of their classes to the Saviour. Can there be any good reason why these aims should be confined exclusively or chiefly to the children of the poor? If, in pursuing these aims, teachers are wise, devoted, and judicious, there can scarcely be a christian parent in any station in life to whom, if his own children attended the Sunday school, assistance, to say the least, might not be given, in the great work of religiously training his family. I might urge other considerations, such as the influence of the example which this Sunday school attendance will have on the parties for whose benefit it is confessed Sunday schools have been chiefly designed, and the encouragement it offers to faithful and devoted teachers; but I am content with this one consideration. Let a Sunday school be what it ought to be, and there is not a family in any congregation that may not have reason to be thankful if it should obtain the benefits it confers. To bring the youthful members of our households to the saving knowledge of truth, is a matter of too great importance to allow of fastidiousness as to the means by which it may be accomplished. Let all means be tried, and if happily success has been realized, let the youthful convert be retained as long as possible in the situation where, having been himself benefited, he may also benefit others. Let a Sunday school be what it ought to be. A great deal is confessedly involved in this postulate. Perhaps Sunday schools seldom are so. Teachers should not only be pious but intelligent; they must be kind, persevering, hearty, and well furnished instructors; between the school and the church a close and affectionate sympathy must exist; and just as in a nursery for valued plants, the situation, the soil, the culture, are carefully observed, so in the Sunday school, the utmost care and attention will be required, if we would rear the seedling, or bring the plant to the vigour and strength required for its removal to the spot it is designed to occupy. But here again is an appropriate sphere for the solicitude of the church on behalf of the young. Let the school be made, and that by the church, all that it ought to be; accommodation for the classes, time for instruction, and books as apparatus, are all matters of high moment which the church may not neglect; but the chief thing which they can do for the Sunday school is to employ the very best members they have in the work of teaching. The instruction of the young ought not to be left to a few persons, zealous, anxious to do good, but perhaps all of them neophytes, recruiting their numbers from time to time, as best they may, from well disposed young men and women of the same standing with themselves; the church must regard the teaching of the young as a business for itself to conduct; it should select the instrumentality; it should maintain a kindly watchfulness over the working of that instrumentality; it should feel, in one word, that if it is worth while to teach at all it is worth while to teach well. Nor is there a department of christian labour in which the church can be more appropriately occupied, and upon which it is encouraged to expect a greater measure of the divine blessing (Isaiah xliv. 3—5). That the elder members of churches, deacons, or deaconesses, should consider themselves called upon to take a very active part in catechising and otherwise instructing the young of our congregations, out of their own families, may be regarded as somewhat utopian. We judge rather from what is, than from what should be, and therefore we may not expect much effort of this kind; and yet surely few efforts can be more seemly, or more promising of usefulness. We must make the religious instruction of our young people more entirely the business of such as themselves know the truth, ere we can expect much intelligent reception of pulpit teaching, or much cordial consecration of the young around us to God. It must, however, be borne in mind that instruction only, though of the best kind, will not accomplish good, without the grace which cometh from God. Prayer must accompany every labour, and if the church have special seasons of prayer for the young in their midst, the young for whom they devise and execute methods of usefulness, and if, moreover, parents, teachers, pastors, all, in one word, who seek to bring the young to Christ, implore guidance and help from above in this particular work, it may be expected that much more abundantly than now our sons will be as plants grown up in their youth, and our daughters as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. THE SILENT MONITOR. As we always need counsel, caution, or admonition, the Lord seems to have placed preachers in every situation, to teach, instruct, and do us good, if we will listen to them. He that is willing to learn will never need an instructor. I have often been struck with the thought, that everything appears to convey a lesson to the docile and spiritual mind. As I was riding to Amersham a short time ago, having never passed that road before, I was engaged in noticing the objects of interest that presented themselves, and observing the number of miles and the mile-stones we passed on the road. At length we came to one mile-stone which seemed to have nothing to communicate, for every letter was effaced. Well, I thought, here is an instructive monitor. This stone does not answer the design for which it was placed here, but it may answer another. Does it not resemble many old professors of religion? Are they not like this old mile-stone? Does not this mile-stone very well represent them? Notice,First, Where it stood. It was in the road, in its proper place. Just so these persons appear to be in the road to heaven, and we hope they are, in one sense, in their proper place. But they make no progress. There they are now, just where they were twenty or thirty years ago. When we first knew them, they were just what they now are. They talk just the same. They walk just the same. They had come to a certain point where they made a dead stop, and we have seen no advancement since. They appear to know no more of themselves, no more of Christ, no more of the excellency of real religion than they did. They are old babes, and need that one teach them again what be the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. They have no more zeal for God, no more love to souls, no more liberality in God's cause, no more concern for the improvement or increase of the church than they had years ago. There they stand, but they should run the race set before them. There they stand, but they should work while it is called to-day. There they stand, but they should press on toward the mark for the prize. There they stand, but they should move on, saying to those about them, "Come with us, and we will do you good." Notice, Secondly, What it had been. It had been once an instructive stone, its characters were plain, and its design evident. Well, so some professors. Years ago we thought we could make them out. It appeared as if the Lord had engraved the engraving that was upon them. We fancied they were the epistles of Christ, written with the finger of the living God. They were not only in their places, but they appeared to be ornaments, and instructive monuments. You might hear them speaking in the Sabbath-school, you might see them distributing the religious tract, you might observe them endeavouring to bring others under the word. But they left off these things by degrees. They appeared to forget the design of their being brought into the church. They gradually sunk down into a state of selfishness. The letters were by degrees erased, and now there they stand; and if a stranger were to try to discover by them what real religion is, or seek direction from their conduct in the heavenly road, he would seek in vain. Alas, the gold is become dim; the wine is mixed with water! They are not what they were once. Notice, Thirdly, What it was now. A mere useless lump of stone. It occupied the place of a good mile-stone. It deceived the traveller who sought to learn the distance from Amersham by it. True, it did no positive harm; but then it did no good. How many useless members are there in the church of Christ! There they are standing idle all the day long. Others may toil, but they will not stir. Others may give, but they will not part with their cash. Others may mourn over the low estate of Zion, but they are not affected. They are mere church lumber, useless mile-stones, cumberers of the ground. Ah, they say, things were so different when I was young! When I first joined the church, I did so and so, and so and so! Well, but why not try and make things different now? Why not do something now, if you used to work once? No, I leave it to the younger members. Indeed! and who signed your discharge from service? Who gave you leave to retire into inglorious ease? If you are to remain a member of the church, you ought to work for the church and with the church; and if you do not, how can the Master at last call you a good and faithful servant?" Notice, 66 Fourthly, What it needed. It needed to be renewed. It wanted the iron chisel, the heavy mallet, and the mason's strong arm. Many a blow would be necessary before it would appear a useful, intelligible mile-stone. And what do these professors need? Need! they also need to be renewed. They want the power of the Holy Spirit to be put forth in their experience; they want the hammer of God's word brought down with force upon the conscience; and they need some iron dispensation to make them feel their condition, and engrave them afresh. And if they were placed where they are by the Lord's hand, they will be so dealt with. If gentle means will not do, severe measures will be resorted to. The Lord will melt and try them. He will turn his hand upon them, and will thoroughly purge away their dross, and take away all their tin. Our churches need the power of the Holy Spirit put forth in them. Many of our members require to be roughly handled, for they are settled upon their lees. We may warn them, exhort them, invite them, threaten them; but it is like trying to engrave the old hardened mile-stone with a feather. Nothing short of the power of God will do. The Holy Spirit must come upon us as of old, or there will be no effectual work, no permanent change. Reader, where are you? In the church or in the world? Are you standing in the way, instead of running the race? Are you idle, instead of being active? Have you ever been different to what you are now? Were you once more lively, more spiritual, more zealous, more active, more entirely devoted to God? If so, how do you account for the change? How do you justify it? How can you be satisfied with it? Are you useless? If so, how can you be happy? How can you have patience with yourself? How will you face the Lord when he comes to take an account of his servants? What will you say for yourself? You dishonour God's cause. You dispirit God's servants. You mislead young professors. You do incalculable mischief by the course you are pursuing. "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. You need renewing, seek it. Seek it daily. Seek it heartily. Seek it, and never rest until you obtain it. Do not be like the useless mile-stone, and give occasion to your friends to say, "That is just like brother --;?? but arise, repent, reform, and consecrate your energies to the Lord. 3:13 New-Park-Street, London. JJAMES SMITH. TO 2 Biblical. ORIGIN OF INFANT BAPTISM. SECOND ARTICLE. In our February Number, we presented our readers with some testimonies, from the first modern Pædobaptist scholars on the Continent, respecting the origin of Infant Baptism, and illustrated the very great value of the argument, as testimony from the most competent judges naturally biassed the other way. Before the year closes, we insert a few more which have been sent to us, as our readers would like to have them in the same volume. We have had already ample proof that the opinions of Foreign Divines on this subject have shaken, and even awakened and enlightened, several candid Pædobaptists; and the miserable tinkering of Neander and Jacobi's article on Baptism in Kitto's valuable Cyclopædia, after it was out of the learned editor's hands -a subject we shall deal with again-shews how much they dread these necessarily truthful witnesses. The first, and it is a very valuable one, was sent us by J. E. Ryland, Esq. of Northampton; it is from the pen of the great Leibnitz. It is remarkable that our greater or equally great Newton, who was the compeer of Leibnitz, should have borne substantially the same testimony in his celebrated remark, that "the Baptists are the only denomination of christians who have not symbolized with the Church of Rome!" Certainly the concurrent opinion of two of the greatest philosophers whom the world ever saw, and great scholars too, is entitled to some consideration, an opinion given, too, in opposition to educational prepossessions. The remainder were kindly forwarded by Mr. E. B. Underhill. From LEIBNITZ'S SYSTEM OF THEOLOGY, according to the Hanover Manuscript, translated into German (with the Latin text in parallel columns) by Dr. Räss and Dr. Weiss, with a preface by Mr. Lorenz Doller, formerly professor of Esthetics at Heidelberg. Third enlarged edition, with an introduction by both the translators, with the approbation of the Right Reverend Grand Vicariate. Maintz, 1825: "We will now speak particularly of the Sacraments, and, first, of Baptism; but briefly, since the controversies respecting it, up to the present time, are not very numerous or important. It must be confessed, that without the authority of the church the baptism of children could not be adequately defended. For there is no example in its favour in the sacred Scriptures, which appear, besides water, to demand faith also. To attribute faith, however, as some do, to those who cannot yet use their reason, is far too arbitrary and delusive, and quite destitute of probability. For, as St. Augustine says, in his letter to Dardanus, 'If we wish to shew in words, that children who are not acquainted with human things, yet comprehend divine things, I fear lest we do injustice to our senses, since we use speech to persuade in a case where the evidence of the truth surpasses all the powers and purposes of speech.' Hence it appears to me, that those who reject church authority, cannot sustain the attacks of the Anabaptists." Dr. CHR. LUDW. COUARD of Berlin, says "He who believeth and is baptized,' says the Lord, shall be saved.' As faith and baptism are constantly so closely connected together, men might reasonably hesitate to baptize infants, inasmuch as faith would with them be impossible. Neither has the Lord himself ordained Infant Baptism. As little also can we prove strictly and convincingly that the apostles baptized children, although we know that they baptized whole families, and we might justlyt suppose that there were children among them." (The Life of Christians during the first three centuries, p. 202. Clark's Cabinet Library, vol. 33.) CH. FRIEDR. RÖSSLER, says "Our first question is, Whether the ancient church in the times of which we speak (the first three centuries), generally baptized children, or deemed it essential to baptize them. I must truly confess, that so far as I have hitherto perused the fathers, no clear and certain proof has come before The article was republished separately, and may be had at a farthing each, or two shillings per hun. dred. "The Verdict of an Impartal Jury, on the Origin of Infant Baptism." London: Benjamin L. Green. +Justly!" See the admirable quotations on this subject from Mr. Noel's book on Baptism in our last Number. me, adequate to establish it, prior to Origen, although there are a few passages which render it not without probability." (Lehrbegriff der Christlichen Kirche in den drei ersten Jahrhunderten, p. 299.) Dr. J. AUG. STARCK, chaplain to the Court of Hesse, says "It cannot be denied, that no example can be cited from the books of the New Testament that the apostles and disciples of the Lord baptized children and babes; for though, again and again, it is said that the apostles baptized whole households, there is, nevertheless, in this nothing to constrain us to think that little children were baptized; rather, the contrary may with good reason be presumed, if we look back to those places in which assent is given to the preaching of the apostles. At least, in these places there is no stronger proof for Infant Baptism than is that which might be drawn from corresponding passages in favour of the participation of little children in the Supper of the Lord. Therefore have there been learned men who have esteemed Infant Baptism, no less than the admission of children to the Supper, as an institution which first arose after the times of the apostles." (Geschichte der Taufe, &c. p. 10.) Dr. LOBEGOTT LANGE, Professor in the University of Jena, says "Would the Protestant Church fulfil and attain to its final destiny, the baptism of new-born children must of necessity be abolished. It has sunk down to a mere formality, without any religious meaning for the child, and stands in contradiction to the fundamental doctrines of the Reformers, ⚫on the advantage and use of the sacraments. It cannot, from any point of view, be justified by the Holy Scriptures, and owes its origin, as well as its retention by the Reformers, to the antiscriptural and irrational idea, that children, because of original sin, are born under the power of the devil, and exposed to eternal condemnation." (Geschichte des Protestantismus, pp. 34,35.) "It must now be granted by every unprejudiced reader [Kenner] of Holy Scripture and christian antiquity, that the baptism of new-born children was altogether unknown to primitive christianity." (Ibid, p. 221.)* Dr. J. W. F. HÖFLING, Professor of Practical Theology at Erlangen, says "Truly an historical proof of Infant Baptism cannot be cited from the Holy Scrip tures; for although children may have been baptized by the apostles in those passages in which the baptism of entire families is spoken of, there happens to be no mention made of the existence or presence of young children in them." [des Vorhandengewesenseyns unmündiger Kinder in jenen Häusern nicht zugleich Erwähnung geschieht]. (Das Sacrament der Taufe, vol i. p. 99.) "As to the history of Infant Baptism, sure enough it cannot be denied that prior to Tertullian, nowhere is it mentioned in express and altogether precise terms, and even Tertullian himself speaks out against it." (Ibid, p. 104.) BAUMGARTEN-CRUSIUS, say "Infant Baptism can be supported neither by a distinct apostolical tradition, nor by apostolical practice." (History of Theology, p. 1208.-In Hinton's History of Baptism, p. 223.) MYERS, of Gottingen, says "Baptism without faith never appears in the Scripture, and is contrary to Matt. xxviii. 19. The early and continued opposition to Infant Baptism, would have been inexplicable, if it had been an undoubted apostolical institution." (Comment. New Test. iii. 25.-Hinton, p. 223.) RHEINWALD, p. 313, says "The first traces of Infant Baptism are found in the Western church after the middle of the second century, and it was the subject of controversy in proconsular Africa towards the end of this century. Notwithstanding the recommendation of it by the Fathers, it never became a general ecclesiastical institution till the age of Augustine." (Hinton, p. 242.) J. JACOBI, of the University of Berlin, and intimate friend of Neander, says "Infant Baptism was established neither by Christ nor the apostles. In all places where we find the necessity of Baptism notified, either in a dogmatic or historical point of view, it is evident that it was only meant for those who were capable of comprehending the word preached, and of being converted to Christ by an act of their own will. A pretty sure testimony of its nonexistence in the apostolic age, may be inferred from 1 Cor. vii. 14, since Paul would certainly have referred to the baptism of children for their holiness. But even in later times, several teachers of the church, These testimonies are fuller than the one we gave in February. |