"' •^'' l.onslinir^fVom cmc who bore vh :.?.» Ti^'r "".l''*^^-^'«'N ■='"«li"^- tl'e riohleousn.ss of the faith A r, ^ , ' • V'7'y'"- "»• A =^PI--i to any candid christian. It tins IS ,iot the ^.o.Mt of V!Ow m which th.' npoMle exhiSits circM-i<<,-i- .lon ,n the fourth of (he «o.,ans, where he cilh it a .sea! Ml at It appears (ome (hat in this view, the fact referred to was much to Ins purpose, ben„r calculaful to confirm faith, an.l exclude boastin^ .Z7 IT T'' '''''■ "'.'/ V^' ''"* "^ ''^^^ ""-^ "'-^'^ circumcision a" a seal to Abr.h.n, . seed.' J.et :t he observed that circumcision vva the token of the covenant a. . ,- hole, and was equaliv a token of ( ve ryblessingincludedinit. By (he covenant, Abraham was cons i u- tod the father of oelit-vcrs; and iu the capacity of father, w.ns an em I \T P^*^^;,'. m- tfic pallern of faith, of believing obedience, and of f^^^V bicssp.p of faith, to all his children and followers. So they n i^ht Jearn from the kistory of Abraham their father, how they should o - r --•;> --T-.-u, a;.ti i:.:: {isriioii oi iiieu'siiis; as there was *o other .vay of obtaining it, but the Jehovah has set his seal way exhibited in the patJern. even the seal of circumcision, to this fact r m.rk of being the people of God. This is to be understood n the token for It ..only a remnant of them who had the mark who were leally the people of God. But in thi, typical sense it waY their diTtir! guishing mark, or middle wall of partition, between them and the hea- hen. For this reason tfaey are railed the circumcision: and the hea- i'rV h t n 'ir'''^ partition wan, are called Uie unclrcnml . -n itw ''P''''*"'' ^'^ *^^ '" t^'' «e"^« that it wa. attach- ..o*heS,na. covenant as its token. In that covenant, thev ac- knowledgod the Lord as thei. God, and themselves as his ob;d;enTp:o. n;»l of f • m"''/*^" ■^'"'' ^°^C"ant, circumcision was a me- . or.al of their ol.h.ation, to obey the whole will of God revealed to them in that dis,,en.sation. Thus the apostle tells the Galatlan that V 3 TndZt'r""?''^ '^''r'' '^^^'^"^ ^" ^« the whole law Gal J. and that by voluntary s«bmission to the law, ■;, yrt ir. force a^ f. m'J"'^ r^ »b'«g--»te'l by Christ, which submiss on the^ m ou'^ 'S'b'n^'fr^^r' the tokcK, Christ woll profit themnoth,ng. Though the literal seed w^re allowed for a time to .-■ontmue c.rcumciMon, in compliance, I should suppose, with the nrc^ .judK-e of education, it being originally of ,iivineau%ony^ tobo c. ^n 'r;'^'""'^'^-* *''^ *^^"^''« ^'l'^^^" ^vere «ever allowed to bo c rcunicised, because ,t never having been divinely appointed for ♦ hem they had nothing to do with it; and for them to introduce t would be to mix the law and the gospel, the type and the Lntt e two rel^n'XTof cJ' V'"-'t'^' ^"^^^^"' *''* ^^^ endued i^pHd renunciation ofChrist as a Saviour, a fallimr fmm .Tran»- ; « - j„ pai-uue irom the gospel method of salvation "by grace. Gal' v ^ Accordinsto circu—--^ -■ •■ ^ • "*'''• ""'• ^- ~ God, the carnal c mcisien oveuant as the distinguishing markof the people of offspring _ were still the peculiar covenant was no getr people of God, and the Lord was still their God; and there •' " g near t« God but by coming among them m JJie idea that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of (he sam« body and partakers of Jehovah's pronme in Christ by the gospel «"« so repugnant to the national feelin-^ of the Jews, who considered the " Y2'^'^\lV^^l^}^rpeople of God, A^ctsxi 2, 3. Lil 21-i Y ThJil rj, 16. that this was what particularly ,-aised theu- enmity against the gospel and the d.sc.j^es of Christ. Had Christ indulged tieif nationa' &Z a<^knowledged them a. exclusively the covenant people of ioZwtT^' ^vl^ 'I- ^^- **"; "" ^'^^^ P'^*^ ^^ '^'^"'d "«t be faithful Jmdtl. t'- !t*" ^"^ »":'"'^"^ *^« principles of grace so that they understood h,m he,r pnde was touched, their enmity was rou..ei, that th?;''" . ^i \ '''.'!' '*'^- ^"^« i^- 2»- This was so obviMl * on whv^'r f 'f ' 'J"" tJalatian., v. I] . "If! yet preach circumci- to nJI^fl, ^ "'^^'' l'«"^'="tion?'' To preach drcumcision was nJ,f.r rr'"* '* e.rcumcision; i. e. that state of things in which a carnal ofTspn^j; were acknowledged as a coveManl sec-d,%nd datit tfr'"i ^''f'!"y- «"t the apostle was not .o accommo- rnH !.V- fv,^ *'^''t''">' P"'''''" ^' '" covenant relation with horn nf r.T\r^ r "^ f " t"^ ^^^ '^'''''' ^■^^°^''' '^'^t such as were ^^^^^^::Z:.''''' '"" --«-l-ated against him, and What profit is their of circumcision? Romans li. 25. iii. 1. Much ejery way chiefly because Ihat unto them were committed the oracle, tLwHc ^^.^'''''^•^^'"V"'^'^'*'^* 1, and kept the law, while he tZ ,T TI'^^'^T^'h *^'^^ ^'"^"■^' have all the advantage of Iboli'h.rt f "'"^ ^'J ^''' law dispensation is vanished, and its token circ mrUin^ can confer no ad^antage at all. Christ was a minister of ' X^o^' Tf.' ^"'"^"'l^^S'^- in the .amc sense, and for the same purpose, as he was maae under theiaw. Gal. iv. 4, 5. Perhaps che two phrases mean exactly the same thing. Circumci.ion was , cutting fo^ LT^ * f'/ ^^ *^" ^"'■^*'^'»' ^hlch left a mark in the lie h^ Wess nL^Wr f ^''''? ^ t^^'"' *h"* P'"''"'^^* «f "--tain earthi; pat 3hv r^ .h « •''"^ ^«f>««^« P«'t of his earthly offspring, wcri nt, hetf b> God the Prom..s«r, and should certainly be fulfilled to them s"tl«?.T""f "?"* '" ^H^ P'^™''"- 't^^^'' i^^^lf a ^'^"lal mark whicJ w.r rr.^'K'''*"M" «''t^'"POran,!essinKs, the promises of TsnrZlr r\ r ^'' """"' .''^"i^ces. It cannot then be a token of a spiritual mstitution, noc itself a spiritual ordinance thfinlf"!-'^ ""J-^"''^ *^ '^'" '*- "" '"'tiating ordinance. Birth was P alms k^^^i'lT" " ^|7-'--V-..lyNhey were bor- in Zion! fc bv I rf'h y ' ^* "7"'' "'^'^"'"g rt^ceived; for they were mem- break t),l. /".' "' '"''J''^^'' ""^'''" ^^^^ 'Covenant that they could given thrFrn' ''V r ^'''^'^'^ ^-^^ *^^ ^'^^«" «^ ^^^ --^nant ' gn^en them. Even proselytes were not made members by circumei- ca^itivp ^n'r^^^'t'" ^^^ '''' "^ ^'-'™^'*"^- ^^ ^■^"^''l^ that was ake„ ce tain nrV.'''''^* ""''u '"''"'>'' "" ^ '"«'"b^'> «* '^^^^ ^^»^ ^"ti^'ed to I ertam privileges, as the prope. tv of !,er master. Onp ul,n lib. R...K femites' u>rr'nvT^^'' ""u '■''^'"'1 ^^^*h""t circumcision, """ah" the temales w«re mit.ated without this initiating ordinance. Thus one half or nearly one half, of the members did .!ot come in through tld: ^foor. it ««. a matter so notorious that it wa. by birth they becamp :':^i 29 roembtrs, as indeed thf phrase. « And thy seed «f>... n.^ • ^ • it n«rations'' evidently iuiDliPj. ihui ihl^J'^- ^ .^ tbeemfteir seh.s i, cal ed a bTr?h John i' 13 'fef «'^'"« of proseljt.. tW,„. «!• the spiritual family a spiritual birti in' f'-f «"^ b«^»«* «•«!»•» the warrin which per^„VbS.e'™rmb;L^-°^^^^^^ which wavs are called birth* onrJ or„ J^ ♦• ."^/.n**" fanwlj: aU t.nn.d born of Mo^X^r«'oTxli'':,U,TS^^^>:''' 'J"^' '"i"'- ^i:^ t.^ t^t T^^^ ^' ^"^ ^^ ^^^"^-^> it^L:]t d'm Vl' l ' to revert to ,t on theyearof Jubilee, every per Ja tLinang inheritance must trace his lineal descent back tn th7h»!!q r ^ ■.( be called the.r God, when he had not provided for tLm a c^y Sn:ur?;:^^-r^ --^r^^ re,st..in^tl:^:;::s with D.d7 '^!-:"f *'■«*«'* y «» "^'•enco to the cevenant of royaltr Jll I. ., •'^P''^"l'*^'**"^*^»»^"»*Jthe promise «nto S»itf that e u .uld ra.se up his seed after hi. - to .it on h^ throne for ever •f J that he would establish his kiiigdom lor ever God fiilfill^H In* dVsfi'Sn'S"''"-- ^^-iM.^ev^,1eut tSIt all tt'k^'^";'/ 7^ on .... n*r III ■ °"^ '" pursuance of »he promise to David, and not ^"ntt^r rf ^""'''" 'ighteousness, nor 'of their immedi'ate pr^! gen.ters. It was on a :ount of th^ covenant with Davi,r itiUS^ -.viiy;,i «.,ijja«,n was not taken tiom Solomon, when ii« coBmii"^tt«H i«; qu.ty: how "' ""^ U'Mt. leii. 6. A new heart i.M I It. '• ' '' ','"'" "V' » 'ive. 1 p-t „ithia you. Efek «xv" ' 6 If *^r' T"' "."■* ' "" '?'"' "i" ^.cm repentance to .he aeknolled' Lg*^;' .Kr^T'o'Ti:"' «i? Ihesepassaffesseeratobe ofsimir-.n:^ 6 "' i te irutii. 2 1im. ii.25. the LorJ, Jd take™ ay the rresl in"^^ C.rcumcist> yourselves to forth h^ke fire, and bur^'tl^a? nZtrqueTh^r j'er"! -ylury.om* raindsme of the words of Jesus- '' /t",'^"^"^'' '*• •^♦^'^- "^- 4. This re- Avise perish." He who beheveth ih^7 ^' 'ePf'tve shall all like- Cod, is become a child of God In '^'"' '' *'"^ ^^^'"^' ^^ torn «f Spirit of his soalnto his he?rJ' Gal w7^ '°°' ^"^ '^"^« ^^^^^ ^J>« the Spirit by faith Gal ii. 4 ■{• \'* '^"''^"'^ the promise of ^nj, he iJenli'tiedt th • token a'd^ir^L''^ ^''•^'%'rJ'''-'*-^ nal covenant. He is sealed L v S K -f r ^'"»'"g« *>f ti»e spirit- to the day of redem^^LI^Epi -rso'' G:ter\^^ ^P*'" '• ''■ '-» earnest of the Spirit in his heLt 2 Cor it l' T' ""^^ «r' *^« inheritance. Eph i 14 Ch'n.f h^.- ^ ^ ^!*' *^^ ^*''"«»^ of tJ»<^ promise of the^Hoy Spirit AetsirS^ h'r"'l^ 1^ '^' ''"^^er the Father upon him, Luke xlh 49 i"n^ ;>, f"^' -'^^ I"'^'"'^^ «<" his rircumcision of Chr "t CV i n i ■'' ^' " <=j'-cumcised with th, 1 Pet. ii. 9. of the t e ci c'.,! ". ^'! "'*"' f ^^^ P'^'P'^ ^^ God, Philip Hi. 3. For h^ no Ho "^n ''' ^^'^'P ^Jin the Spint! circumcision which ioTtw.n'ntp /uT^^"/!^":'^ '' "^'^her is that Clni,?, he doe, n„t'he^„; JcM.t u'tu'JT Vt °°' "'- '"'"' »? it- But is not bantimn l-luA II -P ' ""^'""S tpyical belongin- to And is b; :;l'" rwi S.VhaVdrrer ^^^^^-^^^th^an^ds? the phraso " made witTu r I,.!^h7'' • 1 "' ^'^'^"''"^ ^^"^ '"^i""'^ of Thestonecuto tof helu 'in\-.r */"? scriptures. Dan. ii. 45. human agenr;^ Mark xiv 58 'tLT^^'V* ^'""?^' '"'^^"^ '^"t ^vithout the temple Ir ilt l^v h- m;fa..cncv th'^J" ""f^' with hands, means „;»k„..i f. : numan agency ; the temple r .de withe,,* K.„j. 1 Heb"'ix"rri.T-"^^'M ^u^' ?''*'' '^'=*' ^''' 48- xix. 26."2 CorVT j:S:',e;,y:tn^?Lt';;';,LTt„Y,.^?;2;:nr^''^-£!;^ i"ouId not circumcision made by hands Enh ii 11 f^wK ^ coutrastwith the circumcisioa u.[de withouttads ? CoLu'll. A^J m 33 then it will be what I hiive represented it, tiz. the inward work of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is as tnily made with hands as ever circumcision was. Baptism is no more spiritual circumcision, than circumcision is spi- ritual baptism. The circumcision made without hands then, is the circumciiiou of the heart, e.fected without human agency, by the di- vine Spirit. I have now finished what I intended to advance in this fssay on the Abrahamic covenant. I shall now take % brief \iow tf the allegory in the 4th oi" the GaL beginning at the 21st verse. Apar'.kular view of' the JlUcgo^~fj in the fourth of Ihf Galni'uuis, hcginnhig at the 21 st verse. The Apo«tle Paul was called to the apostlesliip and sent unto thft Gentile: Among tliose he preached Christ crucified, as an aii-sufli- cient Saviour, able to save to the uttermost all who coiy.e to fJod through him; a«onf whohad made a perfect atont>ment for siu; a.i atonement in which God is well pleased, andby which heis leconrilin* sinners unto himself, not imputing u;if'» them their trespasses. Thos« wno believe in Christ, are JMstified freely by his grace; through the re- demption that is in Christ Jesus, nboH.y in«iependent of the law. Cer- tain Jews who professed to have believed in Christ, were stil! zealous for the law oi' Moses. . Finding that Paul made no account of it in the matter of a sinners"*s justification, hut that he preached the same g'ad tidings to the Gentile.s ?us he did to the Jews, inviting them alike to come to Christ far salvation, assuring both alike stf free pardon and acceptance in the belov4>d; they took offence, disputed the point with the apostle, and insinuated that he was not an apostle, thai he had no- thing but .scraps of divinity which he had picked from the other iipos- tles, which he modified to suit his own taste, and formed into a system of religion different from ail others, that as the hesd of that new reli- gion, he might gratify his ambition and avarii-e. This is ojsily discover- able from his consequent vindication of his character, as an apostle of JesUs Christ, and of his doctrine as revealing the only way of salva- tion. This :s partly the reason why we have so much from Paul on the apostolic character, and on the difi^erence between the law and the gospeh He reasoned with them out of the law, maintaining that he sam^one ether things than those which Moses and the prophets did say should come, tkat Christ should suffer, and that he should arise the first from the d«ad, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles. In the passage before us, he calls their attention to a decision of the law itself, or the old covenant which God had made with Abraham their father according to the flesh. Tall me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it i& written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid and the.other by a. free wffman. But he who was of the bond-woman was born after tho fles^i, but he of the free-woman was by promise. Which things Are an allegory : for these are the two covenants, &c. Abraham's fajcnily was one ; but in that one family, there were two wives in vevy different situations. Eaohpf them bTought forth a sop whi«^ was in !L similar situation with his mother. Abraham's family wa» typical, of the church of God, and also of the scheme of mercy in saT/ns; that c^uroh, as exhibited in the Abrahaixuc coven aat. This Abfahamic cevenant, comprehending two different meanings, issued 33 at length into two different Covenants : the Crtt ntified it Mount Smai and the second at Mount Calvary ; the one, a cvenant of K da£e,brmg.ng forth children to bond.«;'the othe^, a covenant of H- berty, brmgmg forth childten to freel>n,. Abraham him.eT.» heaV f In H^-^" fa'n.ly husband of the two different wive,, and father of tha two differenf children, represented the Almighty as the God of Israel! who enabled he two different covenants to briL lorth chSdren Ind IbXl >f^^h r'"**' ••''"*>'^*'' **•« two different childfT.' As Abraham had the free woman drst, but she was barren, desolate, as if forsaken or w|thout a husband, so God c'rsigaed and intimatJd thoLS darkly, th^ making of the new covenant before the old was made^^^but I.IS' "^ fi?*1*"^ '"**'***'■ '■''*'^«^' 'he marriage relation was not TniSif ' KM^^'''?^''"'*" apparently without a husband, brini- ng forth no children, till after the old covenant was made. AsSaraE lifnifh r* ^°** ''T.^r"' e^^^ her bondmaid to Abraham to wife, so the law was added because of transgression. As the bohdwd4 llh^X^i^^'T^'^^^'"'''*'''^'' old Covenant was first ratS andhad children: thus showing a marriage relation; and is known m the prophet, by the appellation of « the married wife." I.a Hv 1 rh»V!Lfi!' ^"«g«'-3^'j:«ferring to the prophesy, is denominatea: ''sh« !n;L^.\Vr '''i'^'^V ""'1: v"*^**" »«"o«nt Sinai in Arabia; and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and U in bondage with her children. As mount Sinai is put for the covenant which was ratified iwt'fK T'"'''}?"' ^h'*^ ."'^^'^ '^> «'>ifies the constitution under which the Jews then were placed; which was in fact no other than thd li^'tln"''^"* 'f !^V'*"*' °'**"'°« *^"*^'« Abrahamic covenant. A. nn^fh/iT^^'rV''^' *t^ ^°v«n«nt of bondage, her son must represent, not the Ishmaehtes who were never under the Sinai covenant, but the Jews, who actually existed as a peopje under the coMtitation which whifh'irr''" f^V ^' "'' .^■'•^e "-Oman represented the Jenmlem Yv h.ch ,s above, the Iree constitution, the new covenant, thc^nother of rv'piirf''i'5l'*''"*T'l'T^'^''*'"''* ''"•^«' »fter the flesh, who A^ere excluded Irom Abraham's family directly after this covenant be" l!tZ l^^l'r^V '"' *'.^ '5"^' '' ^«^' "*''' are'^actually r,S. fhi. spl ritual constitution, who knawmg the truth, are made free by it. > , ,!k!"''f^ f''^*"'""^' ""d'-^garded as a wife, chiefly for Sarah's r.^n;i w"- '''T" "°* "* "P f«'*it»«^n »«ke, or as a'rivSl to the f ospel, but m subserviency to it. As Ishmael was bora aft«r the flesh, inH-ioi- / '"'^''''""^''^"**"'*«' ^'^hout any uncommon super- m ^nf Z i*"" *°y *P«^'^' «=«» f^r the exercise of faith on the Z^ll ''r*"*'' ;•* his antitype, the carnal Israel, are bom after •! « a' ^i"*^ '*" '''^ denominated '< the children of .ne flesh." Rom ortt.t' h"^"" "^^^ • f " ^^ P"^'"''^' '• «■ heyond the ordinary coui^; of nature by a special supernatural influence, necessarily requiW Iho exercise oi a lively faith in the divine prom se on the part of thf parents, as nothing short of a singular exe?«i,e of dtjne pSwer couM he^nd the now^r of n^turaY m^ny;=S^;^;^0:^^^^^ of f^aith m the divine promise, on the part of thwe who sew the JSS tual seed, to encourage their persevering endeavours, andTo the?S; denonunated « the childreu of the pro »Le." A. IsCd 4.. thi ^ Wi •t't'.ebonJ wmrtan.heciMild not l>e. heir to tht|iromised inheriUncr ? . %o the Jews being born under the covenant of bondage, coulil not, by that covenant, he heirs to the spiritual inheritance. Isaac and his an- titype being free born, are heir* according to tlie promise: Ishmael be* jng a servariitjcoiild not abide in the house forever, John viii. 35. in vir- tue of his own ri^'ht, yet he surely might remain like other servants, hadf , not his own. misconduct rcndnrcd his exclusion necessary. So the literal Jews, boinj, in bondage under a typical covenant, could not continue in covenant relation to God forever, in virtue of thair cove- nant, Esck. xvi. 61. but they might have continued like beliavers in Chri>t from other nations, had net tiieir own mrsconduct rendered tb'^ir exclusion necessary. It appears frouv Ishmael's mocking, just at the pcrifxl ol" Isaac's weara'ng, and from Sarah's peremptorily demand- ing his exclubron, so he mi<-T,t not be luh- u-il/i Isaac, that Ishmael had forn.cdhigfi expectations ef tl!<; right of primage uiture;. which engen- ar l!if> idea, that bclievert, as such, should be heirs, apcF enjoy spiritual prin'.eges, without coming- ujuler the covenant which oorisrifutod them the peculiar people of God. Christ exhibits their cor-'^int in that of 1 ho elder son in the pa- rable of the prodigal. Luke xv. Jj— r.32. They aspircl aftet exclu- sive privileges, whicji occasioned tiieir being excluded from any privi- leges at all. What saith the scripture .=^hear what th6 law" saith: '* Cast 0!vt the bond .woman and hw son: i'oi- the '.ou of the iKmd ^o- jnan shall not be heir with the son of the free woman:".!, r. Cast out the temporal covenant repiesen^hd by llagar, which ipcognizes a= children and heirs, those wlio aic itoin only aft ei- the fic-h: for tb*^ children of the ilesh shall not he heirs with th« children of the promiv.', whoonJy are accounted for the seed. On the subject o'' ])rivilei'rv, the scriptuFes take no notice, neilhfcr do f, pf the anCi.'^criptural 'li>' tinction wkich has been mad*, bj.t'*<^*jn igfant;? and adults. The only' distuicfion which the scriptures an;! 1 acknowledge, in regard to privf- %^?(»]s that; be <1i«>.ma &.._^:m4. ^.^4. 1---/*i- ^ ' i .i .. . J... ... .... .^.. f,. ^.j -^ly 11-^ ap* j;*._;;«L:iit:;« ly IkIHA IX^ OliCit iriUriipnikri i iy" asked: '• Where were thfcy cast out by divine appointment .=" Here^ ■sreH*yea!iatiifactory reply. H«ve i.-^^ expresi divkie autkoritv iv: ''*r 36 iftsfihg out th« Civenant of bondage, aftd'lhose Ifrlio' arfli Tiom aUer the fleih, recognized by it ds covenant children. The only covenant which Jehovah, as the. God of Israel now ac- knowledges, as his covenant, Ezek. xvi. 62. is that new and better covenant, which recogaizes aooe a» eliildren, on any other fdotin»- than that of S'-iritual birth; and admits as subjects, none who know iipttheLord, and have aot the law writtrn in their h««rts. They are Jews inwardly, the circumcision df the heart, which woi-ship Gord in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence 19 the fksh; whose praise is net of men fcut of God. Rom. ii.49. Philip, iii. 3. They are the Israel ef God; Gal. vi. 16. the people of God, and beloved; the chihlren of the living God; Rom. ix. 25, 26. a chosen g*- neratioH, « royal prieethoed, a holy nation, and peculiar people; I. Pet. ii. 9. the tru» worshipers, who worship the father in Spirit and in 4ruth. John iv. 23. They are Abraham's seed or children, children of the promise, keirs according to the pronise, and blessed with faith- ful Abraham. Gal. rii. 7, 9,29. iv, 28. Rom.ix. 8. Sec also Eph. ii. 13, 16, 19, '-lO. iii. 6. Heb lii. 13—25. They ore in reality what the literal Israel were ealy typically^ they are heirs to the spffejial bles- •ings, which the literal Isra«l inherited only typically, paving tome into a covenant relation to God, and bocome heirs of all the blessinge of that relation, jvist when the literal Israel lost that relation and ki privileges; being themselves the antitype of the literal fsrael, anil their covenant relation and privilegos, the antitypes of the covenant relation and privileges of the literal Israel, that part of them who were not Jews are said to be cutout of the olive tree which is wildby nai tif e, and contrary to nature, graffed into a good olive tree. Ics; when acme of the branches nore broken off, be+ievers of the Gehtilel were gratfed iu among *ho8e t remained, and with them pai-take d} the root aad fati.ess of the olive tree. This root and fatness refer to ihe covenant priv='egc8 expressed in the above quotations. The Ele- venth of the Romans cannot be interpreted coi.isistently with fact *0n any otherprinciple.— The period from the birth of Ishmkel to the birth of Isaac, corresponded to the period from the Sinai covenant to th« birth of Chriit. The period of Isaac's remaining on the breast, corres- ponded to the period from the birth of Christ to the famous day of pentecost. The feast at Isaac's weaning corresponded to the gospd feast, and the rejoicing over sinners who turn to God. Sec Luke xv. «ha|). Ishmael's mocking corresponded to the persecution of the Jews; and the casting out of Hagar and her son, corresponded to casting out the typical covenant, and the carnal covenant children; when tlie**riiy of Jerusalem was de»troycd by Titus, and her children within her. Luke xix. 41—41. When Christ came, he would have gathered hec children in safety, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wiu- but they would not: therefore their house, their beautiful house. Is. Ixiv. 11, was left desolate without an inhabitant. 3Iat. xxiii. 37, 38. Christ SPIlt his nrmiocond Hnt*».^>T7•o^^ <^Vl/^«A vn^.-.l^-M^^.. 1 1 1 their city. Mat. xxii. 7. He miserably destroyed those wicked men, and let out his vineyv4 unto other husbandmen, (the spiritual Israel,) which shall render him the fruits in their Reasons. Thus it appears that the typical events which happened in Abraham's family, contaiu, « ^'"^^ '=°^«»^"t " *n enlarged edition •fthe literal meaning, and the new covenant is an enlarged edition of the figurative meaning, of the one covenant with .braham. The jlewjsh community, nation, or church, nas feundedupon Abraham their father, and upon the carnal meaning of the covenant made with biin and regulated by the enlarged edition of that meaning : and the righteous community, nation or ch-.. .h, of which the Jewish was tvni- pal, IS forjided on Abraham their father, and upon the spiritual mean- ;"/♦• rfw"*°'^**^«^"^*'™5 and regulated by the enlarged pditiun of that meaning. So the Jewish church, and the r* bteous ™p/n!n' '^'r'^^v.^'lri* ^'■^'" ""'^^ °^^'> *» ^^* "^n»l «nd spiritual Syenante *^* ^^"*'«''°'^ covenant, or a»the Sinai, and tfc new *r^V»^' 9-M.V W, ON CHRISTIAN BAPTISM- inc eicmrjS, J?!i:. 1 """"f''"" concerning ,n on'in.nce beloiw: •f baptism, from those parts of scrinturA wKl.K %,o.* f/u!";?!!^"^. « as myj. discussed in thp scriptures as circumcision: '^ ""*"" '^ '■ Th» meaniwg op the Osdinancb of ai'^nh'lH- "*"",. ^f ?••"•* " '°*«»ded, not 'only for a te«t ^acj# 01 thejn ^ust therefore re^es.at tp th% 7j; the tt^ik^ ^n 58 or truths with which it is connected. Consider the fosp«l of which baptism is the first ordinance. I deolare ant« you the gospel which I preached unto you, &.c. ''That CliriNt died for our ^ins according te the scriptures, was hurled, and rose aguin, according to the scriptures." I. Cor. xv. 3,4. As soon as twn believed 'his l^otpel, they made an open profession of that faith, by having their bodies washed in pure water. Heb. x. 2^2, 23. Thus, baptism is more immediately connected with helievinj^ the gospel than any other ordi- nance. By believing the gospel sinners are born of God. I. John v. I. Is not its immediate connexion with the belief of the gospel, by which men are born again, ©ne reasun why it got Jhe name of regeneration.' The most comprehensive, and therefore the primary meaning of the ordinance of baptism, is, the behever''s union with Christ in his burial and resurrection. The faith of God's elect is of divine operation. By that faith, the belicv?r is united to Christ, and becomes a- partaker of all the bles- sings of Christ's death and resurrection. Thi> union is represented bjr baptism. Rom. vi. 5,4. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his doath? Therefore • .0 arc buried with him by baptism into death: (hat lilie as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also nhould walk innewness of life," Col. ii. 12, " Brric.l with Htm in baptism, V herein also ye arc risen with him through the faith of the ope-ation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." It has been said that we are also planted in the likeness of his>deat!i: and we have l)een asked, what has planting to do with baptism.* I answer, that planting is an apt emblem of burial, Johnxii. 24 and so is baplism, as .above. In Mat. xii. 40. our Saviour shows that being in the heart of a substance, or being surrounded by it, is the propp- idea of * bu- rial. It is evident he did not mean that (heir could 1)0 iio burial btit in the earth, fpr Jonah's be' ^ in the belly of the fisli^ was audi a burial as jras a fit emblem of bis beiHg in the heart of the earth. The seed must be buried under the clod in order to bring forth fruit. So it nustbe with Christ: be must firit die and he buried and rise ajrain P " .(See the passage in its connexion, Johp xii. 20 — S.'J. atid Poole on the place.) Thus"als9 th,e Israelites were baptized or burled, when they were surrounded by the sea and the cloud. J . Cor. x. 2. That bein^ surrounded or inclosed by the element in which one is baptised, is the proper meaning of being baptized, appears from that passage: for their situation in the sea without the cloud, was not baptism, nor yet their situation under the cloud without thjssea: hut it touk both the <;lond over them, and the sea on each 'iilc to inclose them, to corres- pond to the full idea of a baptism. Thrywere under the cloud, au if the dead ri.e not at •T'" I. not our baptism m the name of Christ, an emblotnofour fello«rship A hhmi mlu. burial and resurrection? !f (iic deadxise not at aU. the fellowship „ .complete, and therefore the emblem of it improper \vhy arethej then baptised for dead person. ? During his irfc o,ir Lord this Hor d; but alter he rose Irom the dead, he appeared in gTpry abov,^ «,e «orld andiiurr.an 'eelinf,. Those who have fellowship VvithC n h,s bun^Uud resurredtion, b4v;nj in baptism been planted in th™ Lkoness of h>s death, ,hJ.Il be also in the likLes, of his^esurrectiou Christ c.ied unto Sin once, but now he hveth unto God and shall die no Bvore, death hath no more dominion oVer him. Likewise, reckoi» fhroi'^^l"""'J>r*'' ''%''"? '"'***'* ""to sin, but alive u^to Goi thronghJesusChrmt our Lard. ^" Being make conforuiabJe t«hi« death,"^;.:,. ui. 10 is an evident .;hj,.on to '; baptism unto death." - If-then be risen with Christ"' tol.ln. 1 „ also an evident allusion to baptism, "wherein ye are rnen with him." i. c.o.r rising with Wm thror ■»> the faith of theoper^ ationot Go*t, is cmbleraatiropriety irrthis finior^'s being represented by thi. emblem^ as the sufferings of airist are called baptiL, Mat! xl 22 Lukexn. 50. and his entering into these sufferings, is rcpresiJnted bv hiscoming.rito deep waters, with the floods overflowing him: Psal-nV x.x. .. and his dei.verancefrtem these iJuffering,, by being driwn out of many waters. Psa. xviii, 16. » » / 6 " •"" vt"-. Asthe believer^ unioa with Christ irfhis burial and resurrection, l^ the primary meamhg of the ordinance o baptism, so it also represent* the blessings derived ta beiievers in vir...c of that union The^emi U Ac?sii dT o Thf *^°'' blessings ^ind is represented by baptism. Acts n 38. .. The answer of « good conscience naturally follows. the filth'nr !''P'""^^i^'^ -y b»Pti»n^- ' Pet. iii. 21. 3. Washing away ■Pnrli ??',"''. !"^*''''"^'T'"» derived from the same source, an* lepresented by the same ordinance. Act.xxii.16. 4. We are born in sm and conceived m iniquity. Our very i.ature is enmity against Cod; \l?Z\\ v"'"1t !'.:^f 't* *''^"''»^' therelbrew must be lorn again lie that beiieveth thai Jesus i* the Christ is bora of Go<^. The new^ oirth IS represented by baptism. John iii. 6. Tit. iii. 5 5. Those who- have received the promise of the Spmt by faith, are by that Snirit them, and surrounded by them. The one baptism Eph. iv. 6. renre-. >eHt, and eniorces that blessed uaion of believers as the one bodnf the I'ii^e TU Tv'"^- ^^ •• '"'■ l*-^^- ^ ^^••»* •• *^« resurrectionand IfL! !: T^,« .bebever views the resurr^oticn of Christ as the pledge «i;!..W r r''\P'°''^i'^^ """^" ^lih Christ in his resurrection, im- plies a 'iHieving hope of a glorious resurrection for himself. Ttus b»n- %im expiibits tho burial and wiurrection of the boJy. i C«r..XK. 2%. 41b The baptism of John it called the beptism of repeataaee, beeauM a credible nrofessioii of repentance was a necessary pre-requiaite to baptisaa, Mat. iii. 7 — 11. and because in the Terjr act of baptism, they «oiifesMd their sins, professed to be sorry for them, and abhor them, rnd repent, that they might obtaiathe remission of sin, throurh faith Mthe Messiah. Mat. iii. 6. Mark i. 4. Luke iii. 3. John directed liis hearers to the Lamb of God wlio should take away the sin of th« world, as one who was among them, and who, thoujh coming after him, had been before him, and preferred before him : one who should eonrnience by a severe «cnitiny, and thorough purging of professor*; who should baptize in the Holy tpirit and fire.— Baptism in the Holy Spirit refers to the miraculous conveyance of the power of working mii-acles and speakin^ with tongues, to th« disciples on the day of pentecost, and other tnnes. Mat. m. 11. Acts i. 5. ii. 2-^.. X. 44, 45. xi. 15, 16. The apostles had the saying^ mfluence of the Holy Spirit, long before they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. These two divine operations therefore have no necea- aaryj immediate cennexion with each other, though the latter was mostly bestowed on those who previously had the former : therefore, EersoDS having tUe latter was a good reason why they should be aptiied in water, in the rameof tbe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Acts x. 47. Those who reason thus : " Since w« have the baptism of the Holy Spirii, we think water baptism need- less," reason in direct opposition to the apoctle Peter. Acts x. 47, 48. Comp. toxi, 16, 17. Probably some had this baptism who were never saved; for Paul says: 1 Cor. xiii- i, 2. « Though I could, speak with tonguei, and have all prophecy, and all faith, &c. if I want charity r am nothing." It is to be observed in this baptism, Christ him- self personally is the Inptizer, and the Holy Spirit is tlie element; but iu renewing the heart, the Spirit is the agent, and the divine refeord, the instriiment. The word of God is the twerd of the Spirit. Eph. vi. 17.— Great siiflferings are called a baptism, Mat. xx. 22. buke xii 50. because the suflerer is immersed into trouble as into deep waters. If I wash r. 3 with snow water, &c. yet will thou plunge me in the ditch: Job. i». 31. i. e. if I try to comfort myself against aWTow, thou wilt encompass me with affliction. The word transla- ted plunge in this passage, is rendered in the Septuagint " bapto," aod this « bapto" is allowed by some Pedobaptists who contend for ■prinkling, to mean properly " I plunge," though it is used, Dan. iv. 25, for ithe word translated "wet." But baptize is derived from this ssme bapto; and it is the opinion of those who are acknowledged OQ all bands to be the ablest critics in the sacred languages, and the most conversant with anciont customs, civil and religious, amon*^ Jews and Gentilts, that bapto and baptizo are synonimous, itHd that' both sigpify,dipy plunge, immerse. Professor Porson, a celebrated (Ireek acbohr, gave his testimony that if there is any difference be th»;ildtake baptiitoJa be the strongest, and that it surely signified a tol^l immenfon. fife p actised spnnkling. In a question of Greek b«ltof Aberdera, a Presbyterian, wHl outwdgh tke opinionsof a thou- sand auch scribblers as we are in these Provraves ; especially wheir Us opinion could not be sw»yed by his own practice. TL« Israelites '^-W^ 'y:-. 41 #*re taptizcd unto Moim in ihc cloud and in the sea. Being under the cloud, and passing //iro«b^/i//jc sea as upondnj land, they had such a convincing evidence of the divine appointment of Moses to be their J«adtr and deliverer, that they believed, and professed their faith in the Lord and his serva.it Moses. Exod: xiv. ai. Here faith and bap- tiim were connected together, when this typical people were delivored Irom typical Egypt. As it respects both faith and baptism, their in- fants^ as far at we know, were exactly on a par with their flocks and lierus. II. The me.v.vixg of the wotid Baptize. This word has been adopted from the Greek language into mos'' • t the languages *t Europe, and accommodated to the dress of earli language, without being translated into any. An ama/inj- mystical ef- ficacy soon began to be uttached to the externals of chrfstianitv, and then to the names by which these externals wore known. The vcrv words became sacred and mystical, and have been long distinguished as 'ecclesiastical terms." When the .scriptures came tobe^trant- lated into the vulgar tongues; it was thought by many to be next to sacrilege, to translate these ccclesiastieal terms into correspondinir words m common use. Thus we have deacon for servant, bishop for everseer, presbytery for eldership, &c. These remarks apply to no word in the new testament, with greater propriety than to the term baptize. Very early the idea prevailed, that baptism was neces- sary to salvation. People in the near prospect of death, are apt to be ender and feel a degree of compunction. In that state ol* himd, they are naturally anxious for every thing which may be thou''"^' " with' the wa"er of Jordan, ' which, as Dr. Campbell observes, would have made their devK^tion from the text loo glaring. Had they been as exper. in ca- thlvf, ",7 "•^^'•.^''.V f^'^e of our modern sciolists in Greek literature, they would have said, " at Jordan." * iir. The sicjEcrs or Tiir. OsDiXANCE. n,^^"^•!^!' '"^'™*'"">' "''':'''*sary to give a distinct and correct state- ment of the very point at issue. 1 remark for this purpose, that be- sides th. on;n„al distinction bet,vrrn the seed of tho woinai and th. asTt rH»L^ / ■ . V" '-^Y <"t«»"^»t »"nihilated this distinction as It relates to spiritual privileges and enjoyments, (the only point of wh^h ■ ^1 ' ,■,"""' ^'^T'"'- *"^'- "'• "'^- '^^'« «">v distinction Hhich It acknowledges, is that between believer, and unbeliever,. TenJ^S i"; r "" "PP''*^^" '''^;' °'' ^^''^ ''"« 0^ distinctinn, are repre- sented to us by rariou* pans of epithet,, each pair including the whole nnt . M '" ""'. "^'^''", ^^''^' ''^•'"?' ««• ""''«r"- 'i^hus we read ofli.M^ V;'"??/'"^ "' •■'^^^'' ^'^'^''^^^ '-^'"l ^»'« ""J'"**' the children o light and the r n Jrcn ofdaricne^s, beiirrcis andinfidc!,, &c. What- hl?er«^!:nT'"" ■ t''"'^'''" T'^^'' '""^^' »'"ongmen,and whatever i.ktn^^r ? f,'"'^^"'.^' n,ayb«ro,npoundodby those, who, instead of laking ort . the precious from the vile, and thus being as the mouth things i;?/; ' '-yn- ''•• "^ ''*''=^^'"« ''''^ '^^^' Fofaning his holy &Um I f."' ^'^^'"•^"^? l^^t^'-'^''" *he i,p]y nn;ious or profane, olf> 'ir vni.r., "-" '- > •'> '. ' •young, are represented in the new ^cil-''^rt''n♦ ►>» ou in. innuei siue ol the line, and are to be viewed and treated by ».s .s unbelievers, until they make *nch profession. This lies at the very foundation of all «h st ian churches, and of all cl.ristian d Ip'inc in the churches. Disannul it, and act un t isr.i- npto your prinnii;e, and ^-i& 45 y«u have annihilated all christian churches, and abolished all christitl Uisciphne. 1 herefore no person, on any account whatever, or in any circumstance whatever, has a right to christian baptism, until he mak« « persona prolession of his faith In Christ. The Very ^int at h.ue berejs„whetherbehevcr. only have a right to chri.ti.rbaptism ? or, r r.M*t *7. ''r' °- T^^^^r^" *•". ""J" =»ny circumstanL., have' a light to .t ? I maintain the former of these positions, against Lll who mam a., the latter. Let it be observed, that% po.itiv'e fs ea.ie pr^ red than a negative As I maintain that believer, in Christ have a right to christian baptism, it » incumbent upon me to produce mr evidence, to go as far as scripture evidence goes, and to stop wher'e jr^P.h";"f '''L'^1"'* ''T- '* '^''l"*"^ i"<^"n,bent on those wL main- tan that UHbeI.evers have a right te christian baptism te produce their evidence, to go as far as scripture evidence goes, and to stoD where .cnpture evidence stop.. Also, if they do nSt maintain the Ut of .11 unbelievers mdj.cr ,.„«(eJy, but only of a select part of the«, it is aicumbent upon then, to draw a scriptural, visible lini of demarcation, harrt In'lr' "^f^'-d'^S to th«'«, hav« a right, and those whJ n.nHlf 1, r "* V'* P"*'"* ** '""* **>"*' ' ^^""^^^ n« more than Lin? of v^.1 ^ ^' r • 1. V"* />« P«"0" evade the question, nor alter th« point of view :« which it is to bo examined, until he has proved, that the scriptures^descnbe a certain dass of human beings, «,^eith« be- Tlli r' *''"'i *."'* > '* P'^P^'" '"^J^'^ts of christian ordinances. 1 nese things premised, let us now examine the evidences. The Lor* direct our meditations aright. »*-«»« r.Ld''^" the Baptist pleached the baptism of repentam,* for the „X T ^. Tr 5"?''",! ^^'^'^ *« *'*''«^« •'^ *hi Me«i.h, who, 4 T„K """on "^r^u""^' *^T^^ *"^*= "^"y the sin of the *orld. Acts xix: 4. John 1. 29. Those who made a profession of repentance ; and such a profession a. satisfied John that the repentance was genuine, was not Mifidel but believing repentance, he baptized. Those whom he Mispectodtohaveno more than the profession, instead of baptizinff he reproved sharply, and exhorted to bring forth fruit meet for re- pentance and warned them solemnly, that without sach fruit, no ^on.u eraion would entitle them to a place in Christ's granary, ia Christ's vineyard, or among the children of Abraham. Mat in, 5—12 1 here IS no reason to suppose, that Christ or his disciples baptized any whoni John refused. to baptize. ^ u ^ '^'f '^"'"'"'."'on o^' •"!• risen Lord to the twelve ; ties, is : Uisc.ple all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of U.ehon and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all th,T-s whatsoever I have commanded you," &c. « Preach the gospel o every crpature: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; h* that bcIicTeth not shall be damned." « Thus it is written, and thus It liehovrd Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and (hat repentance and the remission of sins should be preached in !!'L"1'"1"T"5 """ V*^'"":,' !jf«inn'"g at Jerusalem. And ye are «!utiderstood the commission, tlicir execution of it is the best possil)le rommentarj to explain it, and correct our mistalie. On the jilnrious day of pente- cost, Peter preached (he gospel: // "io who p;lnlhi rcrdvtd hii word, and thus evinced tlicir ilitciplcsliip, v. ere baplizcil, and (aught to ob- I serve all the coinmaudnients of Jesii'!. Acts u. 3U, .in, }| , 42. This exactly accords with the comtnissioii as I have rcprcscutpd it. Pettr! Urst preached the gospel for the remission of sins, that ')v believing it, thcT might be saved, and become discip'cs. Tliose wlio embrncedl it joyfuliv wore baptized as disciple's ; and wcr«, a'^ s.vcd pcr^oi"*,] taught the observance of all things which Clui'-t conuiiaiulcd ; ami order to give them an opportunity of obeying them, were added tol the church Here is not only no intimation tb.at any iinbeliever of ariyl «lebcriptii»a was baptized, but those who vveie b:pii/ed arc expros/l 47 described as those who receired the gospel, manifesting that joy aul peace in beiieviiig, which the belief of the gospel never fails to pror duce. To say that anj but believers were baptized at that time, i« not only to advance an unwaiiairtable position, hut also flatly to contradict the description by the sacied writer of those whe were baptized.— I ilip went down to Samaria and pteached Chrikt ; and Ufhentltcy hcUcted Philip, prcacljing, 8ic. they were baptized, both men andwonien. Acts viii. 5, l'>. Here we have the time Hh«*nn^enand women were baptized, expressly specified: viz. when they believed. Un- less we are too proud, or too opiniouative, to submit to be guided by apostolical example, the persons whom we will baptize, are tliose, and those o)ily, who gladly receive the gospel, and the time when, is when they believe. Had infants been included here; why should ther not be expressed, when the sacred writer was so ^articular, as to menlioa men and women? Was it o. greater importance to mention them in the following passages? Dcut. iii. G. xxxi. V2. 1 Sam. xxii. 19. Jcr. xl. 7. Mat. xiv. 21. xv. 38. Acts xxi. 5. Is it certain that infant* are ever included when men and women are mentioned, and children not? Whenercr infants are included, is not the form of expression such as nati rally includes them? If not, what is the use of language? raay we not leaf:p any thing without its being expressed? But does not the form of expression, " when they believed— both men an^. wo- men" naturally and necessarily, exclude them?— Simon himself also beluved and uas baptized. Acts viii. 13. — Saul was surely a believer. Actsix. 3— 18.— Cornelius and his friends received the Holy Spirit^ He and all his house feared God. Acts x. 2, 44—47. " Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized uAo hare received Ike Holy Spi)it as well as ice?" This seems to imply, that if they had not received the promise of the Spirit by f?iith, one would hare proper au- thority to say nay to their Baptism. Acts ii. 17, 33, 38, 39. Gal. iii. 14. Peter preached the gospel to them without any distinction, and when he was satisfied that his hearers loere taught of Goil, he baptized them, and remained certain days to teach thena the things concerninr the kingdom of God. So far then, the practice of the apostles con- firms the view we have given of the commission— Paul spake the word of the Lord to the jailer, and to all that were'in his house: they believ- ed it and rejoiced, and were baptized straightway. Acts xvi. 30—35. Can any person, after reading the passage, doubt whether the all to whom the wcrd of the Lord was spoken, the all who along with tfce jailer rejoiced believing in God, and the all who alengAvith him were baptized straightway, did refer to the same persons?— How exactly is the process stated jn the case of the Corinthiens ? Many of the Corinthians heariiig, tt/i* m/ and imv baptized. Acts xviii. 8.— Crispiw believed in the Lord with all his house, Acts xviii. 8. and was baptized. I Cor. i. 14.— Gains well-beloved for the truth which he believed, ^ John 1 . was also baptized. 1 Cor. i. 14.— The household of Stephaaaf, l\s:nn' tKf. £-.<. f-..:i- -f * -1, -:_ /il - 4 - 1 • .1 .. 1 e '"^ Hi:t. iru!-.r \ri .-xwiiaia, yiin: coUiiiry wncraiTi tne City Ol Cori»th was situated,) were baptized, and they addicted themselres to the ministry of the s^uits. 1 Cor. i. 16. xvi. 15. The well-beloved Epenetus ^ras the first fruit of Achaia unto Christ, uid therefore mast have been a member of the household of Stephanas, at the time of his euayersiou. There is uo room left to doubt their faitlj.— Lydia be- •is litredandwas baptized, andlier household. Act. xvi. 14, 1.5. Some sar that the hoiisebeM of Lydia, though unbelieveM, were baptized on the Jaith ol Lydia. But how do they know that they were unbelievers? iJ^oes the passage say so.> No. Is any thing said of them any where in the icriptures that implies their unbelief.? ^o: o«ly it is not expressly •aid, they did believe. If the Pedobaptists were kept to expresr scripture statements, they will find it very difficult to maintain infant baptism n ere I to assert that the household of Crispus were never Imptized, becaNsc it is not said they were, I would be answered, that they beliered, that Christ commanded all believers to be baptized* that the uniform piac lice of the apostles was to baptize the believers, that It IS no where saLI or intimated that tliey were (hsobedient to the jlivme command, and therefore it were unreasonable to doabt of theii- iJOing baptized. Just so 1 answer concerning Lydia's household, the only mstance in which the baptism of any person is mentioned, with- out hisbehevin- alio, or.ome circumstance that implies faith, beine mentioied. Christ commanded to preach the gospel to people, and to make them disciples, before thry were to be baptized; the uniform practice of the apostles corresponded exactly to the commission in this view ol it; it IS no where inscripturo said or intimatftd that they diJnot believe; therefore when it issai.l Jhey were baptized, it were unreasonable to doubt of their having believed. Perhaps it will be said that this is only infer* JofhiN baptism, and #,th t]^e genms of the divine administration, as inrro- duced by John to the notioe of the Jews, in confir.ninj. m'y posii.«°, baptism. These examplfis are m,any : they occurre.l iu several dil^ ferrnt countries, where customs and habits were very ditTerent, and in various c.rcurastances. In some cases, the historian records the fact with Its a tendant circumstances, with au evident, studied minute- ness of detail : and clearly, the more minute the detail, the more --vi- dently decisive against unbeliever s;,. ii.Iding. Tfee only pretension It can have to countenance from the apostles, is, from mr re silence or want 01 minute detail. I ..o as f.^ ns my evidence goes; where it rtops, I s op. Here then I ta .e my tion, and stand nt my ease on the top of an emmemco, and smile ac che puny efforts of those be- neath, in attempting to storm and dislodge me. Arguments founded on want of evidence, to proven positive, are like cannons without balls . they can do no damage. I can produce collateral evide-^ce to confirm my position. 1 .The radical meaning of the ordinance with all its branches, re- ri?ri f in h ^'•'^r'-^-, ^^ h« ''"t believers have a spiritual union with thrift in hi« ourial and rei^nrrection, and are partakers of all the he- nehtsofsuch an union? Who but they have the remission of sins through faihm his blood.' Who else have the answer of a good coa- sr.cnce by aith.n his resurrection.' Who else have washed away s'-n. railing on he name of the I.ord.? Who is born again, but he who b.- -oveth that Josus is the Christ .' Who are members of Christrb^dy, hut those Avho by faitli are united to the living head ? Who have tho hope that their VI e bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body, ; but those who believe us death and rosurrection', and are waitin-i his ^^coiui coming? ^^ ho can proff s. faith, but those who have it. " .. Christ s kmffdom is not of this world. In its laws, government, orumpnces, arul snbj of the kingdom, is not to be administered to any til hr- IS born o-v^m. To introduce uubelievns into it, and administer Its ordinances to unbelievers, would soon make it a kingdom of this i\ori(i. *- 3 Panl could say of all the baptized in Galatia. that fhey had put r^S'"''.**:. ,/■»'• "!• -'• "e th.refore «ho baptizes anvnerson, l.n- r-ss he ,s luHv convmcod by tlie evidence oH!.. casr, that j.er.on has ,,i;t nn Christ, has a plan of baptizing e^scntif ily -.lifiere-.t iVcr, the ^>i. .;t.e 1 aul Tliose who have not pi:t oa Christ, have no risiit to ciit'istnin bap**'"'* " ^*'' ^* " siifficient to direct our conduct. Gal. y. 6. Unbelievers a > destitute of those principfei required by the di- TMie law, lor the right performance of any duty. 1. Faith Heb xi 6. Rom. xiv. '■23. ii. Love. Mat. xxii. 36—40. John xiv. 21 . 23.' 24* Roni. xii. . 10. 1 John r. 2,3. 3. A new heart. Rom. fiii. 7, 8. Eph! 11, 10. Heb. IX. 14. Whi^e in upbelief, men cannot serve God accept- ably; therefore Cod, instead of requiring the unbelievitig performance of duties, fomn ands all men every where, to itpent and believe the gosp'il immediately, that they may parfoim the duties acceptably. Therefore It is evident the unbelievinjcpeiformance of baptism is not duty but sin : and therefor-^ God d jas not enjoin it. Instead of standi ing in any stead to the person baptiz.'d in unbelief, either while in unbelief or after believing the gorpei. it, like all other sir.s, needs to be repented of. God does not countenance unbehef so much as lo al low tiiat one may continue in unbdic f, evc-n while one is baptizing. i^u''^"?*'"'® " *''^"* respecting the baptizing of tfny but belie- Tors 1 hough a positive cannot be proved bv silence, a negative may. Paul proves that the tribe of Judahad nothing to do with priesthood, from the silence of Moses as to th< ir right to priesthood Just so, we prove that unbelievers have nothing to do with baptism, because the scripture IS silent about their baptism. If unbeliever baptisnr W5re a law of Christ, he would not have past it over in silence. rne reader has now got my view of the meaning, the action, and the subjects of baptism. Here I would request him to stop and re- • u* u ^* "°* referred him to those passages which in ail reason nvght be expected to contain proper information on the subject of christian baptism? Have I not considered all the passages which refer directly to christian baptism? Have I douc violence to any of them or attempted to evade their separate or combined evidence? Havel advancedany idea as implied in a passage, which the rej.der JS not KnrisllpH linnn n'vn^mi^'.^^ AU _ • •- . ... . ,,""'" ' "I -tt.i!2"iiig liic p;;=3agi; in lU connexion, jt Ooes naturaUy suggest. Did I not proceed in every step, like one who- had no system to support, but that of truth; who was fully conscioua- tie bad the truthj and fully determined to adhere to it? Should any 51 f erson say that I htre too much confidenc*, I answer that, Wew I to return to my relations in my native land, the remembrance of th« persons, the placf s, and the transactions which took place durinr my former residence there, would all rush into my mind, and render he- sitation, m reference to its being my native place, impossible ; either m ^-zy own c^se, or that of my relatives. There would be no room for acting a studied part. But should an impostor go and personaU me there, he would have to study, «quiirocatc, and contradict him- self ; notwithstanding all the disguise and modeet reserve he was mas- ter of. In passing through the passages here reviewed, I feel th« MRie confidence, whieh I think it would be criminal in me to conceal, tyidences, natural, not eq-ivocal or fai^fetdhed evidences, arise thick on every hand, and from every passage ; ir . -h more from their combined testimony. At least such the case ap. ^aj-s to my mind. I leave the reader to judge, whether my proceeiCnt bears any of the marks ofiraposture; or whether I have not given a fair, undisguised representatien of scripture testimony. Is it possible that all the passages which treat of an ordinance, especially wh ^re there are so ma- ny, should, wjthouA straining them, give a false view of the ordinance of which they treat.' If so, is it not highly absurd to go to the Jewish arcumcision, for informatioa respecting christian baptism.^ must now advert te some objections made t« my position, that be«evcri Mily have a right to christian baptism. IV. Objections answcrxd. Obj. 1. " Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Mat. xix. 14. From this it ie argued, that little children are to be brought to Christ; and that, as they are subjects of the kingdom, they have a right to the ordinan- ces of the kingdom. Observe 1. This applies equally to the children of the wicked, and the children of the righteous; as both are equally little chiMren. 2. Does baptism bring them any nearer to Christ? What real difference, as it respects distance from Christ, is between the baptized and the unbaptized? Is baptism the way to Christ? If so, it certainly availeth much. Should we not in that case baptize all, whether they are willing ornot ? but these children were brought to Chris^t, not in baptism, nor through baptism, nor for baptism ; therefore, bringing little children to Christ has no connexion with baptism. Do they remain with Christ after being thus brought to him ? Do their souls enjoy any communion with him in conse- quence of being thus brought to him ? May they not be as ef- ficaciously brought to Christ by prayer, correction, instruction, and example ? 3. Is tho kingdom of heaven, i. e. the whole family in heaven and earth, made up of infants ? What then be- comes of adults ? 4. T^oes it apply to infants in general, or to those only who aie in infancy ? If to children in general, how come they ■■"■"■ 'V ^•-- •■'^-~'i 'ix:iii liic r..;::j-uam 01 neaven, ana 6uitst uuiiet* the banner of Satan, as soon as they are capable of manifesting their "'•^^ ''"'" t'«'»'e, as it res- pects the body ? Those broMght to Christ were li'-rally ... ant, • hut those ot whom the kingdom of heaven is made up J comnarH o Se'^;;;iv' Th ?*^'C :^' ^^P^^^^^on or the mind, not in tho sic of like it~8uch as .t-s,milar to it, when converted-: th-^V herome nn- nXlnu*' "«';"'U">ng; «"ambi.io„s, humbre. teachable, believing their- fhlrT !l^ ♦'«r"'»^'.'nK on them, withont suspicion or d.strnst- herefore the comparison is c,.,ite proper. ^Will it be said, that if in- k t3 possess that frame of n.iad necessary'for subject, of the k nl dom, they must necessarily be subjects? I answrr, it is their im- mense distance from, and their total ignorance of, tho^c objects whic^ h^SL'^lVr' "'" 'r' ' '":.° '''''''^' *»'« '»*«"^ ^«-'^ 0*' those un! hallewed tempers, wh.ch infanis do not display, and which adults inus renounce, that they may resemble infints-this, and not ay punty of the heart i. the reason of their not shoni^j., in Us iuH ?esTr'alT : 'm ^''-.r'^"' *""^ »P-tacy from God, w'[;.chismani- lest m all adults till renewing grace prevent it. Thus, when an adult receives the kingdom of "God from his heavenly Fa her he receives it, not as an infant receives it, but as it receiver, any beneS? fom.ts own father ; with that simple confidence, and grateful sat- ^fac ion, which are tUe neyeivfailing attendants' on consco Z- rnothr'V ? bountifully supplied by the care and kindnes. of U^S1\- * f ^^^'^'^'^ *''•>**'' t''^'* it is the little or.es v.ho be- ef G?d"te.t^?^^^^^ '* ''''' ''''' '^''^' ^''^'^- '" ^^« ^<-- i-A^! */i'— 1* l""'^"*'^',''^«"''toyouaud t J your children." Acts ii o3. Jh om thi, ,t ... argued, tj.at as thp p.omise is to the children, as well t '. Id '^ V; uT ' '''' ^"T*"' "•* ^*^" ^^ ^'"^ ''^""' ""ght to be bap. tizul. This 1 am as ready to grant as Podobaptists are to ur-e it He ,romi.e was imto them and to their children alike ; ar.j/o^ w,; .Ss Bl't r-*"'' ^' u ' ^ ''"^ ' ^•^^ '^''' '^'''^^^ «^-t the passage « nf I * ''°^,r^^ the promise to them both ? Upon their re- ponting. . being called of the Lord our God. v. 38, 3.9.^ How was the promise actually fultilled, and baptism actually gi en .' Upon their receiving:- hi.wordgIadIy,v. 41. Therefore this passage fu iy wa;. ra . us to apply both the promise and baptism, to both A eat and ch Wren upon exactly the same footin,^, v... their r.pert ^ the'r Hadfv ;'^*^^' ''i *'''"■ ''^^■"'« '•^""'^^ the word of the CS J, adly , and upon no other footing whatever. 2. If ,aniiot refer to utefurfrtr^'V,"':^ Abraham,^because lie o.ly is dTvin i; t^ti! ther to believers:; The'-^' i.rwhiS S'a^o^ll J^' w^rel!!;".^.' X those who believed through their means, has' no conneion with the r»eseat Jiscus5iou. ^othkg,. saidubou Abraham, nor an/evidc't 53 reference to him in alt Uic context. Can any thinff therefore b« ju»rt ab.trary, than in m.intain the promise thore, h., any referenr J to h.m > A h.stomn 5.vn.g the history of France, will have frequent occasion to .pt^ak of th« king. Would it not be a rery abitrarv Taw ol ir .orpretation, by which a reader xrouid .p>-iy the title kiL to a.iy kuig *very time the historian does not e.. ressly say the kiife of 1< ranee ? Do we -.ot naturally understand him to nieanth. kin/ of the country he .s ue^ribmg, unless he give us notice to thccontrIrv> JCrer/ peasant, nay c-vcry school-boy, is aware of this ; and it is unil formly recognised, except where one is in quest of props to suDDOrt a baseless fabnc, and happens to have learning enough to learhim S olv^SnirT'f "T^' K*^ quoted the prophecy Sf Joel, promising thS Jfoly Spmt to all flesh ; and. as a part of all flesh, thair sons and tueir daughters (were not these their children ?) were to receive tha promise. la the 33d ve^se, it is said : Christ, having received of the Father the nromise of tne Holy Spirit, hath shrd forth this whick ve lum sec and hear. In the 38th an«/39th verses it is s^id; Repent.lc! and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: for the promi e U unto you nuO . your children and to those that are afar off: i e urn- all nesh; even as many of you, as many of your children.'and as many of tho.c that are afar off, W the Lord our God shall call He .laes not in all the d.^rourse speak of any other promise. By what rule of interpretation then, can we understand it of any other. Dro- m.se ? INow, if any man hare not th3 Spirit of Christ, he is none of us. Rom. VIII. 9. But they who receive the Spirit, receive him not by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faith. Gal. iii 2 Thev receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. Gal. iu. 14. Seine sons God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their heart, cryingf Abba Fathc-r. Gal. iv. 6. Here is no place in the new testament^ where the Spint IS promised to unbelievers : for it is they who believe on Christ tuat receive the Spirit. Johnvii.39. 3. 'The term children generally means offspring or descendants, without any regard to SIZ3 or age ; and, very often, however far remote the father was from the children. Ihus we read of the children of Israel, the chil- dred of Ldrrm the children of Ammon, &c. Now it is incumbent on those who adduce this passage in support of infant baptism, to ascer- tain and mamlcst at what age the descendants cease to be children or at what age they arc excluded from the promise, and cease to be ht subjects of baptism; seeing they do not baptize all the otfspring of ;', Piofess.Hl behvcr, old and young, but the infants only. Also, i! it i.m.tod to his imiued.ate offspring } or does it extend to his seed in their grnerat.ons i The promises to Abraham certainly did: and jierhaj)s every covenant promise in the old testament. To how inany ;;eneration.s is the promise in force, so that the children may be pro- per su^jec ts ot baptism ? To the third, or fourth, or thousandth gpueration ? Obj. 3. " Ehe were your c!.ildren unclean; but now are they holy." 1 KjOv. vii. 14. From this it has been nrfi'.sd. fhs* tb*' ch'— "=-• - '•'—-'•- m virtue of the faith of the parents; th*kt their hoHness stood opposed to unclean and was the foundation of church privileges ; and therefore they oi-oht to be baptized. Why not entitled toother church privileges a, \\ella8 to baptism? I observe 1. That holiness '§f n m ft! 51 which conaisted in ceremoaiai consecration, or freedom from cerems. maUinpuntj separate from, and independent of moTa!Tu"r?n^ nu rpH 't' *° ^"'^' °°* ?."'^ ""*«^' *»"* ^" the principaF th n- r^ qu red m the covenant. But under the gospel, no such^tvpicaT^houI h trT"^f he^r-. '^'T'' '^ f ali recognized: thI'hTness ^f I^LnA- -''V^e i»pirit, isUic onlj holiness required and acknow- IlS'" * •;«"g'»'".^«"««- . The holiness contended for a, e„ti?line7o church pnvdeges, without the sanc.f.cation of the Holy Spr i"\u K'ntin thaT '"'^'' "'« ^P-"-! economy; therefor? u'^innot im.wfh *h»tP*"age. Were a typical holiness at all admitted, tmder the new testa:;,ent, there irould be no end to theholinesse, ihfch nes,Sr'?u"' emissaries irould impose upon us 2 Th'ehoS Sv b^,' '•"'^''°" ""' '" conscqucnJof the faith of the befiev?nr party' ^ For r^.Tr • '1 '*L" «anctifii:ation of the «nbeliev n| iZLi. V • the unbeheving husband is sanctified by the wife ani thennbehevnj w.fe is sanctified by the husband; else wTre vour children unclean; but now are they holy." This holiness has 1^^^ wtT ^neXr';;'^ •"',' '"'*'' eithiin^he patents orJ^The'hTdrX blc in reSn V^u\r' •"''""^''-t^d "'th faith, cannot be accepta- oiem rel gion 3. If the consequent holiness of the children entit'* icaLn :t7>re',fT'^"' '"'^ •"'^'^*' '""^ -■" *he anteceden" san t" S^PrTu^ »"^*'^r^"5P"*'"t'«"t't)e him to church privileges* n?L ^*;*""'* '"""f '^ ^ «« efficacious as its effect. 4. At xvhat Se" or by wha moans, do the children lose this holiness, be it^vVlt ft mfv' WbTh '''*'■."'""■ *'*'"*^ •-'^"••^h privileges? for it iseVdenV K emLw ^" :"?f.f"dtl>e practice of Pedobaptists. that they do no" co^n edtr il^^iht'lel'l'^^^' J^ '^^f -^' ^irl.e of theVoL"e:.^ .-mposc n^n a texl^a\.tni..^h'iU^s^fo^^;^7 Tpridtranl «uccee.hng contexts, and to tie scope of the whoK discourse as weK as adverse to the genius of the^^ospd; especially as JEe te^t itiof natiually suggests a mea.ung agreeable to both contexts, t^'thedoe- leZj'Z:Z"^^^^^^ *« the ^cnptHres f„ jeneial. more especially as an evont recorded in scripture, render, the c eanng the point cie^red by this natural moaning necessary ?or ^nr ./ ♦• "^ '^rV'* th.-ngs according to the coiunrl of his own lun other ,.s allowe I tp remain m sin ai. I uuhciicf It was oue of the jommandments ol Christ, that believer. shouM marry ^nliinJe Lord_ They are the circumcision of th^ heart. The oirrmrci Jon Nvluch ,s outward ir. .ho Iksi., m ore not allow..! to marry unci cunc" foL^"""';""'^ ''^'" *'""^ '^o^^^^^^d was trausgress.d, they were ^i- jomei to put away the strange wives and sucl/.s vvor^ ho?n Tf "hem; w^s "^nof.I'j '. • -^'=h.*"'-^V30. which thry also di.l. Now it ronVJrsion h. ] h. '"'^"''''■'" ''"^^""" "■'^^' ^^^''*^''-^' ^^^'^ ho/ore their ciTed n h^n .^ been n>amed, aP>l whoso partners w.ro still um-ircum- ci.eil in hsart, whether thev mieht hrearnMrdu.- .-. m.« : fiSrpur;" consequent holiness of tlie children, ia the ame sense and entitling to privileges of the same natuie. The hoh.ess was not at all of a religious kind, and did not entitle to any ^^hSZ'J Al^- ull "r " ^t"^ •''''' ""^ interpretation, lo sacrifice the t t\/ of he b.ble for the sake of snpp^orting a darlfng hypoihe- To i. K ^^' ^H'^^' '' *™'" their ccmnexio^ and then made to prove wha. thfi Holy Sp: icver intended «rl^,?hll' ,V^'^^«f'-'';h?^.-eholdswere baptised; and that . 3 im- probable they were all without small .ildren: and as the whole liouseholds were baptized wL.n (he parents believed, itis a natural! ifnot a necessary supposition, thath.fants were bi ptized with iheiV ^ levmg parents And the very mention of households in connexiort with rel.gifln, nnphes the continuance of the same religious connex- ion betweenparents and children, as e.dsted under the law. Cinnol a religious Baptist mention a household that has behrved.has bee* baptised, and h«s mined the chr.rcb, without contradicting his reli- gious principles t observe t. That the eligious connexion between parents and child., a under the law, is as much misuuderstood as an? other, ubject. Carnal roatiou to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the foundation of Ihea- claim to covenant privileges under the law ^ and all the rd.g.ous connexion subsisting between parents and chil- dren, as a claim for privileges, even then, was *hat the parents wer the medium through which this relation to Abraham was transmitte to the children. In every other respect, I roadilv grant the contin- ance o. the same religious connexion, that existed -nder the law. «ut the covenant under which we are placed, recogiuzes no carnal and we Gentiles possess none if it did. 2. The (e.m household is no^ lUf • V'^/!''''?' n«rnecessari!y implies children at all; nay, i» n ! IVJ^^^ r^*" '^'^'"'^^^''^^ «^' a ^'^"'ily, as contradistinguished from tha children Gen. xvii. 19 ''He will command his children and h.s household alter iHm." Job i. 2, 3, There were born unto ^im soven sons and seven daughters And his substance also was sevea thousand sheep— and a very great household." It is not used in one Hngle passage, to signify the children as distinguished from the ser- vuiii.i mougi. .iriay include the children as' well as the servants, unless they are particularized out of the household. But though it «^t^ ^h?P 7|"'!* :* "'^'^ restricted to children ohly, it would* not *we the Pedobaptrt cause, ualess it w«r« proved, that it was res- i* ■■| 56 tricted to such chililren subjectsofb.pt.sm If tnoy baptize childrenbecause households were baptized, It IS incumbent on thcw, to prove that the term household, ZS'T'n '"'^ as they ba^,tize, orto baptize all that are in^ eluded m , Ft has already beeu tully proved, that the whole of eve- ry household that was h.->r)tized were professed believers, with the ex- f hTSh ' ' household: and tiicre is a stro.- presumption that the brethren wnor« Paul sa^v and comforted in her house, either were her household, or thnt her l„M.e^ )Id i«ade part of the brethren Those is no certainly that any more professed tho faith at that time mPhdipp,, but thtja.krand h:s hou^rhold, and Lydia andhernouse- noia. U so, Lydia s ..ouseholu mmt lime beat the brethren who recei- ved romfort; m wh.ch case they mnst have b^.>n believers. But the baptism of housenold. wi'l not .erve the Pedob-,p;ist cause-, m.ltss h be proved, not that they miglit cont.'^in, but thar tl.rv act-rdlv did con- tain u.laiits,.andi'iat such iaJantsnct:iailyw^:•■e bap! i/-d ^ "^Vjicre some in the household believr-d, and some b-iieved no. ," t ''.e disfr • t^on ... cr.reiully marked in the f rripfdrrs. ^H.^e itom. ■ vi 10 ' t a g,,„p. them that be of the househo'd of .\ar. Issi'., .^hi.-. an in the Lord " J. e. that part oi his household which are in ti.e T ovl. S-. aNo Phihn IV. v.. When no such distinction is marked, \y^ ,i.i f,;'!y vjrranted to conclude that no such disthiction existed. Pedohapii.;,, d^^riio no shadow of snppo.-t from th.; bnptism of househoids At whn t-p .j,, chddrenc^ase to be of their father's household, so the<- rrav not oe baptized? ^ ^ iut uc Obj. .0. It is said thai tlie 'cripturo contains inanv promises to the chddren of the righteous; and that unless we hnjitize their children we disannul (he promises. Ps.ciii. 17, 18. xliv. .-3, -I. !ix 20 '>! Ixi 9' i\ut ' °,'''''"'^. ^- '^^*= language of these promises is ' npplicablc to them as descendants, not as inL.ts only. 2. It is appHcable to Ihern as posterity, m l,uu- ;>-'nerr,liom, and not as immediate ofjlnrin- only. 3. If parents are faithful to the trust committed to them in th? education of their children, there is reason to expect the Lord will' bless his own word, and the devout example of his own neorle and an.wertheirferventprayers, tbrtherDnversioaa.dnapinaessor'thrir chi,dr.'>n As ther.: ,s a greater probability that the hearer of thf pospel shall be blessed, than those wuo .io not eniov .;,■!, a privile-o' Jiom.x. 17 1 lim. iv. 16. so also, there is a greifir proh.nl.'hty that those who W a pious education shall bebh'ssed, than tho./e who hare not. If having the oracles of God, and not circumcision, was the chief advantage of the Jew, so a pious educatioa nnd not baptism, is tlie chief advantage of the children of believers. This far then it is cranted that there are promises to the children of the ri -btcous The dd.gence and prudent e-^onomy, which true religion tenches, is calcula- ted to render the children of the ri^htcn^ couifortahle and indepen- dent in temporal things: beside::, wh^n the righteous aim at promo- ting the glory of Cod, his blessing may he expected on their endea- vours. But what can be thought of t^ie fnllmvlna. or.„-,..v,o„f 5 tu — |s reason to evpect that, ingeueraMhe chiidreiiof the righteous "will wlwo^fu' 'r'^^'^'f.'"^.^'""' ''"^ '^^PP^' than tho children of the Thnf H *h^;'«[;'';^'.»'e '"fa'^ts of therighleou.s ought to be baptized. Ihat they shall be justified without faith, or i.appy without holiness, ^ more tlian other cluldien, cannot be adn.ittPd.Johaiii.SG.IIeb -ii U 4 Thenghteou,,and ZioB and the blessed of the Lord, and such like terms and phrases especially in the propbecios, mean God's covenant people, or the church of God: and are not believers, and they onlv the tothem. All th.ngs are theirs. Whoever goes todiiectthe s.i;itual pro- mises to smfu men, through aaj other channel than that of faith, » ^ontendmg w.thh.s Maker, and cannot prosper, there is here n" thmg to ©ppose th'> baptism of befievers only. Obj. 6. It is said the covenant with Abraham is the covenant of grace; that infants belonged to it; that circumcision the seal of it wai administered tothem; that believers and thoir children are in the covenant of grsee; that baptism is come in the room ofcircumcision- and therefere the infants of believers ought to be bapti.~cd. I obserre 1. As the phrase, " the covenant of j^^doe," i. not in the scriptures "«'th«r know nor care what it i.: but I have no hesitation in -rant! ing that God was under no obUgation to make the covenar.t with Ahra- hnm, and conser,uently the making of it was an act of grace: nori»a.s tie under any obligation to bestow the blessings promised, and therC^ fore Its blessmgs were properly ofgraee. •>. I also readilv grant thi* infants were luclnd, d in it; but not as infants meielv, no'r ns the in- lands of prsfcssed believers, nor yet as the infant seed of Abraham rncrely, nor as =. fbnts at all; but as the (!e£Condants of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob— as Abraham's carnal <*ovenant oi'lspring There' ran be no doubt of infants being circumdsed. 3. If the A?mio-htv mriric a covenant, it seems inconsistent with the divine faithfulnosP anrt immutability, that the same persons should be in it to d;.y, and out of it to-morrow; more especially, if it is on a gracious, and of course absolute, unconditional footinir. All who are interested in if must, according to the divine faithfulness, inevitably enjoy its LIe<- Mocs. Rom iv. IG. 4. God never made any Covenant tliat include-l l|cl,ejers and then- seed exclusively. The covenant with Noah inclu- ..ed believers and their seed; but along with them, it included jflso . e^ys and heathens, and even the beasts of the field. The covenant Kith Abra.iam in its literal sense, included only one of his eio-'.it song . nc covenant at Sinai included the whole of fsracl after theflesh be- lievers and unlelievers. The covenant with Levi, restricted in therJiost important part of the nriesL's olfico. to the family of Anron, wascontiii- u-d hereditary in that tribe and family, without regard to faith or; inbe- li^f, to the conchision of the age or state for which it was established 1 he covenant with David could not, in the nature of it, include anv more than one of his seed, or anv more than one of his seed's seed; an'd in that hne it was hereditary, without rejard to faith or unbelief The new covenant, corresponding t.. the spiritual meaning of the A^ra- ''am.c covenant, includes all beiiev.rs, and none but believers, who nre taught of God, and have a new heart. Not a word about their seed; not one of them included in this covonnnf xkU„.u Jo #u« i dispensation, till they are born of the Spirit, John iii. 5. or cahed'of J^od. Acts 11. .^9. Rom. xi. 24, 25, 2G. viii. 28, 29, 30. Unless a man he horr again— be converted, and become as a little child, or new born babe-and as a httle child receive the kingdom of God, he canmu en- ter therem, nor be interested ia its blessings. If any person know 1 m m ;!' 5S any ofhcr covenant which the Almighty condesr«n(led to make, I have nothmg to say, as my bible reveals no other; and I find that in those helievers and their seed are not exclusively included. A cnyenant which secured spiritual blessings to those included iu it -cannot include the seed of believers as such. 1 . In thet case it would not correspond to the type, which secured typical blessings' to those rnc uded in .t, not as the see.l of believers, nor in virtue of their filial re ation to their immediate parents, but as Abraham's covenant •Icscendants. A personP.l, spiritual relation to Abraham, is thecround on which otie IS included in the covenant, and an heir of its blessings -. In that case, persons might be entitled to t> aheritance, but, for want of capacity to enjoy if, never get possession, But the new Jove- nant secures to all the -hildien of the covenant, from the least to the grca est, divine teaching. Is. l.v. 13. the remission of sins, and a new heart on whici. the divine law is written, as essential concominit- ai'ts ot a spiritual covenant relation to God, Jer xxxi .^3 S4 in order to fit them forilie enjoyment of spiritual blessings. Thus their I'r^ioyment is made as sure as their title. 3. Without holiness no man .shall see the Lord. n,e cliildien of believer^, as woU as others nmst be sanctified by the truth-have tlieir hearts purified by faith' ti.ey, as well as the seed of evil don-s, nmst be born of the Spiiit: for tha which IS born of the llesh is llesh, and will continue to be liesh, iill born ol the Spirit. ^ 4. If the divine promises are herediiary, elortion !•< '^^rluded Elec tion makes a discrimination in families, Horn. ix. 7-1?. and serures the promised blessing to the children of the promise; but the Pedo- bapt.st scheme takes the fa.Hily as a whole, and leaves the salvation m all the seed doubtful; or rather, l.-aves their damnation certain, nnkssby la.th they becx.me i-itrrp.led in a discriminating rovenant It builds on the la.th of the parent, without regard to faith in the rhil.lren, or the purpose of God manifested by that faith. 1 The* 1. »,.i. A..-rordmg to election, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, b-it of God that sheweth m^rcv: Rom. ix 16 hut ad cor, mjj to the Podobaptist pkui, it is not of hin, that willrth, &c but ;;L 1" ''""*"* f 'r;'^'- , .T'»' ^"'^ "'"»''. <''^t the promise of covenant biess.ng, are to the children of h.liovcrs as such, and that the same prom.se is of grace-of sovereign graf..-of Hoot ion, ^y^ as opposite to each other as light and darkness. Let Armiuians hold infant bap- t.sm If tnev choose: it is something oongenial to thoirsyM^m; hut to he Calnn.st.c plan, it is utterly mpusuant. The Calvinist Pedoban- .st IS hotween two hres when ho is fighting with the Anninian on th(^ o ,P hand, and with the Baptist on the other. Every blow ho aims at the Baptist strikes at the Cakinist; and evorv blow he aim^at the Ar- U ";!."' T^^l' at Podobapti.^m. The Calvinivt and the Baptist cannot he separatee, without the utmost violence; and vet, stran-e to tell while there are Anninian Baptists, there are also'Calvinist Pedobap^ 5. The now covenant provides for the nerju^voranoe of w. aMi.;-„** m uie way ot la.tli and holines.s, till thev'arrive in glory. 2 This ii' 13,14. Jer. xxx.i..SfJ-42. John x. 28, 29. Philip i 7 Butac- .o.-ding o the Pedobaptist plan, we must believe the Arminian maxim : A saint to-Uay, and a devil to-morrow : i. e. ia this case, a .tint while 59 he can show no wickeilnesi, fcut a devil, as soon ai he is able •how that he ii of hi:. Tather the devil, jy doing his works. John vm. 14. It is no objection here, that some Baptists also depart from the truth they professed; because it is on a personal »r(ijfe««on of faith and repentanca, and correspowUns: fniit, thay were baptized: and as men are not discemers of hearts, there is always a possibility of sup- posinj the professiow true and sincere, when faith is feignfed; and of supposing the fruit genuine, when it is spurious. The nile, " By their fruits ye shall know them," still hoWs good, though certaia persona faiTed of applying it propferly to their neighbours. Though they should fai. in a thousand instances, still when one professes faith and repcn- tanca, and appeara, so far J!is man can see, to bring forth corresponding fruit, we are, not only authorized. Acts viii. ^7. but enjoined Mat. xxTiii. 19. to baf tixe hina. But the Pedobaptists proceed on the sup- position of an absolute divine promise of spiritual blessing?, of being actually, already, by divine constitutien, within the bond of th« cove- nant. As the infants which ore supposed to be included in th« pro- mise, are all of a kind, and it is not on account of any visible differ- ence between them and others of tlicir kind, but oa aecount of suppo- s»ng ihe divine promise to be to all of the kind, a mistake in applying it to an individual, pecessarily implies n mistake in applying it to any. Could it be proved that one believer of the gospel was lost, no belie- ver, as such, can ever be saved. If it can be proved that one of the eovenant subjects fell short, no roveaaut subject, as such cm obtain. In this case, a mistake in one insitaiise, is a mistake in all. Here then, there is no evading the point. Eitliar t.e covenant does not provide for the perscver:»nce of its subjects; or those who make sMp- wreck of faith, w^re nevrr interest' d in its promisas; for the p re of God cannot fail. If (hose promisrs which are ratified the blood of Christ fail; if, after promising in covenant, that he will re- member their sins no moir, tlif ir sins are nevertheless remembered, and they eternally damned for their sins, where is our security? — from Avhat can oar strong consolation, as heifs of a promise which has tailed, be drawn? Ileb. vi. HI— 20. How strange, that men will rati* V cloud the immutability of the divine promise, which is the •source of their evrrlastinij consolation, and good hope through grace, than give up a practice that is palpably uselessin itself, and that can- not be maintained hut on principles so dishonourable to the divine < liaracter, and so i-epugnant to th« whole ienor of divine revelation! G. Notliing is to be done in religion by proxy. Christ, the media- tor, is at the right hand of God, as the head, representative, forerun- ner, and intercessor of his people; and every heir of promise must be ft living member of Christ's body, and come personally to God throu<(h Jesus Christ. This divine surety is the only representative the chris- tian religion admits. Some will have a multitude of saints to repre- sent thcui before God: some will have spiritual guides to represent them in relii^ious court? on earth; many consider themselves as all .• r-pjc:ji;:;i.tu i:i i^iirisi 5 preieiiuea ViCur, and u {;t-Cai iiiuny ihirik that tlto paie)it represents the child, in some mysterious sense, so that the parent's i.iiti! stands for the child tp bring it into the covenant, and entitle it to baptism. If once religious representation is introduced, there ;« ISO telUng where it may stop. Will it be aaid that Jfoah's faith % r^k i i ft m entitled his sons to a place in thft ark? I anm*»r It ri * rr^ That ark whirTc^ntamed in^^^tfl %^''V^'"'^'^^ '"*« 'J-^ «rk> been shut againsfunSnm'irhi^';;'^^^^^ ^''"^^ "«' >'«^« admittance.^ ^ here puulw^t i^^^^^ ^!,^'" 7^'"' "'^ »^"g»'t i-s about to •nn.rt itT' S-' .S^N A n''"f^' ^"Vt' l'^^^'^"' ''"^g* they will save neither son ^or^iht^'rvVh^^'^'^ »hall but deliver their ownsoul^ ^E^ek ^^v "2"?^^''"^^^^^^^^^ /',7 in the«ase of temporal Duni^hmonf i ^^^- y~^i ■ U this hoida eternal? If thirS if thlnS? ' °'*' '""'^' '""^ '" ^t'« ^^^^e of Jehovah to Ahrahm" ovt'TS' eTTHTSr^ ^"'^^-'^ «^' answer, tliat to these two mrn L^ '1 ^ ^"^ ^^^*^'^ '^ '•°3^*' "^d, 1 in,^ their seed, and the eforThe rem 'mh 'Tu'"'. J]'^™'^'' ^•«"*="^"- didnot inflict the punXont a, hTZ^''''*V' ^'"'^' ^°"*'"''"*' ^^"^ cause he made cLTanrnrom ,« ? fJ" '"'"'''""^ •=***'''• '^"* '''=- them, is that Ly reason U^^^^^^^^ '^^ '*" '"^"' ''"^ f"'«»«J Tnade, should exSrhaefumnpV P'«"'^*« ^'^re never'madetoth^em' Why J^^l^^^ P'-r'^" ^''ich were the salvation as w^ ,, fJi^i^Y ?•' ^^'^ ?'^^ °^ ^^^ Pai-^nt avail for Wheav n but^f/oTZ fL^^ "'^^5 f- it is to iiv. 12. ^ ^ """'* »''^ account of hinjself to God. Rom. Tl^y^r? diSl.!Sl ^^tir'^^^e.^"""'"" ""^' circumcision. I. point of the gcneratinrmemW R 'r " ' '"."^"^ ofTtHe extreme body in wat.r^ TThfyTenrescnt ,hS'' 'T A'-'^'" '"""«'-^'«" of the sents thebeiiev.r's fellrnvSwi C r'? k''^"'- .^''^^'^'" ^^P'"*" tion,andullthe blessinLrSved fnh -^ ^"*^ resurroc- cumcision rails to rZir.il 1? ^"" 'l^"* "'"* fellowship. Ct- tabhshed u^on tln^,ritlTes '" '''t^^:^^ ^^ ^ covenSut, es- titiot. wall bctH r! r& / T i ""^^ " ^*""''y '""'•^^ to f«'''n a par- which Abraham haS before 'ri-'^^'"^^-^"'""^* *^«^ *''« ^'^'^ pattern for all his chiMrei^orC ''^'*''' ^"^ * ferent descr.ption of Zlu^ liZr '7 'r .'"^^'"*^^'' ^^'^ « <^^<'- and for all believers iVw Vn.r^ ''' k' u'"*'"*^^*^ ^'"" ^'""^''«r« ^nly, cumcision «as inSlod Jo^ tlu n.T' "'^t'^'"'!-'"'*'"* "•• *'^'"''''^^- ^ir^ out the ie.st respect t f^.'th t '"^-7..7 J' ^V^Tlfr^'" "^;''^', "'V^' served at differetit timp* R.,„*; . . . ^ '^^^J »'e ; Jt'" '\7 'I";" ""believer. Ar. they boru of the fiesh, or irp th?^ r'^KV^" ^' ' *'''^' '"•■" «^''> ««^h "^ ^^'«" «* others. Are they born of blood, or of God > If of blood, they are not sons t^.L Ty '■ '^.•V"*"'^^ "'' •"'''•« '^'«''" '« the privileges of efnri?. " If''- • / ^^'^ "^ ^T ^^" *'"^ ««^»'' ^"^ "«t if the Spirit «Tt o^ ^^^T!" Pr*'""*^ ^''*''» ^*'° "^•^ bo™ ^^i'*-'- the Spirit, f« L r »»dtI>eiefore are dauseron. among them: they ought Ir. ^f ni^fl *\'"- '-^^i '^ ""T *^' *^J*''-'t' ti:o..e who persecute them are of the f^csh,..nd ought to be avoided. Mat. x. -28. Arothev chil- dren of the ll<^sh,or children of the nmmi.o ^ If ...v.^ 11 :? .?!.. are counted lor the *ced, are heiri according to the ',,romiseVand the promise ,s sure to all that seed. Rom. iv. 16. Thoy are the^ the rhildmi of God ; and if rhihircn, then heirs-of God, and joiut hei ' With Christ. Horn. viii. 17. This is a hich claim fur the believer to -^^mikj^' cs claim for bis children. But high as it is, if the promise that Jehovah will be a God to them and to their see', in itj spiritual sense, b« to them as it was to Abraham, it is criminal unbelief, it is calling Go4 a liar, to hesitate in advancing the claim. Abraham would not hesi- tate to advance it in behalf of his spiritual children; and to the carnal children the spiritual promise never was made. If the seed of be- lievers are included in the promise, believers have as gooda wairant to plead it in favour of their children, as in their own favour, or at Abraham has in favour of his children. Why should they plead the premises with confidence, and not draw with equal confidence the unavoidable conclusion ? Whether does the hesitancy arise from a doubt of the promise being to the seed, or of God's fulfilling his pro- mise ? The one or the other it must be : for if he is their God, he ban prepared for them a city. Ileb. xi. 16. If they are the children of the flesh, they -Are not the children of God ; for the mouth of tba Lord hath spoken it. Rom. ix. 8. One said that the shepherd ought to mark the lambs, as well as i'voA them. If the shepherd put A's, mark on BTfamhs, tspecially when A tells him the lambs are not his, by what name shall his conduct be d«vribed ? If the mark of God's children, were put on the children of the devil, especially when God has expressly disclaimed all nilalion to them, is it not robbery ? If they are the children of God, when infants, how old must they be, before they become of their father the devil ? If this should sound ra- ther harsh, let it be remembered, that Christ appHed it to the des- cendants of as eminent a believer, as our age can produce. It uv therefore no more harsh than correct. 10. Man and wife are more nearly related than parent and child! For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife ; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mat. xix. 5, 6. Noah and his .sons had their wives saved with them inthe ark. Lot got his wife with him out of Sodom. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, could deliver nei- ther son nor daughter, possibly they might deliver their wives. Ezek. xiv.20. For what knowest thou, O man, that thou wilt not saveT thy wife ? iCor. vii. 16. When outlandish wives were put away, their children were put away as a necessary consequence. Ezra, x- 3. It is in virtue of the sanctification of the unbelieving partner, that their children are holy ; and for want of such sanctification i» the unb. lieving partner, the children are unclean. 1 Cor. Tii. 14. From all thes( passages it is manifest, that whatever connexion may exist between lather and son, it must yield to that between husband and wife ; for a man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife, &.C. Could the Pedohaptists find, in the scripture, such a declara:tiott as this, respecting father and child, how would they triumph ! W« should be apt to hear it at the beginning, at the end, and at the raid- die of every baptism. Wil 1 it be replied that these words refeiv to mar- fiage, iioi to baptism r So iloes i Col-, vii. 14. and it reiWrs to baptism as much as the nth of Gen. Were the Pedobaptiatt confined t« those passag^es wlUeh refer to baptism, they would make but « lama defence. If the relation between Abraham and his canal eov«naat o&prini, represents that between bitnaadhis sp(iTuualofiii|aiti|^m»rn- «i i 14 64 I5d"fISr^'Hr'''^i''^^ 'k" j"g'^"-"°i°"i th^t between Chri,t and ius people When thch.nband comes to be baptized, and brin« his wife with h.m, why do th. Pedobaptists, by baptizing bin, and rf fus.ng her, put asunder what Cd bath joined together ? in Vnvl ".•Spirit, and they that worship him must worshio him much^c. - 'acheerh.U,verofbis earthly substance, how waub •: votjonal serv.ce, where the heart is principally 'eq'"' . «..y involuntary service, in spiritual worship, be nfea- Mnff tion ^I S'^i^rV'""''^'' all our obedience as a proof oftur affer- t.on .0 h.m ? If baptism is a spiritual ordinance, and infants are un- conscious, involuntary in the obscnance of it, 1 ow can such ser^C ter fra'iTcf '' *° ^°' -'''" ^">- ^'^^ *«" "->• «'» ever be in aTet- '^- '^in^an^' are included in the covenant, and, as subjects of th*. corenant, «re baptized, why are not they memb;r3 of " he chulch ibraha^"" ''^ ? *'" ^°"i?^ *''^^ '^''^«»»"* ^^'^-'h iuchu es them^ walunrod in t^o rT'Plr'^^^'"^ ''''' "^^"^^'^''^ "^''^^^ 'church whTcli was united in the bond of that covenant which included them If thev are members, why are they not treated as members ? Can a^iv rVa.on -k/m 'i: '"^^ '^^Pt'^'l members, without any fault on t oir nart should be prohibited the Lord's supper ? Does the new testan'-"^' orders of menrtbers ; one order who communicated at the Lor I't table and another, who refused, or were forbidden, to do so? Do /L qu^hficatiOM, required for the Lord's s„pp«r, in.pi; auv superiority a Withan^ih^Tn f •°''-'*'?^!.''"' ^^=""-'* '"*«»* communion, apply »..■ K fu ^""^^ ''^''"'* '"'^^"t bapfism? Will not the objectiEn^^ Sitr ''*'"" "*" ^''"■■'»''«"^vveri? When ar^uin. in f^oTll ? Infant^ T' "" .*"«"«?? objectrons against it,"only suhstitu e for It, mfant communion, and will any incongruity follow? The Lord'I Wer I. intended for the disciples of Christ, an^i .oT baptism S^^^^ he number o f"h'* ."' "'^* ""*" ''" ^""^^ *^^« '*' ^"'^''d'"^' *« «;-,trT °\tbe souls; every man according to bis catin-, shall Li?r/°""* ^^'*^' '"'"'^- ''«'• v.hosocver%ateth that w'hich ii lon^r.ti^"'''^!''"","^*^'^'*^^'^" ^^'^' '«"' «hall be cut off from the was the s5me Fr„ .^"'""''■' '""^ *^« ^^•'^''* ''^ ""'ravened bread, ftnta coJid «a/T *^'\^^<'/'""t it is evident, that as soon as in- bread bu nnwl '^,'^* *^' passover,. for they could get no fW 11 °"'**'^*°«J. during seven days; and as soon as be7ofThe eaTernf* T^ ^''\' .'""'^ ^^re^ounted in the num! that the chiWrr, *?,' Pfu""' ^^'"*'- '*•« '''^^ to be considered, fiKurfda'n^Srm^ wtr^^fa^^K L^ •' /"PP" •" ^'^^ ^^o'" of tbe passover, every pas- sage vfhich .upports .nfant baptkm on the footing of infak circumol act J. 65 •ion,equtlIr«upport« mfant communion on the footIn.rofififani, e»t- ,ng the p«»over.--Church History also put, them much ol « Vy,l ?'.r Au^^'-y* ?"*°'^ °^'°^"* '^"Pt-""' ?• 51 7. Vwy near on. halfof th« chmtian, in the v^orldsiillcontiifuc that practice ffi Greek church, the Maronites, the Armenians, tl»e Cophti, {he Aba,! sm, the Muscov.t., a, i. related hy Brercwood, Ak.r^z, Rijaut, I ey- hn, &c. Care „ to bfi taken, says the Ordo llomanus, Tit dc BiSu concerning Infants, that they should not, without the u mo tnecefX rece.ye aay food or suck, after they are baptized, b^o^TtLcZlnui: .«/e .« the sacrament of our Lord^s bodj. H\n rile U dehvered iH KvV h^N?" ^-"t '"PP''"' '° ^' ^ ^Torkof th^er>/rce„tury! but whch others hmk was not written before the eleventh. Pope Paschal II. who hved at the beginning of the twelfth ce,"tun-, sa?t (Ep.st. ixxu. apud B.nnii Concil. Tom. tii. p. 530.) We know "he bread was g.von of our Lord by itself, and the wiue by itself AnJ we require that custom to be always so obserrcd in the holy churd. erceptn the case of Infants, and such as are very weak, anrca^nol fh!, f- ^^'^"- M''.?- ^^J- 2d. p. 84. A. D. 1804. It appears then In?L!"/r TTT'' ''' "^" "" '"^^'»* ^^^P*'*™' "«f coMiderable •nt.qu.ty nnd extent nmong professing christian . On the whole sir' ln,?-"f "^f ' ?"'* f"""' '^"P*''^'" ''"P''« '"f«"t churcli^membeJ-' hi.n and.nfnnt churnh-membership i.rp!i„ infant communion: au4 ten wit . VJTr "^? T '''''^'''' ''' ''ther, are whoujlconsb- in^Zl' *^'^'"^'''^-"- , I" .'^'O'-t. infant baptism has no fourtdation but TftttLt^l y^^"'^\"';'^V^'^'-^''^™c covenant, of the state of W thlm conS^r r/ '/'TP'"'"«*^ '" *^« New Testament, no«e o£ J^,T».i V'^-.^'P*""'' ^'^''^h ^'-e tortured on the rack to ZJIa ^''^'"/"'"•J "it'' tl>e.se mistaken views. The same v"ews of tbS kingdom ot IsraPl, on whirls infant baptism is founded, has alJeadr Ca"ihv "^^r^^r"*^^^'°" ouwhfchto erect the an Kh Sj .w/.nf^^ "". 'V '•" '"PP"'*' '*• '^"t *^^ tide of scripture 1 gh t li^JJ^n^ J' '"""'^'^""' ^."P^'^truct and all. The more scriptSre di&rty!tralHt"'r;"''"^ '"P'*"- '^ renounced; and the S, ore inVin i; J n ? /^"'^ '" '"PP"'-tin? it. The jprocess ef reason- ^n5th r"^^' "''J^^t'^"- '* '"♦•'"ly subversive of*^go,pel rrinciple.; and therefore can never establish infant baptism. " I ""^V'", >. The PRACTiCAr. Usf.s or Baptism. The practical uses of baptism deserve our next attention. I . If i« calculated t. impress the truth on the mind. The baptized ^er on ;» roi:,c.ous that he is, ky nature, a transgressor of tLXinJ Jaw ll.at, a, such, he .s obnoxious to divine vengeance; that he iZutVd' aa enemy t.. (.od m h: heart by wicked works; 'that God C the Christ U'^ •\f "i-ee that he ,^av. hi. Son todi'e for the guryVthat uryujMo bnng smne. unt« Godf tl^ GoS ^^^^l^l^J^ hf t fn- r. • p" "T"'^' "°* ^'"P^^'^S "«to them their trewaie,- f^ifh^^J*'"' ''"''' ^" ''"»r*''« pardoned; that he i. jusUlerW faih, and has peace with God; 'that he i, crucified with Ssf and <.u dead t.tl. law,, tp the w.rld, 4nd to sin by thriody^f cCtt . Il ■41 «5 > .k^^ ¥ «' ?.„I?T^ •' * hetrs w.tl* Chnst; the state wc are in r.s justified and «anct.fied, surround'ed w.lh danger, aniT iaily needing to mortify our niernber. which are on the earth; and the prospectf opening before us, of baring done with .m ^nd swrrjw, of having our bodies fashioned like unto Christ's gforiou. Itodf, md«f being fwrfcver witli him, enioy- la^ and seeing him as Ke is. ' J J 2. Bj a distinct vi We died to sih in the person of our siii et v : and ■ caji w* lote or practise wHat cost us our life? We are dead to am, and ihet^ore cannot be alive in sin. We are no longer citizens under the gotettimentsf sin, therefortT sin shalf ndt ha^^e dominio-r orer «s. Having died fo the world, we arc no bnger citizens of .t > We ai-e only strangers and pilgrims travelling through it, to .be heavenly country of which ive are true born citizens- ;: tTiere- ^^ 7v\.. ""* ^®^' interested in its interest, its bifauties *5 t :-^ »"ga8« "<»* our affections; its glories attract' riot our admiration; rior dof^s its busin«fss engress our attention. Cfirist pur, Phased us by hik Wood; therefore we ar« not our owrt; not- are we to hve to ourselves, but to bim whose we are, who died" for us and •t)se •gam: we are not anaious about providing for ourselves; for he to rJ!!r n* if Tr °"'' ^?^ «"S'»««d to supply us WitTi every needful £S^;„A ^K l"l''^*'*'?T*i:'*^'=*'''*"*^^*'**^ eloryin God, as our GodandFatbeMhaving.tast'ed'offhe sweetness and pleasure of com- nmnioh with him, possessing tike hone of eniovinr him fnr.v-^ - • •re captivated with' his difint excellency; and teting in him eVeW defirabU object, esteeming him (be source of all happiness, we cheer- ftUy forego erery other pleasure, and aU our affections centre in hkn. ti^ object •£ our suprem delight. * 67 4. CoBfiderinf tht frea^ blettinp derived to belteTen irom tfa«ir «nioQ with Christ crucified, the miterable state of mankind without such union, and that it it onlj through that anion theae hieacintt av» «btained, the necessitj of such union is clMitfly manifested. Tbert it no other name given under heaven among aien, whereby yf9 movt he saved. Itis onlr ^*' ^'^ith we can derive tuch blessinn from Christ; for he jvho belie shall be damned. If the uniform and invar 4-iablc effect i>^ n^^jt a Christ, is holiness of heart aadlife; and if, without such u lif'D, ve have no p^rt in Christ; Bafftism, wherein If exhibited thi^. c'.«. union, with its blessed eficcts, iaeufeetes th« necessity of ^.uch > ' :i. Stn cannot be sucoessfully mortified, nor tl.- holiness of the Math |^raoted, but by a fellowship with Christ in bis death and r' ^ otion; and wherever tdis fellowship exists, tro« holiness is the ...i ^ailine consequence. A person's being baptised an the name of Christ, as his cruciti;:dbut risen substimte and rvpre- sentative, is a professed and visible representation of bis fellowship with him. The intention and natural effect of the belitfvare being buried with Christ by baptism into death, is, that like as Christ waa raised from the dead, even su they also should walk in newness of life. As the believer is planted in the likeness of his dcatti, h« shall be also of l.« resurrection. There is no part of scripture more beautiful, mere coi.soliag, and more encouraging to the believer, or leads more directly and effectually to the destruction of the body of tiu, that henceforth we should not serve sin, than thoee passages which point out the meaning of the ordisance, and thence deduce motives to hatS- ness and consolation. Is it any wonder that Christians should b« careful to keep it from being clouded hy the fogs of error and super- istition? Let us manifest its practical effects in our life and conTer* aatiou. ♦ 1 it Tl. Mistakes concerning Baptism, According to the view..of baptism maintained in this essay, it will appear that several mistakes concerning it prevail in the world. I shali just touch at some of thetn. 1. That it is abolished. Q'f this mistake there are two kinds, fiome think that it belonged excluflive> ly to the introductory ministry of John the Baptist; aad that the bap- tls'.i of the Holy Spirit is the only one worth observing, or that waa c jserved, unless very seldom, by the apostles; and that toward th* I end of the apostolic age, it was wholly laid aside. Others hink that it was an ordinance of proselytism; and that the apostles used it as tuch, baptizing proselytes and their families; but never baptizing any children bom to professing Christians af^er such profession, either in infaucy, or upon believing. This last opinion seems to imply, thtt there is a vast difference respecting Christian purity, between hea- thens and unbelieving professors; and that such unbelieving profes- sors, communicate such superior Christian purity to' their ofispring. We fiwd, however, that when Christ commissioned his apostles to •>>.<>9nK iho m^nana^ amnncr all nal-inna fnr iSo nhAilEOnre nf fjaitV. h* jtittBi-ji «t'C |^-.--i'v- ■ — e 7 ^ — -• T — = enjoined on them lo baptise the beheving disciples, in the name of tha Father, a^ of the Son, and of the Holy Snirit, without any qualifica- tion or limitation, as to time. 'viac«, or circumstances. This would iead us to think, that ba[iil:iit is of equal extent ftud duntioD, wUIe ,iw<^I«, am4 «rith 68 obiying the in erTy .ewe, the .Vme^StHnd o' °"-'^' *^^* ^^P«»« ^u! the Son, and the HoJj Sp^^luL''^t^T''T '"'^^' *^« ^»th«' . the Scripture saith exprewlv Zi rJ *\*>''P»'?ni «>f the Holj' Spirit. fwt,. Th7.po8tJe, indeedTiyed to ctSf l'^/'^'^ »" »'" «*'- m the Holy Spirit; Acts viH 15 1^ .? " *^** ^- would baptize b'H'tism was performed witbon^Th. '. ''would appear that thia ibmad by the Spirit, is ever raUpI'k V *'«'"«"*• No work per- tism is alJo immSdia e y conn^c Id iTTr '" ^^' '"'P^^^"- Bap- i«f ..ved; withou^nyitration of a fi-tut7;? '^''^^P*'' ^"'^'^^ >xe sinners to be saved by believina- h^ !^«1 i^ -^f^' "' ^°"? " ^htre th.discipIestabebaptiJd,andK,z.ZJ ^'^^ "P?**'«' *«"«»»* «nd 'nstead of thinUnir th^tth.ll f ^r"',*' "''"' *» ^^^7 believed; lied .hat enjoined Sy^h^fthevur-HrV''!"'''^. ^"P""'* -F"'" as anarifument to enforce tK kT.*' ^'P*^^^ meaning of the ordinanral'ea'nv^? ^^f'""" ^'^ *^*"-"^- The' «fe. It is equallySficant^^^^^^^^^ ''«''«^«'-« '» ^very isfrequently mentionVd loneaShl^ '"'ny lormer period. B.pti.^ aad mentioned incJnnexSvUh thi'^"^^^ of Christianity; peo«tion, not only ^fthouV inV . Jo^^^^ d,;.* yiritual dispensation, but si intemo L w! M/'^'fT'*^ ^^^*^ *''* This ,8 so evident, that some have mistaSn /V r ^' ^ P"' ""' '^^ on th. aind. Therefor., whiie chn^S^^^ -l . '^'^"l" «P"^tions turn continues as a chris iar .fj- """5^ ^'ontinues, christian bap- ti.ns. cnrihUar. -romance, to he observed by all ehris- baptism, as an oAiinance of chri.?i»n> ^^" !"'.*^ °''S'»^' »i»- But »•«•, .till he i« regenerated Lv/i:^'." ?* '"^^"'^^'^ ^O"" ^"7 sin- fi«d from all hi. Ses and ^acctfe7?i T\?' ^" l,^** heart,%.ti. christian. PenonsaresaidtohLv r ^^ Beloved-~t,lJ he is a .fio.,and baptism i,*aid?^,tttL';-"L ;;•'''''''" wash ..ay their *« the Lord's supper is cVd thri ' V^'t '^^ '""'" " *''« bre.d >>Jood; and as therock in thl «, .1 "* ' *'''^'^' ""^ *^'- ""'«, hi» to be Christ, because ihi^J ?"^^^■■' ''^^'^ ^° ^^ -spiritual, 'and Christ. The'eSmVet,^t ^r'nr/. 'T'r'"^.' "" '-•^P--"ted Mical. Baptism sign ifle that thXr l^ ""^ u^"^^ '^ '» ^^'^'e^n- Ihe b'essi.^of regen^eration aid«!l n/r' ',?"•' ^^'^"'*^' ^^P^nenced -f Ki ,m-A eoinj«,hM5i«, uxi&S. ,>;';"Sl''?n '['.'""•.^i" of «om. ' tJrom -vhich f,ll bie lisin^s flow, as 69 5. It 3s .1,0 a mistake, to siZo^^fV ! 1^*'°^ ^*Pt'*eduntoChn7t fcelierers; for the scripture .avs^S*?,"^^"^'"™ " i'^tended for "«: ^hS; b^t&;^i^ -e fit ^:i^"ii:i\^ni2 To baptize unbelievers 4^/, 'V^ '"»!^ ** ^*^'»»<=« ^ith Chrisf 6'"l*K''J;'.^^P*^'"- ^*P"'»'» "»«ntia]Ijr diffS" conipletdv bv^th^^Ji *° *"??«"• sprinkJinr is bantism «-•„ pes n th.s manner, n«ver faMrluk ''apt'^mg^. One who ar- ./'Y the cause he woHMdef^'^''^^^^ v"'fi:ar, bold ..sertion generan; "'^'^ ^^^^ ^i*h ^spec? to the VII E ^- It .et's asii'e\hrD!v?„r "'^ ''""'^^ I^-VBSLiEv«r •^ceedin.1^ evident thalchlt'^.r'"^ t^ ^^*« t'-adition It fa *hed.sciple., and that the anosl? '''*r"?,''^ ^^« «P«^tIes to b^iij; of their master <5« r„ *Ppstles carefu y observpH ih^ ? ."«P«/z« It «.n^#- ""*»'""'"• Acts XX i. U 9a^ct.ga• ,, »cceptAb]« obci, .i ;iicc, what God exprefsl^ dir:- #. 70 •pnrores.viz. the imbelieving performance' of duty Without faith, it is impissible to pleate God. Jleb. xi. 6. It is fey /a'th we ar. justifiedVor become righteous. Rom. iii. 22,28,30. iv..5. v 1. With-,, , out this justification, all Adam's race are unrighteous, ungodly, wick- ed. " There is no difference." . But the very prayer and sacrifice •f the wicked are abomination to tho Lord. Prov. xv- 8,. 9, -6,-9^. «i.4,27. Mviii. 9. Therefore, all the religious services o£ unbe- lievers are abomination to the Lord. Isa. i. 10—16. Wail, it be said that the infant seed of believers are not wicked ? If not they do not need justification, and such of them as die in infancy, are sate »nd happy independent of Christ: a position which, I should suppose, mo chrisiiin ..ill maintain. Will it be said that the parents are be- lievers? I answer; Christ has no where commanded parents to bap- tize their children, or rather, to get their children baptized ; but he kas commanded the subjects themselves to be baptized; and untess the subject is risiblj a believer, his baptism is an unbelieving service; aiMl those who maintain -S are maintaining the mbelievmg perform- ance of religious duties as pleasing to God. If unbelieving obedience is acceptable in one instance, why not in another ? m which case, faith, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit are unnecessary, Ihe new creating, Eph. ii. 10. and the purging of the conscience, Heb. is. 14. may be dispensed with, as the unbelieving performance otduty is acceptable. ^p 3 It deceives the baptized respecting his state before God. livery one sees in the scriptures that it is disciples, christians, saints, who were baptized; he sees also that such characters are there represent- ed as intitledto, and possessors of, all christian privileges; that al the diviae promises of provision and protection here, and ot eternal Jife hereafter, are made to such characters; and that consequently, there is an intimate conHPction between being a disciple, being bap- tized, and being saved. Accordingly, as there is neither precept nor example in the New Testament, for the 'baptism of any, nor a pro- mise of spiritual blessings to any, but christians, those who hold to, and attenipt to support, nnbeliever baptism, endeavour to establish a .oit of hereditary, unbelieving discipieship, Christianity, holiness, ehurchmembership, and covenant relationship to God, winch iiititle unbelievers to church privileges, to th.. promise pf spiritual blessitrgs andconsequentlT, to christian baptism- When a person is baptize.l upon this principle, and maintains a decent character iii society, he conceives himself a mighty good christian; that the sure mercies ot David, the promises of the everlasting covenant, are to him; anrt these blessings being sealed to hiiv,, ho cannot fail of being saved. Should he iHdulge in those sinful pleas-ires, and laslnonahle vices, so prevalent in the baptized, unbelieving world, but so contrary to the •niritofchristianity, he still hopes (and if the promises be I wre. Ins hope is well founded,) that as he is a covenant chilo, within the boud' ofthe everlasting covenant, and the pioRii».s serried to him, God will yet bring liini back in his own dne time, his title is in the covunant or- dered in all things, ami sure, nnd he shall be saved uithoyt fail Is iS.:__« U^i-.-W.-v-.r r-.'ni-.-.vr'' \\ I! !irit n civirect desri irilion oi theoulk C't DomrnaiThmtiansrCHn a more etlectual method of deception be; devised.* The qnahns of his ronscirnce arc calmed, and its, convic- tions arc stifled, bv the hope llial is fnirly founded on tho doctiiue n . ..; ., to l,,m „he„ .1,« , i, „„ p„.'e7™;^ Vhi'Sd "•''°« '"«' •«•«: faith nor intellect Ts n ce: l^r^nVeverv" '^^^^'^ former,neither J.eving and unbelieving, ougJ-'^^beVS^^^^^^ it can be of no spiritual u,e to inv S . r • *''* '""er only, thea. natural man undeJstandeth not Th/fr "v*^?'"" teachmg; f»r the ther can he kn«w th^ b caus theV '"f of /be Spirit of ^God, nei-- ifthebapti^ed should ^ffrr.rd'be'^i^rP^i^^ ^-^ Jjef, while under the influence of eZifv ' .^\^A 'iM done in unhe- afford him much satisfacCn or rSr^r'*^^'^' " "«* 'ike'y io. of them: if it was only done loh?m witho 1 I '" ' ':'*'*^^P^^*^'^« '''««' .ent, it i. far from nfending the matte fo '' V""*^!" **»'^.'"? «' con- sciousness as well a. without faith 1 1 "^"^'"^ been without con- tion but by report, and of course cannot ^M ."'•'*"'"« "^ *^« *'''"'"'^- Ladl^ himself, voluntari y rj uXli^ r lbennpre«iou he would^ vtry design of ordinanoPsUin rnt'.'"^'^' observed it. The Ib/use ot^hcm, tomak; sen e assist ^'tr"' '' T "^»^^"'; «'* port that one knows he has observed In n^"^^ is only by re. «ign cf an ordinance is ar.niSated '"^•"^"^^^^ t'^e very use andde- jf^,^rt;;^;S^Sh:;^JS^::;;;^«^-"- -^ ^^--'^j:- theseed of the woman, and thTr/d oJ t. "^'^^ -n enmity between soon shewed itself wher^ Oah. sW Ab^> n "'P'?*" ^^" ^"'"itjr the sons of God took wives of hedau/hiers of'''"' '^'^'•««r^«d ^hei qucnee was, the prevalence of crje|^%^^^^^^ ""'"' *"'' ^he conse- a total apostacy Ivom God; in onS^tha t?t'h 't.':*^ "Ppression, anrf •arsons, all the inhabitants of the world L'p^lVf ^-^'"Pt^on of eigh^^ Infinite wisdom did not see nronP. fn fu ^^/''oy^d by the floSd. rally or abundantly, til afle? C hr ,t" f ''. « ^"'^ ^P'"* ''*««««- thatthe promiseof the SniHl JrZ\. ^^u'^^''' *"** *" '"%ht see br the bliod of Chr St! and I'at to h , 7 T"*""' P'^'^'-''^' '» ^^ti^ed fulfilment. The consl .^l.'fi. ' and ^or' I'j? ^fV*?'^"-**^ ''^^ ^''^^ Horn, as well as 'he si .te and rLrnlfl r ! "'^ * be spiritual king- greatly-upon the .. .uant effusio of Jh/s^- •? '"r^«"« •^^P*"*^^'^ Abral^m, it does not apnea Ta anv ' ''"Z""- ^''i'^''*' ^''^ ^" ' |ious worship. Their EoLr^^.r'^'"" ^''''"^'^ 'or roK • family wors-P.: and, as th t'Xh?s iTr^ o"f f" r^K""' ""^'^ ever p,ous , devout the parent mi^htC [ .'^«/^*h .s flesh, how- be, perhaps mostly were, (else how fnnn'^f,°'^'P''*"*f ^'^<^n "^igbt v.il.^)rearapostates from'Sd In that cast ♦t^;" ""^""^''^^ P'*" :rjr'ir_^^^?i^>r «.ppear. AM^^s *.':;.'nr.l'r;l''-?: --.on a. th, family mark, t.i:':^^:^^:!'^;:^:^^ A W 7£? t*re«n them. Thus tiiey were kept distinct, as God's peculiar pcop'p. When they formed alliances with the uncircuniciSed nations, God cal- led it committing;; adultery, because it was a breach of the covenant that distinguished Ihemashis. It was one of the gracious promises of the new covenant, that, from the commcnremont of its operations, there should no more come into the heavenly Jerusalem the uncircum- cited (in heart no doubt) and the unclean. Isa. lii. 1. Accordingly when the Messiah should come to ratify the covenant by his death, he was to be like a refiner's fire, &c. to purify the sacerdotal tribe, that they mjcht befitted to offer unto the I/ord'an offering )n right- *^nsnc9s. This applies to the whole of that holy nation, 'who are H kingdom of priests; therefor** it becomes an important inquiry: •* Who may abide the day of his coming?" &.c. Mai. iii. 2, 3. En- couragement was given to Jeremiah chnp. xv. 19. that if he took th« precious from the vile, he should be as Jehovah's month. Let them return unto thee, i.e. come to thy terms, but return not thou unto them. Also Ezckiel is instructed that the priests wh^ put no differ- ence between the holj' nnd profane, nor maintain the difference be- tween the clean and unc'ran, are violating the divine law, profaning God's holy things, and profaning Jehovah himself among the people. Also, the prophets who should be accessory in confounding the dis- tinction in question, so that no man should rrpcnt of his iniquity, Jer. ▼iii. 6. were daubing the people with untcmpered mortar. Exck. xxii. t6,23. Almost as many methods have been tried to confound this •distinction, as there arc ditferent religious sorietit^s in thrr world. Writ this distinction is of God's making: the ehiurhes of Christ and the world, are two distinct opposite bodies, visibly so, whicli are always »t variance, and can never coalesce: he who attempts to unite them, attempts to oveKhrow the divinely established order, and *o i» fight- ing against God. But the baptism of unbelievers, on the footing of tfceir being diseiples, christians, church-member*, Jic. is breakirgdcv.n the w»n, mixing the world with the churches of the saints, and con- ioundiftg the distinction between him that scrveth the Lord, and him that servethhim not. If the kingdoin of God is made up of visible !»e- lieversand visible unbelievers promiscuously, where will the world be? What will become of the distinction so much insisted on in the scrip- tures, as essentially nercssary to faithfulnc5s in the Lord's vmeynrd, so that the hurt of people may not be healed slightly, by nying peace, when there is no peace. If any man defile the temple of Goif, by taking the visibly uncircumclsed m heart into it, he must be tried ibr his life. If instead of guld, silter, and precious stone*, Ii' injf stenes fitted for the building, smy assistant builder build worn', hay, »nd stubble, gospel light will manifest, and fiery trials will consume his work, and he will lose his crown of rejoicing in that great day. Let those who baptize, and introduce into the church, of wVtrh Chri«t is the only foundation, visible unbelievers, tremble at the consequen- ces. If unbeliever baptism is divinely appointed, let the divine au- thority fer it be fairly pointed out, and let all who tremble at tiic word of God obserre it; but until fairW pointed out, let it be discounten- «d by those who would baptize person.^ as neither believers noraob*> herere, as the scriptures give us /lo direction rcspectiDf^ our re1igiO\U treatment of that unknown class of human heings, SIB, i^ntift X. In beginning your letters to Mr. Eider, vou sat th.f n« «-w • hf. letters to ^r. J.cKsor., it occurred to ^.MhatL views oFt^/o"/ dmance of baptism ought not to be circulated in th« .^ °'^' the doctrine of the scrii^tures; and thaTJom 1 d si to^nSt^ ?a' the more general diffusion of divine truth, you have been Th,,! !^ make them the subject of the rema^" wS :?. . T.'^"'^®"* ** have submitted to h'is considtraZ "l gt'^^^^^^^^^^ ^"^ scous sincerity in differing in opinion anSpractl/wl^^^ E.^" and it 19 not with reluctance I ;x"'*- That kuig •would throw away as falsw, the bible itself, should it happen to assert what Mr. 11 >Si witnesses every wiiitej'. Vour remark on hush, bushel; lint, lintel.; as compare') (u bnp(o, baptizii, are of the «nr.ie class: for no person will say that bushel i> derived from hush, or lintel from lint: but evevv scholar knows tliat haptizo ii deiived froni ba|i*o; and is, if not e.vactiy, yet i;eariy s) nonymous. The Greek langur^'e possesses a j)etuliar facility of forming one word fnui another with but a small sliado ofdiflerenee iu meanin;j. 'J'he tinghsh langunwe furnishes but a few <'\anip'es; of wiiichtal-a! for example, ellicacious, etfectual; lamb, lambkin. These are oidy specimens of misrepresen- tation. And he who, to support his cause, misrepresents ids fellow who is alive to answer fer himself, may bo expected to use gi-eafcr liberties with the sacred writers, who have gone the way of all the earth. You w ill allow that others may Utol in re'-pect to your piece, as you did in respect to Mr. Einpn's. I liope the same benevolent design and philanthropic iVeling, which, you say, has moved you to write, has moved me to meet vour ner.'bi'rnanee with fliets rpisiarkt In p. 6. you say ''Any special purpose of meicy and grace, toward " man in general or the chm-ch in particular, is in scripture lan'guag* •* Urin«d a cor«uaat; aad the reveUti»u of such a purpose is callei 75 ;; cord.,-i. or ..eater e.te^rtL^'in'^i 'boors' "j/^.^ "^^^ '*- only ajfreemptit by mutual consent hn<%J " 'ncludea not "by decree, c^ommand, promise or i... i'Wew.se any arrangement ;; this hH, givea ris. to m^ich ne;d'e«7nnf''*''"*''*- '«»'»en«ion to ordinances ^Hen to the c'uJrch ^f Cer''7\r^^' '^''*^'" °f covenant; by Paul in his e lit tn III J^' ^ }^ ^''"*' ^^^''^^ tht the epistle .^ the Heb ewf ccl^Jit t^ n '''"^' *^« '«*^5 «"<* in covenant, and sometimes te tLr'crt Vh/. ""'"'^u' ^^'"etime. '' ti.e same." If the sam.. nr;„ . ''"''" '" '^e original i« " covenant" and " estan^t '''^ ^j T " ''^"^^^^ i"d.fllrent j elude,, "or even testan e^'-L.rr'^' '"'*'*""« "-^^^ '"' i^" t^.at the two words, being ndi/rm"lv.hrf"'' ,^f" ^'"^ "«' 1^"°^ Greek word, in the ^am. Lc' t /m^ H ^^^"^'''tionof the sam« the same transaction, mnst^n those ur- 'V^' P''^' in reference to t because you were afraid rtherrn o nld '?' " ^''Z'^T ^ ^' ^^ Heb. ix. 1 ,17. andsee vonrvjo ■ ''^^^ then look inlo thr»wnbytheapo,tl^ Or?r' / 1 Z' '''V!"««t completely over- the ^rd^oven^ant should ;;;;;";;';■ 'sk"' '^^ f g^^^*-o"der should seldom meet with Tt in tl^at enso ^ '. '"'^ *^'''*^''''''« "• «s usrd anaong men, coni.s n " r^.^"" f I. ^^^^ t,^« "o-'d testament, the word covenan ifself i i <, ""' scnpture covenant than covenant might be revealed p , '^" "^^'P'^^ion. Allowing a .tilhtisof ;a W nil ra i io 11 " ? ;r"'''r^? «"d> ^c eovenant is to hiud forciblv l>y the c ve ,f ^i P^r'"^" "' '"^'^'"S * iorce to bind is not a covenant. ]'■ , ' , J lu < ' "''"' ^ "° rme covenants from the confin.in,M e T T Is^"^^^^^ '"'^ ^^- jour ,dea ot two covenants with Ahralnn " V h % °"<^«„^l*'^''oys cond, and which only vou allow to Ik-p" .• '* ^'"^ ^'" ^^'« «e- iiomwhat you cal^he .'r^^. r 7 ^'•^'"'' '•*'' ^'^'"? separate ^•orcc The're must ol "o'e^ si^ bf tte'Ti:! u'^^V"'"^^" '^' '''' "° tl.«,precedingc.sayou the Ab;J,ham c cotna t '''''"''''''■ «^» •«!led e-. erlaVting- ',.-1' '' tS flT;! '^ '""^'™.^^ ^^' "« ^^«^J. nor 'cnl, ami expre.^ly caUed -in e' i-N ?^^ ' <^oveuant is confirmed by a to be one ami thc^ ^.n, e c^^e na ^ t 'm? T'T'' * understand it revealed at dilfereut tin^rs^V \ 'e '" ^1' ^f S^"* ^arts of it were *nt times. It was first a pro le on " ^ "^^ ''''''' '"^'''" covenant. Gen. xv. 17 when ho Pn?^ ^^'^'^ was confirmed into a *e.l between the parts o^hTraS^^^^^^ "'t '' ^''''"' P^^^^ncepas- ly called the covenant tbou4 ne ve be ,-'' N ^ '^ '* '^ immediate- >'ant, the token was added.Vier^ ,f e ' , ''u ' "'T'**' '"« ^•"^''^' ti.at your .econd covenant was coufirme 1 L , i? i?""^ ^""^ '*^""t *.wso.^ Mine does not. DaesTl eTew ^^f '''' * »oes the bibl. d'^-nof. Ho the scriptures .Ty that anv''?^ ''^ ^°- ^^J'"« 'eal.? f „Pv,«r .-iw such a .i V? fu ^ ''"'' "^ "' confirmed by a i can see. How then .ould a covenant hi .^"!'J'"*- ^^^ *''" connexion with ;t.? I fiml ir.U;i\,;.7l-..'.?""^''".'"^^ ^^ ".'«** ^as n» ojnu;g"\r— :k,^- s:t^;^;f if F^S"' ^ ^* ^ I »» Icen of the cdveaant, and & ft«&l eonfirminf the fact, thai the faitli which Ahraham bad before circumcision was justifying faith, and waa imputed to him for righteousness. Whoever is justified other> wise than by that faith, is not a child of Abraham, and shall never ^each his bosom. The bible says nothing about the seal of the cove> nant. The phrase had its rise in a mistaken view of the truth. If one cannot express, illustrate, and defend his doctrine and his prac- tice, ki scripture language, I shall suspect his doctrine and practice to be unfounded in scripture — to be a human innovation. Were the greater part of preachers and writers on religion confined to scVipture language, they would be math at a loss to express their meaning and give one a copy of their religious principles. This fact proves two things: 1. that they have not learnt their religion Trom the scriptures: 2. that theirs is not the scripture religion: for scripture language is sufficient for expressing the .icripture religion in all its parts; and had the/ learnt their religion from the scriptures, they would find it easy to express it by scripti re ^anguag \ As a linguist, a coiitrovrrsialist, and a teacher of the scriptures, you are donbtless prepared to inform us what is the meaning of Ger. xvii. 8. "The lard of Canaan for an everlasting possession. " When you teliybur hearers that the seed of Abraham has been for nearly 1800 years dispossessed of the land of Canaf\n, and that the vvhol0 world including that land, shall he burnt up. ^Pct. iii. 10. does the word " everlasting" never occur tc your mind? By some means or other you get over thii difficulty. The word everlasting has exactly Ihesame meaning, and is subject to the same law, when attached to the word covenant v. 7. as when attached to the word possession v. 8. In its literal sens,c in both places, and also iu v. 13. it has an end; in its spiritual sense, in each place, it has no end. In p. 7, a. you mention the distinct'oabet'.veeu the covenant seed and the natural. This distinction is very proper; it is recognized throughout the scriptures. But really it c^^en s to me you do not un- derstand it according to the scriptures, thougU I suppore you do ex-; actly according to your systen. Those whom, as the natural iseed, you distinguish from the covenant seed, you represent as having been ihe covenant seed on-.e : only they ceased to be so ; when, how, or why, I do not see. Who, Sir, told j'ou they were the federal seed? There is no su'-h thing in the nth of Gen. Where did you learn that t'ley ceased to be the federal seed? I can fmd no such intelligence in the scripture account of these persons. Read Gen. xvii. 18 — 22. and- say, if y.ni cariy that Ishmael was ever in the covenant. *' Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac: but to the sens of fie concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, id sent their away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived Gen. xxv. i},6 Here is not a Avord of their ever having been, oi . t any time, in any manner, or for any cause, ceasing to he, in the covenawt. Being members of Abrah.im's fami- !!v, th^y must have the fi.mi!y mark; but Isaac alone and his seed were in the covenant. "Again," you say," it is jviderit that the federal seed never were the seal of ♦he covenant was extended to all the men of his hous^, §H'\ these, b«;fore the making of ibis covf a»iit, auouatsd v.o 318 umu I it for war, beside the younger males and those bom aflanrard H were the men of his liouse aircumcised as covenant people? Would ^on baptize 318 men fit for war because their master professed faithf .. no., wny urge the exampk of Abraham, when you so far depart nom It. If not, you beUe your own assertion, p. 21. « We sUll baptize households^' What had become of thes4 when Jacob went downtoLgypt? Did they multiply none ? Had God no care of ttdi lh\° "'Ve^Jf"' "^ed? or did they cease to be the federal seed? or wh.t What IS the good of a covenant being everlasting, if it doef not everlastingly secure its blessings to the federal seed? How doe* this agree with the immutability of Jehovah's counsel? You exhibit yo-jr system very explicitly, but truly it appears to me very anti- .s< .' ptiiral. Jehovah, for particular purposes, designed to exhibit to ma.. :. oe leral model of the plan of salvation by grice. To be a fit mo;Jol t lK=i e must be a people of supernatural origin, sprinifiB* up from .0 h.ng as It were, like the stone cut out of the moJntaTn 5ith. out (lands, which increased till it filled the whole earth. This people must be miraculously delivered from bondage, miraculously supplied with necessaries, and miraculously put in possession of an inhentanc* h.ch was tyr.cally everlasting. The plan of accomplishing these tilings^, he constitution under which they were placed as a united peo- ple, and the covenant relation in which God stood to them as their God, who ei.jaged to do all these things for them, must be revealed b« promise, and confirmed by covenant, to become unalterable during aa age which 19 typically everlasting. As without a supernatural birth. no one is interested ir, or a partaker of salvation by grace: so no ene connected with Abraham by natural descent only, could be inter- ested in, or a partaker of the typical blessings. As none can have a place among the heirs of salvation, without the renewing influence, of the Spirit, which IS the distinguishing mark of the spiritual family; sonon*. was allowed a place among the heirs of Canaan, without circumcision^ the mark of the typical family. As predestination accordinr to the divine purpose, which he purposed in himself ere the world was, is a u u?^''^*''.*''"^"^i^^ P**"' of the plan of salvation by grace, this wae exhibited in the model, first in preferring Isaac to I.hmael, but much more strikingly in preferring Jacob to Esau, though being twins, they were bom m similar circumstances, and though Esau beinffthe first born, was naturally intitled to the birthright. As no one ^excluded Irom spintual blessings, merely on account of the divine purpose, till he voluntarily reject them, and thus count himself unworthy of etei- tial hfe; so Esau could not lose his birthright, till he had despised it and voluntarily sold it for a trifle. It is not meant that the sinner bas a natural right to salvation, as Esau had to the birthright. The parallel might be run much farther between the model and that repre- sented When the building is finished, it takes the attenUon from tneniode, which is now laid aside, having answered its purpose. This piodel had its commencement in the person of Abraham, Isa. li. I, 2. and had its termination in the deaih of Christ, the great antitype. To lii!!";TS «"?.!.^*.'^^'^ covenant, the whole system of Jewislicere- -.-on!??, v-ic. iieaiiy, cir, iithe to*fiiani with Abraham is the coipel. the everlasting covenant, as it includes a carnal offspring: and if tbie •ffapriDf are sealed to God as his covenant childrea, I do net sn :« fcoir nnyoC (l.^m ran fM^.e in be hisfprlonl «<»pd, •r come ihort •/ jfrna! b!«s.,n.s, unlc, by n ,a,!ur« of tho .livin. i.r'omi.e. And were Itoth.akf.oduaMinn t\r,t Ue cn.M lie, or tl,. so,, of m.n tbat h« could r.p,.,t,, ,.,,, ,„,, verydiffere..,. aironUon, towarrh. n f.o« «omflr^ ^°^."•■' •^'"•'^ ^'"^ •'' •'''?'''^>-' •■'"d hi, people of LI ComfoH, as wr.ll as t^•|e,,5ng fhr dictates of i!,o FIolv Spirit? hJ^^e.Tllrt " '>' '•'" ""*••?'"* " ""^ ''^' <"-^t'''ction wa. draw* To«,r. r ? l^r"^'^;';- P"^l''^ ••'"^ t'-^ "vr!d." In this opinio. Jhe Vp/k T'T' they r.cnved it, like n.any other errors, from the Pedob.pt.sK; and afso, iilce many of these enor,, thev ^.ill rZ WaVriot b^' "^"■V,"'''.,''' '''i"'"« *'*' 'li^-tinction d.d Lot ,ta..a? liardtes fl ; f '' ^"''? !>ro(cs.ing peopb. r Didnoueoftbe Mi- Jiarutos, for nstaace, retain the knowledge, the worship, and th» jrofe.vs.ono ,ho tn.e Hod > I suppose >ou uii] hardly deny thi* •f Je hrn • " •''««'' :--c.nuision been practised in the family havin! 1 r; . u " "^''^ '"' '''"»'^'''' ^^^"'^ »'"'' ''^^^ •'« -verse ti ted Mos s ; ',"'7 ';"'7""r':''' «•• *''•-'' ^he would have denomina- ted Most, a b oody husband, because of the circnmcision. At any Jhl A V" • '^"'"' '•"•'♦'"^'■'■•'escen.lants, bad nothing to do with the Abrahana.c covenant in its literal sen.e. ' See Dent ."xxib. 1-5 m^ZLlTVl /'"' ^" Ammonite or h Moauite, and others ther« «nlrn. S /r '''■"•""•' l'''^^"*-^^^!'^;.' K'^i'lo of .Jod, before the tentk fieef/h^ '^'; ^'"" ""'. "'"^ '"" '"■ ''-"-^■•-^"■^'' «as drawn be- in 1 'f!""' I'""!'"-' *'* ^■"^'"'""J ili'^ ''^-f of mankind, I wo.Id ?here1r7;''i^' '"•'"'''= er«mix. ed with the worl.i on both s-des of th- 'ine Cc.,™nni;the covenant uitb Lra-I at Slnni, von ,nv, p. 8. '« It Tne^ !.';"■; ''''''"' '■' ^^'"""^ '■^" ^-vorlaMinV, but a temporary whom t ■'•''' "■' ''■«"7'-^>*^i^'"^ tiil the seed should come to «me tu P'77^•"^'^'">■"^.(f-''■!•Hi i".^.; r^nd therefore wh... h. «ame,.t vaxedold, and vanished a«ay : (Jjeb. viii. Iii"') Vou take Ls irtoT. 1'"""''-?'-^-'' -b-'it uouldsenl to ,et in- lants n.to the church; p. I'.', for iu , verv other re. prct. the coveu- jrrt seems m your 1 and^, so tar fVon boiuj: llr.a and 'everlasting, that ;ii^. ?;'i""'=^^'"''P-'"''"^"^<'-^-'v-^aud let adults out, when- Is oi the .^'" V'" '"■•;• ,*''''^' .-;.oser,tcdthe Smai covenant !Lo r,'""^'^ 'l^^T ^''"' "'^ Abr.i.ar.uc. Both were n.ade l.y {!,« ^oGo,. prounsedlhe.uneble..iu,sto the san>e covenant iii;^ IZVi I •'. ''"'''"'■ ^^"•'•''"•''■> '"O'-i^iit tu remembrance by the samn token, and ,n f.,-t were of t;,c same duration. 1 leave ft for yon topo.,t outthe.,ulbreur,.bctuecnthe.,..s it rc^a-dli^nts veuant a u, bteral sense, di.'];.red f,uu, tiio Sinai covenant with IrZ'L ir*::"''-"^ -'l P'-''^^-; --1 also to produce S scripture .iiithonf V in rw < i -i •. . . ' i ■«•■•• spiritual sense, inciuJcs^a A iii a riaiiiic carnal olf'-nrin"-. cw\enant, m i%s Docs that coTcnaut pr«^ fy i«i«i« and c«nT«y spliilna! bl^ssi'i'^s to flpsrpi.,l.v,«. „» ^ •rth« Si.irif ? Ti i tI,l^ i, ,in„o *;> "'^^^'7'a«»n.« <" - vei.ant are ,«imi!ar, uJu-u the Ntl.T v. " , /, ,' ' u ' ^"■"' •'°- «:e .nen of [,raci, their ! - '^ ^^ r^';? "•' '^'""TST^"' "'^'>>» seed and i,.?aut e 'd 4' H^ ^^ J^ i / , i^.l'" •'"^''"'''" '''""^" "^"'' I hope, that as mu • .^ t;. " v',:'' , ' " '"'P^'' •^^;;^ •<> Jour .vslem. join- n.^t pMbhoation, sho.v us from th/v. r.'.V ^'^ '"'^ ' ^:'^^' "'"' "^ you have for the ah- . d^st'. -ti on n i J"'- "'"" ^'^"'"^•''»'>a te!!ect the divine o., -le^ h e.' ouT^ V ' T n 1^^' "\'''^'"'' '^'" '"" covenant ble..;... to 'Syr 1^1 '^ '''?"^ the seed tho.e rive to h« "fit''?' ,"V""^' '•* Mtelleet those infants must at- w£,^''*.,^ ,^; • i.^^j;"'''^-.'"'- '^0-^ -v.n.nt privilege, theory and pr:;rt,re to nnlef '.}••//• 'V" '^ '^'^^'r ^^^^-"^-al to your in., r^fn.od t. •.,.;.(« I ^ '"s-iiice of a covenant privilege be- ihor.^f-^ w.. ^. " "' ""^"*^' "'*<'l'»^ctuei'es..fficient to partake thereof X o tion 'a ■ ie«, children ot twenty or thirty vpti-« nl.l " T, „ "^ ''^ ion of if. in ^n,■r^r,:.: -L. y ^^^^"^ "''I- ^'1? very men- unten- able ground. Why, because it is unVcriniuryiV because U dee. Bot tally with the systc^ o/^t "'!'^..'* '"' ""'^'■'P*"''al ? No indeed; but baptisQ). Take ( H' -gjLr' ,^4JiI_.ii.. ^^-^j^S^'p_ -Pr^; IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) M7 ^^ ke^:> U. 1.0 11 1.25 ■ 30 2.2 140 I 2.0 m M Illlli6 ^ v^ /A V Photographic Sdences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (7t6) 873-4S03 ^ .e,y \ \ k % ^ m jtw CMcoHluM* iai torn to the word ebildren, tnd y9 will fin j «^t, in the infallible standard, it is as fraquentlj applied to person* of twenty or thirty years old, at to those under that age. Yet tho very recurrence to it — to a word in its scriptiire application — might convince hhn that he Was on nptenable ground ! ! ! The very ob- jectii^; to it in that application might conrince you that you were on taitenable ground. Where do you read about infant seed ? No where jn scripture. The rery recurrence to it might comvince you that you were on untenable grotmd. Teu oannot express or maintam your eystem, without the use of terms, phrases, and distmctiMis, wholly unknown in the sacred records. " The day m which the apostles Kved, was a day of great grace ; and God was pleased sometimes to^ five his word abundant success in the conversion of whole families, n some of these families, there would be children or descendants ef from twenty or thirty years of age, down to infants at the breast. Perhaps some would be converted as youne as ten or twelve years; and God would thus perfect praise out of the mouths of babes antt eucklings. In ?uch cases, they would receive the word gladly, be baptized, and added to the church. But their thus professing faith in the Saviour, would not dissolve the connexion between them and their parents. It would still be uccessary for their parents to instruct mmd admonish them; and it would be nsces&ary for them to be ex- horted to obey their parents in the Lord." Elder's Letters, p. 15. Kow, Sir, this is the passage; and I appeal to every reader, if it does not accord with truth and soberness. Wherein does it contradict •eripture, reason, or experience ? Must not that man have a very bad cause, and be desperate in his determination to defend it, who eeuld vent his spleen on such a candid passage ? The true partizan, of whatever denomination, may sometimes be eonvicted of fighting for victory, instead of contending for truth. This ia evidently the case, when one lays great stress on a particular branch •f evidence, when he thinks it is in bis favour, and totally overlooks it when he cannot twist it to suit his purpose. When you were so ▼ery axact in enumerating covenants, as not to neglect even that made with the beasts of the field, that you should have so committed yourself as to neglect the eovenantwith Levi is unaccountable, espe- eially as the great word everlasting belongs to it. This covenant appears of vital importance in determining the first point you attempt to prOTe, viz. the continuation of the same church. " And the Lord ■paJte unto Moses, saying, — Phinehas hath turned my wrath away irom the children of Israel—wherefore, say, Behold, I give unto him my eorenant of peace, and he shall have it and his seed after him, •vtn the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zea- loua for his God, and made^n atonement for the children of Israel." Jfum. XXV. IC— IS. See also Deut. xxxiii. 8— 11 . Mai. ii. 4—9. According to this covenant, the priests were to teach Jacob the judip> BMts, and Israel the law of God; to put incense before God and whole lurnt aacrifice upon his altar. The priesthood, the ceremonial, «nd the polity of the church being changed, coaaes very near changing the ^mrch itself. Who has pat an end to the everlasting priesthood, firen in covenant to Fhindias and hiiaeed? Tou cannot ehargt lr_ v.^Bs »uv *}.:• «»:m* ttmA thm snifills to *h« H«br««ra haan ^KjJSxiVSn ITXl» suss tassraSr »*rm -m-f — j=i==»^ = — 81 ]tlllt^ !* — ' *1^*°* ^'*°" y*'"'" industry in collecting far-fetchad, ThSlt i'°"°M"u"'*'P."'T*' "*^ twisting them to^ear upon th. subj*c,7ou would have founl means to prest the everfe.tin/pri.«t- hood also into your seryilcs.sinjs, but observe you '• can iind no law ..■ere," neither wrilUn on the titai-t,TtoTpul in Uu i.vaard paiis. Why did you not add •verses 33, 31. ? If the ao-ds, a God to you, and to your "infant sted, had been found in tTrs covenant, Mr. Ross would not have forfjotten to give it to his readers in large cai^als. But " this shows hovf rear a pcrsin may co-nc to the discovery of truth, and yet miss it." You comp'ai-i p. 72. that Jlr. E-deh has taken a Strang*- vj-h his story. So from bottle to botf e, and from story to siory, till ti.ey forgot to ev- amine his pass, ail swearing heartily when they left Iiim, tliat it wa» as good a pass as evci -.vasi writ ten, thoi;^li tlicy had not road a lin6 of it. The existence of this covenant iv so fatal to your scheriie, that yoo are afraid it should he exaujiiy;d; amt as your opponents tirge it, yoii cannot get on v. Idiont mr .ilnming it; therefore ydu pre* tent it as it ifwere shut, and, for fear your reader should presume t« open and read it, you hurry it out of sight, and present him with som^ thing else, to divert his attention from it. Thus you try to make it pass with your reader as iffavonrahle toyonr scheme, without allow- ing him an opportmiity of considering its import. Now, Sir, yio yOU' |»ay the Baptists such a eomplimciit, as to suppose there is none nmong them capable of deteclin* and exposing such disingenuity? }f)o you forget your responsibility to God.' As you did not think prp. per to furnish your reader with a description of, or a comment cfl ims eoVMQHMi, ^till you allow me blieily to supply yyuf luck of scsvici*^ as I do this tht rather, becaaie, ai wp live under this covenant »« .,- inora .mmedialely interested in it than in any other/j^.nl'XS n.aa must feel more interested in studying the cons tS .nd Wsto^^ ofh^ own country, and hi. own ti-nes^ tSan in stud;ing Ze ^f an? IsL^^i^/lS^'i''" '''T"u *^* ^ "'"""»''« '^itb tbe house of Israel. Alter those days, saith the Lord, I wiJl nut mv law in thpi,. ZttTn' '"^^"^^ "'!J ^'*'' »^«"'» and Jl be'heiJI^S, .nd h^L thl ""^ ?*'P'"- ^"^ *'^*^ «*»*" teach no more ev^y man h.s ae.ghbour, and every man his brother, saying know the Lord fir hey shalUll know me, from the least of th^enf unto The greatest of ml^^riK'*^" ^'''^> ''"^'^^'" ^<"?»« theiriniqnity, andl ;?1 r^ member their s.n «.o more." Jer. Axl 33, 34. feead also Ilcb vhT ^;;m T ', .. "^■'^0"^' tfie new covenant which he ratified bv be n'Xl^St ir of T'"'''''' "P^" I'^^^P'^-i-, and which^ a^fanffllwa;' Ks^SerrSa'^^her^"" 'S."rH^^H°^ sanctifaed, IS the one sacrifice for sin, to the perfection of which the i.nf f P'"t «'"^^eth in the words of the new^ovanTnt. Th s cove! nant then has no particular reference to the mileniura but to the £i;.?eTof'throJ?'"'- ^; ^^"^^-""'"^ ''^ «eakne«'and unpro! brXXIoi r 1 ^''°''-^"',"*P'''''"''"' e,peciaily to a people who olt^-^Z' [it f ""'"'" f ''"'.'''' ' new covenant witS th^e house fnn!, M '«• • ^ ^*™^ ^""^ intimated that it should be different ^nrl rkf* 4 :,' • . •'«'*nuah g.ves the covenant only in embryo andChnst gave the law and the prophets, in the two great corS mandmentsof love to God, and to one's neighbour Ilo-vever iH jve have the principal blessings of the gosp.^ i A hear! on w "ich the divme laws mscribed, or that delights iY. the law of GodTn the fn^ nerman. 2. A spiritual covenant rclaUon to Cod, as the God of th^ feZTrT''K'?'''^y''' ^^^-w'^dged people " a Thaf know' Jedgeof Godw iich is eternal life, which precludes the nccessitv of the heirs each ng each other to know the Lord, and which is obtlfned G^o'd T T?','""^- r ^" *»>«. children of thiscovenan a e ta'-'St of God. 4. That perfect remission of sins through tlie blood of th^ new covenant even that very covenant under wh^ich hey are p! ced and wh.cn effectually prevents calling their sins to rLembrance l!l"\ /V"' u"- ''''"*"«'' *^^" *^'« "^^^ <^«^^nant, and thTy dSve: ess t em Thor'lf '"l","'*'^ \" '^'^^^^ Person whodoe^ n ""s t^Tar^'lloti'ntt^etrnlu^m; ;%'eS ''V^'''' '^^P^''^^'^' ;.ason Why Mr. E...« vie^I^^s^^..^^^ -^^ - -^ Will you retort, how theu can those who die in infancy be saved* r .-.ve ..J .„,„g to do wiiu ihai. 1 defy you atd all mankind, to pro- mmm^ . V, •i'^v^l 84 iat% ft singkpatsftge oat of the whole book of God that eves beftn upon the subject- Those who die in infancy, or in idiocy, or in hea- thenism, without ever havmg an opportunity of bearing the gospel, I eheerfuUy leave where they ought to ba, in the hands of a Being of infinite perfections; fully confident the Judge of all the earth win do right. It does make me shudder to see the presumption of a blind mortal, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainW^ puffed up by his fleshly mind. It is not the divine method to gftiify curiosity, by giving instruction on matters not immediately neeessary to direct our conduct. All inquiries of that nature are answered by — what is that to thee, follow thou me. Strive to enter in at the strait gate. Those who indulge in prosecuting such unrevealed specnla- tions, would do well to study Deut. xxix. 29. It is not with thos* who die in infancy, but with those who live to be capable of instruc- tion, that the gospel has to do: and you and I transgress the limits of our instruction, and reach beyond our depth, .vhcn we meddle with any other. The state of those who die in infancy will not be affected byyour arguments or mine: let us therefore do as the scriptures do, address those who have ears to hear, rational beings, and discuss what relates to them, as if there were no such beings in the uni- verse as those who die in infancy. Wishing you and yours may en- joy, in an abundant measure, all the blessing of the new covenant. I remain. Yours, &c. A. C. / SIR, After having giren what you thought necessary for y«ur desiga M explaaation of tbecovenaats, youproceftd to open and confirm your first position, tiz. the continuation of the same church. Before I proceed to affirm or deny any thing respecting the position itself, al- lovr me to state what I understand by the word church, that you mat- know in what sense I use it. There is frequently a great deal of so- phistry concealed in emiivocal words, or in an equivocal use of words lufficiently definite. True canons of criticism ever tend to pre^islott. The mists of ignorance and error are dissipated, by introducing tfal Kgbt of sound criticism. In Heb. xii. 23, we read of the church of th« first bom sons. This church is composed of the whole body of the r«deemed, and is properly called the general assembly of believers. In this sense, the church is the same in all agds, tnd there is but on^ thurch. This church ever has been, and ever shall be, tilt the eon- lummation of all things, invisible in its church capacity, ^ifi^nt |»arts of it have, at different times, been in different states, a(»!ording to the infinite wisdom of its divine bead. To this church, r* unregea» •rate person ever did belong. In no other sen^e than as united ia Christ, can it be called a church. In Acts vii. 38. we read of the church in the wilderness . This means the Jewish church. This church als« is ane. It was a visible, earthly, temporal ihodel of the invisible', heavenly, eternal church above mentioned. To this body, the term church is applied but this once in the whole bible. In the new testae ment, we find the terms church and churches times innumenablc. When the term church does not mean the whole body of the reere theVm^embe?; of he same descnp .or, ? 2. Were they admitted into both rhuTche" on the same foo ,„g? Does the one require any thi.ig of candidates for Sr^/Jr^/^^'tf^'^^^''^^^ A"-^ '^«^ /nited for th "ama^ ttesign? 4. J)o they attempt accomplishing this design by the sam. llTs rr/h ' ""'' 'Jt P7''^^^» ''' --«' - o' he same fh2 rnffi "^'^ S'^y governed by the same or similar laws? 7. Arl the r nS-^'K®.'" ""'^ '■^"^'°"''' ^**'"''^^ «"^ ^^ ^^e same kind 8 ll their polity a body-fcorporate the same? Are their ceremonies neces- ^-aryior their existence as a (4iurrh the same? Had the "ru?h "««: pn your Side, y^u would doMblless have taken some such method a^ *h.sto prove-your point. Bnt it appears you believed it Tnd deter m.ned to prove if by the b..t argmits /ou cou d find ft ^o^Tld' «eem your belief was prior to, and independent of argnmentr^nd t..at you sought arguments to prove to others what lo? beUeJed yourself w.tho-.t arguments; fo.*^no pcson, without aprevioiS.a, coyld behev % .t (rom the arguments you advance P'^«^'<»U«'", ., J^ r Vr ^" *^^ .'■*'"""" ''■'^'"^y assigned to disprove the contin- uatioti of the same church, I observe, I. That the kw itself enro£l upon ,ts ^ubject^s, unresei-ved submission to the Mes ah "Znht should anpear. Deut. xviii. 15, 18, iO. This implied that no preHout law shouWontinue in force after his conning, uLss revived'by S' -. Jer. xxxi 29—34. xxxii. 40. and Esek. xvi. 60—63. promhed a new covenant, which should be^ dirTeront in kir.d from thJsin i co- Tenant : and that this difference, which should consist chfefhin the charac er and privileges of the covenant .subjects, would affect par- fi^r Mal'in t-1? ,?'^T*''^''u^ """^'^' ^' ^=^* ♦« actasapuri- «f Hr^5 V ' T'^- '" ^^'* capacity, he should be an obicct of dread to many, so that they would exclaim, '« Who shall abid- the day of his coming," kc. for he was to establish a vis ble dS eth the* TdV'/J'^ 'I^r* ""''. ^'*^ "'^'^^'^' •'^^"'-" him that e V- mtXI' i f ^'™ *'"^ ^^"""^ '"■'" "«^- '^'''« CanaaniteshouW ao rndth.. ?"• ^'° w, ^* '"' '^"'^' "^•'"^t^ ' "«r »»>« uncirctimcised the rilZ r"-J if '"?'1 'Y'^' "^''^f' '^ ''^ constituted a, to admit stitunt ?nH ' ^' '"'^'^ promis. uously, i. .so pu.iCe.i in its con- stitution and members, as to draw a visible line of demarcation h^ irnL'rrcUr.r"' '"^ ^-' -<■ '-- "■" »-"■ k-- -C i^ vmUM^I*' When Jolin the Baptist came as the Messiah's forerunner tv |>repare a people for him, he began by preaching a new doctrine, in- troducing anewrite, indicating duties on a new principle, and giving new and uncxpecleJ warnings. Not only did these novelties indi- cate the approaching introduction of a new conNtitution, but the ver/ nature of them implied that the pivedicted constitution should be What I have represented it. Let it be observed, that whatever John did m his public mhiistry, he did it as a witness testifying of Christ, that through his witnessing all men might believe on Chris". John i. T. Let it also b« observed, that the public ministry of John in all its parts, and that of Christ personally, were the same in kind, the same m form, and for the same purppse. Read Mat. iii. Mark i. Lukeiii. John i. and iii. 27—36. with Acts xix. 4. Christ, during his peisonal ministry, did not act as king ; for his reign w as only at hand, i.ot fully conat ; and therefore his ministry, like that of John, was pre- paring subjects for his future kingdom. The gfeneraldescriptive ap- pellation of John's ministry is the baptism of repentance for the re- mission of sins. The design and tendency of it was, that men should beheve on him who was to come after him; that is on Christ Jesus. Acts xix. 4. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of V. the world. John pointed out to them repentance as a diitv, and the remission of sin as immediately connected with i-epentance ; but laying no stress on, i. e. virtually annulling, all their b>irnt offeiFngs and sacrifices for sin, their earthly connexion with Abraham, and all hereditary privileges. Though he represented the remifsion of sins as the never-faiJing concomitant of repentance, he nevertheless ex- plicitly showed that it was not in virtue of repentance, but in virtu* of that one sacrilice~the Lamb of God, which was to be offered to take away sin— not Ike sin of one man only, nor the sin of the Jewish nation only, but the sin of the whole world. He explicitly declaopd: " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: he that bclie<*th not the Son shall not see hfe; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John iii. 56. Was not this a new doctrine to those who had been taught, by the whole tenor of their covenant, to expect no remission without offering sacrifices; and that the blessings of the coveiunt were restricted; hut flowed freely, to the seed of Abraham in thalr generations ? Accordingly, the ministry of John is expressly denomi- nated " The begiunini^ of (he go'polof Jesus Christ." Mark i. 1, 2. But John also introduced a new rite. My reasons for viewing the baptism of John as a new rite, are the following : 1. It was one man immersing another : we read of no such thing before his time. 2. It had no respect to ceremonial unclean^iess, or to ceremonial puri- fication: they were baptised promiscuously, clean and unclean. 3. It had a special reference to moral evil, as making repentance ne- cessary. 4. It was immediately connected with the confession of this moral evil by the person baptized. " Baptized— confessing their sins." 5. In order to this baptism, the confession of sin, and pro- fession of repentance, must be accompanied with a satisfactonr visi- ble evidence of sincerity. « Bring forth therefore fruit meet for re- J>*ntance." 6. The immediate design and tendency o^ it was to Ti:scui ii!c:i lu Kjunm. " Uui inisi lie biiuuid be made mamiest te Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." John i.31. How J^'*,!^:*^? 88 •ould t!.e manifestation of Christ be effected by the continuance ^Lf il ^^"^'"rJ^ • «^i;ecially as the Jew, did not understand fest« .nT^n'^'T' ^^.'^"y >«'«diate reference to that mani- ™„«i :• «"^°''*^«'"t'-o»i»«da new rite, connected with sin as a moral evd,and, m performing the rite, directed the attention of the obedient conlew.ng penitents to the Messiah as just about to appear, Jenrnt^n./'" \l^' '^' '"^ •■''" ''''^^ ^*^ '^ P^^"*="'«^ referent to nrpn^^n .r^ ''!!"'""'"* °^ *'"'' ** '^^ essential requisite, in fh!? FkP^°P-u'^?'" "i^ '!Pf'''''**=^'"« reign of the Messiah, he took n^nH.tnrK'^'-7*''''''K'''^"''°V^""' '''' ^''^ calculated to lead their b J^.; h S " ' ^' ^^fu '"*»''^=^t«'l t« them. 7. The stir occasioned by his bapt.zmg, and the question which long afterward appeared to be undecided among them, whether his baptism was from heaven or 01 men, show clearly Jhat his baptism was a new rite. One must < o real violence to his own judgment lo doubt on the subject. That Jt was observed during the old covenant, is no objection to its beii.fi a new nte : the Lord's Supper, which was undoubtedly a new rite! was .nst,t,ited and observed during the continuance of the old coreu' ant. It was a matterof no doubt with the Jews whether Elias, or ine Messiah or that Prophet, had authority to introduce aovelties as Uavu! and Solomon had done, in the courses of the priesthood, th« amging, and temple service. But since John professed to be neither l^\*'Tu° \v.^*''"'- ^"' authority to start innovations was quesfion- €d by them. Why .n all the world would they raise such a noise about a nte, which had been all along commonly practised amonff wTi w" I Il/hey had received it from Moses, and of course be! heved.ttobe from heaven, why should they hesitate to anauerit was .? Their not bel.ev.ng that John had an immediate commission from heaven and ot course authority to introduce novelties in re- JifiW, made them reject his baptism ; and by this unbelieving dis- obedience, they rejected the counsel of God against themselves" a,.d tlius prevented their having a place and a blessing in the Messiah's kingdom. It appears evident then, that JohnV baptism was a new nte among the Jews, and that its design and tendency was to direct inens attention to the present Messiah, and his approaching reign, that they might mepare for a place and a blessing in his kingdom. • *'°*'"«"^'"'c«« the performance of duties on a new principle. He inculcated moral duties as such, without any admiiturc of ceremo- nies. He enforced them, not as fulfilling the law, but as fruits meet lor repentance; not by the consideration of long life in the land of Canaan, but of a place in the new kingdom; and the neglect of them was not noqr to be atoned fer by ceremonial sacrifices, but by him who taketh away the sin of the world. Are moral duties ever insisted on under the law, a. fruits meet for repentance? or as the necessary testimonials of a title to, and fitness for church privilege. ' I. not this^viewofdutiesoncof John's innovations.? * ® -.of ^!r "^"',*"<* unexpected warnings. Tlie covenant promise !L-V?i, r *"" ^ '^^^' ^" ^^^'^ generations. Being the covenant •eetf^they of couwe expected all covenant blessings would be sure t» Ihtff^r f S*"* '''"''^'■? ■iJ*'' l^^"5 who, as well as they, were th« ehiWren of the covenant. But John very unexnertedlv w«..n,.d ti^*m ♦I liieiuiiy and danger of trusting in thi's covenant relation to Abra- ai.d 89 U^becuM it would .rail tbem notbinf » • qiulifiction for • plac ».tli»M«MUb'« lanfdom The coi.titution \r., entlrelj ch..i»4: u 'PP""'*** ^bficition for intmb«nbip in tb« one chorch. w.. Th.r«ign of lb. Messiah » diitinruisbed from all other reinis, br itabeinc the rtign of hearen. Its administration is heavenly, on h«i- V«nly pnaaplet, requiring hearenly tempers in it, subjects. This he ilkstratesby different Bgures. Think not in joursilTes, we ba'l- Abrabem to our father, for God can raise from these stones children to Abraham— Abraham obtains chUdren otherwise than by caraal descent The axe is now Uid to the root of the trees, ererr tree that bnngeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down find cast into the tire, coreaant relation to Abraham notwithstanding. It is not that IT'.'u" i!****'°° "!''*='' '■» »»e'edit»fy id their generations, bat that Which If by grace through faith, and manifested by the fruits, that qualifies for a place m the new kingdom. His fan i, in his hand, and ilnTJi r^*^ ^.i.P"';"*'^^" ?°'''' "** «•*''" *»»• wheatJnto his f ranaiy, but bum the cbag with unquenchable fire. If therefore you are not good grain, the fan will separate you from the grain; your ha- ▼ing a place among the wheal under the former covenant, is no pre- sumption that you will be continued under thenew; for the time was not then come to separate the chsflfrom the wheat: but now it is just approaching; be prepared for it; for the floor will t.ndergo a thonnwh cJeanMng. I appeal to the discerning reader, whether thiftii not the stramm which he would expect the faithful harbinger of tie Messiah to warn a people who e»idently rdied too much on carnal descent' I appeal to every reader, whether I have not given a fair, Iranartial' unstmned representation of the warning, as we actually have it in the three Evangelists, Mat. Mark, and Luke. Were ever such w^ ings contained in, or belonging to the covenant with Abraham?" the barbmgor of the Messiah, in announcing tl^e approaching reign of hisMaster and ,n preparing for being fit subjects of his kin|dom, those who had been free subjects of the Jewish kingdom, preached a , new doctrine of such a spiritaal nature, introduced a new nte of such a spiritual tendency, inculcated moral duties on such a new and spiri- tual principle, and gave such new, faithful, levelling, unexpected warnings, to he members of the Jewish church, who, as Abraham'* covenant children, were the acknowledged people of God at th» very time, does it not look like a change of things?— like a new constitti tion; espevially with regard to the qualification of members, and the ^ ground of their adnussion .* ' 5. The doctrine of regeneration, as taught by Jesus Christ, is in direct opposition to the continuation of the same church. The very words of the covenant, " I will establish my covenant between ml and thee, and thy seed after thee» ia their generations" are sufScient to prove that descent from Abraham in the covenant line, constith- ted the covenant relation, and the title to covenant privilcinue >\hen Ishmael and the other, were out, their deseendnifs could not get in afterward. The promise being confirmed to one tine ot seedm their goijerat ions, necessarily left out the other lines in V*T g«»«"l'0"?- To me it is.most evident, and till vou disprove it. I shall consider it as granted, that if Gentile believers are ^varranted to claim this promise to them and their seed, it must be to them m Uuir frerieralH^„ for an cvtrldMing covenant. It is te their children, their children s children, apd their great grand childnw, in their rene^ rations perpetually, ^ow I can have a capital EVERLASTmC as well as yo"irself. But you take no notice of the words " in their generations." Ti.e.e words have a, firm a footing in the covenant, and areas important i» their place, as the words " to thy seed." But by keeping them out of view you make the covenant to run thus: "Be- lievers ot a nations Are in the covenant, and their infant seed r.ki J ♦'^'- ^V •yr«'»^ '^^e certain age or degree of intellect, to be detetmmed by Pedobaptist clergymen; and then,ii to OTertb««f all y«x hare .dT.Beed e. the trtjlert. The" Ev* - " ««uted •V weh thmg a. the Risible P.tri.Td»rchurcb. I toe tk* ^0 «,cJ. thjBj erer fitted. The chmtito, ^'en^, ,uSk Sofd^ u a iQ«(e chimera; .,; ' "•""■ «»»««^j th Jnt """i. *""![ •:J'J'^t». which appear to rou deeiiire, prori*^* thecjr«t..i»chwcb,te beacoiiUnuatio«oftheiewkh. TbiShttoS'' tion batjreen typ.^l .ad typified oferthrew yoor four atrmenti toM. ' themselve, believe, that they may become Abraham^, seed, and hSn according to the proo»M. R«d the 4th of Mom. andtheSdofOri wee more be.r„,||iQ your mind this fact, that Abraham it neWr ^called li * ^ rK*'." '*'*'" *.*^** ^^^''' -°d their iofant «jed; norareth^ WHO aro Christ s, and U^if infant sued, «ve» called the seed' oMhri' tl^A A k" •"^^'""f *o the promise. Your second arrtmitot I f„ X ««♦ • "" "P'?>ning the covenant with David; andyJorSd in the first es^ay. Is »t really possible you yourself beJiere^Hlit^ft.' now covenant was made with the fleshly swd of Jacob? UnlcM'yJi- at Rom n. 28 2S Ph.lip. .«, 8. I Fet. ii. 9. and you Kh tetf tbo J;r,l •'*:;' ""^ V**' »•«»««« ^f Judah, with whom the covenant wSlt ' expressly made. You see dreadful consequsnces to christians, hri- ' aiHfrom dul.ngualung the christian church from the Jei^isfa. p. 19. ' You say to Mr- Eldek, <* You do not seem to consider wkg 'dreadiS ' coosequences to christians would follow, were you ableW tear the nornJlT'^*'''Ar'l'"*'y' \'''°-"^ mthatc.H,6bri,tian. wa^:- no longer have,Abraham for their father,~have ui^ «*^ht to bis ble^ ' ;S** if "T'°?"*"*= an* all this to drive i«fan7*'pih of ji' ' church Now Sir,. f we can say like one of -old, « Doublfcss li| ar our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of «s, and IsraeVals^^ edge us not: thou, O Lord,oH our Father, ouvRideemer" We nee^ nc4 fear the consequences which give you so much uneasinets iut Sir, acfipfding to our view of the matter, ever^ irue member of a chrislun chyh .s a child of Abraham IegitLately,Sy spiritual birth, by faith m Christ: but according toySurview of the m« ter a great part of the church have not Abraham for their Xr^eithl^ . t^K^r*^"*lK"*K' *»•• b^»«P"t«*l:they a,« only the children of tho^ tvho Lave Abraham for their father. Vou wiflnot maintahTthit Si chHdren of belie v. ng Gentile, have Abraham fer their earthly ftther ' an+ 1 am sure you will not, in the face of all the wribtures^Aaffie S' IIZa^'t^^^'^'^ .*^J '^'^ ^"^ *»•"• ^f the Spirit; for Skldi <^ record: " That wi.,ch is bom of the flesh isflesh.^ "IfyeT^eCKrisi? Ah f^"-* ye Abraham's seed," What relation, then, have th?y to beS^H*;'^^*^^?'"*'''^^"*' more thin the kifdren'fui!^ beUe^vjng Hot ten lots. Disprove this if you can You assert p. 12. that our Lord instituted bkptism to ans#*r fhe Sl^ti"?""' "^^''" *''* '!*^ testament, as circumcision answered un^ cler the former d.speq^ation; and give two reasons for the nroorietr of the change. , I. « Under the ilrtner dUn^nca*-" 'iTlf iP"'*^ *r,uuaace impiyipg forgiveness of sins without sheddin'rof bboT d2 Heb. ix. 22. blood in ^relitifu/Ji«J•n^^ testament, there i. no shedding of Idonot .WwitT,.7«S^C fA*"*''^*PPn°^*^''' -ntimentriHit oftbeKptismfoX%mi.k^^^ «"t wh*t com. al it does no se/m tn h""" I^""«^ **1' continuance of the old iJel y^^^idstS^Fdlndl'^rL^A^-^^^u^ ^"^^ »upper; which tiso aftt, beforrChH^? JS -i""?^ *^* continuance of the old coven- "a. n^' 2' 1^-' °' '*'**J ^* " ^•»'«d, or the v«il of the tempi. drtV^a Lo nV /«*'''/.♦«« «°**°^ *^» »eal of the covenant, was" to worW%ut after t'LT^^ P'°^«"'"S people' and 'the saiySoti^Lord ?«.^^^^^^^^ '"'^" **»" P"^po'8 became nece.- alSidTSiIl thfn instituted bantism for that end." I have showed Jl^ot^l^tfCn Pb:4 ''?"/ «d the won. .ere mTxed twLn &S'o7eUnjL^oT''^^ ^'•*^^ * Hn. of distinctioT be-' the former diCns Sfn ^"P'l,"'' ^^^ ""f^' " circumcision did under ting is to vind caTe. nitMr El„« k ^f^^!' *l** ""^ **Hi«^* '" '»'•*- helrants Vfu your rem^;.^' 1 1^ ' ,^"^*^* *'""• °^ <^°<'- Though ■* cannot gr/n1^,t^wTh St t^A"*''"^^ '^^^ '"^ opini(^ of some QuaSroVrnn^^^^^ "'* ^ '"'^•^ *°« »>•?»» « 1^.0 Tot believe th^ |ulUr v Sw o banti.mK '^'''P'"'"- '"'*"*'' kind, as Mr Ri>m'« r:.! • ■ °*.P"'"'" n*'^ «« dangerotis to iman- tin^n £w^p''tSe ty'^^iXeo;" " Gld^'^T" ?'"^ ^^ '*'- na^s. The circumcUiTn «r 4.^ u P^**' *"*^ ^''^ uncircurtcised between tbe reS DefDli n? r ^^ ^IVu **'"'''"' "^ ''" °^ distinction world. It mi;* br&^Mo tr,?« /k' unrenewed people of the professed people of God >»„w.r **]" °T° '''^ **»« P^""*' ^^e Ldon one hand and fmmfh j"^'*''*''*u^'"°'" *^* real people of united body i,H?setf P^S^n. V''^ ^"r*''* °'*'"' *"*^ '^'"'"g a being intro^d«"Va and tha^^^f rfu^r f'"*'"? "•*''^°*' Christianity proflssor.. that ^rol^s " hhmT/'^ "'"''•*.?" "'"°i°L"™*> also^«dudes tch reKlu P^^^'^'' ^"'^'^ ««' '* Christianity: but U re^-S^. ?*^f .* P"*»'"^ profession of it be as it may; you^ nTeKt ^? ''k?'""' "•"* "^^ distinction. Let it away, y^ wiuT.e^r^g; *d lyt ^n^ir ^Ut T' t*'^'^r "*" tiscriptural ideas and nliM.«k ^ u *• r , *'*' * number of an- fessingchi-UiaSitv" Vn if*""* been mtroduced among men pro- the: IdLTf' uTe^pfofessl^g ;l",7o?God *' Ih '?. '" "^ """ •"■•"« that, you would Snirshown I h»^?n.- f^'fu y°" P™'* «»*« oldPeiiobaptistloaven ii7st ,,v.^ J«t .wholly purged out tb. .pattered on^ tJnMVJ^:! „''L^!'ruT^'L.Pf"T« » 'i^*'«P0P"h mud or a iittic Jttwish pH«^.'f:«l,""i" ' 'r-y """"i i^'ciasrea d^*>"i«t popery: '"TMiT 93 can such a generation of vipers escape iYedBmli^ion nfhM> u on. gi,i„, . high pr.f«.ncfT^riV'r^S^^^^^^^^ '.rS'sli. "" Jact. 1. Ilespec.ng circumcision. As the blessines of the Abra! ham.c covenant did not run in the female line, a oien was tvi Ti itwTth ;ES'L?if Ah'^r'"/ '^"^ ^^'"*'"' like prosei;;:;, ^^s: tn th«i'.»""\«*° """ntiaHy different, « it rcspec U tte riti oF adm»ston fron, that conveyed by the following ^itS .«A^ hurr**;t^;t';^ ?;,V^*''^f #^^^^ wordffvSnided toiSi chorehUy. Wwm, to the noaberof about three thousand " Should aayp«M>v^^ol«, the P>«agem«Jsmanlier, I contend *hat he wou d To7?nT.?Jt t^:«7»crej/''«t«; -for he represents their being W^ zed,.«nd their being added as tifo distinct and scpara^t^thip^ C s ^nsl^^hl"^ 'JK'r* V'^'^^'"^ '>^Pti^«d anf their bei^.dd^ ♦ wl^ M ,'»^'*>pI""' b«?en the visible representatifn. aad tli€ir being added the invisible rcaHtr renrr^euted bv it in thit r,^^ LVeTeit^f 7"" 'Vr '''" -•^'^e'^-tvolker^ise t'h/l \\er rt^ r!^Tl n ''rnT '' *''^ ••'^'' *»' ndm.ssion, whereas the language of r^ilce wo.J,}st.l]be correct, thoogh a month had clap'sed Som the aOmiSMsnof the throe fhcsand. to their being baptize|oihe^ cir- eumstances re ated, not any connexion stated between^heit-Wtism oay, Again, let u%look at Saul and the eunuch. Into what church f ,it"L T'f^°""^^*'"*'"*^"^«' previously admlHcd by soiri- :^^ ; ./,f '" '• '^ '•'^- -"^^^ '"t« t^« JcMvish^church, for of tha ..n«, If not both were previously ,nembers : besides, this looked rather ut t<.e baptizer ind the baptized We do not Trfacti^lhu'th-' rr rt^h'"' '"^« -""^ 'h^utian^hurrh ■ rZJh V-,'J i n \'t* of baptism as a rite of admission into the fhurpb,.o.«iito ft^lo«ai,> i^of eompanitively modern crowth and al^'hT ZT^ *'l"i"^; '^^ ^^'^ ^-'■^'^ waiters Yol must e ^ cWt.^iJ'h^i' - "* *^ ^"'^' '''^^' *^^"'^f' "'*« ^vhicU they «erc i'.itf^.?Ih.'K*"Y'!3'^'^"''"* P'-««Pt<"- precedent establishing t*ptiKri»«:ihenteot adm.ss.or. or let nsberrno more of baptism ;>s.rh« ,ite by whi.h converts ar^ «d^,ittrtl iuto the church ^ ' .J.. timimciMon under the former dispensation showed the oer- ^t^i^^'To? ^^"'T' »«lv evident tha't ■,^•^.JT no otner federal relation to Abraham tLau t* e JeS ' 1" fo„ . i V" ccrvanti are Abia- necpssaiilv IraTtn ;. pr^iciples nianUained in his Ji,ftrrs Abraham, and circumcised in virtue of it- hnf /Kir '^*^"'""" \* ed from thai suhsisling bolwten Al.raham o^J "?e„r, "d I,?! iponyo-^t„ you bap. tize, have any federal ralation to Abraham ' ^ « Lh^cT^ *n ^P'"\f f •"P'"'*'*'," «»«<«°i«>t" baptism circum- cwion. Ctfi, „. 1 1 12. « In whom also ye are circumcised with the hvTf • •'" ™«4«,'''»ho»t!'«nd», in puttiag off the siSs of tie flSh Arin PhiirSri'T^P ^'^'''S.?""*^'* ''•*»^ »'•'» •» baptism's « V '*irl . P' "'• ^' ^- Beware of the concision, for we rchriitiariii\ tMTs*T&el^ Jnd r;r"'- "^«'^".»*''« circumcision in the flesh, iaJtSf Jf. r ' l*^ ^^'f circumcision, the christian church :show- ih!* I .1 f J . ^'"? cooiment on the latter passage is so excaUent fot^ni/T t^J^ "i '* ^'°™ ^h'' P«« of Mr. Ross: only whe^ ha, he «ea„V«f f*"''?*'*«^°''^h? I really hope it will, in sonfe deg«e, be a ■aansof turning the attention of christians from the shad.ws and fixing it on the substance. But snrely, Mr. Rosa, after clS thiJ re'San'S'wh '7^'- *'' P""^«' --ot me.'n'thatt'^tfsm' tne substance which christians enjoy: and unless he mean this If this werS a dS ?alse- ?£ns resSJrt:^! • f *;"!?*'?• 'T ^''"'' '''^^'' "'O'nents, when discus- Tk,/!" It*''" "P°" **"* ^P'"* of inspiration what L nerer said if the nhr^ ^'P?'* °fj"^ P^'P'^'*'* '*> ^""y discussed the meanin: S bere^ ?n ;L?*^' '''**'°"u *'"'^''" ^^^ * »h*» *«y "othi^g about dlstiB^'.i,i/f "T"" ""'' ''^P*''™ ^« **»« circumcision of Christ, as ' Jlstingu shed from the circumcison In the flesh? Were thev not t*itboiL:rrH' ^^*h\»»"'orityof chnst.^ D;rt -Md 2S «n J r^^l ""• ''*™* *'•'"«' ^"* <*or tha same description of per- !!,.« • J *^® "'"^ connexion with Christ ? By what proce^sof Sat th^^Sn- ^°"r ''*'-^^ ?^°"'""''"' «"• «^«ot to satfsfy Jo.frJeauerl that the Spirit of inspiration even a//u«fc(£ fo baptism by the term cirl 2lnt"a e'rba'^rrlf^r" "J"""'^' '''' »«-nd edition saVthTtTe ucmuasiraies oaptism circumcision. fj« M^p^**"®' to notice a i-emark of yours, p. 68. you ouote STb I^f ''°?"' '•^''^'"S *o Mr; Merr.l : « f h? resultTas^ that tbJir K ""r'^r ^'l' 'Sr^**^*^ *° b"'-^ » number ^f them, with* ^r oiSlf T- ^'P*'""; ' Then you enquire : « Doe. the Spirit rfllatJ^^S ""ifP^^P'* ''"'^'°« ''•«'» ^ o^^ould any person excip r R,\>,. > 'T^- ' ^nefP'^t by that of the party ? Bfr. otI^r•d.faBrn^";^^^l^'.r^^^^ who scoffingly ia- T»!J ««#*i.-7^"""j '.'.. """'*^ Daptue ineui in Uit Lot cade Burtte. Stored?' *r°»^ '?• *f«^i««on of the Spirt, though scoffiSj. ^s-Jh-iK ^■P*«edinrt«AWJbrdfl„.» ThaU Bantia|,irh£; »uid bid b«en onct .haped ia a P.dobaptiit mould, 'i,htu'5,^«£K illy and unawares, slip words and phrases inconsistent with baptist principies, is not to be wondered at ; as it i 3 very difficult to get' wholly clear of confirmed habits. But Pedobaptists have no such excuse for talking like Baptists. Their doing so is the effect of truth, m spite of confirmed habits. Read the ii. and iii . of Colossians once m«re, p^-ayin* for the experimental etijoyment of the circumcision of Christ, and of dying, being buried, and rising with Christ. For the difference between circumcision and baptism, see p. 60. Wishing you and your flock, a speedy reformation in principles and practice, I remain, your's truly, A. C. and MR LETTER III. recapitulation of the preceding arguments. I shall put (he argu- menls at large, and the brief recapitulation together, and e-xamin« whatever appears deserving attention. Reason 1. *' CJiiUlren were admitted into the church by direct di- vine appointment and their right confirmed by an everlasting coven- ant. They possessed this privilege two thousand years without dis- pute and tiieir right is still maintained by ?. vast majority of chris- tians." The last part of this reason smells strongly of that church which makes universality and antiquity marks of the true churoh. It also seems needless to a cause that " can be sufficiently defended from the oracles of God." However, as it is rather leaving" the Bi- ble alone," I shall leave it to its fate. As to the first part of the rea- son, [ have already shown the nature and duration of that church and covenant which included children, and the ground on which children were included. You say p. 14. *' It is certainly incumbent on those who wo lid exclude them to show their authority." I deny this, and will show why. You grant p. 9. that the ciuirch underwent several changes at different times; and that «he jfreatest change (00k place when Christ appeared in our world. This shows that however it may appear to us, it is not inconsistent with the divine character, nor with the good of men, that, in the course of time, certain changes rela- tive to religion should take place. The natureand extent of these changes must be learnt by an examination of each change by itself, and compared with the state of things precedinjjf and succeeding it. As the greatest of these changes took place, at the time that Baptists date the cessation of infant church-membership; if, at that time, the standard of the qualification of cluirch-members is raised beyond the — r.i -.ri iti:a:tir, 11 -.Tc ::cv cr, ui icr raisiri^ liic sianaaru, read ui in- fants as church-members, either as received or excluded, acting or Greeted, or in any capacity whatever; this is sufficient evidence that thgpthey ceased to be church-members. It is, therefore, now in- ''-iifcent on youta show how this incapacity is consistent with their M^ii^ Apin, auppoie the kiag gtre orders to re-embo.lv a broken t^,; ment, and directed the recruiting officer to mivTtUh^^t^t^^u -ound able-bodied men. of 6 feet h|h,7«m 16 to « vS.rJZ {"h^'L .t were kno^vn that Hi. Majesty h^adVorSerV admkteTiJ o Ss A 5«notK";r»''t"/''*/*;"^':'* ''"'^'^ thrrlcrtSnV office uJ! M *i''''*'^*y *o <'evHite from his ino.ruction, to please one who tin ^ "^ ••' *r'^ '"^'' " '^^'^ '^■'"S »'" fo^ man/year, receTved hose wL w*iXV,T^^ '"^''"' .nditVincmben :a ity » tL ?"lhni "^' P'"°"? .''^*'''' ^^'>^' *° »how their author- «y- ^"P "'thful officer woud iko. (lie Banti«t« rAn/>» »i.. ^^. i HHtructions, and pay little attention to any "uch demaSdr °^'' i,.w^'"S:,i^^''''*u*f'"'* *'"'* testament. « ore made, the old and the jew. Suppose that a cerUin rich gentleman had willed all hi. nr- Kyr"* l^r/™K*?K*'^*'=lTey*f British North Amwi^:^ Mr Ci .fleman^as yet ahte, he could alter the will. Accordinclv he makes NorsT A^; >*''"k- V'^ ^•''^'^ ♦'^ *^« Protestant clergy in Briish Hai™ «u!a- !?u "/L Suppose Ihen Mr. Elder should put iH hia Claim, pleading that h«wa, included in th« first festament; and that him W'olf '^ m" ^' ^r *« »^«^^ ^'' authority f^^rcFudinV show Z^T. 7* ^""/r' '*"!•' ** ''» ^«"y »»mperUnencera«d BER s age wat not included in the last testament, its havine-bfM in eluded .n he fi rat availed nothin..' It is needle., to mu t^pV nst^r-" ^?;t .f "^^ t ^^ *^'"' " *" '^^ ^-^^^ ""'">!'• 70" wo«ld%t. e Urn pomt at ,„ue. I request your attention to Isa. lii. i. The central opinion » (bat Zion and J«.«,.lem mean (he rhrist an churfh If the unc.rcumc.sed and the unclean arc to be taken hleralk, Mr fnTul Z uT" '" ^rj ''"^' ^*P,''*=* »^« •» ^'^ uncircumcUed d"ed in S^^;* ,L -^^ "*' takei. spiritually, those who are uncircu«. l2r ro,^for^i'"K?"j ''''**?." infan.,or adufts, are excluded. I W**r ywi lor pomt blank, positive, divine authoritv. to G»l i» %n « Cast out the bond wonwn ami her son.'^ ^' ^• al Jf Jv^™°* /^** *5* readmrssion of persons who ore m the church already, mvolyes a degree of ab^ifdify. Suppose then one of TW.r ^ownn'.''^''"*'^? •? '^' •^'^"^''h' an.lsealed^L member of U^.hS f^r K uu'^:'"'^''^^ >^""? '"""• ^^«" "y P^ 24. » In th^ mean J2J..' *'''r''^> '•''J*"^*" all member, wh^i.ave not a ronsS do wth V?""**"* ^'t^'tif ^ord of God r suppose. WhatTo you you say that by h.s w.ckednes, he exdndcs himself.' I should sun Jriit'ln'^'"'^'^-*'^''"'''""''^"'"" scripturally excluded But d^; notVi^lf r"' '"'^""'ftent m.mber, exclude themselves, and .a^ Tel« !ftl r •'"'"/ *•'"'" • ^"PP""^ '^'^' ">"« voung man, a few l^r.u^J}''. ,!"' "«'"".'""' repents and desires admission. Supnn.T verv cirinm nL?*"*' /k" '•*' U '"^"^ "*''" y**""? members, who, thouglt S-^T P**''^ "! *''®" "J^Portment, had not yet commurticalaS des.red to communicate. What difference do j-ou make bet w.!m' the re.d».«,Joaof thisexcluded member, and your' f;iaT,i::t of Stl m m^k 99 wholiad not btea excludsd? Suppose you tell rour chlM, that, af his father is ■ believer, he (the child) is of Abrahem's federal mi. But when he arrives at maturity he does not walk io tba atapa of Abraham. Then, Lo be faithful to hi^i, you tell him that, as be doea not do the works of Abraham, he camiot be a ch>ld of Abraham, but as hfl does the works of the devil, he is of his father the d«til. He answers : " My father is yet a belierer; I hare no other nature than I always had; I said and did evil, and nothing but evil, when I waa one year old, as well as wow; and the worst thing I do now, is only the iegitiraate exercise of that nature which reigned uncontrolled in me then. How then have I changed my father! The change is not in me, only as it respects strength and intellect. How now would you an.«f )u yoivr- I? It i, f'lges, to n which yoiirsoit" he same as well Hid that . among ( go*pel tchedto * :derness entering Moses, al rest, "ient to ;mhers, s sepa- ration , as the rch, is " is lie preach ^rnber- nd re- icm of ! trroat ■ r • • -- i^elline 101 journer, am<»ng /ou from eieirjaj.^nl^''"'".^"""^".''*' '^"'* "^ *»>• •<»- of jour wood tS the drIw"rT!o„/w *"^ "P«^"d. ^om the hew«t sufficiently showed thaT hj IZSZ' cLT'T^!"'^' ' '"^* y«ur purpose, anU that we sharhea. „• more 0?'".^'''" ""' *°'"*^' •ense. let u. counterpoise this seiten^e !„ K- °,T ^°"' '" **»«' V another of the same form Zailv w«n % A """i ''"P«'-t«nce, Portant . u g.nce the righTof tt rml A"'''!'- ^"^ "?^""^ '"- "-as granted by an everlasting coven^^^^^^^ '.\*''" '^''^''^ Jesus Christ, every att.mp toVepZ ?hem of itTv^"'"'^ ^^ ""^ '^°«* men, must be hio-hlv nff^Zu.^ "cpnve fnemot »t,byany manor body of .Vo.r'balanc^s, aVe'rwh^^^ 0^*^* ""'"^ of the church.- T^a i would defv Aristotl iflcVi vr^ ^^'i'"^"'"*"*' » th* heaviert testamentXua if ; ioTu ^. '^ '7 ,^%^"<^- Under (he old fants: under the new !"!.«?''"' "f •''"'•' "^''•"^ than of in- lO-ou choose o deny' these as 1^"^""'"'^°^ '"'''^"** '^'^'•- «^ «<««»•• God, the specified dlflmu ren .^Tr' P'-^li"".^'-^'" the o.acle, of adnlt churcimen.bershm i fndfervd'lffl ''.'?"■'' /"''• "'^"^ -"^^ conception of thetenor of that 1, S .Itt^^^^ ^ «*';?*'»<=* cession n the case of infant h»r„ •* ^^'""^." *e"Ies the manner of suc- founded on tL everVa ?i 'f eoventt"^ "S^* *° church-membership, our Lord in these vvords*^*'ofc^'!.^°^ '* recognized by it settle a ri^ht ofTccessionl ll't'''' ^T^'^"'" ^^ heave^n." Doe^i only on some ? Does it t?e thU S"'"*'?^"'^^ °" *" '"^""t'' «•• fessors, or only on those oetLlSerT^ 'bI^I'^ ^f,*" ^^« P'^ ' on all tha infants of believers or on Iv nn 1" o V* '^"'^ *^"» ''^eht right on the infant f rand Sren a"ul infan?" . ^"'^ " ".*"•* "»'» or only on the immeljiate off pr n^- 1, he" erP'^Tf"'^ '^''■^''''' ""'- questions, sometimes st-jt-tP, .n 1 1 "'^"*^«"-, These are important of clerica prTro^^tiJe thl bv '^T, "^T^'^ rather by a stretch Scriptural answe^rs to ti om .Z ' t"^, e'-'cdation of divine truth. Ahrlharnic corenan ExTmine uT. " *?■" ''6^' f«"nded on the and our Lord's ^^d's alhS to whfJ *'*'"^ *^°"'"""t °"^« "^'"•«» and.atisfacforv onthe St ^n *° '^^ ''« ^^'e" th^' above q.ertiorV Since v^.^^f/MVl'"'^''"' *^^J' ''^''^ '<> -e'c::r:;is!!:;^^^^;s:^''"^"""?^^"'^-«- -^ conceit ofbaptism.as t°,ecoC. t!^ "'''"'"'l'^ *^^« ^--^fit subject, ed aw^.^^^a new n hcttnr'r'''''''r," ''l^ ''"''"^ ^'^ «"d va nish- ^ embraces the be Irving Jew ^^^^^ '''; ^.'"" ^^^^S^'t in, which ^ant we are to learn7ho?re^'it^s';ei^':?,' ' .'.* tl^. ^.^'l!,"- ^ then observe p. 16. " Seldo gross mistakes be found in the »iot been a very fastidious crit m can so many and so you ^ame number of words." Had »», 102 far it it nearly, if n«t quite Mirevident, to every belicTer oftha gospel. Bat joa found that it bore an unfavourable aspect toward infant bap- tism. Jufant fiaptiam you were determined to defend. The most Bkely way to prevent the reader's seeing the inferences which the sentence naturally safgested, was, to brow beat it and put it out of countenance, by inWyng him that it contains many, and very gross miktakes. I would beg the reader to read it again, compare it with %he word of God, regardless of Mr. Ross's commentar} , and try it by tlte true touch stone. But AjTr, Ross has told the gross mistakes i^ contains. 1 ." It confounds two distinct covenants." It has been proved again and again, and you cannot, aeriptura I ly, disprove it, that the covenant of which circumcision was tl e token, as it included a carnal offspring; and circumcision itselfas the token of it, whether as given to Abraham, or at Sinai, or in the land of Moab, is vanished away, and made room for that new and better covenant, of which Christ is the mediator. 2. *' It embraces the believing Jew and Gen- tile, which, on the Baptist principles, it cannot do." ,This is very unfair. You charge the mistake on the sentence to condemn it, whereas, it is evident, that fn reality, you do not think the mistake is in the sentence, but in the Baptist principles, which you suppose to be inconsistent with the truth in the sentence. On the Baptist prin- ciples it ran, and must embrace all believers, and no other; for all be- lievers, aiid belieyeis only, are, on their principles, to which you have riven your sanction, p. 13. the circumcision, i. e. the true Israel. They are the Isreal of God, without respect to nation or country. It is to them tjie new covenant was promised, and that as believers, and •a believers .only. 3 '' It is from this covenant we are to learn what laws the^ are to obey," whereas " in Jeremiah's prophecy or in Paul's apistle, tlie covenant contains no law," The new covenant or testament means the gospel dispensation. The principles and laws by which Christ governs his church as king of Zion, according to the tenor of the new covenant, are the laws which Jbellevers, whether Jews or Gentiles, are to obey. But as yeur bible contains only an in- timation of making the covenant, and not the very substance of the covenant itself, we do not wonder at your not seeing ^hat Jhe coven- ant subjects were to have /atcs milienon their hearts. You next proceed tp the words of Christ: " Of such is the king- dom of heavej" As nothing exists without a cause, what do you think influenced the Sisciples to forbid chililren being brought? Their Jewish prrjudicf s were all on the opposite side, unless the children were uncircumcised. You see such a simiiaiily between their con- duct and that of the mo«iern Baptists, that you probably suppose both are under .similar influence. My reasons for objecting to infant church-membership are briefly these. 1. I see no divine authority for it under the new covenant. 2. At the commencement of the new covenant, the standard qiiaKfiration required for church-mem- bership was raised so hiffh beyond their reach, rs necessarily to leavp them without: 3. The arguments by which their chnrrh-membership is defended-, "re nn vory rpnvsnant (o the whole ter.t'r of th* »fts'>fil thst I cannot possibly preach the jrosjjcl, withoiit jjoing right in the face of them If these reasons influenced the di-^ciples, they must have a foundation iu truth, before they cjald so far C0D.~.ier Jewish prejii- account of the ?erv%anVri, J • t : ■ '^•""'» "''owing that oil theI.w.tl,eJi,c?;iXXL?™^^^^^^^^^^^^ that infants could not be baDt.zeH hiM£j^ m 105 being oi a level « i h i? heir,, ' to 1 »1^ ^ v.cceedn.g cs(rytoAm ii. 38. xx. Ql. 1 find such (hom, and hoth .so di/Terent fTon hh ,?'"'» '. ^I'-^'^ence between tdri irWn." Accordirt* to this, Christ, the head of the chuAh, nVi^ti John's ministry, and the ordinance of baptism as belonging to it. And did not John commence his ministry, hi's unfolding the nature of *be kingdom of God, by invalidating claims founded on carnal descent from Abraham, and by directing his bearers to repentance and faitk in tne Messiah, as the only w?iy of obtaining a place in the future kirwdom? Yon seem sensible that John is point blank against you, and tnneforc try to dispose of him under the old testament; but Pe- ter on the day ofPentwcost, is in perfect unison with John, and there-' fore as much against you as John. In p. 19. yo'it.eat of the baptism of' hoiwtholdi*; and in p. 21. say : " The apostles baptteed households, and we still do the same:" ai:d then enq lire : " Do yon baptize boiiseholds ? ' The first chris- tian church of which I was a mdiiber, rontanicd two whole families/ who joined when I dkl, and s^ill the ctii.rch v as under thirty mem- bers. If we have two households tor ever) thirty members, we have households as nninorous in proportion as the apo'-tles had. It is fully granted, that the apostles baptized households ; but it is disputed t»tiat you follow either the apostles, or the eitabiished law of the Jewish church, in Exod. xii. 48. To make the praselyte law tally xvith your practice, (for your praciice, like the law of the IMedes and Persians, is unalterable,) you would htive read it : " Let all his infant males be circumcised." And to make the practice of the apostles similar to j'onrs,you must show, what you have sadiy fai ed in doing,, that they bapti.-^ed infants in virtue of their parents' faith. You try hard toprore it in the case of the Philippian jailer. You remark: "You, Sir, in the case of the'Philip^ in jailer, (Actjf 16.) bring in one of your auxiliaries saying, concerming his hou«e, "Who it seems were equally impressed with Paul's sprmon as th* jailer himself was." This, Sir, is in direct contradiction to th» text, which says, ' He rejoiced believing.' The \Tords rr/owcrf and believino; &re m the singular nunilirer, and what is rendered, ' with all his hsiise,' is expressed in the original by one word (panoiki) an ad- verb. Here we have an express example of several individuals baptize, whi'n there wa-sbntoiie believiiij:, in jierfect confermity to the long established law of the church. P^.xod. xii. 48." This, takfi* altogether, is a mo>*t e.xtraordinary statetneut. Your own words to Mr. Eldkr, may fairly be retortedon yourself, " It is plain to any reader of disceiiuHent, that yon are under the necessity ©f mis- stating or wrnsting every passage you bring forward in defence of yonr opinion." Read .\cts xvi. 128—34. and say that the family were not iinpressr«hwith (he sermon, as well as the jailer himself. Though you shonld have taken panoiki from ns altogether, (here is another satisfactory evidence. When he called for a light, (to his family no donbt,) the fanii'y were aiarmed, if not lielbre, by the enithquake. He took them otit of tf"*? pri.snn l)efore he nsked the important qtiesCion; and it is altogether un'ikelv that they staid in (he open air with a lijrbt, a little after mid^liiiht. It !« rniw.}; nirirf* !!V;p1» th.-!* h." brought them into bis house. At any rate, it is certain that all that ^vcre in lis huiise were present, when Paul and Silas spoke th« >*ord of the l-ord, in answer fo his question. When the jailer ask-' ed lli« questioa ia the hearing of iiis family, it was to b* anawered vl07 in their hetwng: nad Paul, who knew that the family were as needM •f salvation as tlie jai er him «if, in answering his question, adds, (ia «rder to draw the attention of the famiiv,) «' And thj house." Meaning, nodo'ibf, if they shall believe iu "the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be inved as i*ell as you; for the salvation of Christ is inex- haustible. Havir.g got their attention, the apostle spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all that were in his house. From this it is evident, that all who wer« in his house, were suitable hearers of th« gospel, and therefore were not infants. If, therefore, they did not believe, Paul must have baptized adults rpon the faith of their pa- and rents; however, conformable this may be to Eiod. xii. 48. it is fatal to your plan of baptizing infant* only, in virtue of the parent* faith. Thus, aa they were all suitable hearers of the gospel, and were all baptized, yonr practice forces you to conclude they all believed: as the apostle baptized them at all, my principles force «e to con- clude they believed. You and I then, must agree with Mr. Elder and Luke, in concluding that the family were impressed with Paul's sermon equally with the jailer himself. "The words rejoiced And believed are in the singular number." Truly so, because " with" governs " aH his house.*' Mr. Ross is a Pedobaptist with all his flock. Though « is a Pedobaptist" is in the lingular number, will any reader say that his flock arc not Pedohaptists equally with Mr. Ross him- self? Oh ! but what is rendered, ' with all his house,' is expressed ia the original by one word (panoiki) an adverb. Truly, your mere Eng- lish readers are under strong obligations to you, for your very satis- factory illustration of the meaning and use of the Greek adverb! Well does the proverb suit. " An ounce of common sense is worth a pound of learning." You have an axpcditious method of dispatchin«' all tliat stand in your way. Do you feel no guilt in thus disposing of the words of inspiration? A'biet it is one word, an adverb, it must have some meaning. The Spirit of God did not insert it there with- out some use. Let us hear the great Parkhurst. PanotAi, An Adv. from pan all, and oikos a house, q. d. sun pante oiko. IVilh all one^s home ov familij. occ. Acts xvi. .'34. Josepluis (as Wetslein has re- marked,) use» this word. Ant. lib. IV. c-ip. 4. s. 4. Oile anlom PA- JVOIKJ sUewihoi en te iera pold. " So that they mlhall their fnnlties mijrhteatit in the holy city." Could Mr. Ross make such a parddo ofGreek criticism, and still be ignorant of this? If he did know it, I foiljear making any remarks, but leave the reader to make lus .>wn reflections on tiie consistency of ?uch a knowledue, with the manner in which Mr. Ross has disposed of the word panoiki. In p. 19. you find great fault with Mr. Elder's nofion concerning seals, and quote a sentence from him, which, by your three tioies of admirati3u,you hold upto universal ridicule. 'But let not him who putteth on the harness boast as he whoputteth it off. I am astrai- ger to Mr. Elder but I thought I couUl discover in hi^ book, both the views and the spirit of an amiable christian; therefore, it would b« unchi'istian not to k>ve))im, I hate to sen p.nv nersen. ?«r>.P'>:;:!!v ;- christian, held up tv ridicule without cause. Mr. Rossis not destitute of common sense. How is it then that he sees neither truth nor sense in what is real fact? I can account for it no otherwise, than by as- cribing it to P«d()bapti8t prejudice. Here is Mr. Elder's ohngwu w^- wmm^^^mm ft ' 108 .•? sentence " A seal is for confirmaf n of some transaction already ta- ken place." Now, Sir, is not this true? " 1 lien," you say, *' the rainbow is a confirmation that there was a flood, but no giound of hope that there will be no more floods. A seal annexed to a grant oX 18' d, IS a confirm;.! ion o( past possession, not of future right." The m^an sophistry which cnese sentences involve, deserve a severer cas- tiitation than 1, at present, choose to bestow. It is of more import tance to onravol this tangled skein, that we may discover (he tiuth 1. * oil confound two distinct things a sea I and a" token. A seal con- hrnis, a token only calls to fememhrance. 2. The promise, however that there should he no more floods, was not cunfirmtd by a seal, as n"ne of Jehovah's covenants arc, but by a sacrifice. 3. Tiie rainbow has hern constituted, not a seal to confiim,buta token or memoria' br,no-,ng to remembrance the covenant which G( d had already estal . iished that he ,rh{ look upon it, and remember his covenant. Th alreadv cn.-firmed trans ction, not the rainbow, is the su;e ground oNiope (hat (fiero wil! be uo more floods. I should suppose that, as Wr. {.o>s <|,pp, ,i s.j d' rp into the GVeek language, he dipped ii.lo na- tural plnlo^opliy also, deep enough to know that the rainbow was scon ill the tlomU of.reihefixu', and could f.crefore be hut a poor gtou.id of hope that there should he no more floods. 4 The seal an- Dexedto a erant of land is a confirmation neither of past possessiou nor of future ri-ht, but of a deed, a transaction already taker, place iM the mutual agreement of thegivcr and receiver, which deed orpast transaction IS the ground of future njrht. Should you still iuqua^e- Is this true' Is it sense.-" I must only leave vou toeniov your sense, but I must enjoy mine till I get a better. "VViil you', Sir, he Ki Id enon-h to produce the grant of your, and >our children's future righi to promised blessings, with the seal annexed, comfirming that ■ rjglit, tliat we may see and examine it, for fear it should be for'^ed In the same paragraph, you quote from IMr. Elder: " Circ'iimci- sion was a national mark of dist inetion, to separate the seed of Abra- ham alter the fresh, from all other people;" and add: " I say, it was not; and the.-, refer us to Gen. .wii. il.), 27. when Abraham's house'- ho d were circumcised, as uell as Ishmaei, his then only son I have ah-eady explained how slaves and proselvtes were cirnimeised In p^,0 you produce the argument to prove the chur.di-member- slnp of miants f,om 1 C„r. vii. 14. and say: " This texthas cost then.-.pt.slsagrealdealofpains." Pler.ve, .Sir, allow me (o correrfc th.sassert.on I he text ha, cost the Baptists no more pains than other p.aiu texts of .sriipturo: buf as they love the (ruth, the-/ are sor- ry to see It pervfMcd; and as they h.^e (he s.m>!s of Pedohaptists theyuresoM-.v tosee them if ief.t the counsel of (^od against them- se,ves; and, therefore, (hev tal.- a -leal deal of pains to rescue srrin- ;'''n ^"'m, """ .""^ P^^vcr-ions of J*edol..p(ists. You say p. 21 I he children of married heathens uereqmte If.fimate, hut still tnic ean. Pray, Mr, who fo'.l ., ou that ? Does the apostle sav so? ^^.^.. ''"'V'lat then .loes this bold asserlion rest? On the !nc« .livW uv'*'" /*"'/, ". " '^•■'^ ''' '■'•""■'■ n.d, is so farf.om yielding Padohaptism any lu p .rt that It stands duectly opposed to it. How, Sir, do you lea ttidt the apostio maintains, it is by the bnsband'. faith theunbelievii rai assizes. - . uiy at the gene- Had not the apostle said that the unbelieving husband "is tthe hy the sauctihed by tl e wife, we should probably hear a great deal abou husband s being Ine hnad of the wife, and many other reasons wh\ .„> wite should be sandiled by the husband; but the apostolic statement IS sucii, that it co^ts > ou a great deal of pains to give a plausibiHly to a contrary statenient. Yon admit, houever, what I never knew a Pedohaptist to cd-nit befoie, viz. that it is in consequence of the Mnclihcntionoi the unbelieving partner, that the ch, dren are holy rhe necessary inference is, that whatever privilege the consequent jiohncss of the children intitle them to, tlie antecedent sanctification of the unbelieving parent, intitles him to the same. If the children of behevcrsare holy, «hy does Mr. Ross treat them as unclean, in every resptct but that of baptizing them? a ceremony which they neither understand nor romember, and from which they derive no good, lou barely refer to the dedication of the first born sons to God, toa.sccrtam the mtaningof the tenn holy. In this you have done wisely. Those who aflempt to strenglheii thrir cause, by add- ing the dedication of the first born to the circumcision of all the malps. invalidate both arguments. They aie diflerrnt ceremonies, for d.flerent purposes, requiring different qualifications in the snbjecti, and the one will in no case stand for the other; therefore, what is loiuidedou the one can have no relation to the other; every addition- al vvfight put in one scale goe- to cuunteipoise the other. I cannot but remark how easily satisfied youa.c, uhon you wish to smooth over difhcnities. You say, "The tcimUy is applied to what was dedicated, or what ougi-t to be dedicated to the I.or.l " Cannot you tell which? or were you afraid ofifispe.Mion? To dedicate is to make ho;y. If a thing was holy before, in thai ^ense, to what purpose is dedication? Is it to sanction the holiness of iiUunts, who yet must be aplism? dedicated in bar I., >v» ... : -■ I iic n print ipies yOn have eniiiraceci, involve you in many diflirulties to which you haVe not adserted. S ome of them I shall submit to pies upon a supposition that an everlasting covenant has vanished your consideration. 1. Yon found your princi- BWi fi ay . ' Sir, did the word cerlasting never cccu» to your mind, wl len 110 «tudying thif subject? "Thi«i has already been fully considered, its typical meani'ig, the only sense in which it included a carnal ofT- •prto^ IS vanished. Its vpiritual meaning remains. " a. Yoa continually confound Abraham's natural with his federal seed; or. as Paul says, Rom. ix. 7, 8. the chi.dren of the flesh with the children ef the promise." Sir, that one passage nf Paul's is suffi- cient to invalidate ail you have advanced in support of infant bap- tism. 1 am astonished that yon refer to it. Is it possble you did not see it was directly oppr>sed to your system? Or did you, by a ^extrouspiece of sophistry, attempt, to turn against your antagonist, what lavs for his system, a foundation immovable ac the throne of God.' I chalI«Mft« you toprodiice a Ringle passage in the new testa- «ient, where the phrase, " ti)e children of thp premise,-' includes any pni neal believers. Does the phrase, " the children of the llesh," ever include any but the federal sceA? It is not the federal seed that «re contrasted with the cliildren of the flesh, but the rhidren of the promise. The children of the flesh, and the children of the promise, are equaHy, though not in the same sense, the federal seed; those ac- cording to the literal, these according to the spiritual meaning of the Abrahamic covenant. Though Ishmael was never of the federal seed, Ae is said to have been born after the flesh, having been the type •£" the fleshly federal seed. Two nations, two manners of people, two sorts of children, were in the womb of the covenant, and they strug- !cd together (as witness tlie killing of the prophets) till they were separated at the commencement of the new covenant, when Christ, the head of the spiritual nation, become the first begotton from th« dead. When I first renounced Pj'dobaptism, it appeared plais to me that Abraham's carnal descendants in the line of Isaac and Jacob, wer« distinguished as the covenant seed to whom the promises were made, from th« rest of Abraham's carnal seed. To this di<-(.inction, I thought none of the Baptist writers I had seen paid sufficient attention, and that just in that place the Pedobaptists hud the better of them. Her* it is evident you fsel confid«nt, and so do I, that you have the advan- tage ef Mr. Elder. At the same time, it :ip|)eared equally plain that the same seed were distinguished, as the children of the flesh, though still a covenant seed, from those who, being Christ's, are Abra- ham's seed, and hcir« according to the promisr. This distinction, by far the most important to us, I thought the Peilohaj»tii«ts entirely -set aside; confo'inding tlio c'iildre:i of the flesii and the children of the promise, (who are both a covenant seed,) under the one name of the children of the cnvcnan!. Confdundiug the two seeds is the very cor- ner-stone ofthft Pedobatitlstsystem: it is ther»'jore the more necessa- ry to mark the distinction accurately. Of ail the Pedobaptists I have ever seen, though in loaiityall equally c^niomd then, yet no one does it so glaringly as yourself. These t\To di.'Ierent c'nildrcn being promised and referred to, in the ^a>ne words, " thy seed," to the sante fnttiri_ In i}iA uornA /«^ »r rt < 1 1^ p, f :!;t.'l i!.:c .'■.■^ vp ;''.'- ^^.| ^'t^ir-.s* ;':;|1^;1 ^tr-rNi = f — ing, has, I believe, confused atid bewildered tnany sincere ami pious X ople. Especially, when thry snw those who ong't to know better, a, plying the promises and priTJiegps, in their fpiritial meaning, to those who are horn only after the llesh, 'ut who, in fact, are oeithfer til l.'s," you remark, '* place a barrier in the way of acoomplishingthe pJonu«es made to Abraham, and his seed Christ.'* Al' t,pe promises you i.-fer to relat*; fo nations, and you suppose that as nations in«l>ulf ii.fants, the promises can never be fulfilled to them ^n^ds?a"dupoJ IdL Sn?; "f i, ^' '* •» f ^"'•d to suppose that Christ madeT- cOnc.l,at.on for the s,ns of tho.e who were themselves suffering ^r for them THA'T^r' "^^Z ^'!'''' ^' died-that he was maSe Ta ;/o bpT;T.n»1J ^kV^*^"'^*-^'* ''^"y whose eternal state had, lour ago been unalterably fixed m sin and misery, should be made thi righteousness of God in him, and be sared th o^.h his life 'o it iJ equally absurd to suppose that all nation,, i. e. as V" take !t e err ndiVKlual.oratleast, thebodyof all nations, shall serve hirn whUe they continue to be of their father the dev.l, doing his works 'under LJ«?H rj"^%"'*r *^*' " "°* ^"^'^^' t'othefawof God neither in™fn- i'^'n ^"'^hP'-O"] ^^^ ^nd declarations mean, that'chi st's ^vaH^/t V'^':;V°''' ""*'''"^' '''"^ '^^'^^^'^ nice that of his Seii^f .' n r '"* M ^"^ "^t'"'^; a«'» that the benefit of his death extends to all the world, and is not confined, like the Jewish expia" t.ons, to one small spot of the xvorld. Compare Luke ii. 10. dood tuUngs of great jo„, xvhich shall be unto alt people ;mth Dan. vii 14 Ihcre Kosc^iven Inm dominion, and ghrxj, and a kingdom, that all people nations and lang,u._c:es, should serve him. Sinners must hare somSng Z? r • P''°/"'''0"' '" "['^er to serve him acceptably, with rever? ence and godly fear t .. the effect, not of national pVofession, but of t personal belief of the truth. How can Isa. xxv. 6, 7 be accom- plished w.thont infant e ommunion.' Are not they part of all peonle* Does not that establish infant communion as well as ha.Hi ^5 esl tablishes infant sprinkling.' iZTr^"'Vu^''u''^u''''''{ with Mr. Elder's view of thedistinc- on between the church and the world, andyou ask him some ques- tionson the subject "Did not Christ cpmmission his apo.tl?. to convert and br.no; into the church all nations.' Is it not the duty of the whole population of every land to come into Christ's church? If rot, pray inform us whose duty it is to keep out ? We hope the 'time iscominj when the whole population of every land shall be brouSt into the church. , In the mean timo, it rejects all members who hfve no a consistent conduct, lou seem not to advert to the difference botveen the church's learning the way of the world, and the world's coming .r.o the church." How ready you are to catch at any inad! vertence.nyour antagonist's mode of stating his sentiment! As Mr tCrr^ ""* qualifying epithet to t!.e phrase, " who'e population of the land, you take an advantage, and would represent him as limit- ing the apostolic commission, and objecting to the conversion, and ra''n"r^'r"M w •'rT^r^*'*^'/'^"'''^^'°^*h« ^^me popnlationof the you not know perfectly that what you here charjre your opponent witlr is not his sentiment or practice individually, nor those of the Baptists generally, nor by any means the necessary or legitimate consequence of their principles.' Does not all thp wnrU i,„^,,, ♦i..* ;. :. 4.i.2.^.- hffinJ*!,P/f*'i.!!!%^M'P^' *** ^""^'y "^»ture without distinction' islanL.^ K uu^" ^""^'^ a^urance, that whosoever believeth and flllnil- 1^^^^ wl^^^*"'^^^'^^ unquestionable right ta church SKV* '**rS\^'^'P''^'^' °^ ^"'^'^ ''^'S'ous denomination, m Great Bntain, Iwd the van, set the example, and by their zeal fpr '^^f^.*"-^i^. 4 114 ot allow the Briptists aloae to occupj tbe< whole fifild of missionary 'abour. And peihaps there is more real good don« by the Baptist missionaries in fndia aibne, than by al) oilier Jiritish missioris to the iK^athenput toj^ether. Ah! Mr. Ross, such iinwortliy conduct inakfis mc feel keen'y. Do^s not rpjec»in» a'l nunibers who have not a consistent conduct neces-arily imply all that Mr. Elbe:; roiiIJ mean, by objecting- to the who'e population of the land cominjs^ into -the church? But it has puzzled r»ir. Ross, and ail hi^ Pedobaptist brethren, to reject all inconsistent members^ ncr ran tliey cTer succeed in it upon Pedoba^v- tist principles. Every attempt of yours t« reject inconsistent tnem- bers, is an acknowledjjment of, and acting upon, the principles of the Baptists. Your principle i", that the christian church is the same as (he Jewish, and that we are to determine who are fit oiembera of th« former by ascdtainina; who are members of the latter. Now it is notorious that none were excli;drd from the Jewish church for im- fcioral character or enoi'eo'is principles, in any one instance, bat by death. On (he Pedobaplisfs' piir,<;iple"', you can punish offenders by death, and cal' every 'enlimrnt tiatdoes lot mincide with the es- tablished religion, 6/u.«p/i iwi/, aiu! when you inllict the torture, you inay say: "For a good woik we stone thee not, l.mt for blasphemy;" but you cannot piiroe the church. Did (he Jewish church contaia xb members of inconsisletit condurl.? Was there ever a Jewish law of discipline that re«|uired (he exclusion of incc■^^istent members, or that made moral character indispeusib'e (o church inemhership. Look not at Abraham, Moses, Daniel, &.c. .«in?u!ar ch.iractcrs; but look at the bod-' of the stifTnecked and reiieliioijs be use, that almost Contin- ually vvent a whoring after (heir idols. Do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees were consistent members of a church? Why did not Elijah excommunicate king Ahah and his idolatrous subjects? Why did Jeremiah continue in church communion with Jshoiakim, Zede- kiak, anJ idolatrou^i Judah? Why did not the church then reject jnembcrs of inconsistent conduct? Would you have treated Aaron and the calf-worshippers as Moses did? What sort of church mem- bers will you have, ifynu follow such examples? What characters would not pass in that case for consistent members ? 1\'ill you charg* these faithful men with acting inconsistently with their principles, or with being too lax in discipline? You are reduced to the necessity of admitting into your church such characters as the Jewish church con- tained, or acknowledge that the law respecting the proper characters for church members is so far altered, that we cannot reason analogi- cally iVom the one to the other. If you »hoose the former, I eipect aH'ahrisiian people will ilee your communion; if tlte latter, you have given up the argument for infant baptism from the Abrah&mie coven- ant. Again, as the infants of professors are all members of the church, is not a foundation laid for every evil in the church? Do you reply, that you hope by instruction, &.c. to keep them from evil? You are faithftjl enough to Mr. Ei,t)er not- to allow him a ho|)e without a rea- son of his hope. What is the reason of your hope ? Is it derived from theory or experiment? The theory grants that children have a cor- ' '^ih^r ' ^*^r^t^" :CTf^^^r^^' ^ 115 rept nature: and who can bring a cl9a» tiling out of an nnclean* ▲ eorrupt tree cannot briag ibr.l, good fruit. " Though Alrralvam, tb« fathar of the faithful, had eight sons, only one was interested in tK« fl^ru\^ t"[/*° ?';. ^°l* "P**" '"*^^^ • *''«0'-y build a hope^ that all the children of all professors will prove fit members of a chris- tian church? He wiir surely not plead that the promise Is more ex- tenaiTely secure to them, than it was to the Fii«nd of God Is h« more safe in boiidia^ upon exp^r meat ? Not a wh.t. Continued and •itens.Te experiment for nearly 6Cm yeafs, abundantly confirm the y^F'i t "^^ll " burn of the flesh i. iU-»\ and will produce theworkt ot the flesh. Nor did your principles allow you to exclude them. Christ, notwitk-.tanding ai! the malice of the Jews, could be ex- cluded only by death. It is therefore perfectly inconsistent and ab- surd for Pedobaptists to talk of the churcii's rejecting inconsistent members, ion maintain, and that as essential to your practice, that baptism initiates into the covenant, is the rite of admission into the church, and draws a line of distinction between the church an<} the world. Now, with thisidea in your view, take a look at Chri<'- tendom and see what characters are initiated into the church, and mcludedin it, by this great hne of distinction between^the church and the world; and then try if you can muster courage enough to repeat the assertion, that a church established upon Pedobaptist principles, rejects inconsistent members. Whenever you attempt rejecting in- consistent members, you must necessarily proceed upon the Baptist pin.cipie, " that under the new testament, faith, repentance, fruit meet for repentance, and the works of faith an.liove, are indi.^pensi- ble requisites for church membership and church privilces " With- out ackaowledgiiig it, you cannot take one step iu reje'-tinc ihcon- sistent members. If thj world come into the church with their w .ridly principles, and ha%its, and children, will not the church learn the Avay of the world, or rather he the uorid ? If they are born a-'ain they are no longer the world, but converts, lit members for a chria- tian church. The fourth difficulty in which you think his principles involve hira IS, that they place the children of professinj; christians in a stainge si- tuution. These children you onsiJer in three different situations- J. dying in infancy; 2. during infancy; J. surviving infancy. Con^ cern.ngt.he first I remark, 1. Thegovpel, and gospel principles, take no notice ol those who die in infancy; and when we take notice of them, we do it without scripture authority. 2. The gospel, and eos- pel principles, take no notice of infants at all, except as examples of do-ihty, sincerity, kc. The revealed gospel has to do with rational hearers only who have a capacity for understanding and believing it. 1 he end of Its publication is the obedience of faith, of which infants are incapable. 3. lour principles of hereditary Christianity, hei-edi- tary heathenism, &c. consign inevitably to eternal damnation, all tvlm die in infancy, unless their parents are christians. Your view of the --■ ••• ••' -^:--:t- •^ij:;t;i;;s;u!i. Concerning the se«ond, I remark. 1 . The dving children of profes- sp.g christians are just iu the same situation as other chiiHren; for, in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek; and according to Paul, ther« w no difference. What: says Mr. Ross, « Dgea notlhe SpiriUf ia- 116 9piration call the children of believers holy?" So are the children of unbelievers, just in the same sense. No man can attempt succesful- I7 to restrict that hoUness to the children of believers. There is just as much propriety in saying, that the unbelieving wife is sanctified notwithstanding the faith of the believing husband, as in saying that she Js sanctified by his faith; under the law Jews were forbidden to eat pork, just as they were forbidden to marry heathens. Believers, wb« are Jews mwardly, might hesitate whether they might e;tt pork, af well as whether they might coutinue in the married state with unbe- lievern. The scriptures answer to this effect: *' You may eat pork, &,c. eUlhaughyou arc Israelites indeed, for it is sanctiJied to you by the word of God and prayer: just as you may, although bcH^rera, continue in the marriage relation, and perform and receive the duties of that relation, to and from your unbelieving partner; for the unbelieving ia sanctified to you by the word of God and prayer. But you say they are holy, as they ought to be dedicated to the Lord. I deny it. Be- ing called holy, Luke ii. 23. and being dedicated, mean exactly the the same thing. A person or thing is, holy, not because he oui^ht to be, but because he has been dedicated to the Lord. If baptism is in th« room of ciraumci&ion, it has no connexion with drdication, for circum- cision had none. All the males among men, and among men only, Trere circumcised: only the first born males, and tho^e among meii and beasts, were dedicated or made holy. Dedication was, in every case, a ceremony quite different from, and independent of circumci- sion: therefore, the phrase, " dedicated to God in circumcision," (or m baptism either,) is an antiscriptural phrase. Is their holiness typi- cal or real ? If typical, what did it typify > If real, w herein does ii consist .' If neither real nor typical, it cannot be religious, nor quahfy ' its possessor for religious privileges. 2 You are in a mistake in saying they are born in the church. Not jn the church of the first born, for into that none enter but by spirit- ual birth. John iii. 5. Not in the Jewish church, for it is extinct, ^ot in a Christian cliurch, for into such none were received but pro- fessed behevers, visible saints. See the address in the beginning of all the apostolical epistles. '< But," you repiv, " does not Christ re- cognize their church membership in the words: Of such— such in age r'l^ w^'"^''°"^ °* heaven ?" Here comes a deist with his children *? f ''.■,/*.*^'!; *° S®* *'^«'" baptized. Mr. Ross examines him about his faith in Christ. He promptly answers, that he does not believe in Christ. Well but, says Mr. Ross, what induces you to get your chilaren baptized' Why, says he, I read in your letters. Sir, that Uf suchm age is the kingdom of heaven;" I find that a man is more respected in society for being baptized, and though I believe not in Christ myself, yet for the future respectability of my children jn society, I wish to have them baptized; and since you, in your ap- plication of that passage, say promptly, " Such in age," I bring you buchinage, and lam sure, whoever would refuse, you cannot. ( 4^ "'*^'^ ^^^^''•'^'•'"^'"gchildreNto Christ implied fkUh ia l»od. True, answers the dtist; and my biingin- my cliiidren to you implies my faith in God; and you have no business to ask me any questions, but bless my children by baptism, i.poa the evidence of my laith m Go'^''e by our Saviour's wor(|.s, and maintain that the children of believers are no more born in the church, and there- fore, no more members of it than others. 3. You think you have got 3Ir. Elder in a dilemma from which he eriiinot escape, loutiass (he inhabitants of the world into Jews and 3Iahometans, Christians and Heathens, and say: " Pray tell us in your next publication, to what class (he children of professed christians belong.?' Here observe, that the scriptures class all mankmd into fcshevers and infidels Will you kave the kindness to tell us to which 118 •f these two classes the children of belierers belonr ? Tfai« question mii>t be previously settled. Till it i.^„„, you, to yonrpr fut conclusion. Your tracing therefore yourpremise* through arguments, proofs, reasons, and recapitulations, till yon trri- Ted at the legitimate conclusion, shows discernment and judprnent. Many Pedobaptists tremhle at the conclusion, who yet hold the same premises; but 1 never could view this in any other light, than as a defi iency in judgment. Had your premises been good, I would ra- ther blame you for not going farther, than for going as far as vou did. 2. I worder when you arrived at yonr conclusion and looked at it, that you were not startled at the premises, which fairly led to such a conclusion . 3. AccoMing to this passage, the children of believers are the Iambs which Christ carries in his bosom, and pregnant believ- ing women, perhaps the pregnant wives ot believers, as they are sanc- tified by their husbands' faith, are those with young which the Sa- viour leads so gently. 4. The greater number of children sre born to believers, the more numerous the church is; therefore, when we pray for the increase of Christ's church, we mean, chiefir, that chil- dren may be born to believers; and when we use means for increasiio- the flock, it will be greatly, if not chieflv, by promoting a numerous progeny among believers. 5. All these Ifimbs have in them th<» na- ture of « •■' ;.liis. '.3. U«;i)elic\e tl.;it Chrisfs flock under the latter, 'i»; '"ir.rt)i;i' testament, consists of sheep and lambs. eJ, cxjierienccd discipics are the antitypes of the ews, so yonii», feol>ie, inexperienced converts are e hi nibs. The fii^urative titles of sheep and lambs fts v'f:!i ;is Miiuer As ,]g' d, es r.' i «he<'p aiiio;:,-; •i'c the iuitii-VL-^ of are tii'MH.ore properly applied to liu'se two classes of christian con- y<--:'^. Your ;eiiiarks necessari.y ini|)!y that uii'gss infants are allow- rti to be lambs, the *lock,v\iII have no lanios at all: therelore, when- ever you use the cxp'-ession, '• Christ's lambs, we are compelled to iii.vlf j'^tand you as r.ica'iinj^ tiie literal infants of hf licvers. Unless >il! llif (• ic;nar!is aic l';iij'y founded on this miparaileied passage, I confess myself wholly unable to di.Trcrn bott; pen \s bite and black. I the! olbre 1. lake lr>c following- rcllntion. That Mr. Ross having, in pmsuit of aiguniciitti to esl;ihiish iiuaut hiiptisu'!, run himself ct;m- p:etely r.shore on Armiiiian jrr.iinu!, will soon renounce publicly, «i'hertiie Calvinistic or tlic I'l. dobaptist sciien'C. I bornetioies tried to 5p(.'al; to r.iy fellow siiDierr. about the charac- ter and p)ivi!eKCS of Clu'ist's slu cp as described John x., wiihout ever thinking of the suhjeet ofb^ipti^m; and I fou)id that thry kuovr the shppleid's V(>.ee; lliey know l.im.'^cif, and they follov.' him. Al- lowing that the l.^mbsare not ^o fully coir.pelcnt to these things, yet, I enq\;irp. v. helho «'vc:y mouth would be stopped. Do you really believe this.^ or do you s»y, like Ignor- ance in the Pilgrim's Progress, I will never believe the hearts of the infants of christians are tlius bad ? This hereditary religion appears to be at least an essential part of the works of the law, as opposed to the hearing offaitli. I heard indeed persons maintain that the chil- dren bornMo believers have no original sin; the !..is of the parents having been pardoned, could not be transferred to the children. Though the persons alluded to were doubtless real christians, on that point they must have been liUnded by Pedobaptist principles. Do you think the children of believers need to have tlieir consciences purged from dead work«, that they may be fitted to serve the living m fikd; [Heb. ix. 14]. ami to be created anew in ChHst Jesus, in order to perform those good works which God before ordained (hat they should Walk in them? Eph.ii. 10. Or 4o yon think that instruc- tion and training is sufficient to fit that carnal mind for divine service and spiritual enjoyments? Or have you a well grounded confidence, that dirine renewing influence will, in every instance, attend the christian instruction of Christ's lan)bs? Scripture observation and experience concur in showing the necessity of a radical change of heart, or, in scriptui*' phraseology, ol a new heart, for the acceptable ptrformance of any spii i( ual exercisp. Tlie tr«c must be made good, before the fruit can be good. Mul. vii. 18. Without this radical change> the sinner is ever trusting to his sincerity, &c. to make his service acrpptable; which consideration will evev make it abomination to the Lord, But under the influence of divine teaching, the radically changed sinner looks wholly and exclusively for acceptance for hi» person and services, to the interiiosing blood jf Immaniiel, the great Mediator, in whii:h case his service cannot fail of acceptance. Your dotti-iue of hereditary Christianity, or sheep hearing lambs, is as con- trary to thi.s, as lij^lit is to darkness. The divine testimony represents the gospel a.^ the see I, or the very first original of this radical change. 1 Cor. iv. lu. .fauces i. IC. fPet. i.2, 3. It represents faith as the only ])os>iLIe means of receiving the word to profit. 1 Thes. i!. 1.3. Hi'b. iv. 2. Arcordingly whosoever hclievelh that Jesus isthe Christ is horn of God. iJohnv. 1. As every seed iuiufeth forth fViiit according to its own nature, or as that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and tiiat which is born of the spirit is spirit, so, the new na- ture wliich, in the sinner, springs and grows from the holy, incor- ruptili;* .-epd of the gospel, received in the heart by fai(h,"'must be spiritual and holy, incoiTupfible and durable. Accordingly, the rea- ■son assigned v\hy the children of God cannot kin, is, because this seed abiileth iu them. John iii. 0. I re.i it'Nt, T demand, that in your next publication, you will o-xplnin the consistency between your here- ditary Christianity, and the scripture doctrine of regeneration. The public has a right to expect it. A man who has .set up for a teacher of Christianity, and IS puliicly supported as such, to come forward and publish a sontiment,to appearance at least, utterly irreconcilable with some of tlie leading doctrines ofchristianity, is under an imperi- ous obligation (o the public, to come forward agam, and renlbve this dilBc.uIty. The practice of infant baptism merely, would never call forth such an effort of mi/ pen. But, from my very heart, I believe the principles by which you defend it, as truly subversive of real Christi- anity, as any system of religion I am acquainted witli. I frrnkly con- fers, that every religious feeling of my heart was overwhelmed with honor, when first ! read in your book the passage now imd<^r consi- deration. What do you make of regeneration at all ? Wherein does it consist? At what stage of the religious progress of the lamb grow- ing up into a sheep, does it take place? Oris it like the ttrni " convert," applicable only to proselytes. teem heep ! sheep ♦hem valviable. When one of Christ's sheep is in a lonely cottag., wnnoticed and unknown, in pain and sickness, poverty and want, what a cheering ray of confwlation daits iu to scatter the distressing i 123 ^looni of the mind, from tyie consideratroo that £he ^cod shephftrj knows them ! He knew them from eternity; he redeemed them unto Gotl, from this present evil ^rorld, by his own precious blood; their name is engraven on his heart; he cannot forget them. However contemptible in the eyes of the world, and neglected by it, of them the world is not Worthy. They can put unlimited confidence in th« wisdom, power, and pastoral care of the good shepherd. But what a damp on their confidence f what a repulse to thefr ardent especta- tionii ! what a gloomy cloud intercepts the cheering beam of consola- tion ! when they are represented as no more in covenant relation to Cod, no more subjects of the Mediator's kingdom, no more the sheep for which heiaid down his life, and no more the objects of his special care, than those who are evidently living without God in the world, manifestly saying to the Jklmiglity, " Depart from us, we desire not tlie knowledge of thy ways, we hare neither inclination nor relish for communion or intercourse with thee ;" and who, unless they repent, must be the miserable objects of the dreadful vengeance of Almighty God in the gloomy regions of dark despair, weeping and gnashing their teeth with remorse, and gnawing their tongue with pain for ever and evp"". Thus, Sir, you have made a daring attempt at robbing th« trua sheep of their consoktion in time, at>d of their prospects for eternity, i 'or the abundant consolation of the heirs of promise, the good Shep^ 1 ;rd, in additi i to the encouraging inferences which may fairly be drawn from his active, inexhaustible love, already manifested in laying; down his life fot them, with infinite wisdom, almighty power, and un- searchable riches, art its comnrand, has pledged his word of honour, and confirmed by his blood, that he will give unto the sheep et«r- rtal life, that they shall n«ver perish, neither shall any be able to pluck them out of his hand. On Che strength of this glorious assurance, the evangelical poet is enabled to sing, in reference to the safely of the sheep, from the craft and cruelty of the arch-enemy, " When he can match Jehovah's power, then we'll begin to fear." But does not your system represent the good yiiepherd as failiiig in fulfilHog his word, when, with very' fe»v r\ceptions, his lambs grow up under his special care to be goats, which he shall put on his left hand, denying that he ever knew tlicin; and shall consign them eternally to ever- lasting fire, prepared for tiie devd and his angels. If you know any thing about th« religion of Chrisrt, you cannot but behold with regret, the prevailing propensity of proCessinj christians to rest satisfied as they are, at an awful tristancc frOm God, crying peace, peace, when there is no peace. You cannot but have seen that the Jrws, in the times of the prophets and of Chrrst, were under the in.luencp of the same delusive principle. Isa. Iviii. I — 5. John viii. .13. You c.innot but see that all the attempts made at reform- ing them, were commenced I/y setting before them the necessity of a reform; and that it was for disturbing their repose, by questioning theffood !rnd the safntv of (h^if stat*-. their enmity was roused, till they often put the reformers to death. T. nder the old testament, indeed, the Jews mcio, typically, the covenant peo- ple of God, and the prophets nevRr tpifr^t ion their covenant relation: but as the promises of that covenant wcrooiily typicalofthe betterpro- micei on which the yew covenant i« established, and $odid not contain 123 th« promUe of etsrnftl life, the propketa dissuaded them from trustinj for acceptance with God, justification and eternal life, to a covenant which did not contain these Blessings, and through which they were nerer intended to be conveyed. Rather, they urged t^ie temporal and typical blessings enjoyed under that covenant, yis arguments to en-r force obedience to lo kind a God. But at the introduction of the faew covenant, when all the types were withdrawing, see how John the Baptist warned them, endeavouring to sweep away the refuges of uea, and finally lost his life by it. J^^ Christ and his apostles walked in the same steps, and came to the nme end. Had Paul prqached circumcision, he would have gijt cjpar of persecution. Ire not.you preaching circumcision under ^Qpther form ? Does not this new form of circumcision place professing christians in a s^ate ex- tremely similar to that of the Jews inth?itime of Christ? Oh^,th« one was typical, the other merely imaginary, the effect of both is the same. Does not this slate of things call for another John the Bap- tist, to warn the deiu'led professors of Christianity to flee from im- pending vengeance", and not trust to carnal relation, nor to the new formol circi'.mciiiion? I beseech you to consider the tendency of your book, in relation to this delusive propensity to put confidence in the tlesh. To me, it appears a soft bed, and duwny pillows, for those who have the form, witliout the power of religion, to sleep upon, and to sear their conscience against conviction. I know many will dis- like this faithful dealing; but let such seriously examine Jest that dis- like arises from a love of enjoying that false repose which flows from Ihe de'usive state here stated and lamented. Those who have the most need of plain dealing and faithful warning, to rouse them from carnal security, are commonly the most bitter opposers and contempt- uous despisers of what they so much need. Therefore, the more this plain dealing is opposed, the more evidently it will appear that it was needed. I have always understood that the religious body to which you be, -ong wished to be thought to hold Calvinistic doctrines. I have alio understood, that the total depravity of hum.in nature— enlightening the UJiderstandinij, purging th^ conscience and renewing the will and the affections, in i-egeneration— the necessity of regeneration in order to fit us for servinjt God here, and enjoying him hereafter,— the irtef- ficacy of human means, and the necessity and efficacy of divine agen- cy, in regeneration— justification by faith alone, without our obe- dience to the iaw, in any shape or form— sovereign, distinguishing k)ve, in conferring spiritual blessings— and the continuance in holiness, as the only, and the certain way to final happiness, of all the flock of Christ— I have understood these to be the distinguishing, essential doctrines of Calvinism. It appears evident as dnyliyht, that, your doctrine of hereditary Christianity, as sheep bearing iambs— lambs which shall prove goats at the day of final decision, stands directly «|>I)Osed to all these; and that, if you had advanced such sentiments in coiiiieAion witii any other subject, than the tottering edifice of infant baptism, the religious body to which you belong, would call you to an account for promulgating such sentiments. As the case is, unless )ou publicly retract the sentiment of hereditary Christianity, maiii- ^mcd in the passage under review, or prove its consistency with thf h ^i ,1 I iSH MlTinisti'c *Jctr'iiips jttstsfafcH, f hei^Brjr-. .dyoUU)> tft the-wdrid, a* «n ANTIC ALVYNIST tN DISGIIISB. Tnith Mter fearatfra light. Sincerity never shrinks from scrutiny. The<"" " ■ " ^'" Elder' when they 3U1 VI. V iii.~.>-y. -v,..w~- "T"' '. • ik ^ nt dren survive infancy, yonr principles cast impediments in IM vray oi their instruction, of which you arc not aware." What can f h«e im-^ pediments be? Mr. Eld'ek t^llsyou that " the children ofa pwm» Saptist have the advantage of his prayers, ii|strudtion, and esamptej, undof the preaching of^h^fospel; and whenever th«y belief ^iit the Lord Jesiu with ail thefrhfe^rt, the dooisofthe chtirch are wld<^Qp6^t to re**ve them." Of what reiil value is any thing else possessed brV yoiJi- Children? Christ is the door of thft fold, !i.<. well «s thegoml shepherd; and ifany persoiiVome into the fold anj* other way thin bV Christ, i. e. by believing -a him with all thoir heart, the Samfifttte thieves and robbers. " Tlie bil.!e," you remark p. 26. «« thfe 1a^y' of Christ's kingdom, is the source of christian instruction. TSow, whea vf nut it into ;he huuds'of ourciiiMren, wp may say, This- is tH* la-.v'of the kingdom to which you belong;" (Is this tinthr) ''you are under its authority, and bound to conform to its rnks. .1*"''/ y<»«» speak to yours, aJconli:;g to your principles, Yon mus^t say, This' Js a fjoodbook, I rf^coinmctid it to yoiir consideration: perhaps you may hereafter comt 'r.'^ev it; but now you are not under its ionsdirtmn, for you do no» belong to the kingdom whose law it is. You rcnr^t, in your instruction, .;rge the auttioiity olChrist, as your children a. e not, on your piiiiciples, of his liin^dora." Again,' page 21 ' If iige ..,fi the nnrsnrtunitv aflbi''tert of^'atifving the lust of theeyes'Vhe'lust of the 'ifesh, and the pride of Ille? StiJI, they can- not be pivcn up, as thev are sheep, coveiiant children, &c. I appeal tp every one whokrows the plague of his own heart, if thi*<' s not the mo^ •ffectual method devisable, to r.onfirm thrm in their diliisive re- VtUion, to rock them in the cradle of carnal secuiify, and ta ptercat, 1J25 ajfafwittinfluencegwi*; th«k repentance and conversion to God^ ' F«r this Imust insist tipon, aptwithsUndittgnU.you can.ui^e iaif- TOup of your Iambs, as abselut«ly necessary tp their aalvation. But^ Mbsst-i beCiod, be is able, in spit* ot this soul-deceiving doctrine, to vith those place*; in the ncv. testament which re- •*<>rd ii»*tRnHef ol'baptiiui, and secif thrrr k ary simiiaiity liotwccn 127 them. Decs not the i:iDfuage of t'ue former, - all ihe people that were born in the wilderness," « the children of Israel," lieressarily include infants? While the language of the latter " they that recei- ved his word gladly" « if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest, as necessarily excludes them. 2lfor is one circumstance re- corded respecting circumcision, that shows faith to have been neces- aary m nny of its subjects; uor any respecting baptisin, that shows raith might be dispensed with in any of its subjects. Moics expressly itated e.?ht days old, as the specified age at which they must be cir- cumcised -€. rtamly this was sufficiei.t without his mentioning it again bhov, thf^ like respp.cting baptism. Does not jaurrecdirin" to such a case »how plainly, that you were ssarehing lor arcOG>e thtt «miTrrts and ought to he baptized. I deny that the term convert is aeitricted to «De who has changed his religion* profession. Produe* yoar authority- My dictionary defines convert, one who has changet{ his opinion. When I say, I shallbecoo^eyour conrert, my reference ia not to tbe ckange of profest'ion, but to the change of opinion. Tcai seem so emtmoured with a religiouspi-o/cjswn, that, in yonr esteem, it is worth«very thing else. You say that every convert is converted, but every converted person is not a convert. Let ns put your mean- ing of the tertn for the te.'ni itself. Every pei-sen who has changed ■his religious profession, is converted; but every converted person haia Tigt changed. his: religious profession. How does this sound? Should your son become a convert (o popery, in what sense is he converted? In what 5enise cai> he be converted without being a convert ? Is the ndefinitienof the term converted in both these senteiices the same? I'grant the verb toconvv;rt, means tocxehange; hut this change must be in reality, not in profession merely. The nonn convert is proper- ly applied to one who has undergone this change in reality, not in pro- fession inerely. — As I considered the subject ofinfant communion in a former part of my pamphlet, I shall only observe here, that to do «ny thing like justice to the subject, you ought to have explained what .sort of fitness was requisite for eating the passover, ami what, for eating the TiOid's supper. It is incumbent on tho!«e who write for the )}ublic^ to elucidate, not to darken. Thus you nppear to have failed, /Hit only is every one of your arguments, but also in every particular illustration of them . Ihanrenow arrived at tbe conclusion of your lirst letter, and in the course of reviewing it, have been reminded of another pamphlet which I read once. The title of it was, "The Arminian Skeleton, -at Arminianism Dissected and Anatomized." I began to read it with -high expectations fro'.n the great recommcndatisBS t had of tiM book. 1 read on, und read on, expecting presently to be intro'^ duced into the diuectin^ room, and see the skeleton anatomized to ,my satisffiction. At last, I found myself at the end of th* book, 4ired oat m witnessing a tedious process (if law, in a court of ci- vil judicature, without ever se'iing the Anatomist or the Skeleton, the dissecting room, or tbe dissecting inatruments; and was forced io conclude that the author was writing two books, and in a mistake, prtfiscd the title page of the one book to the other. Your title pa^ . promioed me^ " J?a;}f the visible shurch, I have met with but one solitary instance trf your tven niaintainine infant baptism : where you say, p. 28. " it it.-to be aihninisteMd lo converts and their infant seed." Were it jaotfortbat on« sentence, I would have thought that you bad forgot your title pag«, vaA inatead of considering Baptism in its subjects, yaulud cmuidered cAtfrdAniCTnfcertAtp in its subjects. Allowing you . had proved ia&nt church memberahip bejond the possibility of aon- 129* troversy, and also that tlieir cliuichmembersLip entUieJ them to baptism, still yeu have taught lu your^elt", p. 20. to luak..- such a dis- tnction between a right, and its present enjeyment, as might make it proper to delay baptism, as well as the Lord's supper. Infants were included in the priestly covenant, but were not to exercise the priestly office till f50 years old. But in this silence respecting infant baptism, it must be confessed that your letter very nearly resembles the bible; for after all that has be"en said, it must still be grant«d that the bible is as silent about infant baptism, as it is about purga- tory or transubstantiation. I could not but be surprised that, of all the passages you quoted on tlve subject, not one of them, except that ahout th« Philippian jailer mentions the subject of bapti-m at all. This of itself renders your arguments very suspicious. I ask yon, If there was a passa^*^ that mentions infant baptism, would you not have quoted it to usPVould not that one passage, did the bible contain such a passage, be worth the whole of your book > You would not then be under the necessity of creatiig an imaginary Jewish sect, to deny infant circumcision; which, ho.vever, served your pnrjiojre as little as your other circui- tous reasoning. L the biDIe then does not contain infant baptism, how can iiifant J.aptl^m bo piuv ej by it ? You will not allow that we can «eethe nieam.ig ofa wordin a te.\t, in which the word does not ocoir. Perhaps, it may be ci\uj^.\y difricult to prove infant baptism ironi a book, in whi-ii ihfant bip(i>-m does not occur. This reminds me ol a Bai-ti>t niinister in the United States, who, on a certain oc- • avion, advci-ti-^il in a l!^^v^,|)aper, twenty dollars reward to any per- ^•:i w!io would pr.).i..;f, fioni the nsvr testament, anv passage proving .ri'anr. l^apt-is^n. A rertaia minister gave the editor of the paper a nas« ' which wns p iblislied. Ilo then demanded his reward. The Lar..- 1 rcphed, the otluu- had not fulfilled the. condition. lie said he hul, aud suodlitrhis ivward. Tlj.? Baptist pleaded the reward w^s ready, but tlie condition had not beou fuJiilJfd. After going through tiie Kfcular prorcss the court brou-ht in the verdJctr Tiie condi- tion had not been fiimilod; for it was impossible a text could prove what was not mentioned in it. V ,n\ cua give in a similar verdict when >{. suits you. Ayiiat would you thiak of a lawver who would attempt to establish his case, by refenin- to acts and precedents, wherein th« thing he would prove was not at all mentioned. Would you not think i.e^vas very >stilute of proof? Would vou not also think he was niuch afraid ot the pr^of that could be obtained ' Search the scriptures, and try if you can find there, either in • 3rni? or lu reality, tlie following ideas.' Infant baptism, the coven- ant of works, the covenant of jriace.tho christian church, the gospel Juirch, the Gentile church, ttie patriarchal church, the universal vi- sible church, the universa' invisible mihtant church, the church- truiinphant,the initiating rite, tue initiating ordinance, the initiatinff seal, the seal of thfi rnvoriQiif i ).«i:...,.> «i. ;j ..- .• ■ 4** >oursystem. You need to prove tneir existence before vou reason Irom them. Should you think proper to take any notice of the insio-- niacant performance sf an obscure individual, in a remote corner Sf hH -Majesty s dominions, I hope you will keep close^o the gospel doc- "••e . Whatever caauot be maintaiaea but at the eipence of gospel 130 %■ i ■-^^ - ■p.-' " doctrine, nmst be gircij up. You hare taken care, in your Ia3t, t« keep the gospel entirely out of sight; and in this you have been very politic; for an exhibition of gospel principles, mixed with your Pedo- baptist principles, would be like the iron And the clay in the image: they would not mix together so as to form one maw, but would atill continue two distinct, incoherent substances, to represent their in- consistency the more glaring. Or they would belike the fat kine and the lean^ on the bank of the Nile; the one would eat the other completely up. Whereas the Baptist principles are formed upon, and mingle with, gospel principles, as freely and as naturally as oil mixes with oil. liC-t these considerations have their proper weight in de- terminng our judgment. You and I have to appear at the tribunal of one, who shall do us ample justice, paying no regard to the opinions of men concerning; us. lie shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with righteo . ess shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for tfce meek At' tht earth. Let us have a single eye to his gloiy. Let it be oar jlghest ambition, in all we do, speak, or write, to be found approved of him in that day, that we may hear the judge pronounce our name, with blessings on our head. Wishing you a welcome salutation, to enter, as a good and faithful servant, iuto the joy of the Lord, I remain, your's 8tc. A. CRAWFORD. eOWCLUSION. Whatever may be the reader's opinion respecting the merits of th* question, or the ability with which it is discussed, I think all must grant, that I have not evaded my antagonist in any one of his argt* ments. Before I renounced Pedobaptism, I gave the subject such a thorough investigation, that I was fully satisfied, while the sacred wri- tings wftre referred to as the touchstone of truth, it would be easy to look in the face, any thing that eould be said in favour of infant bap- tism; and therefore I felt no temptation to avoid a fair combat. Aly first care was to apprehend the precise meaning of my opponent, then to express it in its full force, and, lastly, to bring it into contact witk th6 priaeiples of the gospel, to ascertain wherein it agreed with, or differed from these . Wherein I have departed from this plan, I bej to be first corrected and then forgUren. Anticipating my productioK has probably excited on both sides, feelings somewhat similar to those excited m the two contending armies, when they beheld the stripling going to engage the veteran. How far the result of this may be simi- lar to the result of that, remains to be tried. In the meantime, I fake the liberty of addressing a few words te different classes of my fellow creatures. 1 . To Baptists. Beloved, > ou profess to have fellowship with your Scsr Redcctncr iii !i:3 v:cal'ioi>s sUiTefings, and io participaic in the blessings resulting from that fellowship, in consequence of which your hearts beat strong with the joyful hope of eternal life. Make it cvi< dent to all, that you have not received the grace of God in vain; but that you ara actuated by the Spirit, as well as animated by the hbjpe, 131 •f th« go*ptf. 4$ you are dead with Christ from the tow, from th« world, ind from im, see that it is not a legal, a worldly, or a sinful tpint that influences your heart, and regnlates your conduct. As yo«arensenwithChrist, see that you prove yourselves superior to the world, erer bearing in mind that your life is safely deposited with Chnst m God, and is not to be sustained or enjoyed, by wealth, fame •r pleasure. You profess to have obtained clearer and more consist- ent virws of divine truth than the rest of your iellow creatures. Let k appear that truth is not with you a mere speculation, but a heart- felt principle of mighty efficacy in transforming the whole man; and that the brighter our discovery of it, the more deep and lasting is its ifflfjression upon us. Our most cogent reasoning, unless pressed on the consciences of our opponents, by holiness of heart and life will be felt but faintly by them. Never forget that it is God, of his good pleasure, who enlightened your mind: you did not make yoarseli* to differ; therefore you have no room to boast nor triumph over your less •nhghtened neighbour. " In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves," for "the wisdom which is from above is gentle " &c Such of you as are parents, have a heavy charge. You are' much Oiamedfor aeglecting the christening of your chrildrtn. Let it be »anife»t that it is not thrpugh indifference about their immortal part lou have been made the instruments of their existence, and have been entrusted with the charge of giving a right direction to their expand- ing minds. " Train them in the nurture and admonition of thp Lord." As Baptists, you confess that spirituality was communicated to your- selves by direct divine operation, and not from your parents: nor can you transmit it toyanv children; therefore be frequent and fervent at tiie throne of grace in their behalf, that they may be made the sub- jects of divine teaching, and spiritual Messings. Those who believe that their children are holy in consequence of their faith, have not the same cause of anxious concern as you, who believe that in order to be holy and happy, faith is as necessary in children as irt parents. * or your encouragement, remember you have to do with a prayer- bearing God, who himself manifested a tenderness to children. 2. To Christian Pedobaptists. Dearly beloved brethren, though my views oi' divine truth force me to conclude yoa are in an error on the s ihject of baptism, yet far be it from me to slight or hate vou fcr eiistmg differences. I would, however, call your attention par'ticular- lytothe fact, that your views of baptism are totally inconsistent with tl)o« evangelical principles, by the faith ofwlyth you are enabled to die unto sin and hve unto righteousness. After all that has been said and written, baptism still stands as a bar in the way of free union. Look at the state of the world at the Reformation; mark the progress ol truth thence to the present time; look at the state of the question in the word of God, among true christians, and in controversial books (t, king both sides,) and say, if yoa feel warranted to eipect that the profession of the Eantists will ."ns^ -!iv K=.-=.-.-r-.^ r^- *:«-..-.« \. • that all christians will be Pedobaptists . We feel fully warranted" to expect, and do strongly expect, that one day all christians will be Jiaptists. The increase of the Baptists always hears a proportion to the progress of truth: and no religious profession can be named, l.ora which so few turn aw^ as from that of the Baptist. As un'ty J. 32 is a most desirable duly among bolievcrs, so tlif;ro is no profession is which it is so likely to be obtained, as in lh"at of tho DaptisU. AVIien jnen read the new testament and believe it, they naturally feel the forceof divine authority, commanding (hcnTtc be baptized, and that they are disobeying their Ijord, and lefuiing to follow their captain, while they remain unbaptized. It is generally granted that Mr. Ro^s is a man of considerable ability. Many have publicly asserted that his Letters to Mr. Elder, ii the best treatise Ihat ever was publisiied on the subject. If Mr. Ro'-s, with all his ability, and with all his ad- vantages, has, in that fiist rate treatise, failed in setting inlaiit b.ip- tism on a «olid, scriptural footing, that failure is not to lie attributed to Mr. Ross, hut to liis cause; for which no "scriptiirc ovidfuc* is to be found. Sinrr ]Mr. Uois ha.s failed, you iired uot rApert any other can suciicdia tho sami aticiiipt. Consider aUo the s.tiialion of your cliildren. They are intrusted to yn-i. I be;; you v.ili not deceive thcni with the delusive jilca, that iu conTfj'ience of their relation to you, they are more fit suly'cts of the kingiijm of iieavcn than the children of infidels. Are you not a", are that .siirh uortrino stands op- ' posed to the imiform tenor of divine truth; and if belicred, renders ■ugatory all _\ou can say to them on the necessity of //ie/c being born again.' The idea of //air being christians, uhile their equal'y moral, though unbnptized associates are heathens, is awfnlly calculated t.o sear their consciences, and harden them in their sins. If they sha.l ever be converted, they must he converted from the belief of this very doctrine. When God opened your own eyes, were you not made fully sen'-ible that it was a false dortrine in re/ard to you.' — that you w«re by nature as well ashy practice the chiidien of wrath even as othersr and that he who would preach to yoii, that as your parents were christians, ycu were het*'',r atd holifi', ri;d, therefore, ujore fit for the kingdom of hearen than oiiri-»t io, VOU jil'Vt'i' oiiCiii Ci'TTiC ji'ic Li;" 5i;Tr;"T God, who is nvpr nil, is vi-^h ui'fo a'! that call ufinn hint. He that ciimeth to him shall in v.o wise be cast out; for he is able to save Ihebi all tothe uttermost. IthercToie call upon you to flee from the wrjiih to cenie. Bc^-in not to snv in viiurvelve^, We are Abraham's chil- 133 dren, we were born in a christian land, of christian parents, witbia the IkhhI of the covenant, in our baptism its blessings were sealed to lis, \vhich we personally renewed at the communion tabic; we have wronged no man, nor have been profane or immoral in our behaviour, niid no man has a right to set us on a level with publicans and sinners.— ^'Jccordiii^X (o ijoHr oxen xysfem, all these privileges were enjoyed by one to whoii) the Saviour said, " Ye must be bom again!''' Now, the ;i\c is laid to the root of the tree — if, therefore, ye do not yield good fruit, ye shall be cut down as cumberers of the ground, and cast into t!ie fire that shall not be quenched. But the tree itself must be made good, before it can bring forth good fruit: therefore, ye also must be iiorn again. '.Vithout anew heart and a new life, ail your privilege! will but aggravate your crimes, and render more intolerable yourpua- ishment. 4. To the children of Baptists. My dear young friends, though your parents are Baptists and christians, that does not make you either. The principles of your parents teach, that true religion ia rot hereditary; but that every individual, personally, must receive it immediately arid directly from God. Your parents may instruct you; but if you refuse to receive instruction, you aggravate your guilt. They may correct you; but if you harden yourselves in rebellion, you bring a curse upon yoiu-selves. They may set you a good example; bit if yoti do not imitate their example, you prove tlict you are desti- tute of their ruling principle, that you do not walk in the same road, and cannot arrive at the sane end. They may pray for you; but un- less you repent and pray foi yourselves, you arc despising and refu- sing tlic very b'cssings they request their haavenly Father to bestow upon yx)u. After God has favoured you with all these privileges, M ill you despise them all, and choose to walk in the way to destruc- tioa? The principles believed, exemplified, and inculcated by your parents, enforce upon you the necessity of the new birth, and of the personal- enjoyment of true religion. Those children who are taught by their parents and preachers, that they arc a part of Christ's flock, for whom ho died; that they are in covenant relation to God, and holy subjects of his kingdom, may naturally be expected to rest secure. Like children born to a large estate, who need no anxious care, nor jinident industry, to obtain a livelihood, because this comes to thrm through their parents; so these will naturally neglect personal reli- gion, because their hereditary religion is secure, and if not quite suf- ficient, gives such a preference that the deficiency is easily made up nt any time. Nor is this expectation more than is actually realized, as is evident by looking all around. But you have nothing of this kind to plead in excuse for your negligence. Your parents, according to liioir principles, can communicate to you, not one particle that will stand you in any stead before God. You must believe in Christ ppr- sonally; you must repent personally; you must enjoy religion person- ally, you must live to God personally. Like the poor man's cliild, ••■■•. :t I.-- ::vt; :•; llir: •..••.r ;! pel rv!:.!l !;:-;:iT ii j , i::? j.-i -. .T:;:it^ TTi-.-f.:; it-rj--. riously call for attention and diligence; so you, on the very brink of ef?rnitv, loaded with guilt ready to sink you in eternal misery, unab'e to helpyovrselves or obtain help from any other creature, the most pres- sing necessity loudly calls upon you to make no delay but flea from 13i- i»pe.-diog ▼«ngeance, and fome immediatelj toGbriit, that roninaT find resi cud safety for youV souls; for " now is the accepted ti,^ " Dearly beloved, lay these thing, seriously to heart in time, for "in etermty, which IS at hand, it will be too late. 5. To the children of Pedobaptists. Oh! mydearyoung friends, I have some business with you, t».en,ost important business that ever man had with man. God saw you ruined Jn the fall; aad be so loved th,s rumed world as to give his only begotten Son, to die as a sacri- ''5* /°V-i'*o redeem from destruction such ruined sinners as you thnst loytd the souls of men, and gave himself for them, a sacrifice i.L7T '"/''"? l*''°"''. ""*° *^°**' * sacrifice in which the Father IS «el,.pleased and through which he is reconciling sinners to himself, not jmputmg their trespasses unto them. To you is the word of thii jalvat.on sent You are called to receive it in faith. BeUeve in the l.ord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. By faith the promise of mi« r*t J'/°/°"' *'"■ "^ " *° *" ^ho ^«"«ve. By faith the pro- mse of the Holy Spirit ,s to you, for it is to sons and daughters amW all the nations of the earth, even as many of them as receire the ealf, Ir^y^ ' ^u^ ^ul'?^ *^® eo«peI. Jesus Christ is the only conse* cra( td way by which we draw nigh to God. He is the only Mediator, or medium ol intercourse, with the father. Begin not therefore to put confidence m your own obedience, in your privileges, or in what in vm^" tH" ^rr"^^ ^"y ."'"* •"'"' °^ «'«° ^y the Holy Spirit JU A r obedience of Christ, finished upon Calvary, is the only u^^A , K ' • ''''""' ^'^^■«Ptance with God. Till, by faith in the Be- Joved «he .sinner is acceplrd ofGod, and hia sins blotted out, as having been transleried to the Surety, a«d the punishment of their demerit borne to the last sfnpe;-till then, all are on a level, alike under condemnation, justly the objects of the divine vengeance; and there- fore no one cm have any preference, nothing to recommend biro to the divine favour, no reason in him why he, rather than the chief of sinners, should be accepted of God. Look unto Jesus, therefore, a* an almighty Saviour, who is free to the guilty, who oflers his services Ir. ^ly to whosoever teels need of them, and is willing to make use of them. U hile you fancy you have something else to give you a prefer- ence It IS to be feared vou will think lightly of Christ, for the whole need not a physician. Lvery ground of confidence but Christ is de- Jusive. , 6. To halting believers, nho neither are baptized themselves, nor christen their infants. Dear brethren, let your conscience be ten- der, tremb ing at the word of God. Trifle not with divine authoritv. You grant that when Christ rose from the dead, he commanded the apostles to bapt,?e the disciples among ajl nations, and that in execu- tingtheir commission, of which baptizing was apart, hepromised to bawih them to the end of the world. Are you not conscious of ha- bitually d.sobeyinr the command, and of slighting the promise con- nected with obedience' Do not plead that baptism is an external ceremony, and that you ran be saved without it. Tnie, unless von are already saved by Christ, you have nothing to do with baptism. But is It not on the very princinlo of your disobedience, that sinners turn the grace of God into lascivionsness.' Can your nedect ,• ^m^- y «7, 68, 70, 71, 81, «2, •», 88. •0, 91, 93. 94, 96. 99, 107, 113, 115, 122, 133, 124, 128, ERRATA. line 30, for war, read the war. 2, for fulfilment, read the fulfilment. 7, for iii ra.i(le, read was made. 24, for defence, read their defeace. 35, for secures, read secured. 14, for hold, read now hold. 16, for Gentiles would hold, read Gentiles held. 1, for in a typical manner, read about typical thing)". 2 lines from the bottom, for was, read had been all along, line 14, for word, read the word. * I , for so joined to who believeth, read so believeth. 4, for a spiritual, read by a spiritual. 2 lines from the bottom, for for, read form, line 40, for baptize, read baptizo. li, for patriarch, read bishop. 22, for the heart, read heart. 5, for no, read nor. 7 lines from the bottom, for seven daughters, read three daugbterf. line 24, for nor, read not. 1, for disciple, read disciples. 45, for promises, read premises. 8, for It is, read Is it. 30, for law, read his law. 43, for it if, read if it. » 32, for and Christ, read as Christ. 22, for a body, read as a body. 23i for or, read nor. 31, for subjects, read subject. 42, for that, read say that. 4, for for among us they, read for t] 42, for a federal, read a federal relatio. . 35, fer demonstrates, readdenorrinates. 34, for but, read butt. II, omit " and." 3 lines from the bottom, for and had, read and b»is. line 11, for nor did, read nor do. 28, for confirmed by his blood, read confinneJ it by }u4 blood. 8 lin«« from the bottom, for as, read or. line 17, for the law, read is the law. 19, for to exchange, read to change. g^:: r-'^i^,^^^ ■^ ^^"■^-->V— — ^