III.

sonable to ask our podobaptist friends to remove this SECT. gross contradiction, lying at the very foundation of their baptism, before they ask us to follow in their steps?

How sensible men can declare that "when we are Irreconcilability of baptized in the name of the Son, the Son sealeth unto the tenor of us that he doth wash us in his blood from all our sins;" ." the baptismal serand “in like manner, when we are baptized in the name vice with infancy. of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost assures us, by the holy sacrament, that he will dwell in us;" and then apply an ordinance of such signification to babes, must be matter of surprise to a reflecting mind. Our esteemed brethren are in a hard case to make out the baptism of believers and of babes to be "one baptism." It evidently perfectly puzzled the gigantic mind of Luther himself. He held on to the Scriptural idea that faith and baptism must not be separated. What a marsh of confusion that good and great man is plunged into by the attempt to maintain that "the children believe in baptism itself," will be apparent from the following extract :—

strange

"Therefore we here say and conclude, that the chil- Luther's dren believe in baptism itself, and have their own faith, idea. which God works in them through the intercession and hearty offering of the sponsors, in the faith of the Christian church and that is what we call the power of another's faith; not that any one can be saved through that, but that he thereby, (that is, through another's intercession and aid,) may obtain a faith of his own from God, by which he is saved. Their own faith, in

which they are baptized and believe for themselves." b

Nothing can be more evident than that it must be a bad cause which confuses such a mind as that of Luther.

b Works of Martin Luther, edited by Walch. Wittenberg. Vol. xi. p. 667-672.

CHAP.

X.

regenera

tion.

"Some modern divines," says Dr. Wall, "especially of the Lutherans, have gone farther, and do maintain that infants have faith, and do believe after a certain manner; but not in the same way and manner that adult people do, whose faith comes by hearing, thought, meditation, understanding, &c., for they grant that infants have none of these; and, what sort of faith it is that they have, cannot, as they confess, be explained." Phrenology A late philosophical divine of the church of Rome of baptismal has outdone all; he has made us acquainted with the mechanism by which original sin is formed in the brain of an infant before it is born; and, also, how at baptism it is rectified. It is decidedly the earliest germ of phrenological science which the page of history affords. "The mother has a sinful inclination and love to the world, pleasure, &c. There are tracks or traces in her brain running all this way. The child has by sympa. thy the same traces bred in his brain; so he has, before he is born, corrupt inclinations, and is a sinner." The difficulty is, how is this rectified at baptism? For this he supposes the child to have, at the time of baptism, one "strong, actual motion of love to God;" and says, “One single instant is sufficient for the exercise of that act of love; and concupiscence is, as it were, mortified that moment." But the strangest thing of all is this divine's affirmation: "It should not be thought strange that I suppose it possible for children to love God with a love of choice at the time of their baptism !" c

с

Those who will reflect on the different degrees of irrationality ever associated with the defence of infant baptism in all its forms, will rejoice to be free from any share in these absurdities.

c Malbranch. Search. Illustrations on ch. vii. Part I. Book ii.

SECT.

Presbyterian Church.-Directions for Baptism.

III.

for bap

"III. After previous notice is given to the minister, the child to "Directions be baptized is to be presented, by one or both the parents, signify- tism." ing their desire that the child may be baptized.

"IV. Before baptism, let the minister use some words of instruction, respecting the institution, nature, use, and ends of this ordinance; showing,

"That it is instituted by Christ; that it is a seal of the righteousness of faith; that the seed of the faithful have no less a right to this ordinance, under the gospel, than the seed of Abraham to circumcision, under the Old Testament; that Christ commanded all nations to be baptized; that he blessed little children, declaring that of such is the kingdom of heaven; that children are federally holy, and therefore ought to be baptized; that we are, by nature,. sinful, guilty, and polluted, and have need of cleansing by the blood of Christ, and by the sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God.

The minister is also to exhort the parents to the careful performance of their duty.

"V. Then the minister is to pray for a blessing to attend this ordinance; after which, calling the child by its name, he shall say, 'I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'

"As he pronounces these words, he is to baptize the child with water, by pouring or sprinkling it on the face of the child, without adding any other ceremony; and the whole shall be concluded with prayer."

and conclu

Here the premises affirmed are, that baptism is the Premises "seal of the righteousness of faith," and the conclusion sion irreis, that babes, who certainly have no faith, (after all Lu- concilable. ther has said,) are entitled to it. Again;-what a most extraordinary association of ideas in this phrase; "children are federally holy, and therefore ought to be baptized ;" and "we are by nature sinful, guilty, and polluted!" 66 Federally holy," and yet " by nature sinful!" It will be observed that in this form, which is taken from the "Directory for Worship," there is but little said on

CHAP. the subject of baptism. This deficiency, however, may be supplied by referring to the Confession of Faith.

X.

Baptism as stated in the Confession of Faith.

Infants do not possess

and are

"Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his engrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life.

"II. The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

"III. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.

"IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in, and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.

"V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

"VI. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time.

In this Confession it is declared that baptism is a the sign of the individual's "grafting into Christ-regenethings signified, ration-remission of sins-of his giving up unto God therefore through Jesus Christ"-and yet it is declared that “innot entitled fants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized." It will be replied, "Yes, infants of believers are grafted into Christ, and are therefore entitled to the seal." Strange doctrine this, indeed, for a Calvinist, who believes (as I most cordially do) that all who are "grafted into

to the sign.

III.

grace has

hibited and

Christ" will be found in him at the last day! But waiving SECT. the question of the consistency of this position, of what other blessings does the Confession say baptism is the sign of possession ?-regeneration, remission of sin, and giving up to Christ. Has an infant these also? It is not pretended that a child is already regenerated before baptism; and if he is neither regenerated before nor in baptism, why should that sign be administered at all? The Apostles baptized individuals because they were already regenerated; the Ancient and Episcopal churches Baptism debaptize infants that they may be regenerated by bap- those only signed for tism; but why do Presbyterians baptize infants? Because on whom "the grace promised is not only offered, but really ex- been "exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such (whether conferred." of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time." That is, all babes are to be baptized and brought into the "visible church," and partake of "the sign and seal of the covenant of grace," that "SUCH as that grace belongeth unto" may receive it " in his appointed time." A "covenant of grace," an "ingrafting into Christ," a "regeneration" signified in all, while the "grace promised" is only really "exhibited and conferred on such as that grace belongeth unto according to the counsels of God's own will!" Would it not be as well to wait till it could be hopefully ascertained on whom the grace promised was really "exhibited and conferred," before the sign of that exhibition and bestowment is given?

I repudiate, however, with feelings of strong aversion, not to say disgust, Calvin's doctrine of some being "foreordained to everlasting death;" a doctrine pardonable, indeed, even in a great man, living in the age in which Calvin's lot was cast, but for the perpetuation of which ecclesiastical bodies in the present day are utterly inexcusable.