ftand excufed before God and man, if I have any where fallen into an involuntary mistake.'

We apprehend others will think with us, that the productions of a man of fenfe and learning, who difcovers such a spirit, merit attention and regard, though he opposes fome prevailing opinion or practice, or even though he fhould in any inftance appear to be mistaken. For a general view of his me thod, we fhall lay before our readers a farther brief account of it, which he has given in the preface. The plan of the whole book is as follows: Baptifm is confidered as a thing in its own nature indifferent, but a duty on men, because commanded by our Saviour, and therefore to be done in fuch a manner, and fuch only, as he has commanded. To find out which, all the texts relating to baptifm are here quoted; not first laying down the doctrine, and then picking out texts to fupport it, but all that relate to each circumftance of baptifm are brought together, and endeavoured to be placed in the clearest order; and on viewing the whole, the meaning is fet down at the end of the number; and before any other old writer is examined, the fubftance of the doctrine of the New Teftament is fummed up at the end of the first part. The other chriftian writers are quoted in the fecond part, in order of time, and mentioning also the country where each lived; and all each author fays is ranged under feveral heads in the fame manner as in the first part; the author's meaning fet at the end of each number, and generally his whole opinion fummed up before I proceed to the next writer. In the third part, the doctrine of the whole is fummed up in order, and the opinions where different compared together, to find what was the original practice, and where and how alterations arofe, which feem to be thefe. That original fin is not a fcripture doctrine, but came in gradually afterward, and gathered ftrength by time. That all chriftians must be baptized in due time, but that thofe only were baptized at first, who were old enough to understand and believe the doctrine, till by baptizing children younger and younger, baptifm of infants came in, firft in the western church and afterward in the eaftern; the doctrine of original fin, and practice of infant baptifm keeping equal pace. The feveral ceremonies ufed in baptifm are alfo reckoned up; forgivenefs and divine affiftance are the benefits of baptifm; and an open profeffion and perfe vering in virtue the duties of it.'

To this general account we shall add a few extracts, which may give fome farther idea in what manner this Writer executes the plan he had formed.

Of the neceffity of baptifm.

Pet. ii. 21. Baptifm doth alfo now fave us.

f

Acts xxii. 16. Be baptized and wash away thy fins. Eph. v. 26. That he might fanctify it, cleanfing it by the wafhing of water in the word.

1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are washed, but ye are fanctified.

Heb. x. 22. Having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies wathed with pure water.

Tit. iii. 5. He faves us by the washing of regeneration.

John iii. 3, 5, 6. Unless a perfon (75) be born from above, he cannot fee the kingdom of God.-Unless a perfon be born of water and the fpirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the fpirit is fpirit.

The method which Chrift has appointed for admitting men into his church, and cleanfing their former fins, is baptifm. And notwithstanding all Gale's quotations and arguments, that TIVES fometimes means a few perfons out of a larger number, yet I think it is plain that is in John iii, means a certain perfon, any one who will become a christian, and that no one unlefs he be born of water and the fpirit is entered into Chrift's church, nor entitled to the peculiar rewards promised to it: for as our Saviour argues, from a natural birth can spring only a natural life, to a fpiritual one a renewal by the fpirit is required. This may fuffice in anfwer to Mr. Emlyn's previous question, whether baptifm is at all neceffary to the children of christians, or only to converts? which I look on as a good argumentum ad bominem, concluding against those who argue from the supposed Jewish profelyte baptifm, but nothing further. A child then born of chriftian parents, educated in chriftianity, attending the service and practising the precepts of it, as far as an unbaptized perfon may, cannot be called a compleat chriftian till he is baptized; and what reward fuch a one dying before baptifm will receive, depends on the undeclared good pleafure of God. But because the kingdom of heaven is promifed only to chriftians, to conclude with Auguftin and his followers, that all must perish, who without their own fault fail of being baptized, is without ground: all the promises in the Gospel are made to the doers of God's work, to him who pleafeth God, to him who keepeth the commandments, to him who refifts the devil, and to him who overcometh, &c. Again, all the threatenings are against the committers of wickedness, against murderers, drunkards, hypocrites, enticers to fin, &c. ; but I know of no declaration in the whole New Teftament what fhall be done with those who never knew good from evil, were never expofed to temptation, were never put to any trial of their obedience, nor ever had any opportunity to do or refufe their duty. This therefore, which can be known only by revelation, let us not prefume to determine our

felves, but be content to leave them to their merciful creator, well knowing that we are far fhort, than that we fhould love God's creature more than he who made it.-But though fuch as never heard are not required to believe, nor those who cannot know expected to practife, I fay nothing in behalf of such as being grown capable of both, causelessly delay their own baptifm; they are to be looked on as neglecters and despisers of what God has appointed, to their own mafter they must stand or fall!'

It has been argued with great appearance of truth, that in the laft charge concerning baptifm recorded by St. Matthew, the word Manleurale fhould be rendered profelyte or difciple; nor does it seem unreasonable to fuppofe that baptifm was to be, in respect to children, the initiating right or token of their being brought into the church of Chrift, that they might be educated in his doctrine and in obedience to his laws: but Mr. Barker does not admit of fuch an interpretation. What he fays upon it is as follows:

Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. (Mansurale) Convert all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Some would tranflate μabneurale difciple all nations, as if it referred to what follows, making them difciples by baptizing; but on comparing the ufe of the words, it appears that panlev μαθητεύω never means any difcipling but what comes by teaching, yet is fomething farther than teaching, that is to perfuade and convince by it. Mabnins alfo whence it is derived means one taught, either an immediate follower of Jefus, or one who by what he heard and faw was convinced that he was the Chrift; yet men were called fo on lefs belief before Chrift's refurrection than afterward.'

In the fourth chapter, the Author recites the qualifications for baptifm; from which we fhall give the following extract:

1 John ii. 12, 13. I write unto you children (тɛxva) becaufe your fins are forgiven you.-I write unto you children (waidia) becaufe ye have known the Father.

The fins of children as oppofed to fathers, being here faid to be forgiven, probably they were baptized before manhood; and fo far as this text goes, which is not exprefs, it is against those who delay it till full age or even longer, as too many of the antipædobaptifts do; but the age they were baptized at does not appear. Thofe here mentioned had understanding, else his writing to them were ufelefs; the word (TEXvia) alone fixes no time, being used of perfons of whatever age, as opposed to their ancestors whether immediate or remote; the perfons in these

two

two verfes are fons as oppofed to fathers, and children to young men; yet all were of fome confiderable age, the children (waidia) as opposed to young men, being faid to have known

the father.

Rom. xi. 16. If the firft fruit be holy fo is the lump, and if the root be holy fo are the branches.

1 Cor. vii. 14. The unbelieving hufband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fanctified by the husband'; elfe were your children unclean but now are they holy.

Mr. Emlyn, in his previous queftion, quotes these texts to fhew that chriftian children need no baptifm; and they are, I think, the best he can produce, as feeming to fpeak of a race purified by defcent from a pure ftock; yet I think by no means fufficient to fet afide a practice conftantly used from the first. Nor indeed is that in Romans fpoken of baptifm at all, but as the context proves, to fhew that the Jews, though rejected for a time, were not utterly caft off. Dr. Wall, on the contrary, quotes that in Corinthians to prove that they then baptized the infant children of chriftians: but we may obferve, that the unbelieving party is faid (ayasa) to be made holy, in the fame manner as it is faid the children (aya es) are holy, which muft not therefore be interpreted inconfiftently. Now I think none will fay, either that the unbelieving party needs no baptifm, or that the believing party's faith fits him for it; that therefore must not be faid of the child fo born.-But the meaning of the text feems to me to be this; Paul, in this chapter, tells the Corinthians, that they fhould marry only in the Lord; and elsewhere, Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; but he here explains himself, that he does not mean those who were married before converfion fhould part; in that case he advifes the believer not to part in hopes of converting the other, for that there was nothing unlawful in the union, nor were their children ever the worfe, but might probably be brought up chriftians, either by the converfion of the unbeliever, or at leaft by their own care and inftruction; chriftianity being fo much more reasonable, agreeable to unprejudiced minds, and favoured of God, than heathenifm.'

Thus our Author rejects thefe texts as to any favourable afpect they may wear refpecting infant baptifm; but there is nevertheless reafon to think that they have (at least the latter of them) fome confiderable importance and weight in the argument. It is well known, from feveral paffages of fcripture which have been produced and compared in this view, that the word holy, as applied to perfons, fignifies thofe who might be admitted to partake of the diftinguishing rites of God's people: and as to the fuppofition that, because the unbelieving party is

here

here faid to be fanctified by the believing wife or husband, that party continuing in unbelief might ftill be admitted to baptifm upon the fame plea as is drawn in behalf of infants; is not this ftraining the meaning of the text beyond its evident defign? For does not the plain import of it feem to be this; that though one of the married parties remained an unbeliever or a heathen, yet that party might be fo far regarded as holy by the connection with a believer, as not to render the children unclean, or deprive them of any benefits they might derive from chriftian parents? This obfervation happened to prefent itself while we were confidering what is here faid, and therefore we have given it a place, though we do not by any means take upon us to enter much into the controversy.

One chapter, in this part of the work, which investigates the fubject according to the accounts given of it in the New Teftament, is entitled, Of the feveral ceremonies of baptifm; and here we meet with fome conclufions which we fhould not have expected from this Writer. From fome places in scripture, in which chriftians are fpoken of as being fealed and anointed, as receiving the Spirit of adoption whereby they cry, Abba father, in which they are admonished to keep their garments undefiled, or faid to be cloathed in white, he infers, that baptized perfons were anointed with oil or ointment, to represent the gift of the spirit they were to receive; that in token of their adoption by baptifm, they immediately, on receiving it, called on God as their father by repeating the Lord's prayer, and that they received white garments with a charge to keep them pure. Is not this building too much upon conjecture? and is it not a manner of reafoning from the feriptures which has fomething of a dangerous tendency? It is indeed well known that ceremonies of this nature did pretty early prevail in the chriftian church, and at length degenerated into deep fuperftition: and fuch practices they endeavoured to fupport by fcripture, or rather by its mifinterpretation but there does not appear any ground to believe that thefe, or other ceremonies, were authorized by any precept or practice of Chrift or his apoftles.

After having confidered what the fcriptures offer upon this fubject, our Author, regarding the practice of the church in or near the Apofiles time, as a good comment on them, proceeds to fearch out, in order of time and place, the opinion of all the early chriftian writers: but for particulars, we must refer our readers to the book itfelf. One thing farther we must mention, as generally applicable to thofe writers who are unfavorable to the baptifm of infants, which is, that they do not feem fufficiently to diftinguish between the converts to chriftianity from judaifm and heathenifim, and the children of chriftians. With regard to the former, a declaration of faith and repentance