CHAP. sacrament of baptism does avail infants, by the circumcision which God's former people received." * VII. Remark of son. Council of On this bold statement Mr. Robinson justly remarks: "With what possible decency could Augustine dare to affirm this? Some, who have no very favourable opinion of either the sincerity or modesty of the man, are so shocked at this affirmation, that they suspect his works have been interpolated, and think he could not say so. Yes, he is allowed by those, who have most studied his books, to have constantly affirmed this. Was he himself then baptized in his infancy? Was Ambrose, who baptized him, baptized in infancy? Was his own natural son baptized when he was an infant? Was his father Patricius baptized when an infant? Had he, who pretended he had been a Manichean, never heard that they did not baptize infants? Had all other heretics escaped his notice? Had he forgot himself, when he taxed the Pelagians with denying infant baptism? and when he complained in another book of people who opposed it? If it were an established universal custom, for whose use was the law made to compel it?" The law referred to was contained in a decision of an A. D. 416. African Council, held at Mela, in Numidia, A. D. 416, at which Augustine presided. The council consisted at first of about sixty bishops; but not to detain so many from their charges, three from each province were selected to remain. This council of fifteen issued twentyseven declarations, or ecclesiastical laws; eight of which were directed against Pelagianism: that against baptists was in the following terms: "Also it is the pleasure of the bishops to order that whoever denieth that infants * Augustinus de Baptismo contra Donatist. lib. iv. c. 15. newly born of their mothers are to be baptized, or saith SECT. that baptism is administered for the remission of their VII. own sins, but not on account of original sin derived from Adam and to be expiated by the laver of regeneration, be accursed." m for infant It is certainly rather discreditable to infant baptism, First law that the first law ever passed on the subject (so far as baptism, athistory affords evidence,) should be accompanied by a tended by cursing. curse on those who dissent from the opinion expressed. Although Augustine was a licentious, profligate wretch in his early youth, and a bloody persecutor in his riper years, I am not prepared to denounce him as hypocritical in his professions of conversion. While I do not therefore accord to the severity of Mr. Robinson's expressions, yet loving liberty and hating ecclesiastical tyranny in all forms, times, and places, as I do, I can sympathize with him in the indignation he expresses when quoting this law "An honest indignation rises at the sound of such Just indigtyranny; and if a man were driven to the necessity of nation. choosing one saint of two candidates, it would not be Augustine, it would be Saint Balaam, the son of Bosor, who indeed loved the wages of unrighteousness, as many other saints have done, but who, with all his madness, had respect enough for the Deity to say, How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed! To curse citizens for sayings! to curse Christians for not saying more of a subject than Scripture says! to be cursed by the very men who are kept only for the sake of blessing mankind with good examples of virtue! fifteen African slaves to mount themselves on a tribunal, and denounce curses on the whole world! Who can help being offended at m Robinson's Hist. Bapt. p. 217. VII. Declaration to the rite of infant baptism. CHAP. the sight? Who can be grieved to see the Vandals come forward and subvert all the labours of Augustine's life ?" " The words of Pelagius in his controversy with Augusof Pelagius did not refer tine, "that he had never heard of any one, even the most impious heretic, who denied this," have been relied upon with great stress by the advocates of pœdobaptism; but they do not seem," observes President Sears, "to refer to the rite of infant baptism, though he had been speaking of it, but to the necessity of baptism in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. The language itself will bear either construction. But the facts in the case make it impossible that he should say what the other interpretation would imply. Let us see if he could have made the assertion, that he never heard of any one who denied infant baptism.' Tertullian certainly had denied it. Neander shows from Origen's 14th Hom. on Luke, that in his time, similar difficulties with those urged by Tertullian were brought against infant baptism."° "Julian, who belonged to the party of Pelagius, says, in one of his works: 'I have replied to those who may think baptism is not necessary for children.' 66 Augustine observes: Men are accustomed to ask, of what benefit is the sacrament of baptism to infants, since, for the most part, after having received it, they die before knowing any thing of it.'-The Council of Carthage, at which Augustine presided, we have already seen, decreed, whosoever shall deny that new-born infants are to be baptized, let him be accursed.'-Chrysostom complained, that most persons neglected to bap 6 Robinson's History of Baptism, p. 217, 218. • Ch. Hist. vol. i. Part 2, p. 369. P Wiggers's Hist. of Pelagianism, p. 69. VII. tize their children.-. -Jerome, (in Epist. ad Lactam,) SECT. speaks of those who refused to give baptism to their children.'-In this state of things, how would it be possible for Pelagius to make such an assertion as has been put into his mouth." s A. D. 398. Two passages from Chrysostom will suffice. Speak- Chrysostom, ing of circumcision, he observes that God is much more favourable to Christians in the baptism which he has appointed instead of it. In remarking upon this, he says, "But our circumcision, that is, the grace of baptism, gives cure without pain. And it has no determinate time, as circumcision had; but it is proper that this circumcision without hands should be received by one in the beginning of life, or in the middle of it, or in old age." "There is another passage in a Homily of Chrysostom, respecting those who are baptized, which is cited by Julian and by Augustine, and which contains a very explicit recognition of infant baptism: he says, Some think that the heavenly grace (of baptism) consists only in the forgiveness of sins; but I have reckoned up ten advantages of it. For this cause we baptize infants also, though they are not defiled with sin;' or, as Augustine has quoted it from the Greek of Chrysostom, though they have not any transgressions,'-meaning, doubtless, actual sins." t 6 inference An instance of the haste and inaccuracy with which Incorrect podobaptist professors draw their conclusions, is mani- of Dr. fested in the assertion of Dr. Woods," that these pas- Woods. sages "plainly show what was the practice of the churches See his Life by Neander, p. 81. s Christian Review, vol. iii. p. 216. Woods' Lectures on Infant Baptism, p. 128, 29. u Ibid. p. 128. VII. CHAP. in regard to infant baptism, in his day." Now, the most cursory reader will at once perceive that nothing is said respecting its being then the general practice of the churches to baptize infants; (no matter indeed if it were ;) the fact of baptizing infants only when in immediate danger of death, (as commended by Gregory,) would fully accord with these passages without supposing the practice to be general, as the Doctor evidently does. Baptism of An incident remarkable in the history of baptism, the infant pertains to this century. While numerous cases of the baptism of adults are recorded, it is in the latter part of this century that the first record of the baptism of a child is made in the history of the world: this child was Galates, the dying son of the Emperor Valens, by whose command he was baptized. The age of this prince is, however, uncertain, and the alleging his illness as the cause of his baptism, is proof that infant baptism was not then a general practice. son of Valens. A. D. 370. No rituals formed for the infants. Another fact, which will hereafter be more fully stated, deserves here to be mentioned: up to this time, and inbaptism of deed for many centuries after, all the rituals are couched in language only suitable to adults. This fact is entirely inconsistent with the idea that the baptism of babes was a practice of the early ages. The ceremonies, also, which appear ridiculous as applied to infants, had their origin at the baptism of adults. These, as well as the doctrines connected with infant baptism, will be noticed more particularly in subsequent chapters. Boniface Augustine A very interesting fact connected with the history of inquires of baptism in the fifth century is, that the bishop of Rome, the reason- St. Boniface, evidently did not understand the reasoninfant bap- ableness of infant baptism. As St. Augustine was a great ableness of tism. reasoner he applied to him, if not to solve his doubts, at least to furnish him with arguments against those who |