ScB> 
 
A 
 
 DISSERTATIOJV 
 
 ON 
 
 BAPTISM, 
 
 INTENDED 
 
 To illustrate the Origin, History, Design, 
 Mode, and Subjects, 
 
 OF THAT 
 
 SACRED INSTITUTION. 
 
 WHEREIN 
 
 The mistakes of the Quakers and Baptists on that 
 subject are pointed out, and their objections refuted. 
 
 By ALEX^A'-DER PIRIE, 
 
 minister of the gospel at newburgh. 
 
 WHITEFIALL: 
 
 PRINTED FOR ALEXANDER YOUNG. 
 
 1803. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Many of my religious acquainv 
 tances, when converfing with me on the 
 fubje£t of baptifm, have expreifed a 
 doubt of the divine authority for ad- 
 miniflering that inilitution to infants ; 
 fo that if they continue the practice, it 
 is only becaufe, in a dubious cafe, they 
 reckon it bed to err on the fafe fide. I, 
 alfo, had long confidered this fubjed as 
 a matter of doubtful difputation. Suf- 
 penfe, always accompanied with anxiety, 
 is a difagreeable flate of mind in every 
 cafe ; but it is particularly fo, when its 
 objeQ: is of a religious kind. Faith in 
 the divine appointment of an inftitution, 
 can alone render the obfervation of it a 
 part of religious fervice ; fmce " whatfo- 
 *^ ever is not of faith is fm.'^ Sufpenfe 
 in a matter of this kind, then, mull not 
 only fill the mind with anxiety, but mar 
 that fatisfadion of heart, which refults 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 from a confcioufnefs of obeying Jefus, 
 by obferving the things which he com- 
 mands. This confideration induced me 
 to examine with attention the fcriptures 
 relating to this point ; relying on the 
 promile — " If any man incline to do 
 " his will, he (hall know the doctrine, 
 « whether it be of God." The refult 
 of thefe inquiries is now offered to the 
 view of the public ; and if it fhall tend 
 to illuftrate the truth, or eflablifh the 
 mind of the chriftian in a matter of fo 
 great importance, the publication will 
 not be in vain. 
 
 Of late years the Baptifts have pub- 
 liflied again and again in fupport of 
 their argument, and now'feem to boafl 
 as if their caufe had obtained a decided 
 vidory, while the filence of their oppo- 
 nents ieems to admit the claim. Com- 
 paring their arguments, however, with 
 Icnpiure, i began to fufpe£t them to be 
 more plaufible than folid. This deter- 
 
PREFACE. vu 
 
 mined me to publifh my views of that 
 fubjed: : yet not choofmg to enter the 
 field as a difputant, I have arranged my 
 ideas in the form of a DilTertation ; in 
 a do^lrinal, rather than a controverfial 
 manner, — only making fom*e animad- 
 verfions on the opinions of the Quakers 
 and Baptills, as they occurred, and feem- 
 ed to crofs my fentiments. 
 
 This work, then, is not intended as 
 a direct anfwer to any particular writer. 
 I have indeed taken a variety of quota- 
 tions from Mr. McLean's writings ; but 
 it is only becaufe I confider his works as 
 containing all that has been faid on his 
 fide of the queflion, and that with per- 
 fpicuity and elegance. The pamphlet I 
 refer to is entitled " A Defence of Be- 
 liever-Baptifm," publifhed in anfwer to 
 an anonymous author at Glafgow : and 
 my reader is defired to obferve, that, to 
 avoid too frequent references to the par- 
 ticular pages of that work, the whole 
 
viii PREFACE. 
 
 that I have quoted from it on the mode 
 of baptifni is to be found betwixt p. 55 
 and 65 of the forefaid performance. 
 
 The more I attend to this Gentle- 
 man's writings, the more I am perfuad- 
 ed that his mifconceptions on the head of 
 Baptifm originate in falfe ideas of fome 
 very leading points of revealed truth. 
 He feems to be much miftaken in his 
 notions concerning the difference be- 
 tween the churches of the Old and New 
 Teftaments, the two covenants, and the 
 two feeds of Abraham ; as alfo concern- 
 ing both circumcifion and baptifm. To 
 dete(5i: his miftake in articles of fo great 
 importance, I have committed to writ- 
 ing a confiderable number of thoughts, 
 which I intend foon to publifh, provided 
 the following Differ tation fhall meet the 
 approbation of the public. 
 
 The plan of this Diflertation is at leafl 
 new : and, as the force of evidence re- 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 fulting from an argument depends much 
 on a proper arrangement of its parts, 
 I have endeavoured to colled the rays 
 of evidence into one common point, fo 
 as to produce the mofl forcible impref- 
 fion on the mind. How far I have fuc- 
 ceeded, mufl be left to the public de- 
 termination. 
 
 New BURGH, July 21, 1786. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Sect. I. On Baptism m general. ii 
 
 2. The Modes of Baptism. 17 
 
 3. The Word Baptism. 24 
 
 4. The Jewish Baptisms. 28 
 
 5. The Baptism of John. 30 
 
 6. The Christian Baptism. 36 
 
 The Materials ufed in this 
 
 B;^ptifm. n^"] 
 
 The Chriftian Church. 42 
 The Baptifm of the Holy 
 Gholl and fire. 47 
 
 7. The Mode of Christian 
 
 Baptism. 58 
 
 8. The Subjects of Baptism. 85 
 
 Adult-baptifm confidered. 85 
 
aai CONTENTS. 
 
 ^ PAGE, 
 
 Sect. 8. Baptifm fupercedes Cir- 
 
 cumcifion. 89 
 
 Circumcifion and Baptifm 
 ftand upon the fame 
 Promife. 93 
 
 Of Female Baptifm. 96, 116, 
 117,119 
 
 Infant-baptifm deduced 
 from the Apoftolic 
 Commiflion. 97* 
 
 Blood of Jefus reprefent- 
 ed by Water in baptifm. 122 
 
 The Praaice of the A- 
 poftles with refpea to 
 Infant-baptifm. 123 
 
 The Pradice of the Prim- 
 itive Churches with 
 refped: to Infant-bap- 
 tifm. 1 24 
 
 5, Answers to the Objec- 
 tions of the Baptists. 133 
 Origia of the Baptifts. 146 
 
A 
 
 DISSERTATION 
 
 ON 
 
 BAPTISM, 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 On Baptism in general. 
 
 1 HE application of water to the body 
 for the purpofe of health and cleanlinefs, is 
 a practice founded in nature, and has been 
 in ufe among men from the beginning. We 
 find alfo, Infinite Wifdom, from the earlieft 
 period, has chofen water, and its application 
 to the body, as fymbols of the Diyine Spirit, 
 and the application of his influences to the 
 mind, for the purpofes of fpiritual health and 
 purity. No fymbol has a more obvious foun^ 
 dation in nature. 
 
 This rehgious ufe of water is the thing 
 that is principally called Baptifm, That wa- 
 
 B 
 
12 On BaJUism m general, Sect. I. 
 
 ter v/as the fymbol of the Spirit is evident 
 from fcripture. To pour water on men, and 
 to pour the Spirit on them, are every vrhere 
 fynonimous expreflions. When Jefus fpoke 
 of the Spirit, he called him *< living water." 
 So early as the days of Jacob, water was ap- 
 plied to the body as a figure of that purity of 
 mind, which is neceflary in the fervice of 
 God. Thus when Jacob was about to go 
 up to Bethel to ere£l: an altar to Jehovah, he 
 " faid to his houfehold. Be clea7ii and change 
 " your garments ; and let us arife and go 
 " up to Bethel." Gen. xxxv. 1,2, 3. This 
 was nothing new : it was but a fpecimen of 
 the practice of the church from the entrance 
 of fin. - The fame myftical ufe of water has 
 been continued in all the difpenfations of re- 
 ligion. Not only the Jews, but the heathens, 
 in all their various forms of religion, care- 
 fully obferved their luflirations and purifica- 
 tions, when approaching their God. The 
 laver ftood near the altar in the ho ufe of Je- 
 hovah, and at the entrance to the holy place : 
 and even in Britain our Druids, the heathen 
 prielts of antiquity, fo exadlly retained the 
 ancient inftitution, that we no where find 
 one of their altars for facrifice, but we find^ 
 at the fame time, a fountain or rivulet of 
 
Sect. I. Oil Baptism in genersiL 13 
 
 water in its neighbourhood. So early and fo 
 univerfal was this religious ufe of water ; 
 and fo exadlly can an external ceremony of 
 religion be maintained after the fpirituai in- 
 tention of it is almofh entirely loft. 
 
 To the water, religion has added the ap- 
 plication of oil and blood. The oil, which 
 was ufed in this religious application to the 
 body, was called holy oil. The blood was 
 always that of a facrificc, all which were 
 dedicated to God, and thus were confidered 
 holy. Thefe were applied to the bodies of 
 all, who were initiated into the fervicc o£ 
 God. Kings and prophets were anointed 
 with the holy oil. No prieft could draw 
 nigh to minifter in the tabernacle of Jeho- 
 vah, until he was firft wafhen in water, a- 
 nointed with oil, and had blood put upon 
 him, even the blood of confecration. Lev. 
 viii. 6. 12. 23, 24. In the fame chapter 
 we are told, that Mofes fprinkled the altar 
 and all his veffels both with blood and oil, 
 in confecrating them to the divine fervlce. 
 The tabernacle was fanftlfied in the fame 
 manner, vev. 10. In fliort, " almoft all 
 *' things are by the law purged with blood;" 
 nor was the application of oil lefs extenfive. 
 
j4 Oil iiajttism in gcneraL Sect, h 
 
 ** Mofes took the anointing oil, arid anoint- 
 « ed the tabernacle and all therein, and fane- 
 " tified them*" 
 
 Tliele tlir6e materials Ufed in baptifms, of 
 Religious initiations into the fervice of Jeho- 
 vah, Were all fymbolical of the feveral in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit* The water ex- 
 jDreffed that purity of heart the Spirit con- 
 fers s the oil, by its foftening and lenient ef«- 
 fe^ts, was calculated to reprefent love, mer- 
 cy, peace, and joy — all the fruits of the 
 Spirit. Blood was the fymbol of pardon and 
 forgivenefs, as it Was always flied for the 
 yemillion of fin. 
 
 John fays " There aire three that beai' 
 *« witnefs on earth, the Spirit, the water, 
 " and the blood." i John v. 8. The Spirit is 
 the fame as the oil, with which, he fays, 
 all Chi4liians are anointed ; chap. ii. 20, 27* 
 '* Yc have an anointing from the Holy One 
 " — the anointing which ye have received 
 ** of Him abides in you." This fame a- 
 ncinting, he adds, is a true witnefs •, *' id 
 '' truth, and is no lie." Confequently the oil, 
 in thefe verfes, is the fame as the Spirit in 
 the 8th verfe of the fifth chapter : and thus 
 
Sect. I. On Ba/:tisin in general, 15 
 
 John's three witnelTes will be found to have 
 been always on earth ; conne61:ed with a 
 profelTion of faith in the divine record, and 
 attefting this great truth, " That God has 
 " given to us eternal life, and this life is in 
 " the Son," whofe atoning and vital influ- 
 ences have been always vifibly exprefled by 
 thefe witneiies. 
 
 We have feen how they did bear witnefs, 
 during the Patriarchal and Mofaic difpenfa- 
 tions. As accefs to God, pardon, purity, and 
 life, could only be obtained by thefe three ; 
 theie folemnly attefted this truth, that all the 
 bleliings mentioned could be obtained only 
 through the Son, whofe types they were. 
 So clearly did they atteft the truth of the 
 record of God, that he has given us eternal 
 life in his Son. The fame three bore wit- 
 nefs to the Son, when he tabernacled among 
 us in perfon. Before he entered upon his 
 public miniflry, he was baptized Vv ith water 
 in Jordan ; immediately after which he was 
 anointed v/ith the Holy Spirit above meaf-^ 
 ure. V/ith the holy oil the Father anointed 
 him to be King over Zion. After all, he had 
 ftill another baptifm to be baptized with, e- - 
 ven that with his own blood, before he could 
 B 2 
 
Id On iJaJitism in general, t:-ect. I. 
 
 enter into the holy place, there to appear in 
 the prefence of God for us. Thus water, 
 oil, and blood, gave teftimony concerning the 
 Son of God while on earth. After he af-^ 
 cended, the fame three continued to bear 
 teftimony to the truth of the Gofpel. The 
 water in Baptifm, the anointing abiding in 
 the Chriilian, and the cup of the blood of 
 the New Teflament, continue ftill in the 
 church of Chrift Jefus. Two of thefe, the 
 water and the blood, are vifible to the eye of 
 the body •, the other, the anointing or holy* 
 oil, is alfo vifible in its efFcfts on the life of 
 the Chrifiiian. The very word Christian fig- 
 nifies the anointed. In the days of the apof- 
 tles, oil was literally applied for religious 
 purpofes, Not only the apoftles themfelve.'i 
 " anointed with oil many that were fick, and 
 " healed them," (Mark vi. 13.) but James 
 fays, " Is any fick among you \ let him call 
 *< for the elders of the churcl; ; and let them 
 " pray over him, anointing him witli oil in 
 " the name of the Lord:" not that he mny 
 die, as the Papifts conceive ♦, but that the 
 fick may be raifed up, and his fins may be 
 forgiven him^ James v» 15, i6» 
 
Sect. II. The Modes of Ba^itisir, 17 
 
 Thus baptifm in general confifted in a re* 
 ligious application of a fluid to the body, as 
 a folemn initiation into the fervice of God. 
 We have feen what fluids were employed in 
 this ceremony, let us now attend to the 
 manner of their application. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 The Modes of Baptifni. 
 
 Waiter, oil, and blood, though all applied 
 to the body for religious purpofes, yet have 
 been applied in very various modes. Perfons 
 and things are fometimes faid to have been 
 v/afhen with water ; v/hich includes both im- 
 mersion or dipping, and ririsingy flnce one may 
 be wafhen in either of thefe ways. Some- 
 times they bathed their flefli in water; which 
 might be done two ways -, either by applying 
 water to the body, as in fomentation, or by 
 putting the body in the v/ater. At other 
 tin.ies we read of spriiikling with water. 
 
 \n tlie law of Mofcs we no v/liere read o£ 
 the rites of initiation being performed by ini* 
 merrion. When IMofes brouo;ht Aaron and 
 
18 The Modes of Ba/itism, Sect. II. 
 
 his fons to the door of the tabernacle, to 
 fan6lify them, that they might minifter to 
 tlie Lord in the priefl's ofiicc, he waflied 
 them with water ; but it is not fa id whether 
 by immerfion or rinfmg. It is moft probable 
 that the laft mode was ufed on this occafion, 
 as the bodies of Aaron and his fons could 
 not be kept fo long under water, as was ne- 
 cefTary to wafh or cleanfe them. Simple dip- 
 ping is not wafhing at all. A thing may be 
 \y allien without dipping it, but dipping with- 
 out rinfuig can wafli nothing. 
 
 With refpeft to the oil and blood, they al- 
 fo were varioufly applied. We have fpeci- 
 mens of all thefe different modes of appli- 
 cation in the 8th chapter of Leviticus. The 
 altar was anointed by sprinkling ; but Aaron 
 and his fons, by pouring out the oil on their 
 heads, ver. ai, 12. The blood was applied 
 by sprlnkUtigy as in ver. 19. or by putting it 
 with the finger upon the part to be fanclificd, 
 iis in ver. 15, 23, 24. In this laft manner, 
 the oil alfo was fometimes applied, as in 
 cleanfing the leper, Lev. xiv. 28. 
 
Sect. II. The Modes of Bajdmn* 19 
 
 It may be obferved, that thefe religious 
 applications of a fluid under the law, were 
 intended, either as a fign of initiation in- 
 to the fellowfliip of the church with her 
 God, or into fome facred office in her ; or, 
 laflly, of a refloration or re-admiffion into 
 her fellowfliip. The cleanfmg of the leper 
 is an infcance of the lafi: of thefe, as in Lev. 
 13 and 14 chapters* The leper had former- 
 ly been a member of the church, but was 
 caft out becaufe of this uncleannefs : and 
 before he can be re-admitted to her fellow- 
 fliip, he muft be fanclified or cleanfed by 
 water, oil, and blood, applied in all the dif- 
 ferent modes ufed in the confecration or in- 
 itiation of the priefts. 
 
 All theie modes of applying liquids to the 
 body are by Paul called Baptisms ^ Heb. ix. 10. 
 It is well knovm that the word in that verfe 
 rendered ivashings, is in the Greek, Baptifmsj 
 the fame as purifications. He is here giving a 
 fummary of the ritual fervices, in which the 
 application of fluids to the body is one of the 
 moft confiderable. And that all the various 
 purifications prefcribed by the law are inclu- 
 ded in this, muft be evident to every man of 
 difcernment. If it mean immerfion only, 
 
20 The 3Iodes of Bafitisjn, Sect. U. 
 
 then the apoftle leaves out his account by 
 far the greater number of modes of purifi- 
 cation prefcribed by the law ; which is very 
 unlike his ufual accuracy. But the context 
 determines the point beyond a rational doubt; 
 as he proceeds immediately to give inftances 
 of thefe baptifms — " If the blood of bulls 
 '* and goats, and the afnes of an heifer, sprlnk" 
 <« ling the unclean, fantlifieth to the puri- 
 « fying of the fleili." " Mofes, with water, 
 '* fcarlet-wool, and hyfibp, sprinkled both the 
 <' book and all the people." 
 
 How properly are thefe called " diverse bap- 
 <' tifms !" different materials or liquids were 
 employed in them, as we have already feen j 
 diverfe inftruments were ufed, as the hand, 
 wool, hylTop J and all were applied in very 
 various manners, as has been alfo fhewn. 
 
 That fprinkling Is to be claflcd among thefe 
 diverfe baptifms is certain. The pried of 
 the law could not enter the Holy place, till 
 the facrifice was llain, and its blood fprink- 
 led upon himfelf and his garments, to fanc- 
 tify himfelf and his garments with him, Lev. 
 viii. 30. This v/as, as P.-ul allures us, ful- 
 filled in Jefus Chrift, who could not enter 
 
Sect. II. The Modes of Baptism, 21 
 
 heaven, till he entered by his own blood. He 
 is our Prieft and facrifice. Sprinkled with his 
 own bloodj he had a right to enter heaven, and 
 to fanclify the people, or to apply to them 
 the blood of fprinkling, that they might be 
 made priefts to God ; as Aaron's fons were 
 fandlified at the fame time with himfelf, by 
 the fame blood of fprinkling. Speaking of 
 this 2i€t as performed in himfelf, he exprefs- 
 ly calls it Baptism. Luke xii. 50. "I have 
 *' a baptifm to be baptized with, and how 
 *' am I ftraitened till it be accompliflied." To 
 underiland this clearly, we muft obferve, that 
 as Aaron was firft baptized with water, then 
 w^ith oil, and nnally with blood, after which 
 he was fully confecrated ; fo Jefus was firlt 
 baptized with water, then Vvdth the Spirit, the 
 holy oil ; and now, fays he, I am anxious to 
 have my laft baptifm perform.ed, v/hich 
 muft be by my own blood. He was made 
 perfect only by fufFerings. This finiflied his 
 confecration. 
 
 To tell us, that this is only a figure, to 
 reprefent the greatnefs of his fuJerings, even 
 as they are fet forth in Old reftament meta- 
 phors, by his finking in deep mire, and com- 
 
22 The Modes of Bafitism. Sect. 11. 
 
 ing into deep waters, where the floods over- 
 flow him, — is to interpret fcripture incon- 
 fiftently. 
 
 Every body knows, that finking in deep 
 waters, and coming into overflowing floods, 
 mean great afl[ii£lions ; but where fhall we 
 find baptifm ufed in any fuch fenfe ? Even 
 where it is ufed metaphorically, it always 
 fignifies initiation, as this is its obvious de- 
 fign ; but never, fuflering of any kind, much 
 lefs the greatnefs of fuffering.* Our Lord's 
 
 * I know it will be objected, that sufferings are cal- 
 led bajitirm^ when our Lord says to the sons of Zeb- 
 
 edee " Ye shall drink of my cup, and be baptized 
 
 '' with the baptism that I am baptized with.'" Matt. 
 XX. 23. To understand these words, we must ol)serve 
 that they are in answer to a petition presented by 
 these two disciples, desiring admission to the dignified 
 office of ciiief ministers in their master's kingdom. 
 To this request cur Lord replies, by pointing out the 
 initiatory services, which must be submitted to by 
 candidates for so high an office Ere you can en- 
 ter into such high offices in ray kingdom, you must 
 drink of my cup, and m baptized with my "baptism, 
 or pass through the introductory sufferings. Baptism, 
 then, in this passage, still denotes initiation to a socie- 
 ty or office. It is, indeed, connected vvith sufferings, but 
 the sufferings are called Baptism, not with respect to 
 their nature^ but with regard to their dcaign, " Ouglit 
 
Sect. II. The Modes cf BaJUisnu 23 
 
 baptifm with blood was, indeed, connected 
 with fufFering ; in the fame manner as the 
 baptifm of the high-prieft was connected 
 with the fufFerings oF the facrific ram. But 
 the fufFerings of the ram of confecration 
 were not baptifm ; but the fprinkhng of 
 his blood on the pried was fo. In like man- 
 ner, the fprinkling of the blood of Jefus, 
 the confequence of his fufFerings, and the 
 finifhing part of his confecration, was his 
 baptifm, which he was pained to have ac- 
 complifhed, knowing what he mufl fufFer in 
 his way to it. 
 
 It may be added, that Paul exprefTes the 
 baptifm of Chriftians by sprinkling and luash- 
 
 " not Christ to have suffered these things, and to 
 " enter into his glory." Tiie idea of baptism, and 
 the idea of suffering, are totally distinct. 
 
 It may be added, that in this passage there is no re- 
 ference to plunging at all, but to the mode of initiating 
 a prophet, priest, or king, into his office, according to 
 the law ; which was never performed by immersion^ 
 but by anointing. It particularly refers to the last 
 baptism of the priest, when he was sjirinkled with 
 the blood of tlie ram of consecration, which perfect- 
 ed his initiatory ser\'ice. At any rate then, tliis pas- 
 sage avails the Baptists nothing. 
 c 
 
24 The Word Baptism, Sect. 111. 
 
 2V;o, Heb. X. 22. " Having your hearts 
 « fprinkled from an evil confcience," by the 
 inward baptifm of his Holy Spirit, " and your 
 " bodies wafhed u^ith pure water" in the ex- 
 ternal inflitution of baptifm. Moreover, as 
 the oil was poured upon the heads of thofe 
 initiated under the law, fo the Holy Ghoil 
 is faid to be poured out on the Chriftians : 
 And what is called /)c//rz>;^ out, in Afts x. 45, 
 is exprefsly called baptizing, in A61:s xi. 1 6, 
 So evident is it that fprinkling, wafliing, 
 pouring upon, anointing, are all Scriptur*? 
 baptifms. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 The ¥7oRD Baptism. 
 
 That Immersion is the primary idea of 
 the Greek v/ord BdTfliarixa or Ba.if\ia[xla- feems 
 to be a miftake. This word is originally deriv- 
 ed from /iVlTr'a;, the leading idea of which in 
 all Greek writers is (lying, giving a new tinc- 
 ture or colour to any thing. In its derivatives, 
 it denotes diers, the art of dying, die- 
 houfes. Now as the art of dying is gene- 
 
fcect. ni. The Word Bajuirm. 2^ 
 
 rally pra£i:ifed by immerfion or dipping, 
 hence .the word came to fignify alfo dipping 
 or plunging. 
 
 Keeping this in view, we may eafily get 
 at the reafon why the Scripture-inftitutions 
 for initiation into the church or her offices 
 were^called Baptifm ; and particularly, why 
 the initiating ordinance of Chriftianity is fo 
 called. By initiation into a fociety or office, 
 we take on a new tin6lure or die, or a new 
 character, and even a new name. It was 
 fo in the Old Teftament : it is particularly 
 fo in the New. Now, as this is the defign 
 and meaning of Chriftian baptifm ; as it is 
 intended to exprefs our putting on the Lord 
 Jefus Chrift, the new man, a new character 
 indeed, no word could be found more prop- 
 er for expreffing this idea. Befides, as bap- 
 tifm in Greek fignifies f!fo immerfion or 
 dipping, which is the molt full and perfect 
 application of water or any liquid to the bo- 
 dy, or thing dipped ; when an ordinance 
 confifcs in an appHcation of a fluid to the 
 body, it was obvioufiy proper to call it by a 
 name, which denotes the moft peifect a<Sl of 
 the kind. Yet to infer from this, that no 
 mode of applying a liquid to the body, fave 
 
26 The J lord Bajuianu Sect. Hi. 
 
 dipping only, can be called baptifm, is not 
 fair, fmce we have the cleared evidence to 
 the contrary. The motion of a fhip oir boat 
 on the water is called in our language sail- 
 mgy which, in its moll proper fenfe, denotes 
 motion by means of a fail. Yet it is well 
 known that a boat can be moved on the wa- 
 ter by oars, or even by the current, without 
 a fail. How abfurd then would it be, 
 to argue, that none of thefe laft mentioned 
 modes of paffing by water are included in 
 the idea of failing; becaufe failing, in a ftri6t 
 fenfe, fignifies paffing by water by means of 
 a fail ? Yet this is not more abfurd than the 
 argument of the Baptifts, That m.en can no 
 more be baptized by sprinkling or pouring, 
 than they can eat the Lord's Supper by see- 
 ing or smelling; becaufe, forfooth, baptifm 
 principally means dipping. 
 
 This idea may be illuftratcd a little fur- 
 ther. A phyfician directs his patient to take 
 a fail on the water daily. A man of plain 
 fenfe, on reading this dire6lion, would in- 
 llantly conclude, that if the patient were 
 conveyed by water, whether by the current, 
 wand, oar, or fail, .the doctor's intention 
 was fulfilled. No j fays a critic, in the 
 
Sect. ni. The Word Eafitism. 17 
 
 Englif!i language, the word sailings in its mod 
 obvious fignification, denotes motion by a 
 fail. A man can no more be faid to fail 
 with an oar, than to fly with a ftafF. Had 
 the do6]:or intended motion on water by an 
 oar, he would have ufed the word rowing ; 
 the proper Englifh word for expreffrng that 
 
 idea. Thus the plainefl direction in the 
 
 v/orld, by the dint of criticifm, could be 
 rendered fo intricate, that no man of plain 
 underllanding could pofTibly unravel it. The 
 patient may die, ere the difpute be deter- 
 mined. 
 
 The truth is, baptifm is not fo called fiDrti 
 its mode of application, but from its defign 
 or intension, to point out our being wafhen 
 from fin, and putting on a new tincture or 
 chara£tv^r. It fays, in other words, Be 
 clean, and change your garments ; and rife 
 and go up to Bethel, the houfe of God. It 
 may be further obferved, that, 
 
 As baptifm is a fign of admilTion into a 
 church, it is ufed in Scripture to denote in- 
 ifmtiojj in general, in whatever manner the 
 fluid be applied ; yea, when there is no ap- 
 plication of a fluid at ail. Thus Ifrael are 
 c 2 
 
28 The Jewish Bafitisms, Sect. IV. 
 
 faid to have been baptized, [i. e. initiated 
 into the fyftem of Mofes,) in the cloud and 
 in the fea. The cloud and water were both 
 employed in this fervice j yet neither of 
 them were in immediate contact with the 
 bodies of the Ifraelites. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 The Jewifh Baptisms. 
 
 ^We have already feen, that all who were 
 adjnitted into facred offices in the Mofaic ta- 
 bernacle, were initiated to thefe offices by 
 a three-fold baptifm, by water, blood, and oil; 
 and that thefe liquids were apphed in various 
 manners. It remains now to be obferved, 
 that all Ifrael were admitted into the church 
 of God by divers baptifms. So Paul tells 
 us " they were all baptized into Mofes 
 '* in the cloud and in the fea." The 
 cloud is called a pillar of fire ; confequently, 
 fire and Water, the one above, the other on 
 every fide, were both employed in this fer- 
 vice. Still, however, there was fomething 
 wanting to perfect the initiatory fervice. Be- 
 
Sect. IV. The Jewish Baptisms, 29 
 
 fore they could enter the tabernacje, or per- 
 form any part of its worfliip, they muft be 
 fprinkled with the blood of a facrifice. Ac- 
 cordingly we are told, that, on the day in 
 •which God avouched them to be his people, 
 <and they avouched him to be their God, 
 -** Mofes took the blood, and fprinkled it on 
 **' the people, and fnid, Behold the blood of 
 *"*' the covenant v/hich God hath made with 
 "** you concerning all thefe words." Exod. 
 Xxiv. 8. Thus were they all baptized, or initi- 
 ated into the covenant %vith God, by cloud and 
 by fire, the fymbols of the Holy Spirit j by 
 the blood of an atoning facrifice, and by 
 water, which reprefented the futlerings of 
 Him, from <« whofe pierced fide came forth 
 blood and water." 
 
 With refpeci: to the children of the Ifrael- 
 ites, they vv-ere all admitted into the church, 
 much in the fame manner, in all the after- 
 periods of their Hate. In the i6th chapter 
 of Ezekiel, God exprefies his treatment of 
 Ifrael, in the day of his entering into cove- 
 nant with them, in terms borrowed from the 
 ufages commonly praclifed on a new born 
 infant. " I wafned thee with water, and I 
 anointed thee with oil." ver. 9, This cer- 
 
30 The Baptkm. of John, Sect. V» 
 
 tainly refers to the common modes of wadi- 
 ing and anointing their children immediately 
 after the birth. The blood of the circum- 
 cifion, too, was holy blood, being the figure 
 of the blood of that holy feed, who was then 
 in, and M^as in due time to iflue by defcent 
 from, Abraham. In this blood every male- 
 child was fprinkled on the eighth day after 
 his birth. It may be added, that as the palT- 
 over was the firll feafu appointed by the law, 
 it would appear from the inftance of our 
 Saviour, (Luke ii.) that this was the firfl 
 feftival, to which the Jewifli children were 
 admitted. In this cafe they were introduced 
 to the temple - worfliip by the fprinkling of 
 blood, as this was an ellential part of the fer- 
 vice of the pafibver. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 The Baptifm of John. 
 
 John preached in the wilderncfs that the 
 kingdom of heaven was at hand, or that the 
 Mciiiah vv^as juft about to appear, and that in 
 
Sect. V. The Eapthvi of John, ' 31 
 
 teftimony of faith in this doctrine, every man 
 fhould fubmit to be baptized. He tells us, at 
 the fame time, what his baptifm is — " I bap- 
 *' tize you with water." He ufed no other 
 fluid in this fervice but water only. 
 
 With refpe6l to the manner in which he 
 applied the water nothing is certain. It is 
 evident, indeed, that he baptized in Jordan 
 and Enon, and that Jefus, when baptized of 
 John, had been in the water, as we are told 
 that when he was baptized " he went ftraight- 
 *' way up out of the water ;" Matt. iii. 6. 
 But whether he was dipped into, or waflied 
 in, the water, or had it poured on his head, 
 is no where faid. To aver any thing pofi- 
 tively on this head, is to add to the fcriptures. 
 We only fay, that as Jefus was now about to 
 enter on his public fervice as a prophet and 
 pried, it is moft probable that he was not 
 tlipped, but waflied or rinfed, in the fame 
 manner as the prieft of the law was waflied 
 by Mofes at the door of the tabernacle, jufh 
 before he began to perform the bufniefs of 
 his facred function. As the prophet and 
 prieft, alfo, were anointed with the holy oil 
 en the fame occafion, fo Jefus, as foon as he 
 had been waflied with water, was anointed 
 
52 The Baptism of John. Sect. V. 
 
 with the Holy Spirit. Matt. iii. \6. " He 
 " faw the heavens opened unto him, and the 
 '' Spirit of God defcending in a dove-Hke 
 ^"^ manner, and Ughting upon him." 
 
 The baptifm of John had one end in com- 
 mon with all others ; it was a fign of repent- 
 ance, or of putting on a new character, tinc- 
 ture, or die. It was particularly intended 
 to exprefs faith in his doftrine. That the 
 kingdom of heaven was at hand. 
 
 It differed from the Mofaic baptifms, in 
 that it was by water only ; in which refpeft 
 it was alfo different from the baptifm of 
 Chrift. So he fays himfelf; Matt. iii. ii. 
 *' I indeed baptize you with water : but he 
 *' that Cometh after me (hall baptize you 
 " with the Holy Ghofc, and with lire." Re- 
 pentance produces water or tears : here a 
 baptifm with water only was the moft proper 
 fign of repentance ; or the mofl: proper fiuid 
 to be employed by one who baptized unto 
 repentance. The fire, which enlivens, warms, 
 and comforts, the heart, was mofl properly 
 referved for Him, v/hofe do6irine is calculat- 
 ed to fill us with all joy and peace in believ- 
 ing. 
 
Sect. "W The Balitis>m of John. 33 
 
 Moreover, John's baptifm was only a fign 
 of faith in the Meffiah, as about to come in a 
 fliort time : whereas the baptifm of Chrift 
 was intended as an expreffion of faith in his 
 being already come, or that the kingdom of 
 heaven was begun. Nor does it appear that 
 J6hn baptized in the name of the Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghoft, as was pra£bifed in 
 the Chrifbian baptifm. 
 
 While John was employed in baptizing, 
 we are told that Jefus alfo baptifed, at leail 
 by the miniftration of his difciples. Here 
 a queftion may arife — Whether was this the 
 fame baptifm with that which he afterwards 
 efhablilhed, before he afcended ? To this I 
 anfwer. That it appears evident that it was 
 not the fame, but a baptifm of the fame kind 
 with that of John — a baptifm with water on- 
 ly, in token of the faith of the baptized in 
 the near approach of the kingdom of heaven. 
 For it is clear, that he did not baptize with 
 the Holy Ghoft and with fire, till he had af- 
 cended to heaven. 
 
 We fhall only add. That the baptifm of 
 John was of divine authority : it was enjoin- 
 ed him from heaven. John i. 33. "He that 
 
S4 The Baiiiism of John, Sect. \, 
 
 " fent me to baptize with water, the fame 
 *' faid unto me, ^r." Keeping this in view, 
 we may eafily get at the true meaning of 
 what our Lord faid to John, when he refufed 
 to baptize him. Matt. iii. 15. " Suffer it to 
 " be fo now : for thus it becometh us to ful- 
 « fil all righteoufnefs." Here it is very nat- 
 ural to enquire, What is that righteoufnefs 
 intended in this paflage ? The righteoufnefs, 
 which it behoved Chrift to fulfil was, accor- 
 ding to our commentators, the righteoufnefs 
 of the law ; but as the baptifm of John was . 
 not an inftitution of the law of Moles, the 
 queftion is. How could fubmiffion to John's 
 baptifm be any part of the righteoufnefs of 
 tha:t law ? How could a law be fulfilled by an 
 a61: which was not enjoined in that law ? This 
 difficulty can only be folved by obferving, 
 That although this baptifm v/as not appoint- 
 ed in tlie law of Mofes, yet it was now a 
 ■divine appointment. God fent John to bap- 
 tize all who profefled faith in his do£trine, 
 Confequently, our Lord could not have obey- 
 ed every divine law then in force, if he had 
 not fubmitted to the baptifm of John. It 
 behoved our Saviour to obey every law of 
 .God, wheiiicT it were delivered by Mofes or 
 afterwards. Therefore, fays he to John, 
 
Sect, y. The Ba/itis?n of Jdin, 35 
 
 " fufFer it now," for thus I mufi: fulfil not 
 only the law of Mofes, or any previous law, 
 but this alio which heaven hath now appoint- 
 ed. 
 
 In this fenfe John might underftand our 
 Lord's words ; but he feems to have had 
 in his eye fomething befides, which would 
 not fo readily occur to John. It is evident, 
 that the prieil of the law could not enter on 
 the execution of his office, until he was 
 waflied with water at the door of the taber- 
 nacle of the congregation. Jefus, the high- 
 prieft of our profeffion, was now about to 
 enter on the difcliarge of his facred funftion: 
 and it certainly became him to enter upon 
 his office according to the law. Though he 
 was not of the order of Aaron, yet the law 
 prophefied of his priefthood, and that he 
 would magnify the law and make it honour- 
 able. It was proper, then, that he fliould 
 be wafhed with v/ater, in a relic-ious manner, 
 before he entered on the bufinefs of the 
 priefthood. That this type in the law might 
 be fulfilled in him. Thus his fubmiffion to 
 baptifm was an evidence of his intention to 
 fulfil every part of righteoufnefs. 
 
( 36 ) 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 The Chriflian Baptifm. 
 
 This Baptifm was inftituted by Je- 
 fus, when all power had been given him in 
 heaven and in earth. Jult before he afcend- 
 ed, he faid to his difciples, " Go, teach all 
 '* nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
 " Father, Son, and Holy Gholl, teaching 
 '« them to obferve all things, whatfoever I 
 «' have commanded you." This inllitution 
 was intended to continue in the church of 
 Jefus, aiid was not to ceafe with the life of 
 the apoitlcs ; for he adds, " Lo, I am with 
 " you all the days until the end, hnifhing, or 
 <' conclufion of the age," /. e. the gofpel dif- 
 penfation, or what the Jews called, the age 
 of the Messiah. Nor is there the lead hint, 
 in all the apoilolic writings, of an intention 
 to relinquilh the practice of this facred rite. 
 "We propofe to offer our thoughts on this 
 fubjecl in the following order; ift, we fliall 
 view the materials ufcd in the chriftian bap- 
 tifm ; 2dly, the mode of their application j 
 and sdly, the fubjecls of this inititution. 
 
( 37 ) 
 The Materials used in this Bajuisin, 
 
 We are told, that to the water of John, 
 Jefus added the Holy Ghoft and fire. This 
 was foretold by John Baptiil ; Matt. iii. ii. 
 " I baptize you with water unto repentance : 
 *^ but he that cometh after me, he Ihali bap- 
 " tize you with the Holy Ghoil and with 
 ^« fire." This was fulfilled, when the Spirit 
 defcended in the fymbol of fire, firft on the 
 Jewifh believers on the day of pentecoft, 
 A6ts ii. I, 2, 3, 4. and then on the Gentile 
 converts, A6ts x. 44, 48. That this was 
 the accomplifhment of the baptift's predic- 
 tion, is clear from the ufe made of it by Pe- 
 ter, Afts xi. 15, 16. " As I began to 
 " fpeak, the Holy Ghoft fell on them, as on 
 '' us at the beginning. Then remembered I 
 *' the word of the Lord, how that he faid, 
 *' John indeed baptized with water, but ye 
 « fhall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft." 
 Our Lord hirnfelf promifed this kind of bap- 
 tifm juft before he afcended. A£ls i. 5. 
 
 As this baptifm of the Holy Spirit or fire 
 Was the only baptifm promifed by Chrift to 
 his difciples, the Quakers have hence infer- 
 tQ d that water-baptifm is not any part of the 
 
3Ti Materials used m this Bajitimu Sect. VI. 
 
 baptifm of Chrlft. In this, however, it is 
 obvious they are miftaken. The apoftles of 
 Chrift undoubtedly underftood the meaning 
 of their mafter's command, when he faid, 
 ** Go and baptize :" and that they alv/ays 
 baptized v/ith water, is as evident as any 
 fa6l recorded in fcripture. To fpend time 
 in proving this point, would argue confum- 
 mate folly. 
 
 But ftill, it may be afked, Why then does 
 John, and even our Lord himfelf, only men- 
 tion the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft and fire 
 as the chriilian baptifm, if water be alfo a 
 part of it ? The anfwer is — Nothing elfe 
 diftinguifhed the baptifm of Chrift from all 
 others. Water, blood, and oil, had been em- 
 ployed in the baptifms of the law : John had 
 ufed water for the fame purpofe. None of 
 thefe, then, would have diftinguifhed the 
 baptifm of Chrift from others. Hence it 
 was called the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft 
 and fire, becaufe this was -its dlitinguifhing 
 characteriflic : but this did not fay that noth- 
 ing elfe was to be ufed in that fervice. In 
 like manner, the Lord's fupper is called the 
 breaking of bread, although v/ine alfo is an 
 cflential part of it. 
 
Sect. VI. IMatei'ials used in this Bajitism, o9 
 
 Moreover, the pouring out of the Holy 
 Ghoil and fire is moft properly cailed the 
 baptifm of Chrift, becaufe this is his peculiar 
 prerogative. Men may baptize vvdth water ; 
 but Jefus alone can baptize vi^ith the Holy 
 Ghoft. The apofdes mufh tarry at Jerufa- 
 lem, until he fent upon them the promife of 
 the Father, enduing them with power from 
 on high. The apoftles baptized with water 
 on the day of pentecoft, Acts ii. but it was 
 Jefus that baptized them with the Holy 
 Ghofl. Cornelius and his friends were the 
 firil converts to chriftianity from among the 
 Gentiles. Thefe Peter baptized with water, 
 A6ts XX. but it was Jefus that poured on 
 them the Holy Spirit. 
 
 I m?.y add. The Quakers would have ar- 
 gued with more plaufibiiity, had they averred 
 that the baptifm of the Spirit was intended to 
 ceafe, rather than that of water. The bap- 
 tifm of the Spirit was at firft vinble. It was 
 accompanied with fire, the vinble fign of the 
 reality of this baptifm. This vifible fire foon 
 failed ; at leaft we feldom read of it : where- 
 as we find Vv-ater conftantly employed in ev- 
 ery indance of chriiLian baptifrn we have on 
 record. 
 
 D 2 
 
40 ll'alcr Baptism. Sect. VJ. 
 
 Thus we have feen water and fire conneft- 
 ed together in the chriftian baptifm. Lrt 
 us now attend to the divine purpofe in con- 
 tinuing, in the Chriftian church, the ufe of 
 
 Water 'Baptism, 
 
 Theke has been a religious apphcation of 
 water to the bodies of believers from the be- 
 ginning, as we have already feen. This was 
 intended to point out the purifying influences 
 of the Spirit, or the wafhing of regeneration, 
 the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, purifying us 
 from all iniquity. This is ftill its defign un- 
 der chriftianity. Hence, fays Peter, A£ls ii. 
 38. " Be baptized every one of you in the 
 " name of Jefus Chrift, for the remission of 
 " j/V/j-." To the fame purpofe fays Ananias 
 to Saul, A6ls xxii. 16. " Arife, and be bap- 
 '* tized, and luash aivay thy si?is.^^ — It feems 
 alfo to have been intended as a fign of contri- 
 tion, repentance, or forrow,for fin, fince John 
 Baptift fays, " I baptize with water unto 
 " repentance," or as a fign of repentance. 
 The defign of John's preaching was to con- 
 vince men of fin, and to point to the com- 
 ing Saviour. Convicliion oi fin begets tears, 
 the v/ater of repentance. In this view, A'lith 
 
Sect. VI. Water-Bajitism. , 41 
 
 what propriety was John confined to the ufe 
 of water only in his baptifm ! — The Spirit, 
 alfo, is now come to " convince the world 
 of fin," ^s well as to wafh it away ; and 
 confequently we may fee fome propriety in 
 continuing the water, as fymbolical of thefe 
 influences, in the religious inftitutions of the 
 gofpel. 
 
 But, fay the Quakers, vlfible figns are 
 carnal ordinances, and fhadows of fpiritual 
 things, the body of which is Chrift and his 
 church. Chrift, the body, is come ; for what 
 end then ferves the figure ? The gofpel- 
 church is the true fpiritual fpoufe of Chrift, 
 of which the law-church was the figure. 
 What bufinefs, then, has a fpiritual church 
 with carnal ordinances, purifying the flefli ? 
 In this refpecl, w-herein does fhe differ from 
 the law-church ? Particularly, fince water 
 ufed religioufly was a figure of the Spirit, why 
 fliould we continue the figure, now the Spirit 
 himfelf is come ? — It is impolTible to give any 
 fatisfa (Story reply to thefe obje6i:ions without 
 attending carefully to the nature and confti- 
 tution of 
 
( 42 ) 
 *rhc Christian Church, 
 
 The word church fTgnifies an aflemby, cofl* j 
 ,gregation, or fociety, met together in one 
 place. Thus Ifrael are called a congregation 
 or church, becauie they met together in one. 
 pliijce, even Jerufalcm, to obferve the ordi- 
 nances of worihlp. For the fame reafon, the 
 faints in Corinth are called a church — they 
 came together into one place to eat the Lord's 
 fupper M'lth its attendant fervice. — The word 
 church alfo means all real believers in Chrift, 
 whetlier in heaven or in earth in perfon ; as 
 they are but one congregation, offering up all 
 their fervices of worihip before the one true 
 altar in the heavenly fan6luary. 
 
 By the church of Chrift, then,- two foci- 
 eties are meant ; one, vifible on earth, the 
 other, unfeen as yet by mortal eyes, although 
 about to be made vifible in due time. The 
 one 18 made up of fuch as profefs the faith of 
 Chrift *, tl^ other of real believers only. The 
 church on earth has a carnal, earthy, aS well 
 as a fplritual, part, every member having an 
 outward as well as an inward man ; whereas 
 ihat affembly enrolled in heaven is wholly 
 Ipiritual. Even fuch of htr members as are 
 
Sect. VI. The Christian Church, 43 
 
 on earth are only fo with refpe£t to the hid- 
 den " man of the heart." They are in heaA^ea 
 only in ipirit, by faith, lo^e, hope, and joy. 
 The body cannot enter there till it be made 
 a fpiritual body. — Hypocrites, too, are in the 
 vifible fociety or church of Chrill ; but noth- 
 ing that makes a lie can enter the heavenly 
 fan£luary. 
 
 Of thefe churches, the one is appointed 
 by their Lord as the figure of the other. The 
 church affembling in heaven is the one only 
 true church of God, whereof the church be- 
 low is but a figure or reprefentation. All 
 the members of the vifible church on earth pro- 
 fefs the faith of Chrift, but it is not true that 
 they all have believed in truth. They all " are 
 <« of Ifrael, but they are not all Ifrael." Such 
 ■a church is indeed true in fome refpeC^s — (he 
 is truly inftituted by Jefus Clirift — (lie pro- 
 fefles the true faith, obferves the true ordi- 
 nances of worfhip and difcipHne appointed by 
 the true head, and has in her a number of 
 the true members of that head. Thus flie is 
 the true church in oppofition to the falfe 
 church, which is not inftituted by the true 
 head, but is founded on the authority of the 
 kings of this world, holds the faith as model- 
 
44 The Chri.alan Church, Sect. VI. 
 
 led and authorized by civil and ecclefiaftical 
 authority, and walks after the traditions and 
 commandments of men. Such a church is 
 a falfe one, indeed, as fhe lies when (he 
 Calls hcrfelf a church of Chrift. To fuch a 
 church a viable church of Chrift is oppofed, 
 as with refpeiSl: to fuch an one fhe is true : 
 but with refpecl: to the heavenly church flie 
 is a .figure. In her church-capacity all her 
 members are not true, yet fhe is a true, i, e. 
 a juft figure or reprefentation of the true 
 Ciunxh, as her profess mi is the fame with that 
 of the church in heaven. 
 
 The church vifible is inftituted for the fake 
 of the invifible. In the church below we 
 have a lively reprefentation of the church a- 
 bove, in all her fervices. In her, alfo, the 
 members of the invifible or true church are 
 trained up for the fervices of heaven ; in her 
 they are born again, are nourifiicd up in the 
 words of faith and good doctrine, imbibe the 
 fentiments, and learn the manners, of their fa- 
 ther's hoafe. A church on earth, then, is a 
 fchool of difcipline for the children of God 
 where they grow up to perfe£lion in the uni- 
 ty of the faith and knov/ledgc of the Son of 
 God. — Thus the vifible church not only pre- 
 
Sect. VI. The Christian Church, ^5 
 
 figures, or is the image of, the irivlfibie, but 
 fhe trains up her children for her, giving 
 them <' to fuck at the breafts of her confola- 
 «< tions," while they " are delighted with 
 '^ the abundance of her glory." — For fo im- 
 portant purpofes is a chCirch on earth infli- 
 tuted ! 
 
 It is eafy now to obviate the obje61:ion of 
 the Qu^akers againft the ufe of figures and 
 vifible figns in the New Teftament church. 
 Their objeftion is founded on a miftake. 
 They imagine that Chrift has no church now 
 but the fpiritual or heavenly one ; whereas 
 it is evident that he has appointed vifible 
 churches, which are figures of the true, in 
 the fame fenfe in which the Old Teflament 
 church or congregation was. If the one af- 
 femble in one place to worfliip God accor^ 
 ding to his inftitutions, fo did the other. If 
 the one be vifible, fo was the other. The 
 one had hypocrites in her, and fo has the oth-^ 
 er. While the prefent fyftem ftands, there 
 will be fomething " that offends and does in- 
 iquity in the kingdom of Chrill" tares hid 
 
 among the wheat. Members of the invifibl^ 
 church have been trained up in both. Thus 
 both have fubferved the fame purpofes^ 
 
46 The Christian Church, Sect, VT. 
 
 Since, then^ a vifible church of Chrift is ftill 
 a figure, where Hes the abfurdity, or even im- 
 propriety, of appointing figurative ordinances 
 in a figurative church ? A vifible church 
 muft have vifible ordinances, or fhe deferves 
 not the name. So wife, fo proper, is the 
 eondud: of Jefus, in appointing fuch ordi- 
 nances in the New Teftament church ! As 
 {lie has got larger views of the wifdom 
 and love of God, and the Spirit of Jefus' 
 given her, ilie is a nobler figure of the church 
 in heaven than the church of old was ; fo 
 that with refpecSt to her fhe is called, " the 
 ♦' kingdom of heaven." Yet with refpecl to 
 the true, the church yet to be revealed, (lie 
 is earthy, and therefore ftill has vifible 
 inftitutions. Though arrived at a higher de- 
 gree of perfection, ftill ftie muft have fome- 
 thing earthy fuited to her ftate, as flie is 
 yet but a figure of good things to come. 
 
 Keeping this in view, we can eafily fee 
 the propriety of retaining water-baptifm in 
 the chriftian church. Chrift has always 
 come, or has been exhibited in the church 
 of God from the time of the entrance of 
 fin, by water, as well as by blood : and fince 
 fymbols are ftill neceflary in the houfe of 
 
Sect. VI. Bafitism of the Holy Ghost and Jire, 47 
 
 God, none can be imagined more proper than 
 water. Sinners are ftill called to repentance ; 
 and Jefus is exalted a prince and Saviour, to 
 give repentance and remiffion of fins, or to 
 cleanfe from all unrighteoufnefs. Surely then, 
 nothing can more properly exprefs our faith 
 in this, than by fubmitting to be baptized in 
 the name of the Lord Jefus. — Jefus ftill, then, 
 baptizes vi^ith water ; but to this he has add- 
 ed 
 
 T7ie Baptism of the Holy Ghost and f re. 
 
 The baptifm of the Holy Ghoft, and that 
 of fire, are the fame. Fire was the exter- 
 nal fign or fymbol of the prefence of the di- 
 vine Spirit. So it was of old. The pillar 
 of cloud and fire was the fymbol of the divine 
 prefence among Ifrael, the church of old. 
 Wind and fire are the fame to the New Tefta- 
 ment church. This baptifm or initiation was 
 <« the promife of the Father," which Chrift 
 faid he v/ould fend upon his difciples. This 
 is a baptifm peculiar to the New Teftament 
 difpenfation, by which the baptifm of Chrift 
 is diftinguiflied from all other baptifms — " He 
 " (hall baptize with the Holy Ghoft and fire." 
 Wifdom muft appear in this part of the divine 
 
48 Baptism of the Sect, VI. 
 
 plan, as in every other: let us fearch for her 
 defign, that we may fee the propriety of add- 
 ing fire to water in the chriitian baptifm. 
 
 I ft, Truth in the inward parts conllitutes 
 a chriftian. — Faith working by love is all in 
 Chrift Jefus. Water is applied only to the 
 outward parts, for the purpofe of cleanfmg ; 
 whereas fire penetrates the inward parts of 
 the fubjed: to which it is applied, purging 
 away its drofs, and refining it from impuri- 
 ties. In this view, how elegantly was this 
 made the charafteriflic part of the baptifin 
 of Chrift ! Intimating that Chrift is as a re- 
 finer's fire, purifying the heart by faith •, and 
 that all the true members of the church of 
 Chrift muft be purified by the facred fire of 
 heaven, the love of God ftied abroad in the 
 heart. Had his religion confifted in exter- 
 nals only, water alone would have been a 
 proper fign ; as water cieanfes the external 
 parts. But an inward purifier can only be 
 the proper fign of initiation to an inward 
 religion. Both parts of Chrift's baptifm arc 
 propheficd of by Ifaiah, " When the Lord 
 " ftiall have waftied away the filth of the 
 <« daughter of Zion," alluding to water-bap- 
 tifm, waftiing outwardly ; as the baptifm of 
 the Spirit is defcribed in the followiui^ word*. 
 
Sect. \L Holy Ghost and firs, 49 
 
 " and fhall have purged the blood of Jeru- 
 " falem from the midst of her, by the fpirit 
 ** of judgment and by the spirit of burning.''^ 
 Ifa. iv. 4. The fpirit of fire can only purify 
 the internal part. 
 
 2dly, The law, in the Jewifh fenfe of it, or 
 confidered in its letter as diflin^l: from the gof- 
 pel, confifted in carnal fervices \ or what Paul 
 calls dead works. The letter kills, and all obe- 
 dience paid to it was but dead works, or -an 
 unanimated fervice, influenced by the cold, the 
 chilling, " fpirit of fear." John, too, preached 
 the do6trine of repentance, terrifying men 
 into obedience. This doftrine chilled the 
 heart with fear, and wet the cheek with 
 tears. Water alone, then, might ferve for 
 an initiation into that faith. A cold baptifm 
 fuited a fpirit of fear. But now " God hath 
 «« not given us the fpirit of bondage" to fear, 
 " but the fpirit of love." He requires no dead 
 works ; but living works muft ferve the living 
 God. Now, fire is the vital principle of the 
 univerfe, the fource of motion, the fpring 
 of life. How properly, then, did Jefus bap- 
 tize with fire ! He came to give us life : his 
 fpirit quickens, his words are fpirit, and 
 they are life. What could reprefent this fo 
 properly as fire ? water may ftill be a part 
 
50 Baptism of the Sect. VL 
 
 of the gofpel-baptlfm, as repentance is flill 
 a fruit of the gofpel ; but its water muft be 
 animated by fire, fince its repentance is not 
 a forrow to death, but a " repentance unto 
 « life." The fymbol of life muft exprefs a 
 repentance unto life. The very tears of the 
 gofpel muft be tears of love. The tears of 
 Mofes and John were the offspring of fear ; 
 but Jefus loved and v/ept. He loved Laza- 
 rus, and wept for his death : he loved Jeru- 
 falem, and wept over her ruins. Love alone 
 flieds the warm, the generous, tear. Wc 
 muft look on Jefus ere we can mourn ac- 
 cording to the gofpel. 
 
 3dly, It was proper that fire fhould be 
 employed on this occafion, to fhew that the 
 chriftian baptifm is wholly in the hand of 
 Jefus Chrift. The baptifm of the Spirit can 
 be conferred by no man. It belongs folely 
 to Him, who has the Spirit without meafure 
 in him. To apply water to the body is in 
 every man^s power : John could baptize with 
 water. But to purify the fpirit of man with- 
 in him is the province of Jefus Chrift. To 
 vindicate this truth, the fign of fire was high- 
 ly proper. The fire of heaven is not at the 
 command of man. It is God that anfwers 
 
Sect. VI. Holy GhrM and fre, 51 
 
 by fire. Thus the fign and the thing figni- 
 fied correfponded. The facred fire was al- 
 ways the fymbol of Jehovah's prefence : it 
 was " the glory of the only-begotten of the 
 « Father." The baptifm of the Spirit, then, 
 whereof it was the fign, mufi: be from hea- 
 ven, and not of man. — Here another quef- 
 tion muft arife to the inquiring mind, wheth- 
 er, 
 
 Are the baptifms of water and of the Ho- 
 ly Ghoft always conne6led under the chrif- 
 tian diipenfation ? 
 
 I anfwer, Not always. — How then, it will 
 be faid, can the baptifm of water be called 
 the chriftian baptifm, Vv^hen not accompanied 
 with the Holy Spirit ; fince the Spirit is the 
 charafteriftical part of the baptifm of Chrift ? 
 To fi.nd a proper anfwer to this queftion, we 
 muft look back to what has been faid con- 
 cerning the two ftates of the chriftian church, 
 the one vifible, and the other invifible. Now, 
 in the firft or vifible ftate of the church, we 
 are aflured there will be many hypocrites or 
 falfe profefibrs \ the tares will grow with the 
 wheat, till Jefus come again to gather out of 
 Ifis kingdom, all things that offend, and all 
 
52 Bapiim of the Sect. VI. 
 
 that do iniquity. As a church of this kind 
 has fomething earthy in her, and all her 
 members have not the fpirit of Chrift in 
 them in truth, but only in appearance •, a 
 baptifm of water can only be abfolutely ne- 
 ceflary as a fign of initiation into the fellow- 
 fliip of that church. This baptifm, there^ 
 fore, Chrift has put into the power of the 
 members of that church, that they may ad- 
 minifter it to as many as prcfefs his faith, 
 whether in truth or in hypocrify. Hence 
 this baptifm, like every thing elfe fianding 
 in the outer court of the houfe of God, has 
 been, and niuft be, trodden under foot of 
 the Gentiles, or perverted and abufed by 
 them, until the time of the Gentiles be ful- 
 filled. Neverthelefs, this is the baptifm of 
 Chrifl, as he has given it to his vifible church, 
 and appointed it to be continued in her, un- 
 til he come to cleanfc the fanduary, and 
 make his vifible and invifible church the fame. 
 Re has ere6led the outer-court as well as 
 the inner : he has his real difclples in the 
 one as well as m the other, and the ordinances 
 he has appointed correfpond to thefe refpec- 
 tive courts. He has made the one court the 
 entrance to the other, We muft not then 
 defpife cr neglect any of his appointments, 
 
Sect. VI. Holy Ghost and fire. 53 
 
 knowing that if we be afhamed of him ot 
 of his words before men, of us will he be 
 afhamed before his Father. 
 
 Yet as his true kingdom is within men, his 
 real church is not vifibie in her prefent ftate. 
 Hence he has retained the true baptifm in his 
 own hand, that he may adminifter it to all 
 whom the Father has given him. The in- 
 vifible baptifm is left in the unfeen hand, and 
 he will not fail to adminifter it to all who 
 have a title to it, although he has not bound 
 himfelf to confer it at the very moment of 
 the adminlftration of water-baptifm. 
 
 Thus both baptifm s are Chrift's, although 
 that of the Holy Spirit be his in a peculiar 
 fenfe. They are but one baptifm, however, 
 as they, both combined, make but the one 
 complete baptifm of Chrift, and initiate us 
 into botn courts of his houfe. The one is 
 vifible and the other invifible, fuited to the 
 diiferent Itates of his church in the prefent 
 difpenfation of things. — It will now be afked. 
 
 Since fire was the fymbol of the baptifm 
 of the Holy Spirit, why was the fign of fire 
 difcontinued immediately after the commence- 
 
•54 Bajitism of the Sect. VI. 
 
 ment of the chriftian difpenfation among 
 Jews and Gentiles ? 
 
 To this we anfwer — To afcertain the pre- 
 fence of the Holy Spirit, it was neceflary 
 that fire fhould come down on the apoftles 
 and difciples of Chrift at firft. The world 
 could not have been certain that the Holy 
 Ghoft had defcended on them, had they not 
 feen the vifible fymbol of his prefence : nor 
 could the difciples have been fure, that their 
 Maflier had found acceptance with the Father, 
 and had fat down on his throne, if he had 
 not fent the promifed token of his acceptance 
 and exaltation. When about to leave them, 
 he faid " Depart not from Jerufalem, but 
 " wait for the promife of the Father, which 
 '' ye have heard of me. For John truly bap- 
 <« tized with water, but ye fhall be baptized 
 " with the Holy Ghoft, not many days 
 << hence" — " The fame fhall baptize you" 
 faid John, <« with the Holy Ghoft and fire." 
 Had not this lire defcended on them, then, 
 it is evident the promife would not have been 
 accomplifhed, and confequently they would 
 have had no foundation for faith in the ex- 
 altation of Jefus to the throne. But this 
 fa6t being now afcertained by the moft un- 
 
Sect. VI. Holy Ghoi>t and fire* 55 
 
 equivocal evidence, there could be no necef- 
 fity for the continuance of this appearance of 
 fire in the church of Chrift. When he pro- 
 jnifed to fend the Spirit, he aflured his dif- 
 ciples that he fhould abide v/ith them, and 
 fhould be in them, and that for ever; and thac 
 his prefence fhould be known by his fruits. 
 Love is the true fire, of which the vifible fire 
 was but a fymbol. This is an abiding fruit 
 and evidence of the Spirit, prefent with all 
 that believe. " For by one Spirit are we all 
 <* baptized into one body, whether we be Jews 
 <«or Gentiles." The baptifm of the Holy 
 Ghoft, then, ftill remains, and ftill is in 
 fire, even divine love, which has " the flames 
 " of God." " Now abideth, faith, hope, and 
 love." 
 
 But it may be faid. Might not the water 
 alfa have ceafed, after the Spirit came, of 
 whom it, as well as fire, was but the fign ? 
 
 This is the opinion of the Quakers, but 
 founded in a miftake. Water v,^as not only 
 the fymbol of the Spirit's influences, but it 
 was intended as a fign of initiation into a vifi- 
 ble fociety. Now a vifible fociety mufi: have 
 vifible inftitutions j and confequently fome 
 
^6 Baptism of the Sect. VI. 
 
 vifible fign of admiflion into that fociety. 
 Hence the propriety of the continuance of 
 water-baptifm in the church of Jefus. But 
 fire was intended to be a fign of the a£lual 
 communication of the Holy Spirit to the 
 church, in his gifts of miracles, tongues, &c, 
 and thefe extraordinary influences were not 
 intended to abide, confequently there was 
 no neceiTity that their fign fhould continue. 
 Again, fo far as the fire was the fign of 
 love, it was a fign of admifRon into the un- 
 feen or real church, and an invifible church- 
 needs no vifible fign of admiflfion into her 
 fellowfhip. 
 
 As all the extraordinary, miraculous, gifts 
 of the Spirit have now ceafed, fire could 
 only be the fign of his abiding fruits, faith, 
 hope, and love. In this cafe, if fire ihould 
 defcend on all professed believers, it would be 
 ^ false fign : and if it fell only on real believ- 
 ers, it would diflinguilh the wheat from the 
 tares, even in this world, and make the 
 church vifible and invifible the fame, con- 
 trary to the declared intention of Providence. 
 Such wifdom appears in the ceafing of the 
 external fign of fire, when the age of mir- 
 acles ended. 
 
Sect. VI. Holy Ghost and Jire, 57 
 
 It may be obferved here, that baptlfm with 
 water is dillinguifhed from that of the Holy 
 Spirit — " John baptized with water, but yc 
 <* fhall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft." 
 There is a high propriety in this diftindlion. 
 Water-baptifm is no infallible fign of the 
 prefcnce of the Divine Spirit, nor was 
 it ever intended to be fo. Fire only has 
 this honour. External fire was the fign of 
 the prefence of the Holy Spirit in his ex- 
 traordinary, unabiding, gifts ; and the in- 
 ternal fire, appearing in its native fruits, is 
 the fign of his prefence in his faving, a- 
 biding, gifts of faith, hope, and love. 
 Hence our Lord faid, " By this fhall all 
 ** men knonv that ye are my difciples, if ye 
 '* love one another." Water-baptifm is the 
 external fign of introduction into my church, 
 but baptifm with the fpirit of love is the 
 only infallible fign of real difciplefhip. 
 
 The baptifm of the Holy Ghofl, then, is 
 the baptifm of the church of Chrift as in- 
 vifible, as baptifm of water pertains to his 
 church as vifible. The latter is in the hand 
 of men, to be adminiftered to all who pro- 
 fefs the faith of Chrift j the former is folely 
 in the hand of Chrift, that he may bellow 
 
53 Mode of Christian Baptism, Sect. VII. 
 
 it on fuch as are really his. Thefe conftitute 
 the one, complete, baptifm of Chrift, and 
 his baptifm will have thefe two parts, while 
 his church is viewed in two afpecls, vifible 
 and invifible. Water-baptifm, as well as 
 baptifm by fire, is to be refpe£l:ed as his or- 
 dinance *, as a fubjecStion to his appoint- 
 ments is neceflarily conne6ted with believing 
 in him. Hence our Lord fays, " He that 
 « beheveth, and is baptized, ihall be faved," 
 q. d. he that believeth, and confefleth, the 
 fame, by fubmitting to my inftitutions, ihall 
 be faved. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 The Mode of Chriflian Baptifm. 
 
 Looking into the Old Teftament, we 
 have found a variety of modes pra6lifed by 
 the church of the living God, in the appli- 
 cation of fluids to the body for a religious 
 purpofe : and that all thefe are called bap- 
 tifm, is evident from what Paul fays, Heb. 
 iic. 10. The law coufifted of " diverfe bap- 
 
f:ect. VII. Mode of Christian Baptism. 59 
 
 <' tifms." We have feen them diverfe in the 
 means ufed for purification, viz. water, 
 blood, and oil ; as alfo in the mode of appH- 
 cation, viz. by ivashing or rinsing, aiiointing 
 or pouring upon, bathingy putting upon, sprinh^ 
 ling. So properly are they called " diverfe 
 « baptifms." 
 
 Let us novir fee vi^hether or not our Lord 
 fpecified any of thefe w^ell knovi^n modes, 
 as eflentially neceffary to be obferved in the 
 chriftian baptifm. For this end let us read 
 the words of inftitution — " Go ye, and 
 *' teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
 '* name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 " of the Holy Ghoft ; teaching them to 
 «« obferve all things, whatfoever I have com- 
 " manded you." Now, as our Lord knew 
 very well that diverfe modes of baptifm had 
 been ufed by divine appointment in the Old 
 Teftament church, if he had meant to make 
 any particular mode eflentially necefl^ary to 
 his baptifm, he certainly would have fpeci- 
 fied it on this occafion, to prevent miftakes. 
 Yet this he no where does — a plain evidence 
 that he did not fee it necefllary. The na- 
 ture and import of baptifm waa perfedlly 
 
60 Mock of Christian Bajitism, Sect. VII. 
 
 well known to the apoflles, as well as all 
 the modes of performing it. If dipping 
 then, had been meant by Chrifl as the only- 
 mode of his baptifm, how ftrange is it that 
 this mode fhould be left unafcertained ; and 
 that he fhould fufFer his difciples to run the 
 rifk of mifmanagement in the difcharge of 
 their office ! What can be inferred from 
 this circumftance, then, but that Jefus did 
 not intend to make any particular mode of 
 the appHcation of water elTential to his bap^ 
 tifm ? In this cafe, his apoflles needed no 
 particular defcription of baptifm, as it is fo 
 clearly marked, in all its various modes, in 
 the Old Teflament : and as their Mafter 
 fpecified no particular mode, they woulci 
 naturally conclude that they were left at full 
 liberty in this refpe6t. 
 
 2dly. Let us now fee in what fenfe the 
 apoflles actually underllood our Saviour's 
 words, when he commanded them to bap- 
 tize. This we muft learn from their words 
 and pradlice : and if, on examining thefe, 
 we find that they confidered dipping as fy- 
 nonimous with baptizing, this muil deter- 
 mine the point, as they certainly underftood. 
 their cgmmiiTion. 
 
Sect. VII. Mode of Christian Baptism, 61 
 
 Here the Baptifts fix upon only one in- 
 ilance, which they reckon fufiicient to de- 
 termine the apoftolic mode of baptizing, viz. 
 that recorded in Acts viii. 38. There we 
 are told Philip and the eunuch " went down 
 «* both into the water" where Philip baptized 
 the eunuch ; and when this was performed, 
 we have them coming " out of the water." 
 A weak argument, indeed, in favour of dip- 
 ping ! the whole ftrefs of it lies on tlie Greek 
 word f<j, rendered into ; and if this fignifies 
 plunging, then Philip and the eunuch mud 
 both have been plunged on this occafion, as 
 it is equally applied to both — " They went 
 *' down both into the water." Had it been 
 faid, that Philip put the eunuch into the 
 water, this would have concluded in favour 
 of dipping ; but as the words ftand, they 
 conclude nothing, only that they both went 
 down at lead to the brink of the water. 
 For, it muft be obferved, that the Greek 
 word £/r moft properly figniiies unto. This, 
 then, does not fay that they entered into the 
 water 5 or, even fuppofing that they went a 
 fhort way into it, it does not neceffarily fol- 
 low from thence that either of them were 
 plunged : and as to their coming " out of 
 ♦« the water," if a man goes down to drink, 
 
62 Mode of Christian Baptism, Sect. VII, 
 
 or to wafh his feet, in a water, when he 
 returns, we can moll -properly fay, he came 
 up out of the water. 
 
 With refpett to the argument taken from 
 John's baptifm, it is equally inconclufive. 
 True, Jefus was baptized of John in Jor- 
 dan, but whether by immerfion or anointing 
 is no where faid. The word us will not 
 warrant any determinate couclufion. But, 
 fuppofmg that he ufed immerfion, can we 
 aver that he was refl;ri61:ed to that mode ; or 
 even allowing that he was, can we, merely 
 from this circumflance, conclude any thing 
 pofitively concerning the mode of chriftian 
 baptifm ? The queftion is not, How John 
 baptized ; but, Whether Chrift has appoint- 
 ed any particular mode of baptifm ? 
 
 We have many inflances of the apoftles* 
 baptizing recorded in their hiftory, but from 
 none of them can we afcertain the manner 
 of their adminiftration. It it moft probable, 
 however, that immerfion was not ufed by 
 them, at lead in many inflances. Three 
 thoufand were baptized on the day of the 
 i^pirit's defcent ; but it is not faid that they 
 went out -of the city to the brook Kidron to 
 
Sect. VII. j\ lode of Chrisdan Baptism. 63 
 
 be plunged. It is more probable that they 
 were baptized in the temple, by anointing, 
 wafliing, or fprinkiing, with water. Nor is 
 it probable that the jailor and his houlehold 
 were taken to a river, at the hour of mid- 
 night, to be baptized. This would have 
 been highly dangerous. It feems probable, 
 that this ordinance was performed in the 
 prifon, as we find water there, wherewith 
 the jailor waflied the Icripes of the prifon- 
 €rs. As in the fame verfe we are told he 
 ** wafhed their flripes, and was baptized, he 
 *« and all his, ftraightway," it is almofl cer- 
 tain, that a part of the fame water was em- 
 ployed in his baptifm, that he had ufed in 
 wafliin?^ the llripes of Paul and Silas. A6l:s 
 xvi. 25—33. 
 
 3dly, The efFuilon of the Holy Ghoft on 
 tlie difciples is exprefsly called the " baptifm 
 *' of Chrift," and more properly fo than that 
 of water. Now, in v\^hat manner were they 
 baptized with the Holy Ghoft ? Of this we 
 have a full inftance recorded in Ads x. 44, 
 45. — <* On tlie Gentiles aifo was poured out 
 <^ the gift of the Holy Ghoft." This Peter 
 exprefsly calls baptifm, in giving an account 
 of that great event, Acts xi, 16. " Then 
 
 F 2 
 
64 Mode of Chrislicm Bafitism. Sect. VII. 
 
 << remembered I the word of the Lord, how 
 " that he faid, John indeed baptized with 
 '* water ; but ye fliall be baptized with the 
 ** Holy Ghoft." Now, if this pouring upon 
 was not one of the modes of baptifm, why do 
 Chrift and his apoftles uniformly call it by 
 that name ? Yea, as water-baptifm was but 
 a fign of this true baptifm of Chrift, we 
 may certainly conclude that there muft be a 
 ftrong analogy between the fign and the 
 thing fignified j and that in the hiftory of 
 the true baptisi7i we muft find the true mode 
 of baptifm. 
 
 Mr. M*Lean feems to be galled with this 
 argument •, and hence he employs a great 
 deal of pains to evade it, but with no fuc- 
 cefs. Baptifm in the Holy Ghoft is expref- 
 fed by pouring him out on men, anointings 
 the washing of regeneration, sprinkling, — but he 
 fays, " none of them fo much as allude to 
 <« baptifm." He owns, indeed, that " the 
 *< extraordinary eflulion of the Spirit is call- 
 '' ed baptifm, but not in ftritt propriety of 
 ** fpeech, but in allufion to baptifm in wa- 
 ** ter." A very odd aflertion, indeed ! John 
 baptift and our Lord Jefus Chrift uniformly, 
 and the apoftles irequeiitly, call this effufiony 
 
Sect. Vn. Mode of Christitvi Bafitism, 65 
 
 baptlfm ; but it feems they did not know how- 
 to fpeak properly, but called an a6^ion bap- 
 tifm, while there is not the moll difcant fim- 
 ilitude between the one and the other. 
 Whereas any perfon, unbiaiTed by party, 
 muft fee that this is the mofl plain and ex- 
 preffive term that could have been chofen 
 for tliis purpofe. Men, at leafl fince the 
 time of Mofes, had been always initiated in- 
 to the church of God and her offices, by a- 
 nointing or pouring on them, waffiing, 
 fprinkling, &c. •, all of which were called 
 baptifm or initiation, as we have i^^n ^al- 
 ready. How, then, could our Lord have 
 chofen a more proper w^ord, or one more 
 intelligible, when he w-ould exprefs the ac- 
 tion of giving the Holy Spirit ? But a fa- 
 vourite tenet muft be fupported at any ex- 
 pence. The effufioh of the Spirit is bap- 
 tifm, fays Jefus : No, fays Mr. McLean \ 
 there is not the leafl refemblance between 
 the one and the other. Inftead of allow^- 
 ing Jefus to fpeak properly, he w^ill not al- 
 low him to fpeak even metaphorically, fince 
 every metaphor is a fimile,, or founded on 
 fimilitude. 
 
df) Mock of Christian BaJUism, Sect. VII* 
 
 On this plan, we may as well argue that 
 water-baptiim is not properly fo called, but 
 merely in ailufion to the iDaptilm of the Spir- 
 it. This aflertion would have a more plau- 
 fible appearance ; fince water-baptifm was 
 intended to reprefent the baptifm of the 
 Spirit* 
 
 4thly, In the apoftolic alludons to baptifm, 
 when they refer to the actiofi itfelf, we find 
 them always exprefiing it by ivashing^ pour- 
 hig npo7i^ anointing.^ or sprinklhig* Thus in 
 Titus iii. 5, 6. the baptifm of the Spirit is 
 called " the wafliing of regeneration, the 
 *« renewing of the Holy Ghoft ; which he 
 <' fhed or poured on us abundantly, through 
 *' Jefus Chrift our Saviour." Again, in 
 Heb. X. 22. the apoflie fpeaks of both the 
 baptifms of Chriil, and ufes spr'mWing and 
 -m}ashhig indifferently, in exprelling their ap- 
 plication, the one to the body, the other to 
 the heart — " Let us draw near with a true 
 *' heart, in the full aliurance of faith, hav- 
 ** ing our hearts fprinkled from an evil con- 
 ** fcience, and our bodies waflied with pure 
 *< water*" All thcfe feveral modes of the re- 
 ligious application of a fluid, are by Paul call- 
 ed " baptifms," Heb. ix, 10. confequejitly all 
 
Sect. VII. Mode of Christian Baptism. ^ 
 
 of them may be properly called baptifm, and 
 accordingly are fo called, as is evident from 
 the above inftances. Dipping, then, is not 
 the only mode of chriftian-baptifm. 
 
 5thly, This view is farther confirmed from 
 what our Lord himfelf fays, John xiii. 8, 9, 
 10. When wafhing his difciples' feet, he 
 takes occafion to introduce a hint of a more 
 important w^afhing, which he would perform 
 on all his people — " If I wafh thee not, thou 
 «' haft no part in me ." The wafhing here 
 mentioned is fuch a one as gives a part with 
 Chrift, or in Chrift. Now, it is evident, 
 there are two waftiings which give a man a 
 part with Chrift ; the waftiing with water, 
 applied to the body in baptifm, and the 
 wafliing of regeneration by the renewing of 
 the Holy Spirit. By the former we obtain a 
 part in the vifible ftate of the church of 
 Chrift ; and without this wafhing no man 
 can be admitted to her fellowftiip. By the 
 latter we are admitted to a fpiritual commu- 
 nion with Chrift, or to be m.embers of his 
 church invifible, vitally united to him. Bap- 
 tifm, then, muft be the wafhing he here in- 
 tends, Once we thereby obtain a part in him, 
 and by no other wafliing. The complete bap- 
 
68 Mode of Christian Bafitifim, Sect. Vll. 
 
 tifm of Chrifl fprinkles the heart from an 
 evil confcience, bv faith in the refurre£iion 
 of Chrill from the dead, and wafhes the 
 body with pure water. *' He that beheves 
 " and is baptized fliall be faved," or have a 
 part in Chrift. — But nmll the v/hole body be 
 plunged in water, when Chrift thus waihes 
 us ? So Peter imagined : " Lord, not my 
 " feet only, but alfo my hands and my head." 
 But what fays his Mafter ? — « He that is 
 *' waflied, needeth not, fave to wafh his 
 ** feet, but is clean every whit." Here, I 
 think it evident, he cannot be fpeaking of a- 
 ny common waOiing of an unclean body, 
 iince in this cafe, wafliing the feet could not 
 polTibly cleanfe the whole bodyifrom pollution. 
 It remains then to conclude, that he is fpeak- 
 ing oT baptifm ; and, as if he had forefeen 
 the mighty ftrefs that, in future periods of 
 his church, would be laid upon dipping the 
 whole body in water, he gives them the 
 ftrongeil caveat againft fuch a notion, by 
 telling them that wafhing a part makes the 
 whole clean. 
 
 In this view the baptifm of water corref* 
 ponds to the baptifm of the Spirit. The 
 ■chriftian is only renewed in the fpirit of his 
 
Sect. YII, Mode of Christian Baptism, 69 
 
 mind. Whatever influence this new fpirit 
 created in him may have upon his body, yet 
 his body is not made new. The body is (tiU 
 dead, becaufe of fin, and has ileflily lufts 
 warring in its members. The inner man, 
 then, is clean, while the outward man has 
 fm dwelling in him. Yet the renovation of 
 the mind fecures the renovation of the body,, 
 when it (hall be changed and fafliioned like 
 Ghrift's moll glorious body. Then he will 
 quicken our mortal bodies, by the Spirit 
 which he has given us. Suppofing then on- 
 ly a part of the body v/afhed in bpatifm, 
 water-baptifm will the more exactly anfwer 
 to the baptifm of the Spirit, in which only 
 a part of the man is wafhed. 
 
 This view will alfo teach us the projfriety 
 pf our Lord's faying, when a part is v/afli- 
 ed the whole is clean. The purification of 
 the mind by the fpirit of believing, fecures 
 to us the purification of the whole man in 
 due time. Thus the whole may be faid to 
 be clean. The God of peace will fan6lify 
 us wholly in foul, body, and fpirit. 
 
 6thly, We have feen that the Jewifh 
 prieft was fprinkled with blood, when initi- 
 
70 Mode of Christian Baptism, Sect, VII. 
 
 ated to his office ; which fprinkling is call- 
 ed baptifm by our Lord •, when, with refer- 
 ence to that a6lion, he fays, " I have a bap- 
 « tifm to be baptized with, and how am I 
 « ftraitened till it be accompliflied." Ere I 
 can enter the moft Holy place, I muft be 
 baptized with the blood of my facrifice. 
 Surely this was not performed by dipping. 
 
 The above arguments feem to me conclu- 
 Cve. We have examined the words in which 
 Chrift inftituted his baptifm ; the praftice 
 of his apoftles in performing that fervice, 
 and the words in which they defcribe it. In 
 fhort, we have taken a furvey of all the 
 baptifms mentioned in facred writ, and yet 
 cannot find plunging any v/here mentioned, 
 as th^ only baptifm of Chrill — Let us now 
 fee what Mr. McLean fays in fupport of his 
 favourite dogma. 
 
 He avers " that any other fign than hn- 
 ** mersiofi, be it what it m.ay, is not Chrift's 
 ^« ordinance, either in name or thing, and 
 «' therefore can, in no refpefi:, be a proper 
 <* reprefentation ; but a human invention, 
 « whereby the law gf Chrift is made void." 
 
Sect. VII. Alode of Chnstian Bafitism, 71 
 
 A bold aflertion indeed : But how is it fup* 
 ported ? Why, 
 
 I ft, By an elaborate crlticifm on a Greek 
 word. BxTTriC^oj fignifies to dip, immerse, or 
 plunge — Pity it is, ye illiterate chriftians, 
 that ye are not adepts in the Greek tongue : 
 Without this you cannot, it feems, know 
 the law of Chrift, who has made the faith 
 of his difciples hang on a critical knowledge 
 of a Greek word. Now, fince fo much ftrefs 
 is laid on this crlticifm, let us fee how far 
 it will go to fupport the caufe. 
 
 The Greek word ^a.'nru is the root of 
 ^xirrl^u, and it fignifies dying, staining, col- 
 ouring ; and this being generally performed 
 by immerfion, hence the fame word means 
 ivashing, dipping, as is evident from the 
 Lexicons. If, then, we muft adhere to the 
 ftri£l fenfe of the word, we muft die, or add 
 a nen.v colour to, the perfon baptized. In 
 this very fenfe, it is literally applied to a 
 certain order of priefts, of whom we read 
 in Aristopharies, who were called BajTrro/, not 
 from being immerfed, but from their ftaining 
 their bodies with a certain colour, as- « 
 
72: Mode of Christian Baptism. Sect. VII. 
 
 badge of diftin£lion. Hence the Latins 
 called them Fucati. We may as well argue, 
 then, that there is no man baptized who is 
 not died, as that there is none baptized, that 
 is not immerfed. 
 
 The truth Is, the initiating ordinance of 
 chriftianity feems to be called baptifm, be- 
 caufe we then take on a new tln6ture or co- 
 lour, i. e. a new charafter. To be " bap- 
 <« tized into Chrift," and to " put on 
 " Chrift," are fynonimous expreflions : and 
 to put on Chrift, is to put on his character. 
 How eafily, then, could an ingenious critic 
 argue in favour of dying the body, as a fign 
 gf the foul putting on a new characSter ! 
 
 It Is admitted that this word means dip- 
 ping or i^mnersion ; yet this will not con- 
 clude in favour of Mr. M'Lean. Every or- 
 dinance mull have a name ; and, as immer- 
 fion is the full and perfec!:^ application of a 
 fluid to the body, it was moft natural to call 
 this ordinance baptism^ fince it confifts In 
 applying water to the body. But how ah- 
 furd is it to argue from hence, contrary to 
 the whole tenor of fcripture, that there is 
 no baptifm but by imiixerilon. The queftion 
 
•Sect. VII. Mode of Christian Bajulsnu f 3 
 
 is not, whether immerfion be baptifm •, but, 
 whether this be the only fenfe of the word ? 
 We muft permit the apoilles to explain their 
 own meaning ; and I truft it is evident from 
 what has been faid, that their fenfe of this 
 word extends to every rehgious appHcation 
 of water to the body, in whatever mode it 
 be applied. 
 
 The Chriftian ordinance of bread and 
 wine is called by the apoftles the Lord's Sup^ 
 per. If, then, in obferving this inftitution, 
 we muft adhere to the ftri£l literal fenfe of 
 the terms, it can only be obferved at the 
 ordinary time of fupper. According to Mr. 
 M'Lean's plan of reafoning, we muft aver, 
 that any other method of eating it, whether 
 in the morning or at noon, " is not Chrlft's 
 <f ordinance, either in name or thing, but a 
 <« human invention, whereby the law of 
 " Chrift is made void." Neither breakfaft 
 nor dinner is fupper ; but Chrift appointed 
 a fupper ; therefore to eat at any other time 
 is not to eat the Lord's Supper. — So fome 
 have argued : and their argument is pre- 
 cifely of the fame kind with that of this gen- 
 tlemans 
 
74 Mode vf Christian Baptism, Sect. YII. 
 
 I may add, that the word rendered dip 
 does not neceflarily fignify a total immer- 
 fion. Thus Lev. iv. 6. <« the prieft fhall 
 " dip his finger in the blood, and fprinkle of 
 ♦' the blood." Now every body knows that 
 dipping the finger does not neceflarily mean 
 dipping the whole finger, but a part of it. 
 One is faid to dip his finger in a liquid, 
 when the point of it only is dipped. Thus 
 even where ^oi^zi evidently means dipping, 
 it does not include total immerfion. Yet 
 this is a principal text, produced by Mr. 
 M'Lean in fupport of his argument ; from 
 which he ufes very ftrong words againft 
 fuch as baptize by fprinkling or pouring, 
 inftead of by plunghig. They are " guilty," 
 fays he, '* of rebellion againft the Lord, 
 <« and may jnftly expe£l: immediate ven- 
 «< geance." Strong words, but weak argu- 
 ing ! Little did this zealous man fee that 
 this text is ftrong in favour of his opponents. 
 Here is is a real baptifm. The prieft dip- 
 ped (iSifvi^si) his finger in the blood, and 
 then fprinkled it as God appointed. This is 
 the precife plan of our baptifm. We dip 
 our fingers in the water, and fprinkle it on 
 the candidate for baptifm. Thus dipping is 
 ftill the firft zCt in baptifm. 
 
Hecc. \'il. Mode of Christian Bafitism* 75 
 
 How weak is the following obfervation 1 
 " Had the prieft prefunied to convert pjiifloj 
 ** here into spi-i?ikliiig or pourings he would 
 " have perverted the whole of this typical 
 *« inftitution." A very idle fuppofition in- 
 deed ! It fuppofes an impoflible cafe. How 
 could the priell fprinkle the blood with his 
 xinger, before he dipped it in the blood. 
 
 2. The secofid argument Mr. M'Lean pro- 
 duces in fupport of plunging, is as follows 
 — " Neither sprinhliiig nor pouring will mak^ 
 ** fenfe, when fubftituted in place of th« 
 ^' word baptize." The very reverfe is the 
 truth. Some texts will not read, when the 
 word plunge is fubftituted for baptize. Thus 
 for inftance, " plunged into Moies," i Cor. 
 X. 2. " plunged into Chrift," Rom. vi. 3. 
 This fuppofes Mofes and Chrift to be liquids. 
 Again, " Into what were ye plunged ?" 
 Afts xix. 3. By this reading the queftion 
 feems to be— In what water vv^ere ye plung- 
 •ed *, whereas Paul meant to afk — Into what 
 faith were ye baptized ? Alfo "*' I indeed 
 ^^ plujige j<y\x ill water — he ihall plunge you 
 <« in the Holy Ghoft." Now, did Chriit real^ 
 ly plunge them in the Holy Ghoft ? Are we 
 iK)i" exprefsly told that the Spirit was poured 
 
re Mode of Christian Bafitism, Sect. VII. 
 
 on them ? And I fhould be glad to know, by 
 what rule of interpretation, we mull make 
 baptize fignify pouring upon in the one clauie 
 of a verfe, and plunging in the other ? To 
 make it read confiftently, we muft read it 
 thus — " I poured water upon you, but he 
 << fhall pour upon you the Holy Gholl -," or 
 rather, There is no reference here to the 
 mode of baptifm at all, but to the materials 
 of it — I initiated you into my faith by wa- 
 ter, but he {hall initiate you by the Holy 
 Gholl. 
 
 Mr. McLean is equally unhappy in his at- 
 tempts at wit, in the application of the word 
 poured^ which he fays, * anfwers only to li- 
 < quids, not perfons.' Every body knows, 
 that the Englifh word pour has fometimes 
 out and fometimes upon aihxed to it, as the 
 fenfe and conilruftion require. When ap- 
 plied to perfons, it has upon affixed. Let 
 this be done in the pail ages he quotes, and 
 the impropriety difappears. Add to this, 
 that ivater is evidently fuppofed in many paf- 
 fages where the verb baptize occurs, wheth- 
 er you render it plunge, pour, or sprinMe, 
 Thus " baptized into Chrill" cannot be ren- 
 dered " plunged into Chrill:" without imply- 
 
Sect. VII. Mode of Christian Bajitism, 77 
 
 ing in water. Let this gentleman only allow 
 the fame liberty to others, and all the paf- 
 fages he quotes can be rendered either of 
 the ways mentioned, with equal propriety. 
 Thus *' Teach all nations, pouring luater up- 
 " on them in the name, ^r." <' And had 
 *' water poured upon them by John in Jor- 
 <' dan." " He that belie veth and has water 
 <f poured upon him." The fame miay be 
 faid of the word sprinkle. " Sprinkling 
 <* them with water into the name, ^r." — 
 He mull be ignorant of the language indeed, 
 who knows not that many phrafes in one 
 language cannot bear a literal tranflation in- 
 to another ; but mull be tranilated in differ- 
 ent terms and phrafes, according to the 
 feiife of the paiTage, and the analogy of the 
 language into which it is tranilated. Had 
 this been attended to, this long ftring of 
 quibbles on the word baptize would never 
 have appeared. 
 
 Equally abfurd is his criticifm on the Greek 
 words 3v and c;i. at the bottom of p. 62. He 
 avers that both muft be rendered the fame 
 way when fpeaking of baptifm ; and that 
 becaufe, in this cafe, £<? cannot be rendered 
 ^jjith, neither can ^y be fo tranilated. Yet 
 
7S Mode of Christian Bajitisin, Sect. Vll 
 
 tills fame writer renders tliem differently, 
 the one 02, the other into ; and that us and £v 
 have very different fenfes, even when bap- 
 tifm is the fubjecl-, is clear from the paflages 
 he refers to. Is it pofhble to conceive that 
 £v prefixed to Z^ccn has the fame fenfe with 21s 
 prefixed to rov M^'3-»5v or Xproy/" The former 
 always fignifi.es ///, ivith, or by ; the latter, 
 into or unto the name, profeilion, or faith, of 
 Mofes or Chriil. Again, when £» is prefixed 
 to ^vn'T/^r: ay/w, it Cannot be rendered in, 
 whatever way the word baptize be tranflated, 
 whether plunge^ sprinkle, or pour upon. Thus 
 '' he fliall p'lufigey dip, spriftkle, or pour upon, 
 "<* you IN the Holy Ghoft" would be confum- 
 mate nonfenfe. Yet, ^' he fhall plunge you 
 ■*« in the Holy Ghofl" is the verfion given us 
 by this critic's rule ! — Miferable, abfurd, and 
 defpicable, criticifm. 
 
 As to his 3d and 4th arguments, taken from 
 the circumftances of our Lord's baptifm, and 
 that of the eunuch, together with the places 
 where John baptized, we have already found 
 them inconclufive ; and fliall therefore pro- 
 ceed to confider his 5ih, taken from the al* 
 lufions which the apoflles make to baptifm* 
 
Sect. Vll. Mode of Christian Bajitism, 79 
 
 Paul alludes to, or rather plainly expreifes, 
 the aftion of baptifm by various phrales, as 
 tuashing, spr'inklhig^ pouring upon, ^c. ; but 
 this gentleman finds only one phrafe, in 
 which he imagines any fuch allufion appears, 
 viz. *' buried with him by baptifin, wherein 
 <« alfo ye are rifen with him." Here, he 
 fuppofes, that there m.ufl be a literal burial 
 in baptifm, to give a full fenfe to this phrafe; 
 or that we mull be literally buried under wa- 
 ter, as Chrift was under the earth. But 
 here it mull be obferved, that Paul fays alfo, 
 at the very fame time, that we are " bap- 
 <' tized into Chrift's death," or <' are planted 
 « into the likenefs of his death," Rom. vi. 
 3, 5. which likenefs of his death he exprefs- 
 ly calls crucifixion, ver. 6. *' Knowing this 
 " that our old man is crucified with him." 
 Hence he fays, " We are dead with Chrifb, 
 <« and crucified with him ;" and that in bap- 
 tifm. Now, will it not follow hence, that, 
 if to give propriety to the phrafe " buried 
 « with him in baptifm," we muft be literally 
 buried, when baptized ; to give 'propriety to 
 the phrafes, " dead with Chrift, and cruci- 
 «« fied with him," there muft be a literal 
 death and crucifixion in baptifm ; otherwife 
 it is no proper fign of the thing fignified ? 
 
so Mode of Christian Bajitism. Sect. VIl* 
 
 Thus, by equal force of argument, we muft 
 conclude, that Mr. McLean's baptifm " is no 
 *' inflitution of Chrilt, but a mere human 
 *« ordinance," fmce in it there is no literal 
 death, nor any fign of the crofs. — The truth 
 is, Paul is not fiieaking of the mode, but of 
 the great end and defign, of baptifm. 
 
 Finally, the pra£l:ice of the churches, 
 foon after the apoftolic period, has been ad^ 
 tluced in fupport of dipping ; and it is readily 
 admitted that this mode was commonly prac- 
 tifed in thefe cliurches. But this argument 
 will go for nothing, when it is confidered, 
 I ft, That immerfion was one of the modes 
 of baptifm, and the moft perfect application 
 of water to the body ; which might give oc- 
 caficn to fuch critics as Mr. M*Lean to ar- 
 gue that it is the only proper mode. 2dly, 
 Bathing was, and ftill is, a common practice 
 in thofe warm climates ; which circumllance 
 would naturally induce them to ufe this 
 mode generally in baptifm ; from whencG 
 bigots might aver that this is the only mode 
 of divine appointment. But that this was 
 not the general opinion of thefe churches is 
 certain : For, 3dly, Although they gene- 
 rally ufed immerfion in baptifm, yet they con- 
 
Sect. VII. 3Iode of Chrktian Baptism^ SI 
 
 fidered perfufion or fprinkling as lawful alfo, 
 as is clear from many of their writings. I 
 {hall only quote a paflage from Cyprian's an- 
 fwer to one Magnus , who wrote to him de- 
 firing his opinion on this point. He tells 
 him « that as far as he could conceive, he ap- 
 prehended that the divine benefits could in 
 no wife be mutilated, or weakened, nor 
 that lefs thereof could be beftowed, where 
 the divine gifts are received with a found 
 and full faith, &c. For in baptifm, the 
 fpots of fin are wafhed away otherwife 
 than the filth of the body is in a fecular 
 and carnal bath, in which there is need of 
 a feat to fit upon, of a vat to waih in, of 
 foap and other fuch ingredients, that fo the 
 body may be wafhed and cleanfed •, but in 
 another manner is the heart of a believer 
 wafhed, otherwife is the mind of a man 
 purified by the merits of Chrifl. Nor let 
 any one think it ftrange, that the fick, 
 when they are baptized, are only perfufed 
 or fprinkled, fince the fcripture fays, by the 
 Prophet Ezekiel, chap, xxxvi. ver. 25, 26. 
 I will fprinkie clean water upon you, and 
 ye fhail be clean, &c. Alfo it is faid. 
 Numb. xix. 19, 20. — That foul fhall be 
 i cut off from Ifrael, bacaufe the water of af-^ 
 perfion has not been fprinkled on him. A- 
 
82' Mode of Christian Baiitism, Sect. VII. 
 
 < gain, the Lord faid to Mofes, Numb. viii. 
 « 6, 7. Take the Levites and cleanfe them — 
 
 * fprinkle water of purifying upon them. 
 ' And again, The water of afperfion is puri- 
 
 < fication. From whence it appears, that 
 
 < fprinkhng is fufEcient, inftead of immer- 
 
 < fion, and whenfoever it is done, if there be 
 
 * a found faith- — it is perfect and complete.^ 
 
 To this we may add, that the church of 
 Rome, is the firll, we read of, that called 
 in queftion the validity of baptifm by perfu- 
 fion. There the ordination of Novation to 
 be a prefbyter was oppofed by all the clergy, 
 and by many of the laity, (as Cornelius in 
 his epiille to Fabiiis of Antioch tells us,) 
 becauie he had been baptized by perfufion 
 or fprinkling. So early did the feeds of fu- 
 perllition take root in the Roman church ! 
 
 Upon the whole, the divine wifdom fiiines 
 confpicuous in the inftitution of baptifm. 
 Chriil's commands are not grievous : his 
 yoke is eafy, and his burden is light. Chrif- 
 tianity was intended to be the religion of all 
 climes and nations, and of men of every 
 Hate of body, healthful and fickly, valid 
 and infirm. But if our Lord had made im- 
 
Sect. \TI. Mode of Chnstian Baptism* 83 
 
 merfion eflential to his baptifm, it is eafy to 
 fee, that his yoke would have been grievous, 
 as there are many cHmates of the earth, 
 and ilates of the human body, in which 
 plunging would be highly dangerous. What 
 wifdom and goodnefs, then, appears in an 
 inilitution, v/hich prefcribes nothing hurtful 
 to the body, while it would fave the foul ! 
 There w^ere divers modes of baptifm* of old. 
 Jefus has left it to his diiciples^ to ufe either 
 of thefe modes, as (hall be found moft con- 
 venient. In this cafe, though Mr. M<Lean 
 blames our tranilators for leaving the Greek 
 /S*7r,/(^^ untranllated in aur Englifli verfion of 
 the New Teftament, in this inftance they 
 have acted M'ith judgrnent. Washing, in- 
 deed, might perhaps have anfwered the pur- 
 pofe ; but no other Engliih word could have 
 conveyed the true fenfe of the original. 
 
 I fhall only add on this part of the fubje^t, 
 that notwithftanding the Baptifts ftickle fo 
 much concerning the mode of baptifm, no 
 fe6l whatever deviates fo widely from fcrip- 
 
 * The Greek words ^ix(po^ois (iot'nrca^ls^ rendered 
 ill our veision diverse washings^ may as properly 
 be translated different bafitisins, Heb. ix. 10. 13. 19, 
 See Sections 1. U. lU. IV. and Vlii 
 H 
 
84 Mode of Christian Lajilism* Sect. VII. 
 
 tare and common fenfe in the performance 
 of it. In common life, when one intends 
 to wafb or bathe his body, or any thing elfe, 
 by immerfmg it in water, he puts no cover- 
 ing of any kind upon it. The Jews, Ma- 
 hometans, and Bramins, in their rehgious 
 immerfions, always perform the ceremony 
 naked. When Mofes wafhed or baptized 
 the prieils at x^q door of the tabernacle. Lev. 
 viii. 7, 8. he put no clothes on them till the 
 facred rite had been performed. The Ruf- 
 fians baptize by immerfion to this day ; but 
 the baptized are unclothed. Indeed, how 
 can a body be waihed otherwife ? Immerfmg 
 one with his clothes on, may wafh the gar- 
 ment, but not the man. Will any perfon 
 a£i; fuch a part in common life ? Or is there 
 • a fcripture-example for it ? In this refpecSl:, 
 the common mode has propriety in it. It 
 applies water to the face or head, an uncov- 
 ered part of the body, not the garment. 
 The Baptifts, properly fpeaking, wafh or 
 baptize the garment, and not the man. 
 
 Finally, the Baptifts boaft much of the 
 practice of the iirlk churches after the apof- 
 tlcs,' as confirming the argument for im- 
 mtrfion. But they certainly know alfo that 
 
Sect. VIII. Adult-ha}itism ccnsidn-ecL 85 
 
 thefe churches ufed the triple immerfion, as 
 the Ruffians do ftill ; or they plunged ji^rj-/ 
 in the name of the Father ; again^ in the 
 name of the Son ; and, thirdly^ in the name 
 of the Holy Ghoft. Is this not as ftrong 
 an argument for the triple immerfion, as for 
 immerfion itfelf ? Perhaps both may have 
 an equal claim to apoftolic authority. Why, 
 then, do we retain the one, and abandon the 
 other ? 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 / Th€ Subjects of Eaptifm. 
 
 Adult -balitisin considered. 
 
 The Baptifts confine this inftitution to be- 
 lieving adults, and triumph over fuch as prac- 
 tife infant-baptifm. For this praftice, they 
 tell us, we have neither precept nor example 
 in the New Teftament, and confequently we 
 are guilty of ivill-ivorship in obferving a hu- 
 man inftitution, a« a part of religious wov- 
 fhip.- ^Tliefe are very heavy charges in- 
 deed. We lliall examine the juilnefs of them 
 ilfterwards. In the meantime let us fee,' 
 
86 jldult-baptism considered. Sect. \T[II. 
 
 whether they may not, with equal force, be 
 retorted upon the accufers themfelves. 
 
 Suppofing; for a moment, that we can 
 neither fhew precept nor example in the New 
 Teftament for infant-baptifm, the Baptifti 
 themfelves will be as much at a lofs to pro- 
 duce a fnigle inftance of their prefent prac- 
 tice of adult-baptifm from that facred book. 
 That the apofties were commanded to bap- 
 tize adult Jews or Heathens> on their pro- 
 fefTmg the faith of Chrift, and that we have 
 many inftances of this pra61;ice in the New 
 Teftament, is admitted : but this is nothing 
 to the purpofe. The Baptilts not only bap- 
 tize fuch adults as were never baptized be- 
 fore ; but alfo the adult offspring of believ- 
 ers, and fuch as were baptized in their in- 
 fancy in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift. 
 For this they have neither precept nor ex- 
 ample. Although the facred hiftory of the 
 chriftian church reaches downwards to at 
 leaft thirty years after her firft ere61:ion on 
 the day of Pentecoft, during which period 
 many infants of believing parents muft have 
 grown up to an adult age, yet we have not 
 one fmgle inftance, in all that hiftory, of 
 the adminiftration of baptifm to any adults,* 
 
Sect. VIII, Adult -bafitism considered. 87 
 
 fprung of believing parents. If, then, in- 
 fant-baptifm was not praftifed at that time, 
 it muft appear ftrange, that there is no in- 
 ftance on record of any one born of believ- 
 ers, applying for baptifm, when come to a- 
 dult age. Had we but one example of this 
 kind, it would be decifive on this point : and, 
 furely, if there had been any fuch a cafe, 
 we might expecb to find at ieaft one fuch on 
 record. The filence of the fcriptures, then, 
 on this point, affords a ftrong prefumption 
 that the children of believers were baptized 
 in infancy; and confequently it furniihes us 
 with a very powerful argument againft the 
 prefent praftice of the Baptifts, who, in this 
 refpe£l, walk without any example in the 
 footfteps of the flock of Chrift. — The fame 
 may be faid of their re-baptizing fuch as, 
 in their infancy, have been baptized in the 
 name of the Lord Jefus. No fuch practice 
 is exemplified in any part of facred writ. 
 
 Thus, in thefe refpefts, the Baptifts have 
 no ground to glory over their opponents, 
 Want of fcripture-precept or example for 
 their pra6^ice, is at Ieaft as ftrong againft the 
 one as the other. 
 
 H ^ 
 
88 Adult-bajitkni considered. Sect. VIII. 
 
 As to the charge of will-worfliip in ob- 
 ferving a human inititution as a rehgious or* 
 dinance, it is without foundation. That bap- 
 tifm is a divine inftitution, is allowed on 
 both fides. To apply this to infants may- 
 be a mifapplication or abufe of the ordinance 
 of Chrill : but this is the worft that can be 
 faid of it. To mifapply an inititution is not 
 to change the nature of it, but to miftake 
 its intention. Baptifm, then, is ftill a divine 
 ordinance, although men may abufe it, or, 
 through miftake, apply it to an improper fub- 
 jecl:. — I may add, that if the mifapplication 
 of an ordinance of Chrift can transform it 
 iuto a mere human inllitution, as the Bap- 
 tiils aver, then they themfeives cannot plead 
 innocence. Real believers only^ according 
 to their fcheme, have a right to bap.ifm. 
 Now, can any bapiizer among them, in this 
 cafe, aver that 'lie has never mifapplied bap- 
 tifm in any jnllance t It is indifputable, that 
 they have plunged many, mIio were yet in 
 the gall of bitternefs and bond of iniquity, 
 and confequtntly, on their own principles, 
 have been guilty of the very crime, fp viru- 
 lently charged againil their opponents. If 
 they alledge in their own vindication, th^t 
 this is done through millake, and not from 
 
S3Ct. \TII. Baptism supersedes Cinumcmcn, 89 
 
 • 
 
 any difhoneft intention j why do they not 
 make the fame allowance for others, who, I 
 dare fay, are as honeft in applying baptifm 
 to infants, as the Baptifts are in applying it 
 to unworthy adults ? Both parties may, in 
 many inflances, miftake the proper fubjects 
 of baptifm ; but neither have any intention 
 of changing the ordinance of Chrift into a 
 human inftitution, 
 
 Bciptis/n sitperscdi's Circumcisicn, 
 
 Thus far we have feen both parties on a 
 level. Let us now examine the fcriptures, 
 that we may fee whether any light, arifing 
 from them, leads to the ufage of infant-bap- 
 tiim. 
 
 It is neceflary, here, that we fliould 
 confider the commiffion itfelf — " Go ye, and 
 *•' difciple all nations, baptizing them in the 
 " name of the Father," ^c. According to 
 thef^j v.-ords, the nations are the fubjects of 
 baptifm., and no nation is excluded. Acccr* 
 dingly, the apoftles began to execute this 
 commifilon at Jerufaiem, among the Jews 
 firfiij and afterwards among the Gentiles of 
 ail nations. That they baptized adults, pro- 
 
§U Baptism »ujiersedes Clrcwncisioii, Sect. VTI I, 
 
 feffing the faith of Chrift, is allowed on all 
 hands : the queffcion is, Whether this com- 
 miflion extends to infants ? 
 
 In anfwer to this queftion, we muft ob- 
 ferve, That baptifm flands in the fame place 
 in the new ftate of the church, that circum- 
 cifion filled in the old. Both are religious in- 
 ftitutions : both intended as folemn initiations 
 into the church of the living God. In this 
 light the apoftles underftood baptifm. So 
 Paul calls it '' the circumcifion of Chrift *," 
 as is clear from Colof. ii. 1 1, 12. " In whom 
 *' alfo ye are circumcifed — by the circumci- 
 '' fion of Chrift, buried with him in baptifm." 
 The Judaizers in the church of Coiofle ftren- 
 uouily maintained the neceffity of circum- 
 cifion in order tg obtain falvation. Very well, 
 fays Paul ; in this refpe6t chriftians alfo are 
 complete in Chrift. The circumcifion men- 
 tioned in the law is twofold *, one made by 
 hands in the flefli, the other the circumcifion 
 of the heart, " made without hands, in put- 
 « ting ofF the body of the fins of the flefh." 
 In the fame manner, In Chrift we have the 
 circumcifion of the heart or fpirit, confifting 
 in putting off the body of the fins of the 
 ilefh, or in giving up the old man to be cru- 
 
Sect. VIII. Bahtirm supersedes Circ2imcision* 91 
 
 cified with him ; and alfo an external fign 
 of this, in the baptifm of water applied to 
 the body : Thus in Chrill v/e have a full cir- 
 cumcifion. Putting off the old man with his 
 deeds is the thing fignified by the circum- 
 cifion of the fiefli ; and the fame is fignified 
 by baptifm. 
 
 This (hews us, by the bye, the abfurdity 
 of the Quakers' argument from tliis text a- 
 gainft water-baptifm. Say they, The circum- 
 cifion of Chrift i.s exprefsly faid not to be 
 made with hands ; confequentiy his baptiffn 
 is not of water, as it is applied by the hand. — 
 Now, if there be any force in this argument, 
 it will equally conclude againft circumcinon 
 in the fielh, as againft the baptifm of the fiefh. 
 They themfelves allow, that the carnal cir- 
 cumcilion was a divine appointment under 
 the law. Yet the prophets told the Jews, 
 that this availed nothing, without the circum- 
 cifion of the heart. Deut. xxx. 6. Jer. iv. 4. 
 Paul fays the fame thing — ^* Circumcifion is 
 " that of the heart, in the fpirit, and not of 
 " the letter. Neither is that circumcifion, 
 " which is outward in the fleih." He and 
 Peter alfo fay the fame thing of the baptiim 
 of Chrift — It is " not made with hands , it 
 
92 Ba/itism supersedes Circu?nciswn ; Sect. VIII. 
 
 «f is not the putting away the filth of the 
 " flefli, but the anfwer of a good confcience." 
 How ftupid is it, then, to conclude that cir- 
 cumcifion of the flefh was a divine ordinance, 
 whilft baptizing the flefli is not fo ! Do not the 
 fcriptures fpeak of both in the fame ftyle ? 
 The fenfe is obvious to every man of plain 
 underftanding — The putting off the old man 
 is the truth or true fenfe of circumcifion and 
 baptifm ; and, confequently, no man is truly 
 baptized or circumcifed, while thefe inftitu- 
 tions have only reached his flefli. The heart 
 is the proper fubjeft of both. Yet this does 
 not fay, that thefe external fervices were not 
 of divine appointment, as iigures of the In- 
 ward effects of the Spirit. Although it ever 
 was true, that he is not a Jew who is ofily fo 
 outwardly, yet it was alfo true, that he is not 
 a Jew who is net fo outwardly, or who is not 
 circumcifed in the flefh. — Sophifhry and falfe 
 reafoning have milled the Quakers as well as 
 others. 
 
 That the apoflles underftood baptifm as 
 a fign of the fame nature and import with 
 circumcifion, is evident from what has been 
 faid. We now add, that hence they found 
 baptifm and circumcifion on the fame prom- 
 
Sect. Vin. and stands upon the same fir omise, 93 
 
 ife. '' Be you circumcifed/' faid God to A- 
 braham, *« becaufe the covenant or promife 
 '' is to you and your feed after you, in their 
 «« generations, for an everlafting covenant." 
 Gen. xvii. 7 — 14. In the fame phrafeology 
 fpeaks Peter on the day of Pentecoft, Ad:s ii. 
 38, 39. " Be baptized, for the promife is to 
 " you, and to your children." Hence Paul fays 
 that Abraham *' received the fign of circumci- 
 <« fion, a feal of the righteoufneis of the faith." 
 It was an external fign of his faith in the 
 promife of that feed, in vi^hom he and all the 
 feed of Ifrael fhould be the righteoufneis of 
 God. Such is the promife, in the faith of 
 which Abraham and his feed were circum- 
 cifed : and fuch is the promife, in the faith 
 of which we are baptized. Hence the blef- 
 ling or promife which we receive in Chrift 
 is called " the bleffmg of Abraham," to fliew 
 that 
 
 Circumcision and Baptism stand upon the same 
 promise. 
 
 The apoftles, and all that believed through 
 their word, knew very well, that the promife 
 being to Abraham and his feed, entitled his 
 children to circum.cifion in infancy. In this 
 cafe, it is eafy to fee, that fmce now they 
 
94 Circumcido?i and Bajitism stand Sect. VIIJ. 
 
 were commanded to extend the promife to 
 all that fliould believe, in all nations, they 
 muft necefTarily conclude, that this promife 
 extended equaily to their children, lb as to 
 'give them a title to baptifm, the circumcif- 
 ion of Chrift. Thus they muft have con- 
 cluded, unlefs there be found fomething in 
 the commiffion prohibiting fuch a conclufion. 
 But it is evident that the commiffion does 
 not confine baptifm to adults. It charges 
 them to initiate the nations into his faith by 
 baptizing them, juft as Abraham was cir- 
 cumcifed as a fign of his faith. Now, by 
 faith Abraham himfelf was circumcifed, and 
 alfo his infant-feed, in confequence of his 
 faith : confequently, fince there is nothing 
 in the commiffion limiting baptifm more than 
 circumcifion, it is impoffible that the apoftles 
 fhould not conclude, that they were war- 
 ranted to extend baptifm to the infants of 
 believers, as well as to believers themfelves. 
 — To this we may add. 
 
 If the apoftles had not baptized the in- 
 fant-feed of believers, the Jews would have 
 certainly murmured at their conduct. They 
 fet a high value on circumcifion. Even 
 thofe of them that had believed in Chrift, 
 
Sect Vin. ufio?! the same firomisc, 95 
 
 were with much diiliculty weaned from a 
 rite, to which they had been fo long ac- 
 cuftomed. This attachment gave birth to 
 many difputes in the churches of Chrill:. 
 To allay thefe contentions, Paul, among 
 othe? arguments, tells them, that in Chrill 
 we have the true circumcifion, even that of 
 the heart ; and alfo an external hgn, in 
 baptifm, of our connection with Abraham ; 
 being the children of his faith, and io heirs 
 according to the promife. Now, fuppofing 
 baptifm to have been prohibited to their in- 
 fant-children, they v/ould not have failed to 
 avail themfelves of this circumftance, as inval- 
 idating the aporde's argument. People fo ten- 
 acious of their ancient rights, and fo acute in 
 finding obje£lions againih Paul's reafonings, 
 would undoubtedly have employed an objec- 
 tion fo powerful, and at the fame time fo ob- 
 vious. The promife and its feal were given 
 to Abraham's infant-ottspring as well as to 
 himfelf, but now you confine it to us, ^^1lile 
 our infants are confidered as aliens and un- 
 clean, having no right to the promife, or to 
 the fign of that- promife. How, then, does 
 baptifm fill the place of circumciilon ? — 
 Had the apoftles prohibited infant-baptifm, 
 I 
 
*6 Ciraimctsion and Bajitism stand Sect. VIII. 
 
 this objection would certainly have been pro- 
 duced by the Jews againft their practice ; 
 and, in this cafe, v/e might furely have ex- 
 pelled to find fuch an objeftion, and its 
 anfwer, on record. But, as we have no 
 hint of any fuch objeftion ftarted, in any 
 part of the New Teitament writings, we 
 have every reafon to conclude, that none 
 fuch was ever made, and confequently that 
 there was no foundation for it in the apofto- 
 lic pra£lice. 
 
 If it be faid. How came the apoftles to 
 baptize females, provided they viewed the 
 law of circumcifion as afcertaining the fub- 
 jefts of baptifm, fmcc no female was cir- 
 cumcifed by the law of Mofes ? The anfwer 
 is obvious. As foon as the Spirit taught 
 them, that " there is neither male nor fe- 
 «' male in Chrift Jefus ;" or that chrifliianity 
 has levelled all fuch diftindlions among man- 
 kind, they mull have known alfo that every 
 fex has an equal title to baptifm, and all 
 the other ordinances of the gofpel. Had 
 the female fex been denied* baptifm, there 
 would ftill have been male and female in 
 .Chriit Jefus. This, however, is but an ex- 
 tenfion of a right, not au infrigement of it ; 
 
Sect. VIII, upo7i the same Jiromisc, 97 
 
 and confequently could furnilh no obje6lion 
 to fuch as were tenacious of it, as the pro- 
 hibition of infant-baptifm would have done. 
 — Female-baptifm, too, was pra(5lifed under 
 the law. 
 
 Infant-bajitistn deduced from the apostolic 
 Commission* 
 
 Jesus had informed the apoftles, before 
 his death, that little children fhould be con- 
 fidered as members of the kingdom of God; 
 and, at the fame time, laid his hands qn 
 little children, and blefled them. Now," lay- 
 ing on of hands was a divine inftitution, a 
 fign of conveying the Spirit, or fome bleff- 
 ing, the fruit of the Spirit. When Jefus, 
 therefore, laid his hands on little children 
 and bleffed them, he thereby (hewed his a- 
 poftles, that children were capable of re- 
 ceiving the Spirit, and alfo of receiving a 
 visible sign of their being members of the 
 kingdom of God. In this cafe, when Jefus 
 commanded his apoftles to initiate the na- 
 tions into his kingdom by baptifm, it is im- 
 poflible that they could confider infants as 
 excluded from that right, or incapable of re- 
 ceiving the vifible fign of admiffion to a 
 
98 Infant-iaptism deduced from Sect, VIII. 
 
 kingdom, made up of little children, when 
 they had heard their mailer declare, that of 
 fuch is the kingdom 'of God, and had feen 
 him adminifter to them an ordinance ex- 
 prefTive of this truth. They could not have 
 interpreted the commiffion otherwife, unlefs 
 it had exprefsly limited baptifm to adults, ex- 
 clufive of their children, which it does not. 
 If there be little children in the kingdom of 
 God, it will be hard to fhow, why they may 
 not receive the inftituted lign of admiffion 
 to that kingdom. 
 
 Ev^ry law, given to a people m general, 
 is confidered as binding the fon as well as 
 the father, infants and adults, provided it 
 contain no exceptionary claufe. This is the 
 cafe all the world over. A king iffues an 
 edi61: for levying a' tax on every fubje6i: of 
 his kinj]i;dom. In this cafe, fubje£l:s of ev- 
 ery defcription mufl be fuppofed to be in- 
 cluded ; and fo the tax-gatherers muft ne- 
 ceffarily explain the law. Had the king in- 
 tended any particular clafs to be exempted, 
 he would have fpecified that clafs in his e- 
 di<£l:. The fame may be f^iid of an aft grant- 
 ing a privilege to the fubjedr. If none be 
 pofitively excluded, all are fuppofed to be 
 
Sec. MIL the Jjiostolk Commission, ■ 99 
 
 included. Thus we daily explain the a6ls of 
 our Britilh Parliament : and are the edicts 
 of Infinite Wifdom dictated with lefs pre- 
 cifion ? To fuppofe this would be abfurd. But, 
 in the law enjoining baptifm, no defcription 
 of perfons are excepted on account of age j 
 and confequently all muft be fuppofed to be 
 included. This will be ftill more evident, if 
 we obferve, that 
 
 In every fyftem of law, children are 
 confidered as fo connected with, and includ- 
 ed in, their parents, that they have no fep- 
 arate exiftence as objects of lavit Every 
 where the fen, while a child, enjoys every 
 legal privilege in the right of his father ; and 
 if he tranfgrcfs a law, the father only is a- 
 menable to juftice for it. The fon having 
 no legal exiitence diftinct from the father, 
 the law makes the parent refponfible for the 
 faults of the child, as well as for his own. 
 Such are the laws of men : and fuch was 
 the law of God given to Ifrael. The law 
 given to the fathers included their children 
 in all refpe£ls. The bleifmg and the curfe 
 extended to the fruit of their body, as well 
 as to their own perfons. So fays MofeS;, 
 I 2 
 
100 Infant-balitism deduced from Sect. Vlll^ 
 
 Deut. xxix. lo, ii, 12. "Ye ftand this 
 " day all of you before the Lord — All the 
 ** men of Ifrael, your little ones, your wives 
 " — That thou fhouldeft enter into covenant 
 " with the Lord thy God," l^fc. Many of 
 thefe little ones knew nothing of the mat- 
 ter ; yet, in the right of their parents, they 
 had a title to the promifed blellings, and to 
 circumcifion, the inflitutcd fign of this title. 
 Thus they became a part of the holy nation, 
 and had a right to be educated in the know- 
 ledge of the holy law. This is the founda- 
 tion of thefe ftrong injunctions laid on the 
 fathers in Ifrael, to " teach the command- 
 " ments of God diligently to their children." 
 Deut. xvi. 6, 7. By circumcifion they were 
 bound to keep the law, which could not be 
 done, v/ithout the knov/ledgc of it. Hence 
 the propriety of teaching them this know- 
 ledge. 
 
 Thus matters flood under the law of Mo- 
 fes, with refpecJ: to parents and children. 
 Thus matters flood lonij; before the law. A- 
 braham and his feed were confidered as one. 
 Tlie promife was to both ; and both received 
 the fign of circumcifion, the ieal of the righ- 
 teoufnefs of faith in that promife. Let us 
 
Sect. YIIL the AjiostoUc Cominission. 101 
 
 now fee whether there be any hint In the 
 New Teftament, v/hereupon we can eftablifh 
 a diilinclion between the beUeving parent 
 and iiis feed, fo as that the one is to be 
 counted holy, and the other unclean. 
 
 When Peter called the Jews to repentance 
 towards God, and faith towards our Lord 
 Jefus Chrlft, he exhorts them to be baptized. 
 The reafon he affigns is — *•' Becaufe the pro- 
 *' mife is to you, and to your children." 
 This is the very language of the Old Tefla- 
 ment — The language addrefled to Abraham, 
 when he and his feed were about to be cir- 
 curacifed. In this fenfe the Jews muft un- 
 doubtedly have underftood Peter, unlefs he 
 had explained his words fo as to exclude this 
 fenfe : which he no where does. — Here it is 
 vain to tell us that the word children docs 
 not always fignify infants. This is incon- 
 tedibly evident. But the queftion is, v/heth- 
 er the word children can have any other fenfe 
 in this pailage. Peter fpeaks to all- who 
 were capable of hearing him, and of un- 
 derilanding what he faid. Thefe he calls 
 you. Now, whom can he poflibly m.ean by 
 the children of thefe hearers, but the infant- 
 offtpiing which they either had or might 
 
102 Infant-baptism deduced from Sect. VHI. 
 
 have ? So any meflenger would be under- 
 ftood, who came, in the king's name, to 
 proclaim that his mailer grants a certain 
 privilege to them that heard him, and to 
 their children. Is it pofTible that any could 
 mifinterpret this commiflion ? — No more 
 could we miftake the fenfe of Peter's embaf- 
 fy, were we not warped by the prejudices 
 of party. 
 
 Now, if the promife being to the hearers- 
 be a reafon for thus fubmitting to bs bap- 
 tized, it mull alfo be a reafon for baptizing 
 the children ; fmce the promife is faid to be 
 equally to both ; and this is made the foun- 
 dation of baptifm. The Baptifts would make 
 Peter a weak reafoner indeed. According 
 to them, he fays to his audience — " The 
 " promife is to you" therefore be ye baptized : 
 the promife is alfo to your little ones, there- 
 fore let them 7iot be baptized ! — Spirit of 
 party I What havock hall thou made of the 
 fcriptures ! 
 
 To evade the force of the argument drawn 
 from this text, Mr. M'Lean pretends, that 
 the promife here mentioned " is the promife 
 « of the Holy Ghoft fpoken of by the proph- 
 
Sect. VIII, the A^iostolic Commission. 103 
 
 « et Joel, and not the promife given to 
 <' Abraham and his feed." What a -weak 
 commentary is this ! This writer himfelf ad- 
 mits, that .Joel, in that paflage, fpeaks of 
 the fpirit of prophecy, or the extraordinary 
 and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft. 
 Now, thefe miraculous gifts were not con- 
 ferred on all believers, even in the apofbolic 
 age, neither were they intended to be con- 
 tinued in the church in future periods. In 
 this cafe, how could Peter give this promife 
 as a ground and motive for fubmitting to bap- 
 tifm ? If this be the promife which is to us 
 and our children, in the faith of which chrif- 
 tians are baptized, then baptifm muft either 
 have been peculiar to the apoftolic age, or 
 ail fince that time have been baptized in the 
 faith of a lie ; fmce no fuch promife is ac- 
 complifhed to us now. I fuppofe the Bap- 
 tifts themfelves will not pretend that they 
 have received any fuch gifts at their baptifm. 
 How, then, can they aver that the faith of 
 receiving thefe gifts is the general foundation 
 for baptifm ? The truth is, that promife in 
 Joel had its accomplifhment in the extraor- 
 dinary effufion of the Spirit upon the apof- 
 tles and difciples, Acfs ii. This Peter avers, 
 and quotes the promife on purpofe to prove 
 
104 Irifant'baptism dediired from Sect. VIII. 
 
 his declaration : and, confequently, this is 
 not the promife which is here faid tc be to 
 all believers in all ages. 
 
 But if we take the promife here to intend 
 all the faving influences of the Spirit, then 
 it is the very promife given to Abraham and 
 his feed ; for this promife of the Spirit, re- 
 ceived by faith, is exprefsly called '< the 
 « blefling of Abraham, which is come up- 
 <« on the Gentiles," by which they become 
 <* heirs according to the promife." Gal. iii. 
 14. 29. It remains, then, that the promife 
 to us and our children is the fame that was 
 given to Abraham, the promife of falvation 
 by the feed in whom all nations are blefTed. 
 This is the promife of which Peter fpeaks, 
 as Mr. M*Lean himfelf may fee, if he will 
 read onwards to the 25 verfe of the iii. chap- 
 ter of the A6ls — " Ye. are the children -of 
 <' the promife, and of the covenant which 
 <« God made with our fathers, faying to A- 
 <« braham. And in thy feed fliall all the kin- 
 «• dreds of the earth be blelTed." This is 
 evidently the new-covenant teftament or pro- 
 mife, in which believers in all nations are 
 concerned : and it is given to believers and 
 their children as a foundation for baptifm. 
 
Sect. VIII. the Alx-stdk Commission, IOj 
 
 juft as it was given to Abraham and his in- 
 fant-children as a foundation for circumcif- 
 ion. Is it pofTible, then, that the Jews 
 could underftand Peter as faying any thing 
 eife, but .that the promiie of Abraham was 
 to them and their infants, and that both 
 were under obligations to be baptized, juft 
 as Abraham and his children were under ob- 
 ligations to fubmit to circumcifion, in tefti- 
 mony of his faith in the promife ? It is cer- 
 tainly impolTible they could have explained 
 it ctherwife, unlefs Peter had exprefsly told 
 them that infants were excluded from bap- 
 tifm. 
 
 In this idea of conne6^ion between believ- 
 ing parents and their children, Paul agrees 
 wi:h Peter. According to the law of Mofes, 
 an Ifraelite was not allowed to marry an hea- 
 then : or if any did fo, he was commanded 
 to put away his wife and the Miue he had by 
 he-, as unclean, or aliens from the commqn- 
 wcalth of Ifrael. Some members of the 
 church of Corinth were in doubt, whether 
 tks law were ftill binding on Jews profefling 
 ciriftianity. To this, Paul anfwers, No fuch 
 law is now in force, for " the unbelieving 
 <* iufband is fan£tified to the wife, and the 
 
106 Infant-ha}ukm deduced from. Sect, V\\\, 
 
 'f unbelieving wife is fan£lified to the huf- 
 «« band ; elfe were your children unclean, but 
 «' now are they holy," i Cor. vii. 14. Here 
 the children of a believing parent are exprefs- 
 ly called holy ; and this holinefs is faid to be 
 the refult of their connexion with fuch a 
 parent. All who believed the promife made 
 to Abraham were, by that faith, separated from 
 the heathen to the fervice of the true God, 
 before Chrift came. This Reparation is called 
 holiness : and this holinefs extended to tlieir 
 feed no lefs than to themfelves. Thus they 
 were diftinguifhed from the heathens, all of 
 whom, together with their feed, were called 
 unclean, or common, that is, lying in the 
 common mafs of mankind, not feparated to 
 the fervice of God by faith in the promi/ed 
 feed. , This was the (late of all the heatlen 
 then : this is their ftate ftill.- Thefe are :he 
 people Peter* (A£l:s x.) calls " common ind 
 <« unclean." Stich is the fenfe of the w&rd 
 in. the law of Mofes. Now, this holinefs 
 and uncleanefs of the children, is expreisly 
 faid to be derived upon them from their p- 
 rents. The Ifraelite believing the promife, 
 and obeying God, begat a holy child : the 
 heathen in unbelief begat a child uneUan. 
 Now, Paul exprefsly fays, that this is ilill 
 
Sect. Vni; ths Ajiostolic Coimnission, \Q7 
 
 the cafe under the gofpel. The beheving 
 parent has an holy child. Nor is this imped- 
 ed by his connection in marriage with a hea- 
 then, for the marriage-connection, the fouree 
 of offspring, is now fandtified. The con- 
 nection is holyy akhough the unbeUever be un- 
 clea?i ; the Mofaic law in qiieltion being now 
 aboliflied, and marriage left on its original 
 footing. — This fays nothing about internal 
 holinefs. It is the holinefs of which the law 
 fpoke : an external 'feparation for the fervice 
 of God, refulting from a profeflion of faith 
 in the promife, or the golpel preached to 
 Abraham, whether this profeflion were the 
 offspring of the heart, or of the mouth only. 
 Whether real or apparent^ it entitled the man 
 and his infant-offspring to church-member- 
 fliip, or to be confidered as holy. 
 
 But it may be faid, fuppofing that chil- 
 dren are to be confidered as holy in the 
 fenfe mentioned ; What argument can we 
 draw from this in favour of infant-baptifm } 
 I anfwer, Paul fays " now are they holy," 
 I. e. now you treat them as holy. Now we 
 know, that Ifrael of old treated their chil- 
 dren as holy, by circumcifing them. Had 
 
108 Infant-baptism deduced from Sect. VIII, 
 
 they not done fo, they would have ufed 
 them as unclean. In what ienfe, then, could 
 Paul fay that the believing Corinthians treat- 
 ed their children as holy, if they did not 
 baptize them, or adminiiter to them the fign 
 of feparation from the world, the inilituted 
 badge of church-memberfaip ? If they did 
 not this, they certainly ufed them as un- 
 clean, or gave no evidence that they believed 
 them to be holy. 
 
 Galled with this troublefome text, Mr. 
 M*Lean ufes every effort to explain away its 
 fenfe. — The holinefs here meant, fays he, 
 is legitim.acy. True, Sir 5 but not a legiti- 
 macy of the common kind. The offspring 
 of Gentile-marriages were legitimate, yet 
 ftiil unclean. The legitimacy of the text, 
 then, is the legitimacy of the marriage of 
 an Ifraelite ; when his marriage was lawful, 
 the offspring were not only legitimate, or 
 lawfully begotten, but they were holy, or 
 entitled to be confidered as feparated to the 
 fervice of God^ in the right of the parent. 
 To tell a Jew, then, that his child is holy, 
 is not only telling him that his fon is lawfui- 
 . ly begotten, but that he is holy or entitled 
 to circumcifion, the fign of church-member- 
 
Sect. \'ni. the Apostolic Commission, 109 
 
 ihip. In the fame manner, to tell a Jew 
 believing in Clirift, that his children are holy, 
 IS to tell him that they have a right to bap- 
 tifm, the fign, which is now the circumci- 
 fion of Chrift. So ftrong a connection has 
 this text with infant-baptifm. 
 
 Again, he avers that " the holinefs of 
 <* the children here, is of the fame kind with 
 <« that of the unbelieving parents-,"* becaufe 
 their holinefs is inferred from the fan£tifica- 
 tion of the unbelieving parent. Bufr how 
 weak is this aifertion ! Paul calls the children 
 holy, whereas the unbeliever is unclean, hav- 
 ing no right to church-memberfiiip. He 
 does not fay that the unbeliever is holy : he 
 only fays, that the marriage-conneftion is ho- 
 ly, or that the unbelieving wife is fan£^ified 
 in the relation fhe Hands in to the believing 
 hufband. His connection with her is holy ; 
 not herfelf: whereas the children are ex- 
 prefsly faid to be holy, in the law-fenfe of 
 the word, that is, not ftrangers to, but con- 
 nected with, the holy covenant given to A- 
 
 * Defence of believer-baptism, p. 46. 
 
110 Infant'hajitLsm deduced from Sect. VJII. 
 
 braham, feparating him and his feed from 
 the heathen. 
 
 This argument may be farther illuftrated 
 by an inflance taken from civil hfe. A 
 Briton marries a Jewefs, who cannot inherit 
 by the laws of his country. He doubts the 
 legality of his marriage — whether his iffiie 
 by her can inherit. He is told, That al- 
 though his wife cannot inherit, either in her 
 own perfonal right, nor by any right he can 
 give iier, yet as the Britifh law does not 
 prohibit his marrying a Jewefs, the marriage 
 is Britilh, or fhe is naturalized fo far as ref- 
 pefts him, fo that his iliue by her are con- 
 fidered not as Jews, but as Britons, and fo 
 can inherit the poffeffion of their father, ac- 
 cording to law. The cafe is exaftly in 
 point : and in this cafe, it is eafy to fee, that 
 the legitimacy of the child, and that of the 
 mother, is not of the fame kind. The child 
 is a Britifli fubje6l ; the mother is not. The 
 child can inherit, but the mother cannot. — 
 It is precifely fo in the cafe before us. The 
 child is holy, z. e. a member of the vifible 
 church ; the heathen mother is not. The 
 •^hild has a right to the privileges of the 
 
Sect. Vm. the Ajiostolic Commission, 111 
 
 vifible church, while his mother has no title 
 of that kind. 
 
 Agreeable to the above view, chriftian pa- 
 rents are exhorted to bring up their children 
 in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; 
 and children to obey their parents in the Lord. 
 Here, it is evident, both parents and children 
 are confidered as in the Lord, or as chriitians; 
 and fo bound to manifeft their fubje6lion to 
 him by fulfilling their relative duties to one 
 another, as the Lord hath enjoined. This is 
 fo obvious, that Mr. McLean himfelf admits 
 it, " Here," fays he, ** are exhortations to 
 " mutual duties betwixt parents and chil- 
 ** dren, even as betwixt huibands and wives, 
 *' mafters and fervants, &c." But to evade 
 the argument commonly drawn from this, he 
 adds, " the children here intended are not 
 '* mere infants, but believing children, vif- 
 ^' ible mxCmbers of jthe church, and capable 
 '' of receiving and obeying the word of ex- 
 <' hortation."* Let us fee where this interpre- 
 tation will lead us. — According to it, the 
 children here addrelTed are vifible members 
 
 * Defence of believer-baptism, p. 75, 
 K 2 
 
112 Infant-bapMsm deduced from Sect. VIII. 
 
 of the church, and fo of adult age, as none 
 are vifible members of the church but by 
 baptifm, which, according to this hypothefis, 
 is only adminiftered to adults. — How ridicu- 
 lous this idea ! It fuppofes, ift, That chil- 
 dren are incapable of receiving either correc- 
 tion, or inftruction of a religious kind, till 
 they come to adult age, and be baptized ; 
 2dly, that parents are not bound by this in- 
 jun61:ion to bring up their children in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord till 
 they become adults ; sdly, That after we 
 grow up to men and women, our parents 
 are obliged to bring us up again, or to make 
 us infants ! Thefe are the obvious confe- 
 quences of this gentleman's interpretation. 
 Yet, (fo. inconfiftent is error,) he admits 
 tltat " the gofpel obliges chriftian parents to 
 *^ fludy the good of their children's fouls as 
 " well as of their bodies, to fet a godly ex- 
 " ample before them, and to inftru61: them 
 " in the doftrine of the chrlftian faith." 
 Very juft indeed. But are not the cliildren at 
 the fame time obliged, by the fame author- 
 ity, to receive the inibuciions admlnillercd 
 to them by their parents } If fo, it is plain 
 they are under thefe obligations from the 
 firit moment in which they are capable of 
 
Sect. VIII. the Ap-ostdic Commission, 113 
 
 receiving corre£l:ion or inftru£tion. Does 
 Paul fay that parents are obliged to inilruct, 
 while children are not obliged to receive their 
 inftruftions ? Does he not exhort both at 
 the fame time ? or rather, does he not begin 
 with the duty of children ? 
 
 The truth is, chriftian parents are hereby 
 obliged to teach their offspring the doctrines 
 of the Lord, as foon as they are capable of 
 fuch inftruftion : and, as the Lord has com- 
 manded children to obey their parents, this 
 muft be early taught them ; for as foon as 
 they believe this, they will obey their parents 
 in the fear of the Lord. All this they may 
 be taugiit even at two or three years of age, 
 and in many inftances fooner. Confequcnt- 
 ly, even then they are fuppofed to be in the 
 Lord \ as parents are commanded to deal 
 with them as in the Lord, and they to obey 
 in the Lord. Nor iocs it avail any thing 
 to tell us, that " the apofrles were com- 
 " manded to teach all nations the do61:rine 
 *< of the Lord, while the nations were con- 
 " fidered as out of the Lcrd'^K" The fcripture 
 
 Defence, See. p. 74, 
 
114 I? fa:!t~bc!jitinn deduced from SqcU VIII. 
 
 no where fays that the nations were in the 
 Lord ; whereas, in the above paflages, the 
 "children are confuiered as in the Lord, as 
 well as their parents*. 
 
 The chara£lers and oflices in Eph. vi. i, 
 2, ^c. will only apply to children un- 
 der age. Adults are commanded to be kind 
 to their parents, but no where are they com- 
 manded to obey them : nor can fuch he 
 viewed as the proper fubje61:s of correction 
 and infiruftion by parents, as such. Only 
 children in non-age can be trained or brought 
 tip by parents, as fuch ; they, too, are the 
 proper fubje61:s of parental chaftifement and 
 inflru^lion. It is, then, evident as fun- 
 fhine, that infants and children under age 
 are the objects of Paul's exhortation. Thefe 
 
 * A sensible friend, on reading the above, very 
 judiciously asks...." Does it not merit reg^ird in hand- 
 ling the argument from this text, that the exhorta- 
 tion stands in an epistle addressed to a gt:>spel-church 
 (IS :-uch ? Would not this evidently suppose the chil- 
 dren ihcre exhorted, (who, in defiance of all quibble, 
 were chiidrcn yet t(j be bi'ought up,) to have been 
 iinderstood as belonging to the matter^ the viKtbk mat- 
 /:cr of that CJvarch ?"....] dare say every unbiassed 
 n^.ina ^viil an.sv^cr in the affirmative. 
 
Sect. VIII. the Aliostolic Commission, 115 
 
 he condders as in the Lord, or holy. But 
 holinefs fprings from the promife, M^hich a- 
 lone feparates any perfon or thnig for God. 
 Confequently, Paul views children as con- 
 nected with the promife in which their pa- 
 rents have believed, elfe they would be un- 
 clean and not holy. Thus he eilabliflies the 
 doctrine of Peter — " The promife is to yea 
 '< and to your children." This is given as a 
 reafon of, and motive to, baptifm. If it be fo 
 to the parents, it muft be fo to the children. 
 
 But before we finifh our examination of 
 the apofholic commiffion to baptize, the fol- 
 lowing obfervations will add much weight to 
 our interpretation of it, as extending to in- 
 fants. Baptifm was no new inftitution. It 
 was praclifed under the Old Teftament. 
 We have already feen, that the native Jews 
 entered into the covenant or church of God 
 by water. Every infant, male and female, 
 was baptized, or wafhed with water, in a 
 religious view, foon after the birth. But 
 we nov/ add, that every profelyte, from a- 
 mong the heathen, to the faith of Abraham, 
 was admitted into the church by baptifm al- 
 fo. The Talmud, the Gemara, and Maitno- 
 mdeSi all agree in refpeiSt of the manner of 
 
116 Lifant-baptism deduced from Sect. VIII. 
 
 initiating both native Jews and profelytes. 
 We fiiali only quote Maimonides, tit, Isuri 
 hia. c. 13. By three things the Isra-elites entered 
 into the covenant^ b^ circumcision^ baptisniy and 
 sacrifice. Again, In all ages, ivhcjisoever miy 
 Gentile ivas 'ivilling to enter into the covenatit, 
 (ind to be gathered under the wings of the She- 
 chinahy and to undertake the yoke of the laiVy 
 he ivas bound to have circumcision, and baptism, 
 and a peace-offering (or as the Gemara calls it, 
 the sprinkling of blood ; ) and if it ivere a luo- 
 wan, baptism and sacrifice. He adds, The 
 stranger that is circumcised and not baptized, 
 or baptized and not circumcised, is not truly a 
 proselyte till he be both. 
 
 From the above, and many other teftimo- 
 nies which might be quoted, it is evident, 
 that all profelytes, male and female, were 
 introduced to the Jewifli church by baptifm; 
 and alfo, that the baptifm of the native Jews 
 v/as the pattern by which the baptifm of 
 profelytes was regulated. This pracilce was 
 founded upon the law. Numb. xv. 15, 16. 
 ** One ordinance fliall be both for you of 
 ^« the cone legation, and for the ftranger that 
 ^« fojourneth with you ; an ordinance for ev- 
 << er in your generations : as ye are, fo fliall 
 
Sect. VIII. the Apostolic CoimnisslGn, 117 
 
 " the ftranger be, before the Lord. One 
 « law, and one manner, fliall be for you, 
 *« and for the ftranger that fojourneth with 
 *« you." By this law they confidered them- 
 felves bound to receive profclytes^by circum- 
 cifion, baptifm, and fprinkling of facrificial 
 blood, as the Jews were entered into cove- 
 nant by thefe three ordinances. Circumcif- 
 ion was inilituted in the days of Abraham ; 
 baptifm had been in ufe before his time : 
 and when Ifrael were about to enter the 
 covenant at Sinai, they were not only bap- 
 tized into Mofcs in the fea, but God, to 
 prepare them for receiving the law, com- 
 mands Mofes — " Go unto the people, and 
 " fanftify them to-day and to-morrow, and 
 " let them wafh their clothes." This Mai- 
 ^ow/J^j' calls baptifm ; Isuri hia^ c. 13. Bap- 
 tism luas in the desert before the gii'lng of the 
 laiu, according as if is said. Thou shalt sanc- 
 tify them, Is'c. Then, finally, they were 
 fprinkled with the blood of the covenant. 
 Exod. xxiv. 8. 
 
 It mull be here obferved, that the inf^.nts 
 of profelytes M^ere aifo baptized, bctb male 
 and female, in the fame manner as the in- 
 fants of the native Jew* were. So fays the 
 
318 Infant-baptism deduced from Sect. Mil, 
 
 (J c mar a bajpyl. tit. chetub, i. e. They baptize 
 the little or young stranger or proselyte : and 
 the Glofle adds, that the rulers of the consis- 
 tory take care of it, and so are made to him a 
 
 father. So.alfo Maimonides, in the forecited 
 place, They baptize the infajit or little stranger 
 upon the knoivledge or profession of the house of 
 
 judgment. 
 
 From the above detail, the following ob- 
 fervations naturally occur, 
 
 I ft, The apoftolic baptifm could not ap- 
 pear a novelty to the Jews, nor even to the 
 Gentiles ; as baptifm had been a religious 
 ceremony among all nations. Accordingly, 
 we no where read of any of them viewing it 
 in that lic-ht. 
 
 2dly, Nor could the Jews obje^l to the 
 ad million of profelytes to the covenant of 
 Abraham by baptifm, as this had been fo 
 long pra£i:ifed by themfelves. Nor do we 
 find them finding fault with this praftice. 
 They only objecSled to the admiffion of the 
 Gentiles without circumcifion and a profeiT- 
 ed obligation to keep the law of Mofes. 
 
Sect. VIII, the Apostolic Commission, 119 
 
 3dly, In the commiffion to baptize, our 
 Lord had no occafion to fpecify the Baptifm 
 of Females. As this had been always prac- 
 tifed in the church of God, the apoftles 
 muft have underftood their commiffion as 
 extending to women, unlefs he had exprefs- 
 ly limited it to men, as he did in enjoining 
 circumcifion. Accordingly, without any 
 fpecilic mention of women in their com- 
 miffion, their hiftory informs, that they ad- 
 miniftered baptifm to both fexes indifcrimi- 
 nately. 
 
 4thly, Hence alfo we have the moft cer- 
 tain foundation for infant-baptifm in the 
 chriftian church. As the infants of believ- 
 ing parents had been always admitted to 
 baptifm in the church of God before Chrift 
 came, profelytes to his religion muft necefl- 
 arily have demanded baptifm for their chil- 
 dren ; nor could the apoftles have poffibly 
 refufed their requeft, unlefs their Lord had 
 exprefsly prohibited them — a prohibition no 
 where to be found. Indeed, nothing can be 
 more evident than this, that Jefus never in- 
 tended to change the fubje^ls or mode of 
 baptifm in ufe before he came in the flefh. 
 Had he intended anyfuch alteration, he would 
 L 
 
120 Jiifcmt-hafitisin deduced from Sect. VHI. 
 
 undoubtedly have expreflcd his intention, 
 and not have left his Jipoilles in the dark, 
 in a matter of fuch importance ; particular- 
 ly as they muft have baptized the infants of 
 profelytes, without an exprefs prohibition, as 
 this had been the univerfal pra£lice in tlie 
 church wherein they had been educated, 
 and that by divine appointment. 
 
 5thly, Hence alfo it is evident, that bap- 
 tifm has not only kept the fame place in 
 the New Tefiament ilate of the church, 
 which it held in the Old, but that it 
 has alfo fuperfeded circumcifion and the 
 fprinkling of biood. We hvae feen that re- 
 ligious initiation wr.-* performed of old by a 
 threefold ceremony, circumcifion, baptifm, 
 and facrihce. Our Lord has chofen baptifm 
 to continue in his church, and alfo to an- 
 fwcr all the purpofes of the other two. This 
 is the foie ceremony which he has appointed 
 in the initiation of difcipies into his church ; 
 and hence we can properly fay, that it has 
 come in the room of circumcifion and the 
 fprmkiing of blood, or has fuperfeded them, 
 and fupplies their place in the church of 
 God under the gofpel. That it is called 
 ** the circumcifion of Chrift," is clear from 
 
Sect. VIIT. the JjiostoVc Commission. 121 
 
 the paflafre above quoted. It is alfo called 
 " the fprinkiing of the blood of Jefus Chriil." 
 Apoftates from the faith of Chrifl are faid 
 to " count the blood of the covenant where- 
 " with they were fanchihed an unholy 
 *' thing."* Sanctilication here mufl mean 
 
 * Some interpreters think, that Christ, and not 
 the apostate from Christianity, is here (ileb. x. 29.) 
 said to be aanctijicd by the blood of the covenant ; as 
 they cannot allow apostates to have been sanctiHed, 
 or purified from sin. But ihis objection originates in 
 a mistake of the meani)ig of the word sanctihcatioii 
 in this passage ; whe!*ein it can only mean an exter- 
 nal dedication or setting apart of a pei-son to the 
 service of God. Even on tiieir own hv pothesis, this 
 only can lie its sense. 'Christ lii\d no sin, and conse- 
 quently could not be cleansed from it. When* the Fa- 
 thei- then is said to sanctify him, and' send, him into 
 the World, the meaning must be, he set him apart 
 for his office : and when he is said to sanctify himself^ 
 it me;ins that he devoted himseif to the iicr^ ice allot- 
 ted him, b}- suomitiiiig to be spriukkd by the blood 
 of his sacriiice, accoi'ding to the law «if"ilie piiest- 
 
 hood Ag lii), the Hebrews knew perfectly the 
 
 meaning of sanctihcation by the blo:.d of the cove- 
 nant ; as their fathers had been so sanctified in the 
 time of Moses, who took the blood and s}ninkled it 
 on all the people,- siying, " This is the' bl jod of the 
 " covenant," &:c. Now, that Paul, in tlie verse I be- 
 fore us, refers to that transaclion, I think is indis- 
 putably evident. This ascertains its seas;^. Moses 
 was set apart to be mediator in the covenant at Si- 
 
122 Hater represents the Blood of Jesus, Sect, VIII. 
 
 baptifm, as in no other fenfe can apoftates 
 be faid to have been fan6i:i{ied. But this 
 fanctification is by the blood of the cove- 
 nant ; and confequently the water in baptifm 
 reprefents the blood of Jefus, and the act 
 itfelf, the fprinlding of that blood. Thus 
 the true baptifm of Chrifl not only " vi^afhes 
 «« the body with pure water," which was 
 the part of the ancient baptifm, but it alfo 
 " fprinkles the heart from an evil con- 
 <« fcience," as the blood of the facrific ani- 
 mal " fprinkled to the purifying of the 
 flefli." 
 
 nai, before he entered on the office. Hence, he did 
 not sprinkle the blood on himself, but " on the 
 " peojile." Paul, then, cannot mean, that Christ, 
 acting as mediator of the better covenant, sprinkled 
 the blcod on himself, but " that he might sanctify the 
 " people, with his ovy'n blood, he suffered witliout the 
 *' gate"....Bcsides, baptism was always called sanctifi- 
 cation by the Jews, as also by the Christians for 
 several centuries, as a visible dedication to the ser- 
 vice of God Finally, I cannot see how a person 
 
 can be said to trample under foot, and to profane, a 
 blood, which was never sprinkled upon him, or with 
 which he had no connection These reasons deter- 
 mine me to tliink that it is the apostate, who is here 
 said to have Ijeen sanctified, ?'. e, sprinkled with the 
 blood of the covenant in baptism. 
 
Seci. VIII. Practice of the Jjiostlcs, 123 
 
 Having examined the apoftles' coirsmiffiort 
 to baptize, and feen it extend to infants as 
 well as adults, let us now proceed to exam- 
 ine 
 
 The Practice of the J/wsfles nvith reafiect to Irfant- 
 ba/itism. 
 
 From the fhort hiilory we have of the 
 adminiitnition of baptifm by the apoftles, 
 there arlics the higheil degree of prababili- 
 tjy that they baptized infants as Y»ell as a- 
 dults. We read of their baptizing whole 
 houieholds : Lydia, for inftance, and her 
 hcufehold ; the jailor, and all that were his ; 
 and the hcufehold of Stephanus. Now, is 
 it probable, or even credible, that in all the 
 houfehoids baptized there was not one child ? 
 And fuppormg that there were an infant in 
 any of thefe families, and the infant exclud- 
 ed Jrom baptifm, we might certainly have 
 expected to find this on record ; particular- 
 ly, as this would have been an entire novel- 
 ty in the church of the living God. For 
 /many hundred years, even from the days of 
 Abraham, infants had a place in the vifible 
 church, by divine appointment. Had they 
 been now excluded from this Ration, and 
 L Z 
 
i:'4 Of Irfant-bajUism in i*eci. Mil. 
 
 call out into the heathen world, fo great a 
 change would certainly have been particular- 
 ly marked in the fcriptures. Nothing lefs 
 than a divine law could exclude infants from 
 this privilege j and if any fuch law had been 
 made, it mull: have been recorded in fome 
 part of' the facred records. It muft be found 
 either in the words or practice of the apof- 
 tles. The iiience of the New Teflament, 
 then, on this head, renders it evident that 
 no fuch law ever exiiled. 
 
 Of Iifant-baptism in the Primitive CInirches, 
 
 The uniform pra6lice of the primitive 
 churches, immediately fucceeding the apof- 
 toiic age, affords evidence on this point, a- 
 mounting, in my apprehenfion, to a certain- 
 ty. Such as lived in fo early a period as 
 the firft, fecond, and third, centuries, un- 
 doubtedly knew w^hat v/as the praftice 
 of the apoflles themfelves ; and as the 
 churches in thofe periods remained, in a 
 great meafure, uncorrupted by innovations 
 and fupcrfliitions, no change of that pra£l:ice 
 could ha\e taken place v/ithout very confid- 
 erable oppofition. Or if fome churches had 
 deviated in this refpecSl;, it is incredible that 
 the whole would fo early have apoilatizcd 
 
^cct. Vlil. th.c I'linni/ce Ciiurches, 123 
 
 -from the original inflitiitlon. But the writers 
 of thefe times not only atteit that infant- 
 baptifm was praclifed in their times ; but 
 fome of them exprefsly declare, that it was 
 the practice of the apoilles themfelves. Did 
 their teilimony, indeed, contradict any thing 
 faid in the facred oracles, it would be total- 
 ly inadmiilible ; but hnce it correfponds fo 
 exaftly with every luggefhion of Icripture, 
 we cannot rejecl" it, unlefs we choofe to fay 
 — what would tend to invalidate the authen- 
 ticity of the fcriptures themfelves — that the 
 primitive churches were ail liars. 
 
 We might produce a large cloud of wit- 
 nclles in proof of this point — even all the 
 writers of the firil feven centuries. But as 
 all thefe have been adduced in evidence, by 
 other writers on this fubjedl, I fnall mention 
 only a very few. 
 
 Juftin Martyr wrote his 2d apology about 
 the year 148 ; in which he fays, there were 
 chriftians then living, fome feventy years 
 old, who had been made dlfciples to Chrift 
 from their infancy, and therefore muft have 
 been baptized in the firil: age, while fome of 
 the apoilles were living. He alfo calls bap- 
 
116 InfaiU-bafitism deduced from Sect. VIII. 
 
 initiating both native Jews and profelytcs. 
 We (hali only quote Alaimcnides, tit. Isuri 
 hia, c. 13. Bythrcethrngs the Israelites entered 
 into the covenant^ by circumcision, baptism, and 
 sacrifice. Again, In all ages, ivhcfisoever a?iy 
 Gentile luas willing to enter into the covenant^ 
 and to be gathered under the ivings of the She- 
 chinah, and to undertake the yoke of the laiu^ 
 he "Jjas bound to have circumcision, and baptism, 
 and a peace-offering (or as the Gemara calls it, 
 the sprinkling of blood ; j and if it ivere a ivo- 
 man, baptism and sacrifice. He adds, The 
 stranger that is circumcised and not baptised, 
 cr baptized and not circumcised, is not truly a 
 proselyte till he be both. 
 
 From the above, and many other teftimo- 
 nies which might be quoted, it is evident, 
 that all profelytes, male and female, were 
 introduced to the Jewifli church by baptifm; 
 and aifo, that the baptifm of the native Jews 
 was the pattern, by which the baptifm of 
 profelytes was regulated. This pradlice was 
 founded upon the law, Numb. xv. 15, 16. 
 *< One ordinance fliail be both for you of 
 *« the congregation, and for the ftranger that 
 *' fojourneth with you -, an ordinance for ev- 
 << er in your generations : as ye are, fo fliall 
 
Sect. VIII. the Apostolic Coimmssion, 117 
 
 " the ftranger be, before the Lord. One 
 <* law, and one manner, iliail be for yon, 
 " and for the ftranger that fcjoiuneth with 
 « you." By this law they confidered them- 
 felves bound to receive profelytes -by circum- 
 cifion, baptifm, and fprinkJing of facrificial 
 blood, as the Jews were entered into cove- 
 nant by thefe three ordinances. Circunicif- 
 ion was inllituted in the days of Abraham ; 
 baptifm had been in ufe before his time : 
 and when Ifrael were about to enter the 
 covenant at Sinai, they were not only bap- 
 tized into Mofes in the fea, but God, to 
 prepare them for receiving the law, com- 
 mands Mofes — " Go unto the people, and 
 " fan(Stify them to-day and to-morrow, and 
 « let them wafli their clothes." This Mai- 
 /770«/W^J" calls baptifm ; Isuri hia, c. 13. Bap- 
 tism ivas 171 the desert before the gfoing of the 
 laiu^ according as it is said^ 'Ikon shalt sanc- 
 tify them, Is'c. Then, finally, they were 
 fprinkled with the blood of the covenant. 
 Exod. xxiv. 8. 
 
 It mull be here obferved, that the infants 
 of profelytes were alfo baptized, bcth male 
 and female, in the fame manner as the in- 
 fants of the native Jew* were. So fays the 
 
118 Infant-bajitism deduced from Sect. VIII. 
 
 Gcmara bajpyl. tit, chetuhy i. e. They baptize 
 the little or young stranger or proselyte : and 
 the Glofle adds, that the rulers of the consis- 
 tory take care of ity and so are 7nade to him a 
 
 father, So.alfo Maimonides^ in the forecited 
 place, They baptize the infant or little stranger 
 upon the hnoiulcdge or profession of the house of 
 
 judgment. 
 
 From tlie above detail, the following ob- 
 fervations naturally occur, 
 
 I ft. The apoflolic baptifm could not ap- 
 pear a novelty to the Jews, nor even to the 
 Gentiles ; as baptifm had been a religious 
 ceremony among all nations. Accordingly, 
 we no where read of any of them viewing it 
 in that light. 
 
 2dly, Nor could the Jews obje61: to the 
 admillion of profelytes to the covenant of 
 Abraham by l3aptifm, as this had been fo 
 long pra£l:ifed by themfelves. Nor do we 
 find them finding fault with this praftice. 
 They only obje6led to the admiflion of the 
 Gentiles without circumcifion and a profeiT- 
 ed obligation to keep the law of Mofes. 
 
Sect. VIII. the Ajiostolic Commission, 119 
 
 3dly, In the comrniffion to baptize, our 
 Lord had no occalion to fpecify the Baptifm 
 of Females. As this had been always prac- 
 tifed in the church of God, the apoftles 
 muft have under flood their comrniffion as 
 extending to women, unlefs he had exprefs- 
 ly limited it to men, as he did in enjoining 
 circumcifion. Accordingly, without any 
 fpecific mention of wom.en in their com- 
 rniffion, their hiftory informs, that they ad- 
 miniftered baptifm to both fexes indifcrimi- 
 nately. 
 
 4thly, Hence alfo we have the mod cer- 
 tain foundation for infant-baptifm in the 
 chriflian church. As the infants of believ- 
 ing parents had been always admitted to 
 baptifm in the church of God before Chrifh 
 came, profelytes to his religion mufh neceii- 
 arily have demanded baptifm for their chil- 
 dren ; nor could the apoftles have poffibly 
 refufed their requeft, unlefs their Lord had 
 exprefsly prohibited them — a prohibition no 
 where to be found. Indeed, nothing can be 
 more evident than this, that Jefus never in- 
 tended to change the fubjecis or mode of 
 baptifm in ufe before he came in the flefh. 
 Had he intended anyfuch alteration, he would 
 L 
 
120 Infanl-hajnism. deduced from Sect. VIII, 
 
 undoubtedly have exprefled lils intention, 
 and not have left his apoilles in the dark, 
 in a matter of fuch importance ; particular- 
 ly as they muft have baptized the infants of 
 profelytes, without an exprefs prohibition, as 
 this had been the univerfal praftice in tlie 
 church wherem they had been educated, 
 and that by divine appointment. 
 
 5thly^ Hence alfo it is evident, that bap- 
 tifm has not only kept the fame place in 
 the New Teftament ilate of the church, 
 which it held in the Old, but that it 
 has alfo fuperfeded circumcifion and the 
 fprinkling of blood. ¥/e hvae feen that re- 
 ligious initiation wr.>* performed of old by a 
 threefold ceremony, circumcifion, baptifm, 
 and iacrilice. Our Lord has chofen baptifm 
 to continue in his church, and alfo to an- 
 fwcr all the purpofes of the other two. This 
 is the foie ceremony which he has appointed 
 in the initiation of difclples into his church ; 
 and hence we can properly fay, that it has 
 come in the room of circumcifion and the 
 fprinkling of blood, or has fuperfeded them, 
 and fupplies their place in the church of 
 God under the gofpel. That it is called 
 ** the circumcifion of Chrift," is clear from 
 
Sect. VIIT. the JJiGstoVc Cominission, 151 
 
 the pafrajre above quoted. It is alfo called 
 « the fprinklhig of the blood of Jcfus Chrill." 
 Apoftates from the faith of Chrifl are faid 
 to <« count the blood of the covenant where- 
 " with they were fancbified an unholy 
 *' thing."* Sanctilication here mufl mean 
 
 * Some interpreters think, that Christ, and not 
 the apostate from chi-istianity, is liere (ileb. x. 29.) 
 said to be acmctijicd by the blood of the covenant ; as 
 they cannot allow apostates to have been sanctiSed, 
 or purified fi'om sin. But ihis objection originates in 
 a mistake of the meaning of the word sanctificatioii 
 in this passage ; wherein it can only mean an exter- 
 nal dedication or setting apart of a person to the 
 service of God. Even on their own h} pothesis, this 
 only crin lie its sense. ^Christ liad no sin, and conse- 
 quently could not he cleansed from it. WHien' the Fa- 
 thei- then is said to s.'mctify hina, and send him into 
 the W(;rid, the meaning must be, he set him apart 
 for his office: and when he is said to saiictify himself^ 
 it mc'ins that l;ie devoted hiniseif to the str\ice allot- 
 ted" him, b\- suomittiag to be sprinkled by the blood 
 of his s icrihce, according to liie law of ilie priest- 
 hood Ag iin, the Hebrews knew perfectly the 
 
 meaning of sanctificaiion by the blo;.d of the cove- 
 nant ; as their fathers had bt-en so sanctified in the 
 time of Moses, who took the blood and sjjrinkled it 
 on all the people,- saving, " This is the' bl-jod of the 
 " covenant," Sec. N(av, that Paul, in the verse be- 
 fore us, refers to that transaction,- I think is indis- 
 putably eviden.t. This ascertains its sens-c Moses 
 was set apart to be mediator in the covenant at Si- 
 
122 Water rcliresents the Blood of Jems, Sect. VIII. 
 
 baptifm, as in no other fenfe can apoflates 
 be faid to have been fan£tified. But this 
 fanctification is by the blood of the cove- 
 nant ; and confequently the water in baptifm 
 reprefents the blood of Jefus, and the act 
 itfelf, the fprinkling of that blood. Thus 
 the true baptifm of Chrift not only « wafhes 
 "the body with pure water," which was 
 the part of the ancient baptifm, but it alfo 
 " fprinkles the heart from an evil con- 
 " fcience," as the blood of the facrific ani- 
 mal " fprinkled to the purifying of the 
 flefli." 
 
 nai, before he entered on the office. Hence, he did 
 not sprinkle the blood on hinnself, but " on the 
 " people." Paul, then, cannot mean, that Christ, 
 acting as mediator of the better covenant, sprinkled 
 the blood on himself, but " that he might sanctify the 
 " people, with' his ov/n blood, he suffered witliout the 
 " gate"...,Bcsides, baptism was always called sanctili- 
 cation by the Jews, as also by the Christians for 
 several centuries, as a visible dedication to the ser- 
 vice of God Finally, I cannot see how a person 
 
 can be said to trample under foot, and to profane, a 
 blood, which was never sprinkled upon him, or with 
 which he had no connection These reasons deter- 
 mine me to think that it is the apostate, who is here 
 said to have been sanctified, i. e, sprinkled with the 
 .blood of the covenant in baptism. 
 
Sect. VIII. Practice of the Jj.ostlrs, 123 
 
 Having examined the apoilles' commiffioil 
 to baptize, and feen it extend to infants as 
 well as adults, let us now proceed to exam- 
 ine 
 
 The Practice of the Jposfles nvith resfiect to Infant- 
 baptism. 
 
 From the fhort hiilory we have of the 
 adminiftration of baptifm by the apoftles, 
 there ariics the higheil degree of probabili- 
 ty, that they baptized infants as v»ell as a- 
 dults. We rend of their baptizing whole 
 houieholds : Lydia, for inftance, and her 
 houiehold ; the jailor, and all that were his ; 
 and the hcufehold of Stephaiius. Now, is 
 it probable, or even credible, that in all the 
 houfeliolds baptized tiiere was not one child ? 
 And fuppofir^g that there were an infant in 
 any of thefe families, and the infant exclud- 
 ed J"fom baptifni, we might certainly have 
 expefted to find this on record ; particular- 
 ly, as this v/ould have been an entire novel- 
 ty in the church of the living God. For 
 many hundred years, even from the days of 
 Abraham, infants had a place in the vifibls 
 church, by divine appointment. Had they 
 been now excluded from this ftation, and 
 L 2 
 
124 Of Infant -baptistn in Sect. Mil. 
 
 caft out into the heathen v/orld, fo great a 
 change would certainly have been particular- 
 ly marked in the fcriptures. Nothing lefs 
 tlv3.n a divine law could exclude infants from 
 this privilege ; and if any fuch law had been 
 made, it muil: have been recorded in fome 
 part of the f^icred records. It mufl be found 
 either in the words or praftice of the apof- 
 tles. The nlence of the New Teftament, 
 then, on this head, renders it evident that 
 no fuch law ever exilled. 
 
 Of Irfcnit-bapiism in the Primitive Churche.'s, 
 
 The uniform practice of the primitive 
 churches, immediately fucceeding the apof- 
 toiic age, aitords evidence on this point, a- 
 mounting, in my apprehenfion, to a certain- 
 ty. Such as lived in fo early a period as 
 the firfl, fecond, and third, centuries, un- 
 doubtedly knew what was the pra6i:ice 
 of the apoflles tliemfelves ; and as the 
 churches in thofe periods remained, in a 
 great meafure, uncorrupted by innovations 
 and fuperflitions, no change of that pra6lice 
 could ha\ e taken place v.^ithout very confid- 
 erabie oppofition. Or if fome churches had 
 deviated in this refpeiSl, it is incredible that 
 the whole would fo early have apoftatized 
 
Fecu VIII. the Primitive Churches, 125 
 
 from the original inflitution. But the writers 
 of thcfe times not only atteft that infant- 
 baptifm was pracliiled in their times ; but 
 fome of them exprefsly declare, that it was 
 the practice of the apoilles themfelves. Did 
 their teftimony, indeed, contradicl any thing 
 faid in the facred oracles, it would be total- 
 ly inadmillibJe ; but fmce it correfponds fo 
 exaftiy with every fuggeftion of icripture, 
 we cannot reje<£l: it, unlefs we choofe to fay 
 — what would tend to invalidate the authen- 
 ticity of the fcriptures themfelves — that the 
 primitive churches v/ere all liars. 
 
 We might produce a large cloud of wit- 
 ncfles in proof of this point — even all the 
 writers of the firil feven centuries. But as 
 all thefe have been adduced in evidence, by 
 other writers on this fubje61:, I fiiall mention 
 only a very few. 
 
 Juftin Martyr wrote his 2d apology about 
 the year 148 ; in which he fays, there were 
 chrifHans then living, fome feventy years 
 old, who had been niade difciples to Chrifl 
 from their infancy, and therefore muft have 
 been baptized in the firfh age, while fome of 
 the apoilles were living. He alfo calls bap- 
 
126 Of Infant-bafitism in Sect. ^. III. 
 
 tifm, the fpiritual circumcifion, as fucceeding 
 the circumcifion in the flefh. 
 
 Irenxus, Bifhop of Lyons, born about the 
 year 97, a difciple of Polycarp, who was a 
 difciple of John the Divine, and fo could 
 not be miflaken about the praftice of the 
 churches down to his time, exprefsly men- 
 tions the baptifm of infants. As baptifm Is 
 the outward fign of ^regeneration, it is called 
 by him and many others, regeneration, the 
 thing fignified put for the fign, by a ufuai 
 figure in fcripture. " When Chrift" fays 
 he, '' gave his difciples the command of re- 
 " generating unto God, he faid — Go and 
 '^ teach all nations, baptizing them, in the 
 <* name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 « of the Holy Ghoft." To which he adds, 
 " Chriit came to fave thofe, v/ho by him 
 <« are regenerated unto God, (/. c. baptized,) 
 '' both infants and little ones, and young 
 " men and elderly perfons." 
 
 Origen was bom about the year 183, with- 
 in 100 years of the apoftles. Both his fa- 
 ther and grandfather were chriftians. He 
 was one of the mod learned men of that 
 age, and had preached the gofpel in Rome, 
 
h'ect. Mil. the Primitive Churches^ 127 
 
 Greece, Palefline, and Syria, and fo could 
 not but be acquainted with the ufages of all 
 the churches. This great author exprefsly 
 declares infant-baptifm to have been in con- 
 ftant ufe in the churches. " The baptifm 
 *' of children," fays he, " is given for the 
 *« remiffion of fins." This he fays in his 
 eighth homily, v/hile proving the do61:rine of 
 original fin : . And in his comment on the Ro- 
 mans, he exprefsly fays, that infant-baptifm 
 WAS derived from the apoftles themfelves. 
 
 TertuUian, contemporary with Origen, 
 has been often adduced by the Baptifls in 
 proof of their fide of the queftion : where- 
 as he furniflies us with the ftrongeft evidence 
 that infant-baptifm was the uniform practice 
 of the church in his day. 
 
 It is true, he fpeaks againft it in common 
 cafes, and advifes that it fhould be delayed 
 till grown to years, yea, till after mariage. 
 The reafon was, becaufs he had a notion 
 that fins committed after baptifm were next 
 to, if not utterly, unpardonable : hence he 
 advifed the delay of baptifm, unlefs in cafe 
 of neceflity, till after marriage, imagining 
 people would then be lefs liable to temptation. 
 
128 Of Infant-baptism in Sect. VIII. 
 
 Tills evidently proves that infant-baptifm vi^as 
 the practice of the church. If it were not 
 fo, why Ihould he fpeak againft it ? Surely 
 he would not iiglit with his own fhadow, or 
 oppofe a cuiloai that had no exiiience. Be- 
 fides, he did not fay infant-baptifm was un- 
 lawful, as he allowed it in cafe of neceffity, 
 i, e, when the child was in danger of death, ; 
 and only difapproved of it for the abfurd 
 reafon above mentioned. 
 
 The writings of Ambrofe, Auftin, and 
 other fatiiers, have been produced in this i 
 argument. • They exprefsiy tell us, that j 
 infant-baptifm had been conftantiy in ufe ■, 
 from the time of the apoftles. But I (hall \ 
 only produce, farther, the teftimony of Pe- » 
 lagius, who, in the fifth century, denied o- 1 
 rirjinal fm. In anfwer to him, Auitin in- j 
 fills on the baptifm of infants, wl^ich was | 
 the known and ftanding pra£l:ice of the i 
 churches, as an argument to prove their na- 
 tural deiilement- " Infants," fays he, " are, 
 " by all chriilians, acknowledged to itand in 
 '< need of baptifm, which nlull be in them I 
 '' for original fin, fmce they have no other.'* 
 Pelagius was much puzzled with this argu- 
 ment, yet does not deny that infants fliould 
 
Sect. VIII. the Primitive Churches, 129 
 
 be baptized. So far from this, when fome 
 
 charsced him with fuch denial as the necelT 
 
 '& 
 
 ry confequence of his do6lrine, he repels the 
 charge thus — " Men ilander me, as if I de- 
 «* nied baptifm to infants ; whereas I never 
 *' heard of any, not even the worft of here- 
 ** tics, that would fay fuch a thing of infants." 
 
 Upon this, Mr. Boftwick, in his fermon 
 on infant-baptifm, very juftly obferves — 
 ' This confeffion is the ftrongeil demonftra- 
 * tion, that infant-baptifm was univerfally 
 
 < pra6lifed, time out of mind, or elfe he, 
 
 < v/hofe intereft it v/as to deny it, to anfwer 
 
 < the arguments of his adverfary, v/ould cer- 
 « tainly have done fo. But fo far is he from 
 *■ that, though his caufe required it, he ex- 
 « prefsly declares, he does not deny it, nor 
 ' ever heard of any tliat did.' Now Pela- 
 gius was a great fchoiar, and a great travel- 
 ler. He had been at Rome, Africa, Egypt, 
 and Jefufalem., w'here he fpent much time, 
 and therefore mud have been acquainted 
 with the rites of the fathers, and cultoms of 
 the churches, in all thofe parts •, and yet he 
 declares that he had never heard of any that 
 der.ied baptifm to infants. It is tVen as plain 
 as hiflory can make it, that there had then 
 
130 Of Infant'bnpthm in Sect. VIII. J 
 
 been no difpute about the point ; and that 
 there was not, neither had been, any fe^ ^ 
 l^rofeffing chriftianily, that denied it, from \ 
 the apoflles' time to that day. Nor is there 1 
 the leaft evidence, that it was ever oppofed | 
 by any man or fociety of men, for a long 
 time after. The confequence, then, is, If in- 
 fant-baptifm be a nuUity, and not Chriil's in- 
 ftitution, then the churches loft an ordinance 
 of Chrifl during all this period. Nay, they 
 muft have lofh it in the very firft ages and 
 pureft times, and there mull have been no 
 regular baptifm, no chriftian minifters or or- 
 dinances, for fo many centuries. Many a- 
 dults were indeed baptized during that pe- 
 riod; fome of whom might become miniflers 
 of the word ; but they baptized infants, and 
 confequently were not chriftians, according 
 to the view of the Baptlfls. 
 
 Again, if infant-baptifm had, in any of 
 thefe periods, been introduced by men, and 
 had not been the cuftom of the church from 
 the time of the apoftles ; how flrange is it, 
 that we have no account, no, not the leall 
 hint, in all antiquity, when, or by whom, 
 it was introduced ? Had it been human in- 
 vention, would it have been fo univcrfal in 
 
F-cct. MIX. the Primitive Churches, 331 
 
 the {irft 300 years, and yet no record left, 
 when it was introduced, nor of any difpute 
 or controverfy about it f This is incredible. 
 
 It may be added. Since no man has au- 
 thority to baptize, who h?s not been bap- 
 tized himfelf, and a regular fucceflion of 
 adult-bap tifms cannot be pretended, how, 
 then, can any man, with a good confcience, 
 ioin the prefent Baptiils ? All the prefent a- 
 dult-baptifm, if traced back, muft come o- 
 riginally from thofe who were baptized in 
 infancy, and confequently, on their princi- 
 ples, can have no validity in them. Since, 
 then, no man can be eiteemed a chrillian, 
 who has not received Chrift's baptifm, vifible 
 chriilianity muft perifh for ever, uniefs Chrift 
 fhali fend us apollles to baptize us again. In 
 fliort, en tlie Baptift-plan, there neither is, 
 nor can be, a church of Chrift on earth. 
 
 The above quotations from the fathers are 
 not produced to determine whether or not 
 infant-baptifm be an inftitution of Chrift •, 
 but to afcertain a matter of fact, viz. that in- 
 fants have been baptized in all the churches 
 of Chrift, from the days of the apoitles to 
 
 M 
 
132 Practice of the Primitive ChurcJics. £ect. Mil. 
 
 their times. Of this, they muft be allowed 
 to be competent judges ; and confequently, 
 the fa£t ftands indifputably evident. 
 
 The fum of the argument for infant-bap- 
 tlfm {lands thus — From the days of Abra- 
 ham, by divine appointment, infants had 
 been admitted into the church of the living 
 God, by a fign common to infants and 
 adults — In the New Teftament a fign of the 
 fame intention is appointed, while we have 
 not the obfcurefh hint of the exclufion of 
 infants from this privilege, either in the ap- 
 pointment itfelf, or in the apoftles' reafon- 
 ing on that fubjeft, or in their confequent 
 practice — On the contrary, the apoftles 
 feem to explain theh* commiffion to baptize, 
 as extending to infants as well as to adults, 
 confidering them, when born of believing 
 parents, as holy, and addrelnng them as in 
 the Lord — Nor is there any hint of the Jew- 
 ifh believers obje^ling to the apoilles' prac- 
 tice in this matter ; which they certainly 
 \vould have done, had they paganized their 
 children — Add to all this, that the whole 
 hiftory of the moft ancient churches of 
 Chrift tends to eftsblilh the faft, that infant-, 
 baptifm was pra<^iftd in the apoftolic f 
 churches — All which taken together afford/ 
 
Sect. IX. Answers to the Ba/:iisis' Qhjectirjus, 133 
 
 "fuch a high degree of evidence to the divin- 
 ity of this iiiilitution, as amounts to a cer- 
 tainty. 
 
 Thus wa have proved that infants were 
 admitted into the church of God, and never 
 have been excluded, fo far as we can fee, 
 by any divine appointment. It is the tali:, 
 then, of the Baptifts, to prove that they have 
 been fo excluded, otherwife their argument 
 is deftitute even of the fhadow of a proba- 
 bihty. 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 Anfwers to the Objections of the 
 Baptifts. 
 
 That we may judge with more precifion 
 in this m.atter, we mufl hear counfel on the 
 other fide. 
 
 I. The Baptifts derive their chief argu- 
 ment from the commiihon itfelf — " Go, dif- 
 *' ciple all nations, baptizing them :" telling 
 them " He that believeth and is baptized 
 
1J4 Jmr.orrs to the. Sect. IX. 
 
 <« flrall be faved." According to this law, 
 the nations muil firil be taught and profefs 
 their faith in the gofpel, ere they can be 
 baptized ; and hence it is concluded that 
 the Liw exchides infants from this facred rite. 
 Great ftrefs has been h\id on this argument : 
 let us fee how far it can bear it. 
 
 When God fent Mofes to deHver Ifrael from 
 Egypt, he commanded him to preach a gofpel, 
 the good news of deliverance, to them; tell- 
 ing them, that whoever kept the paiTover, and 
 the fprinkling of blood, in faith of falvation 
 from the deftroyer, fhould be delivered. In 
 confequence of this faith they " were all 
 " baptized into Mofes in the cloud ai)d in 
 " the fea." Hence, the Baptifts, if they 
 will keep by their argument, muil neceflar- 
 ily conclude, that all the infants cf Ifrael 
 M^ere left in Egypt. They could not under- 
 ftand Mofes, nor profefs the faith by keep- 
 ing the palibvcr and the fprinkling of blood, 
 more than our infants now can hear and 
 believe the apoflollc gofpel. Mofes, too, 
 was commanded to preach to them only 
 that were capable of hearing and underftand- 
 ing what he faid : confcquently, no infant 
 could lav/fully be baptized into Mofes I 
 
Sect. IX. Laliiktii' Qbjtchom, 135 
 
 Again, When Mofes gave this law at Si- 
 nai, he laid, " Hear, O Ifrael, — Thou flialt 
 <« love the Lord thy God," ^c. Thus the 
 law or covenant was addrelled to adults, 
 fuch as could hear and underftand him, and 
 fay, " All that the. Lord hath fpoken we will 
 <' do, and will be obedient." In teftimony 
 of this faith, they had the blood of the 
 covenant fprinkled on them, or they -were 
 baptized — " Mofes took the blood of the 
 <»' covenant, and fprinkled it on all the 
 *' people," or on the twelve pillars repre- 
 fenting all the tribes. Had the Baptills lived 
 then, they would certainly have argued, that 
 this covenant did not include infants, as 
 there is no word of fprinkling any but fuch 
 as, in confequence of hearing the law preach- 
 ed, profeiled faith in, and obedience to, it. 
 Yet nothing can be more evident than this, 
 that the covenant was not made with them 
 only v*^ho were taught the law, but. with 
 their little ones alfo. 
 
 The truth is, every law is addreffed imme- 
 diately to adults ; yet every man living in 
 fubjeftion to that law, conliders his children 
 as under the fame law, and trains them up in 
 
 AC 2 
 
136 Jiiisivers to the Sect. IX. 
 
 that idea. Thus Ifrael was commanded to 
 teach the law of God diligently to their chil- 
 dren, viewing them as bound by that law ; 
 thus alfo, chriftian parents are charged to train 
 up their children in the nurture and admoni- 
 tion of the Lord, that, from their childhood, 
 they might know the fcriptures, — evidently 
 fuppofing that the children were bound to 
 obey them. 
 
 If it be ilill urged, that faith is always con- 
 fidered as a necefiary pre-requilite to baptifmj 
 we anfwer, faith was always a pre-requifite 
 to admilTion into the covenant of God, and 
 to the fign of fuch admilhon. It was as ne- 
 ceiTary under the law as under the gofpel. 
 Such as kept the paflbver by faith in the di- 
 vine promife of deliverance from deftruftion 
 in Egypt, were baptized into Moles in the 
 cloud and in the fen. Such as believed the 
 promife of Canaan, and promifed a corref- 
 ponding obedience, were fprinkled with the 
 blood of the covenant. The bleflings of that 
 covenant were promifed to fuch only as be- 
 lieved. Only the believer entered into the 
 promifed rcli. Others could not enter in, 
 bccaufe of unbelief. Abraham, too, believ- 
 • cd God before he was circumcifed, or receiv- 
 
Sect. IX. Bap tires' objections. 137 
 
 ed tlie feal of the rlghteoufnefs of the faith. 
 Yet is it not certain that the children of thefe 
 behevers, even infants incapable of believ- 
 ing, enjoying all thefe promifes, and received 
 the ligns or feals of them, as well as their pa- 
 rents ? how weak, then, is it to argue, that 
 infants, while incapable of believing, can 
 have no vifible intereft in, or title to, the 
 fign of a covenant. Faith is required only 
 of adults. This was as ftriftly required un- 
 der the Old Teftament as under the New. 
 If the want of it, then, exclude infants now 
 from the fign of the covenant, it muft have 
 dene fo formerly. 
 
 Yet every initiation of a child into the 
 church of God, proceeded on the foot of a 
 profeffion of faith in the divine promife, on 
 which the church was founded. Abraham 
 profeffed this faith, and hence, as a fign of 
 it, circumcifed his infant, Ifaac, as well as 
 himfelf. If any Ifraelite forfook the faith, 
 his child had no title to circumcifion. The 
 cafe is the fame with refpe6l to baptifm. 
 
 But, fays Mr. M'Lean, if infant-baptifm 
 reft on the faith of the parent, we mufb be 
 fure our parents were believers, ere we can 
 
138 Ansnvers to the Sect. IX. 
 
 be fure that we have received chriftian bap- 
 tifm*. D'Anvers fays the fame thing : and 
 a weak faying it is. It militates equally a- 
 gainft adult-baptifm. How many have the 
 Baptifts dipped who never really believed ? 
 Does this render their baptifm unchriftian ?" 
 If not, no more can it render our baptifm 
 of none eltc£^, whether the faith of our pa- 
 rents were real or only profefied. 
 
 II. The Baptifts demand of us either pre- 
 cept or example for infant-baptifm; neither of 
 v^hich, fay they, can be found in fcripture. 
 To this we reply, We have clearly proved that 
 infants were initiated into the church of God, 
 by all the rites of divine inftitution for that 
 purpofe, from Abraham to Chrift. Even the 
 children of profelytes were circumcifed and 
 baptized. Now, as Chrifb, when he com- 
 manded his apoftles to baptize, did not exclude 
 infants, they muft undoubtedly be included 
 in the commiffion. Had he intended to al- 
 ter the law and pra(Sl:ices of baptifm, fo uni- 
 verfal in the Jewifli church, he would cer- 
 tainly have fpecified the alteration in the 
 commiflion itfelf. But as no fuch thing can 
 be found in the commiflion, the apoftles 
 muft have proceeded to adminifter baptifm, 
 
 » Defence, £cc. p. 81. 
 
Sect. IX. BaJ:Usts' objcccion^, 139 
 
 not only to every profelyte, but to cA^ery In- 
 fant of a profelyte to the faith of their maf- 
 ter, as tliis had been the practice of the 
 church of God in all paft ages. This being 
 the cafe, we have no occafion for exprefs 
 examples of . infant-bnptifm. Every profe- 
 lyte to the fa'th of Chriu: would undoubted- 
 ly aflc this privilege for their infants ; nor 
 could the apoilles refufe to grant it, as their 
 mafter had no where prohibited them. Ac- 
 cordingly, they fpeak of the infants of be- 
 lievers as in the Lord^ and holy — titles never 
 given to any but to fuch as had received the 
 " fign of initiation into the holy covenant. 
 This afcertains the apoftolic practice in this 
 mattei. — It belongs, then, to the Baptiils, 
 to prove that our Lord prohibited the bap- 
 tifm of infants, or that the apoflles refufed 
 to baptize them. Till they do this, which 
 I can venture to fay they never will, Infant- 
 baptifm (lands on the mod Incontrovertible 
 evidence*. 
 
 * Since this Dissertation v/ent to the press, I have 
 read IVIr. M'Lean's new pertbrmance, entitled, The 
 Mature ajid Imjiort of bajitism. \\\ p. 2. he says> 
 " As baptism is an institution peculiar to the new and 
 " better covenant, so it is to be found in that book 
 
140 .4nszvcrs! to the Sect. IX, 
 
 III. They fay baptifm can be of no ufe to 
 infants, as they are incapable of underftand- 
 ing its import and defign. — This objection is 
 a replying againll God, who commanded in- 
 fants to be admitted into his church by cir- 
 cumcifion. Infants can underftand the im- 
 port and defign of baptifm, as well as the 
 infants of old underftood the intention of 
 
 " called the New Testament, or Covenant, and there 
 " only." Then he proceeds to charge all who ^Yould 
 look into the Old Testament for any thing relating 
 to this institution, as having " something else in their 
 " view than the simple institution of Christ." These 
 are strange assertions! I hope my reader will find 
 the contrary clearly proved in the abo\ e sheets....! 
 now add. Did not John bajjtize? Was his baptism 
 jieculiar to the New Covenant, or, in other words, 
 to the New Testament church :.... Again, The word 
 church " is to be found in tlrat book called the New 
 " 'I estament, and there ouUi ;" must we not, then, 
 on this gentleman's principles, conclude, that a church 
 " is an institution jjecnliar to the New and better 
 " Covenant," and that there was no church under 
 the Old Testament I If so, Avill it not also follow, that 
 this gentleman, who finds a church in the Old Tes- 
 tament, containing all that is essential to the consti- 
 tution of a society of that kirui, must surely " have 
 " something else in his view than the simple institu- 
 <' tion of Ciu'ist?" So fair!}' do his own words condema 
 him !....Commcntators too frequently take the liber- 
 ty to differ from Paul in sentiimnts^ but generally 
 
Sect. IX. Bajuiat^' oljcctioiis, 141 
 
 circumcifion, baptifm, and the fprmkilng of 
 blcod. I add, lafmg c?i hnndj was a divine 
 crdinance, and i^ put on a level with bap- 
 tifm, Heb. vi. 2. But Jeius laid his hands 
 on infants and blefibd them \ though they 
 underilocd not the import of that action. 
 How inconclufive, then, is this argument of 
 the Baptiiis ! It only dilplays their own ig- 
 
 take care not to contradict him in express terms. 
 Tills author, howe\ cr, is not so delicate. Paul ex- 
 pressly say£....The law stood " in di'\erso baptisms." 
 No, sa} s Mr. iM'Lean, there is no such institution as 
 baptism "to be found in the Old Testament 1" 
 
 In the preface to this new work, it is observed that 
 " the controversy stems now to be pretty much ex- 
 " hausted, there being oT late years little jjubhshed 
 " on that subject, but a rej-etilion of former argu- 
 " ments." it must be owned, this author has taken 
 care to verify this assertion in his present work, as 
 there is not cue sentiuicnt, aigument, or the shadow 
 of an argument, to be leuaa in it, relathig to the 
 subjects or mode of baptism, ^^ hich this ciuthor hr.n- 
 self has net published btfoi e, jjarticuhirly in his " l)e- 
 " fence of beiiever-baptism." Kev.' writers must have 
 new readers; and a new arrungemtnt of argument 
 may give additional v.eight to the argument : but it 
 is hard to see for v»'hat pur};cse the ta^ne author re- 
 publishes the fianie ideas, wilhnut so much as at- 
 len.pting to engage atiention afresh by e\en a di- 
 versiiicadou ct ei^iretsicn. 
 
142 JiiAivn-s :o the Sect. IX. 
 
 • 
 norance. Baptlfm eptitles infants to the care 
 of the church — to be educated in the nur- 
 ture and admonition of the Lord. Thus 
 they are fecured, during non-age, againil 
 ignorance, error, and idolatry — a privilege 
 of the higheil importance. 
 
 IV. It is argued, That this practice con- 
 founds the church with the world, making 
 the birth of the fiefli entitle one to a place 
 in the kingdom of God. A fenfelefs objec- 
 tion indeed • Did circumcifion and baptifm 
 of old, confound the church with the world ? 
 Or rather, was it not the very badge of dif- 
 tinftion between believers and heathens ? It 
 was fo, while in non-age \ but if, wlieii 
 children arrived to riper years, they turned 
 afide from the true God to idols, they were 
 cut off from the congregation of the Lord, 
 as heathens. In this cafe they fliewed that 
 they were not Jews; for he never was a 
 Jew, who was one only outwardly. It is fo 
 ftill. As foon as any baptized in infancy 
 fiiakes ofF the profefiion of the faith of Je- 
 fus, or denies it in practice, that foul is to 
 be cut off from his people, as a heathen man 
 and publican. 
 
Sect. IX. Bajiiists' objectio7is, 143 
 
 Had this argument any weight, it would 
 be of equal force againft adult-baptifm. In 
 both ways, hypocrites are blended with true 
 believers. Simon Magus was of the world ; 
 yet he received adult-baptifm. Did this con- 
 found the church with the world ? No : as 
 foon as his hypocrify appeared, he was 
 caft out of the church. He would have 
 fhared the fame fate, had he been bap- 
 tized in infancy. 
 
 Nor does infant-baptifm proceed on the 
 fuppofition, that the birth of the fleih en- 
 titles one to a place in the kingdom of God. 
 The fleflily birth never conferred fuch a 
 claim. It did not fo even in the national 
 kingdom of Ifrael. Abraham believed God, 
 and then was circumcifed, with his feed. 
 In like manner, every Jew profeffrng the 
 faith of Abraham had a title to circumcifion 
 for his child. But as foon as any Jew def- 
 pifed or difbelieved the promife, he was no 
 longer confidered as a Jew himfelf, nor had 
 his infant feed any title to circumcifion. 
 The children of the flelh never were the chil- 
 dren of God : only the children of the prom- 
 ife, or fuch as profeiTed faith in the promife, 
 
 N 
 
144 Jnsnvcrs to the Sect. IX. 
 
 were counted for the feed. Many of Ifrael 
 fell fliort of the kingdom of Canaan. Why? 
 Were they not Abraham's fleilily feed ? Yes: 
 but they were not the children of his faith : 
 They could not enter in, becaufe of " unbe- 
 " lief." As loon as Efaudefpifcd his birth- 
 right, neither he nor his feed had any title to 
 circumcifion, or to a place in the kingdom 
 of Canaan. While the parent continued in 
 the faith, his child was confidered as of the 
 fame faith, and fo had a title to circumcifion, 
 the feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith. 
 The cafe is precifely the i\ime now. Not a 
 connexion with a parent as of the flefh, but 
 a conne6i:ion with a parent as of the faith, 
 can entitle a child to a place in the vifible. 
 kingdom of Jefus Chrifh. — In fliort, no ob- 
 jection can be brought againfl infant-baptifm, 
 but what is equally llrong againll infant-cir- 
 cumcifion. 
 
 V. The argument taken from circum- 
 cifion will excite the fneer of the Baptifts. 
 They tell us, circumcifion was a fign of the 
 Old Covenant, the feal of a right to an earth- 
 ly inheritance and tem.poral privileges, in- 
 tended to diilinguilh the fleflily feed of Abra- 
 ham; to v/hich one had a claim by his birth 
 
Sect. IX. Baptists' objections. 145 
 
 of the flefli ; whereas baptifm Is a fign of the 
 New Covenant, a fign of fpiritual and heaven- 
 ly bleflings, to which no man is born heir 
 by his natural birth : and confequently we 
 cannot infer the right of infants to baptifm 
 from the right they had to circumcifion. — 
 This is the leading error of the Baptifts, 
 involving in it a vaft number of miitakes of 
 no fmall importance, and, of confequence, it 
 requires a very minute difcuflion : but as 
 fuch an inveftigation would fill a too difpro- 
 portionate department in this DilTertation, I 
 havereferved it for a feparate publication, 
 announced in the preface to this fmall per- 
 formance. — In the mean time, the argument, 
 taken from the admiiTion of profelytes with 
 their infants, by baptifm under the law, in 
 fupport of the continuance of that pra6lice 
 under the gofpel, (lands inviolably firm, fe- 
 cured againft the keeneft attacks of the ene- 
 my. 
 
 VI. The argument derived from the prac- 
 tice of infant-baptifm in the firft chriftian 
 churches after the apoftolic age, has been 
 ftrongly oppofed. Baptifts have denied the 
 fad, although the truth of it be fupported 
 N 2 
 
146 Oingin of the Bafitists» Sect. IX. 
 
 by fuch inconteftible evidence, that it muft 
 feem amazing how any could ever prefume 
 to call it in qusftion. To invalidate the evi- 
 dence, they have pretended to produce a 
 variety of inilances of children born of chrif- 
 tian parents, who were not baptized when 
 young : but this is a mere aflertion, unfupport- 
 ed by- even the fliadow of proof. Many 
 eminent fathers in thefe churches were not 
 baptized till they arrived at manhood, but it 
 cannot be proven that their parents profefled 
 chriftianity at the time of their birth : and 
 although this could be proven, it would con- 
 clude, nothing with refpe£l: to the general 
 praftice of the churches ; as will be evident 
 to all who attend to the many falfe and 
 whimfical ideas which got pollellion of the 
 minds of many members of thefe churches 
 in a pretty early period. It will be worth 
 while to trace thefe ideas, particularly as 
 among them we will eafily find 
 
 The Origin of the Baptists^ 
 
 We have already feen, that the famous 
 Tertiillian had adopted a fancy, that every 
 fin committed after baptifm was either un- 
 pardonable, or nearly fo -, for which reafon 
 
Sect. IX. Origin of the Bajitists, U7' 
 
 he earneftly recommended the delay of bap- 
 tifm till at leafl the heat of youthful pafTion 
 fubfided. Now, as TertuUian was a man of 
 fuch eminence in his time, we may be fure 
 that an advice from him, urged with vehe- 
 mence, and fupported by fuch plaufible ar- 
 guments, could not fail to influence many. 
 This was alfo a leading opinion among the 
 feci: called Novatians ; in confequence of 
 which, infant-baptifm could not be pracl:ifed 
 among that feci : and I may add, nor adult- 
 baptifm either, till the hour of death, as 
 they denied the remiffion of fins to chriftians, 
 finning after baptifm. 
 
 Others again imagined, that the very acfl 
 of baptifm wafhed away all fin whatever, and 
 hence deferred baptifm, that every one might 
 gratify his lufts without reftraint ; knowing, 
 that if he could get himfelf baptized before 
 death, he was fure of a full remifiion. — 
 Others would delay baptifm till they had at- 
 tained the thirtieth year, becaufe Chrift was 
 baptized at that period of life. On a fimi- 
 lar pretence, Constantine the Great would not 
 be baptized but in the river Jordan ; and 
 hence, as he never came to that place, he 
 
148 Origin of the Baptists, Sect. IX. 
 
 did not fubmit to baptlfm till on his death- j 
 bed. Seme, moreover, deferred baptifm till 
 they could have accefs to be baptized by 
 fome eminent bifhop. — All thefe opinions, 
 and refutations of each of them, are to be 
 found in the writings of Bazil, Gregoryy 
 Nazianzeny Ckrysostom, AugusttJie's confession^ 
 and Eusehius^ life of Constatitine. 
 
 From the above fhort detail, it is eafy to 
 fee what a powerful and extenfive influence 
 thefe ideas mull have exerted among man- 
 kind — ideas fuited to the tafte of the whim- 
 fical, the capricious, thofe fond of novelty, 
 the lovers of pleafure ; fupported, at the 
 fame time, by men of talents, in eminent 
 flations, and renowned for piety and learn- 
 ing. Seeds fo congenial to the foil of man, 
 and cherifhed with fo much care, muft have 
 taken fuch a firm hold of the human heart, 
 that we need not wonder, if time itfelf has 
 not been able to extirpate them. Had they 
 not been checked in their progrefs by the j 
 ftrenuous efforts of men of great eminence J 
 in the churches, they would probably have \ 
 overfpread the far greater part of the chrif- 
 tian world. The votaries of thefe opinions, 
 however, ftill maintained a footing in various 
 
Sect. IX. Origin of the Ha/in&ts, 149 
 
 places; and although, for a long time, they 
 feem to have inculcated the delay of bap- 
 tifm for fuch reafons as have been mention- 
 ed, yet, as the tranfition from thefe to an 
 abfolute denial of the divine authority for 
 infant-baptifm, was fo very eafy, in procefs 
 of time, infants were excluded from baptifm 
 altogether, and that, as is ufual, in the name 
 of Jefus Chrifc. When or where this laft 
 idea had its birth, I imagine, cannot be af- 
 certained. It feems to have dwelt in ob- 
 fcurity for a time, till at laft it burft forth 
 from its folitude in the fixteenth century, 
 and made a very confiderable progrefs in 
 Germany, extending its influence to Holland, 
 Britain, and other countries ; in all which 
 it ftill maintains its ground. — Thus it has 
 allumed various form.s. At firft it deferred 
 the baptifm of infants on prudential con- 
 liderations ; at laft it divefted them of their 
 right, and made the facred oracles pronounce 
 againft them the fentence of exclufion. In 
 all ftages, however, it feems, unhappily, to 
 have laid a difproportionate ftrefs on, what 
 the fchoolmen call the opus operr.tum, the a6t 
 itfelf and the' mode of performing it. A 
 finger undipped would render baptifm of no 
 effect ! Would make it " a mere human or- 
 
150 Crigin of the Baptists* Sect. JX. 
 
 « dinance !" Scripture too, muft be called In 
 to fupport this fancy. — What has not been 
 fpoken and done in the name of the Lord? 
 — Falfe ideas in religion, mufl, it feems, ftill 
 be 
 
 THE MAGGOTS OF CORRUPTED TEXTS. 
 
 IFINIS. 
 
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