The the ancient Christians did receive their [ Church, and the very nature of Religion. baptism. "Tis a great want of prudence, For Religion is wholly personal, having as well as of honesty, to refuse to grant to its commencement in the new birth, and an adversary what is certainly true and uniformly manifesting itself by repentmay be proved so it creates a jealousy ance, faith, love, and obedience. of all the rest that one says. Church of Christ at large is composed of all those, and those only, who are renewed by his Spirit, who believe in his name, and who, from a principle of love to him, keep his commandments. The new birth alone, with its certain results, faith, hope, and love, forms the line of distinction between the Church and the world. "The Greek church, in all the branches of it, does still use immersion, and so do all other Christians in the world, except the Latins. All other Christians in the world who never owned the POPE's usurp ed power, do, and ever did, dip-in the ordinary use; and if we take the division of the world, from the three main parts of it, all the Christians in Asia, all in Africa, and about one-third part of Europe, in which are comprehended the Christians of Grecia, Thracia, Servia, Bulgaria, Rascia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Russia, Negra, and so on, and even the Muscovites, who, if coldness of country will excuse, might plead for a dispensation with the most reason of any." He also affirms that the burial of the body in water is much more solemn; and asks how a clergyman can answer to our Saviour, whose command is not to sprinkle a drop or two of, but to bury the whole body in, water. We might then ask, with the most respectful firmness, by what authority can the ordinance be changed? If it were desirable to extend the list of human testimonies, which, however, as authorities, the Baptists entirely disown, they might with advantage quote the distinguished MARTIN LUTHER, who says, "I could wish that such as are to be baptized should be completely immersed into water, according to the meaning of the word, and the signification of the ordinance; not because I think it necessary, but it would be beautiful to have a full and perfect sign of so perfect and full a thing; as also, without doubt, it was instituted by Christ." But the distinguishing peculiarity of the Baptists is, that they require a personal profession of faith in Christ as an indispensable requisite to the ordinance. One of their writers says: "This question is of high importance, not only in reference to the fulfilment of the positive command of our Lord, but also as it respects the constitution of his "Can it be pleasing to God, or beneficial to men, to teach them to esteem any circumstance or service, previous to the new birth, as constituting a part, or par taking of the nature of the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ? and ought the profession of Christianity to be a matter of mere imposition, or a matter of free conviction and choice? And if religion be personal, all religious acts and ordinances must be so. It is plain, that acts or ordinances of a different description, would be out of harmony with the character of religion itself. "The ordinances of Christianity then, like its duties, are enjoined, and enjoined only upon those who are capable of regarding them. Infants are, therefore, excepted, because they cannot perform the duties or observe the ordinances of our holy and spiritual religion. "Believers, and believers only, who have been convinced by the Word and Spirit of God, that they are in a sinful and dangerous condition, and who have been guided by the same Word and Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a Redeemer able and willing to forgive, and sanctify, and save them; these, and these only, are the proper subjects for the significant and solemn ordinance of Christian baptism." The view they take of the ordinance itself, necessarily confines it to those who profess faith in the Holy Redeemer. They say: CHRISTIAN BAPTISM is a personal profession of repentance towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ; and therefore is not to be administered to any but believers. What is required of persons to be baptized? Repentance, whereby they for 17, 18. sake sin, and faith, whereby they stead- | Ghost, arose and was baptized.—Acts ix. fastly believe the promises of God, made to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and obey him. Christian baptism represents that the sin of the candidate has been washed away in the blood of Christ; and therefore is to be administered to those only who personally profess to have experienced this spiritual cleansing. Christian baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God to the person baptized, and therefore ought to be administered to those only who are capable of enjoying a good conscience.-1 Peter iii. 21. Christian baptism is a public sign by which the disciples of Christ are known to each other and to the world, and therefore is to be administered to none but the disciples of Christ. "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."-Luke xiv. 27. Christian baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace; and therefore is to be administered to those only who have received the Holy Ghost.-Acts x. 47. The various instances of baptism as recorded in the New Testament, in their view, amply confirm the principles thus laid down. They refer their friends to the inspired oracles, and say that Those baptized by John confessed their sins.-Matt. iii. 6. The Lord Jesus Christ gave the command to teach and baptize.-Matt. xxviii. Cornelius and his friends heard Peter. received the Holy Ghost, and were bap tized.-Acts x. 44-48. Lydia heard Paul and Silas; the Lord opened her heart, and she was baptized, and her household.-Paul afterwards went to her house, and comforted the brethren. -Acts xvi. 14, 15, 40. The jailor, and all his house, heard the word, and were baptized, believing and rejoicing in God.-Acts xvi. 32, 34. Crispus, and all his house, and many Corinthians, heard, believed, and were baptized.-Acts xviii. 8. The disciples at Ephesus heard and were baptized.-Acts xix. 5. The household of Stephanus, baptized by Paul, were the first-fruits of Achaia, and addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.-1 Cor. i. 16; xvi. 15. Neither is there any difficulty in the Baptists showing, were it necessary, or if the opinions of others were matters of importance in religion, that not a few of those who have lived and died in the practice of other principles, have in theory agreed with them. Thus write some of the most eminent pædobaptists : "The subject of baptism, to whom it is to be administered, is a believer."-Limborch. "I think that illumination, as well as regeneration, in the most important and scriptural sense of the words, was regularly to precede the administration of that ordinance," i. e. baptism.-Doddridge, on Heb. vi. 4. "Faith and repentance were the great things required of those that At the day of Pentecost, they who were admitted to baptism: this was the gladly received the word were baptized, practice of John; this the practice of the and they afterwards continued steadfastly St. Sermons. "By the first preaching or Apostles in their ministry."-Watts, Berry in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship.-making of disciples that must go before Acts ii. 41, 42, 47. At Samaria, those who believed were the world that Jesus is the Christ, and baptism, is to be meant, the convincing baptized, both men and women. — Acts 19. Mark xvi. 15. 16. viii. 12. sent to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, and when any were brought to The eunuch openly avowed his faith, acknowledge this, THEN they were to bap(in reply to Philip's statement,-If thou tize them, to initiate them in his religion." believest with all thine heart thou mayest,)-Bishop Burnet, Expos, xxxix. Artic. and went down into the water and was baptized.-Acts viii. 35, 39. Saul of Tarsus, after his sight was restored, and he had received the Holy "Go and teach or disciple all nations, and so on, where there are two teachings, the one before, and the other after baptism."Bishop Patrick, Discourse on the Lord's gree probable that baptism was performed only in instances where both could meet together, and that the practice of infant baptism was unknown at this period. We cannot infer the existence of infant baptism from the instance of the baptism of whole families; for the passage in 1 Cor. xvi. 15, shows the fallacy of such a conclusion, as from that it appears that the whole family of Stephanas, who were bap tized by Paul, consisted of adults. That not till so late a period as (at least certainly not earlier than) Irenæus, a trace of infant baptism appears, and that it first became recognised as an apostolic tradition in the course of the third century, is evidence rather against than for the admission of its apostolic origin. If we wish to ascertain from whom such an institution origi nated, we should say, certainly not immediately from Christ himself. Supper. "Go disciple me all nations, baptizing them. This is not like some occasional historical mention of baptism, but it is the very commission of Christ to his Apostles, for preaching and baptizing, and purposely expresseth their several places and order. Their first task is, by teaching, to make disciples, which are by Mark called believers; the second work is to baptize them, whereto is annexed the promise of their salvation; the third work is to teach them all other things, which are afterwards to be learned in the school of Christ. To contemn this order is to renounce all rules of order; for where can we expect to find it if not here? I profess my conscience is fully satisfied from this text, that it is one sort of faith, even saving, that must go before baptism, and the profession whereof the minister must expect."-Baxter, Disput. of Right to Sac. p. 149, 150. "Because Christ requires teaching, before baptizing, and will have believers only admitted to baptism; baptism does not seem rightly ad-propriation of all which Christ promises ministered, except faith precede."-Calvin, in Harm. Evan. in Matt. xxviii. 19. One of the most modern testimonies of this kind, and one which will weigh much with many persons, is the distinguished German Ecclesiastical Historian, Neander, who, in his "HISTORY OF THE PLANTING AND Training of thE CHRISTIAN CHURCH BY the Apostles," says: "The words of Peter (on the day of Pentecost) deeply impressed many, who anxiously asked, 'What must we do?' Peter called upou them to repent of their sins, to believe in Jesus as the Messiah who could impart to them forgiveness of sins and freedom from sin,-in this faith to be baptized, and thus outwardly to join the communion of the Messiah. "Since baptism marked the entrance into communion with Christ, it resulted from the nature of the rite that a confession of faith in Jesus as the Redeemer would be made by the person to be baptized; and in the latter part of the apostolic age we may find indications of the existence of such a practice. As baptism was closely united with a conscious entrance on Christian communion, faith and baptism were always connected with one another; and thus it is in the highest de "Baptism denotes the confession of dependence on Christ, and the entrance into communion with him, and hence, the ap to those who stand in such a relation to him; it is the putting on Christ, in whose name baptism is administered, an expres. sion which includes in it all we have said. Gal. iii. 27. Paul might have said, All of you who have believed in Christ; but he said, instead of this,' As many of you as have been baptized unto Christ,' since he viewed baptism as the objective sign and seal of the relation to Christ into which men entered by faith." In the present day there are not a few persons who deny the perpetuity of the ordinance of baptism. But the Baptists maintain that it is as binding now, as at any former period; and present in favor of their views the following arguments : 1. That baptism was divinely instituted as an ordinance of the Christian religion, and administered by inspired apostles to both Jews and Gentiles, is plain from the preceding remarks. 2. There is no intimation that the law of baptism was designed to be restricted to any nation, or limited to any period of time. It is a general law, without any restriction, except that which refers to character-" he that believeth." 3. A divine law must continue obliga. tory until it is repealed by divine author ity. There is no intimation in the Scriptures that the law of baptism has been repealed, and therefore there is no reason to suppose its obligation has ceased. 4. The permanent duration of the ordinance is plainly implied in the promise: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. This important promise was given at the time the ordinance was instituted, and it plainly supposes the continuance of baptism " even to the end of the world." 5. Baptism is connected with the most important doctrines, duties, and privileges of the gospel. The Saviour connects it with the doctrine of the Trinity; preaching and believing the gospel; fulfilling all righteousness; and the promise of salvation. Matt. iii. 15; xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 16. Paul connects it with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; with the believer's dying unto sin, living unto God, and putting on Christ. Rom. vi. 3, 4. Gal. iii. 27. He connects it also with "one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all." Eph. iv. 46. Peter connects it with the "remission of sins." Acts ii. 38. And also, with salvation, and a good conscience. 1 Peter iii. 21. To discontinue the ordinance would be to dissolve its connexion with all these doctrines, duties and privileges. And who, without authority from the divine Author of the institution, can do this with impunity? 6. Baptism answers all the purposes at this day which it answered in the first age of Christianity, and these are as needful now as they were then. No reason can be assigned for the observance of the ordinance in the apostles' days, which will not apply in all its force to believers in every age of the Christian church. 7. The above considerations afford incontestible proof of the perpetuity of Christian baptism, and show that its observance is as obligatory at present as it was in the days of the apostles; and that it will continue to be as obligatory until the consummation of all things. 8. It being thus evident from the Scriptures that baptism is designed by the Head of the church to be co-existent with the gospel system, as a constituent part of it, and co-extensive with repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ; it is manifestly a great error to imagine that the obligation to baptism has ceased. There is not the slightest foundation for such opinion; against it there is the strongest evidence. Should this fall into the hands of any who dispute this statement, we would entreat them seriously to consider, whether they are not, through their mistaken opinions regarding the perpetuity of water baptism, doing great dishonor to the Saviour by disobeying his command, and to the Holy Spirit by rejecting his written will, in setting aside what the Scriptures so plainly teach to be binding on all believers to the end of the world. 9. To suppose that the necessity of water baptism is superseded by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is manifestly erroneous on two accounts: First:-There is now, in the scriptural sense of the words, no baptism of the Spirit. No miraculous gift, no converting operation, no sanctifying influence of the Spirit, is ever, by the inspired writers, called the baptism of the Holy Ghost, except what took place on the day of Pentecost, and at the first calling of the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. On these two occasions the promise of baptism in the Holy Ghost was fulfilled, and in reference to no other events do the sacred writers speak of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The bestowment of the Spirit on these two occasions is quite different from every former and every subsequent bestowment of the Spirit, so far as our knowledge extends. As the word of God mentions no other baptism in the Holy Ghost, than what took place at Pentecost, and in the house of Cornelius, we have no warrant to expect the scriptural baptism of the Spirit in the present day. We may, indeed, experience the converting and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, but these influences are not the scriptural baptism of the Spirit, nor ought we to call them the baptism of the Spirit. But if there is now, in the scriptural sense, no baptism of the Spirit, how can we reasonably suppose that baptism in water is rendered unnecessary by our being baptized in the Spirit? Secondly-But supposing every be liever was as truly baptized in the Holy Ghost as Cornelius was, this would in no wise diminish his obligations to be baptized in water. Did not the apostle Peter command the Pentecostal converts to be baptized? And is it not expressly recorded that they were baptized? Did not the same inspired apostle command Cornelius and his friends to be baptized in water, and assign their being baptized in the Holy Ghost as a reason for their being baptized in water? "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" Is it not passing strange, that what an inspired apostle urged as a reason for the observance of water baptism, should be adduced by some professing Christians as a reason for their neglect of that baptism? If the inspired apostle is right, those who argue in direct opposition to him must be wrong. And is it not to insult, rather than to honor the Spirit, to suppose that any influence from him, call it what we will, can justify our neglect of his commands? Surely it must grieve him, if we suppose that disobedience to God's word is a fruit of the Spirit? Can that within us which leads us to walk contrary to the light of Revelation, be the light of God's Holy Spirit? "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. viii. 20. Mr. Wesley justly observes on this passage, Peter "does not say, they have the baptism of the Spirit, therefore, they do not need baptism with water; but just the contrary. If they have received the Spirit, then baptize them with water.'" Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the seHaving thus fully stated the leading cret counsel and good pleasure of his will, arguments by which what are usually re- hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting garded the peculiarities of the Baptists glory, out of his mere free grace and are sustained, we introduce the following love; without any other thing in the creaas a declaration of their faith on the lead-ture as a condition or cause moving him ing doctrines of Christianity. It is im- thereunto. portant, however, that it should be well understood, that nowhere do the churches of this denomination require subscriptions to this or any other human creed as a term of fellowship. They adhere rigidly to the New Testament as the sole standard of Christianity. But as in England, in 1642, 1677, and 1689, our forefathers published to the world the views they generally en As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto; wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith |