The first quotation is from Justin's First Apology, SECT. addressed to the emperor Antoninus Pius.

tyr,

V.

"I will now declare unto you also after what manner Justin Marwe, being made new by Christ, have dedicated ourselves A.D. 140. to God, lest, if I should leave out that, I might seem to deal unfairly in some part of my apology. They who are persuaded and do believe that those things which are taught by us are true, and do promise to live according to them, are directed first to pray and ask of God with fasting, the forgiveness of their former sins; and we also pray and fast together with them. Then we bring them to some place where there is water, and they are regenerated by the same way of regeneration by which we were regenerated; for they are washed with water in the name of God the Father and Lord of all things, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit." passage indeed appears to indicate that the identification of baptism and regeneration was gaining ground in the time of Justin; but it is certainly entirely in favour of believers' baptism.

This

calculated to do justice to the subject, and inspire confidence in his readers; although he has, through the powerful influence of educational bias, misapprehended some passages, and erred in his conclusions from the premises he has brought forward. His inserting the passages he quotes, in the original, entire and ungarbled, so that all who understand the Latin and Greek may judge of the fidelity of his translations, is worthy of all praise; and will render his volumes a valuable treasury of facts on this subject, when all the more ephemeral productions will have for ever sunk into oblivion. I may add, that to an unprejudiced mind, accustomed to investigate history, and to draw correct conclusions, the perusal of Dr. Wall's volumes will terminate in its full conviction, that believers are the only subjects, and immersion the only mode of baptism; even without the assistance of Dr. Gale's admirable Reply.

c Justini Apologia Prima (vulgo Secunda) ad Antoninum Pium.

There is another passage in Justin Martyr, that Dr. Wall, and some other podobaptists, deem to refer to the baptism of infants. "Several persons among us, of sixty or seventy years old, and of both sexes, who were discipled to Christ in their childhood, do continue uncorrupted." Podobaptists contend that "discipled" means baptized," and "infants," "babes." On this passage Mr. Howell justly remarks:

"The use made of this passage from Justin, shows how some men will overstrain and wrest the Fathers, to make them speak in favour of any sentiment their prejudices may have led them to adopt. With regard to the quotation before us, we have to remark, first, that the word used by Justin for discipling, is ematheusate, the very same used by Christ in the commission, when he directs his apostles to go and teach,' or disciple, all nations. The persons, therefore, of both sexes, ' now sixty or seventy years old,' were said by Justin to have been taught in the manner commanded by the Lord Jesus at an early age; but not a word is said of their baptism. To suppose that this teaching was baptizing them, is unsupported, gratuitous, and absurd." -The term employed to designate these persons is by no means limited to infancy, but frequently applied, both in the Scriptures and in the writings of the Fathers, to young people, as in the case of Eutyches and others. This passage, therefore, so far from affording any aid to the podobaptist, affords evidence of a contrary character.

Dr. Doddridge is of the same opinion, for he observes, "but this may only refer to their having been early instructed in the Christian religion." The Doctor adds:

e Howell's Sermons on Baptism, p. 52. sect. iv. p. 86.

f Miscell. Works, Lecture cciv. p. 494.

Sec also note, chap. ii.

and An

the Ortho

dox.

“There is indeed a remarkable passage in the Ques- SECT. tions and Answers of the Orthodox, (Quest. lvi. p. 424,) V. which most evidently mentions infant baptism in as ex- Questions press terms as possible, inquiring into the different states swers of of those children who were, and who were not baptized at the general resurrection; but though these questions are ascribed to Justin Martyr, and are no doubt of considerable antiquity, there is no evidence that he was the author of them, nor can their age be so exactly ascertained as on this occasion, and on many others, one would desire." s

A. D. 178.

The quotation most relied upon, as a reference to in- Irenæus, fant baptism in the second century, is that from Irenæus.

“Therefore as he [Christ] was a master, he had also the age of a master. Not disdaining nor going in a way above human nature, nor breaking in his own person the law which he had made for mankind; but sanctifying every several age by the likeness that it has to himself; for he came to save all persons by himself-all, I mean, who by him are regenerated unto God, infants, and little ones, and children, and youths, and elder persons: therefore he went through the several ages; for infants being made an infant, sanctifying infants; to little ones he was made a little one, sanctifying that age; and also giving an example of godliness, justice, and dutifulness; to youths he was a youth, &c." h

tions of Dr.

The application of this passage to infant baptism de- Observapends on proving that in the writings of Irenæus the term Doddridge "regenerate" means "baptize." Dr. Doddridge says on this quotation

"We have only a Latin translation of this work; and some critics have supposed this passage spurious; or,

8 Miscell. Works, Lecture cciv. p. 494.

b Irenæus adv. Hæres. lib. ii. c. 39.

on this pas

sage.

CHAP. allowing it to be genuine, it will not be granted that to be regenerate, always in his writings, signifies baptized.” i

VII.

Of President Sears.

"Every thing here turns," says President Sears, "on the meaning of renascuntur. If it means, they were regenerated, then it has nothing to do with our subject; if it means they were baptized, then it proves the existence of infant baptism in the time of Irenæus. This question cannot be settled, as many have thought, by an appeal to later writers; for the idea of baptismal regeneration was of gradual growth, and in every successive period, from the Apostles to the middle ages, words were changed in their meaning to correspond with the change of ideas. The scholastic writers attach more to the word than Chrysostom and Gregory, and these more than Irenæus and Justin Martyr."

After a most elaborate investigation of the passages in the writings of Irenæus, and the presentation of quotations enough to satisfy the most sceptical that Irenæus did not employ the word renascuntur (regenerated) in the sense of baptize, Mr. Sears observes :

"In the light of this investigation of Irenæus's general views of regeneration,' let us come to the interpretation of the passage which is said to support infant baptism. "1. The phrase, regenerated through Christ unto God,' if it mean the general 'recovery of man through Christ's incarnation and redemption,' has numerous parallels in the writings of Irenæus ; if it mean 'baptized through Christ unto God,' it has no parallel-absolutely

none.

4

“2. The phrase, baptism through Christ unto God,' is an incongruous idea, nowhere to be found in the Scriptures, in the writings of Irenæus, or in any other Father, or writer, ancient or modern.

i Dodd. Miscel, Works, p. 493.

V.

"3. Regeneration,' standing alone, without any such SECT. words as baptism' or bath' prefixed, and governing it in the genitive, never means baptism in Irenæus. "4. That Christ sanctified infants, by becoming an infant himself, has several parallels in Irenæus: He became an infant, to aid our weak apprehension,' he became an infant with us (sunenepiazen) on this ac- vvvcount,' IV. 38, 1 and 2. He went into Egypt, sancti-aw. fying the infants that were there.' It would be absurd to suppose, that the infant Jesus baptized the Egyptian infants.

"5. That by passing through the several stages of human life, from infancy to old age, he sanctified human nature in these various ages, by his own incarnation and example, is an idea often repeated by Irenæus, and by modern writers, too, as Sartorius. But if this be limited to baptism, or to the baptized, it will contradict what he elsewhere says.

“6. The general character of his redemption and regeneration, as expressed in this passage, according to our interpretation, is a favourite idea with our author; a similar sentiment in regard to baptism is not to be found in his writings.

"7. The connection of the latter part of the sentence with the former, as explaining or amplifying the idea, is weakened if not destroyed by the other interpretation."

the German critics.

That Irenæus had no reference to baptism in this Opinions of passage, is sustained by many of the most celebrated German critics :

BAUMGARTEN-CRUSIUS, p. 1209, says: "The celebrated passage in Irenæus, II. 22, 4, is not to be applied to infant baptism; for the phrase, ' renasci per eum (i. e. Christum) in Deum,' evidently means the participation