rest assured that it could not. And may we not presume, that if John had opened his commission in the North of Great Britain, for many months of the year he would have dipped neither man nor woman, unless he could have procured a tepid bath? Those who are dipped or immersed in water, in the name of the Holy Trinity, I believe to be evangelically baptized. Those who are washed or sprinkled with water, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, I believe to be equally so. If Christ embraced little children, why should not his church embrace them? why not dedicate them to God by baptism? whether that be performed by sprinkling, washing, or immersion; for we need not dispute about the mode: on this point, let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind. I confess it appears to me grossly heathenish and barbarous, to see parents who profess to believe in that Christ who loves children, and among them those whose creed does not prevent them from using infant baptism, depriving their children of an ordinance by which no soul can prove that they cannot be profited; and through an unaccountable bigotry or carelessness withhold from them the privilege of even a nominal dedication to God; and yet these very persons are ready enough to fly for a minister to baptize their child when they suppose it to be at the point of death.

"Here I would earnestly recommend" to the notice of this court "the observations made by Dr. Lightfoot, who has spoken well on the subject. 'Both dipping and sprinkling are legitimate forms; and either may be used, as the consciences or religious prejudices of the parties may direct: but the thing itself, and its great reference, are of the utmost importance. Baptism is a standing proof of the Divine authenticity of the Christian religion.

"That the baptism of John was by plunging the body, (after the same manner as the washing unclean persons, and the baptism of proselytes, was,) seems to appear from those things which are related of him; namely, that he baptized in Jordan; that he baptized in Enon, because there was much water there; and that Christ, being baptized, came up

out of the water: to which that seems to be parallel, Acts viii. 38, Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water, &c. Some complain that this rite is not retained in the Christian church, as though it something derogated from the truth of baptism; or as though it were to be called an innovation, when the sprinkling of water is used, instead of plunging.

“That the notion of washing in John's baptism differs from ours, in that he baptized none who were not brought over from one religion, and that an irreligious one too, into another, and that a true one. But there is no place for this among us, who are born Christians; the condition therefore being varied, the rite is not only lawfully, but deservedly, varied also. Our baptism argues defilement indeed;-but this is to be understood of our natural and sinful stain, to be washed away by the blood of Christ and the grace of God; with which stain indeed they were defiled, who were baptized by John. But to denote this washing by a sacramental sign, the sprinkling of water is as sufficient as the dipping into water, when in truth this argues washing and purification as well as that.

"Since dipping was a rite used only in the Jewish nation, and proper to it, it were something hard, if all nations should be subjected under it; but especially when it is neither necessary to be esteemed of the essence of baptism, and is moreover so harsh and dangerous, that in regard of these things it scarcely gave place to circumcision.

"We suppose that men, women, and children came to John's baptism, according to the manner of the nation in the reception of proselytes; namely, that they, standing in Jordan, were taught by John; that they were baptized into the name of the Messias, who was now immediately to come; and into the profession of the doctrine of the gospel concerning faith and repentance; that they plunged themselves into the river, and so came out.

"To the objection, It is not commanded to baptize infants, therefore they are not to be baptized;-I answer, It is not forbidden to baptize infants, therefore they are to be

baptized and the reason is plain; for when pædobaptism in the Jewish church was so known, usual, and frequent, in the admission of proselytes, that nothing almost was more known, usual, and frequent, there was no need to strengthen it with any precept, when baptism was now passed into an evangelical sacrament. For Christ took baptism into his hands, and into evangelical use, as he found it; this only added, that he might promote it to a worthier end and a larger use. The whole nation knew well enough that little children used to be baptized; there was no need of a precept for that, which had ever by common use prevailed. since it was most common in all preceding ages that little children should be baptized, if Christ had been minded to have that custom abolished, he would have openly forbidden it. Therefore his silence, and the silence of the Scripture in this matter, confirms pædobaptism, and continues it to all ages.'

For

"Our Lord said to his disciples, 'Go ye therefore into all nations, baptizing them,' &c. Because I have the authority, and can send whomsoever I will, to do whatsoever I please - teach; make disciples of all nations; bring them to an acquaintance with God who bought them, and then baptize them in the name of the Father. It is natural to suppose, that adults were the first subjects of baptism; for as the gospel was in a peculiar manner sent to the Gentiles, they must hear and receive it, before they could be expected to renounce their old prejudices and idolatries, and come into the bonds of the Christian covenant. But certainly no argument can be drawn from this concession against the baptism of children. When the Gentiles and Jews had received the faith and blessings of the gospel, it is natural enough to suppose they should wish to get their children incorporated with the visible church of Christ; especially if, as many pious and learned men have believed, baptism succeeded to circumcision, which I think has never yet been disproved. The apostles knew well, that the Jews not only circumcised the children of proselytes, but also baptized them; and as they now received a commission to teach and

proselyte all the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity, they must necessarily understand that infants were included; nor could they, the custom of their country being considered, have understood our Lord differently, unless he had, in the most express terms, said, that they were not to baptize children; which neither he nor his apostles ever did. And as to the objection that the baptized were obliged to profess their faith, and that, therefore, only adults should be baptized, there is no weight at all in it; because what is spoken of such refers to those who only at that period of life heard the gospel, and were not born of parents who had been Christians; therefore they could not have been baptized into the Christian faith, forasmuch as no such faith was at their infancy preached in the world.

"Teaching them to observe all things.' Men are ignorant of divine things, and must be taught. Only those can be considered as proper teachers of the ignorant, who are thoroughly instructed in whatsoever Christ has commanded. Persons who are entrusted with the public ministry of the word should take care that they teach not human creeds and confessions of faith, in place of the Sacred Writings; but those things, and those only, which Jesus has commanded.

"He that credits the gospel as a revelation from God, and is baptized, takes upon him the profession of it, obliging himself to walk according to its precepts: he shall be saved — redeemed from sin here, and brought at last to the enjoyment of eternal glory. But he that believeth not shall be damned, because he rejects the only provision that could be effectual to his soul's salvation.

"It is said, Luke vii. 29, 30, 'All the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.' John preached that the divine wrath was coming upon the Jews, from which they might flee by repentance; chap. iii. 7. The Jews, therefore, who were baptized by him

with the baptism of repentance, did thereby acknowledge, that it is but justice in God to punish them for their wickedness, unless they repented, and were baptized in token of it. The will of God was, that all the inhabitants of Judea should repent at the preaching of John, be baptized, and believe in Christ Jesus. Now, as the pharisees and lawyers did not repent, &c. at John's preaching, so they did not believe his testimony concerning Christ: thus the will, gracious counsel, or design of God, relative to their salvation, was annulled or frustrated. They disbelieved his promises, despised the Messiah, and disobeyed his precepts.

"It was John's business to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God, and to point out that lamb, or sacrifice of God, which takes away the sin of the world. They were to repent, and be baptized, in reference to the remission of sins. Repentance prepared the soul for it, and baptism was the type and pledge of it.

"It is not clear that Christ did baptize any with water, but his disciples did; and what they did by his authority and command, is attributed to himself. It is a common custom in all countries, and in all languages, to attribute the operations of those who are under the government and direction of another, to him by whom they are directed and governed.

"John baptized in Enon, because there was much water there.'* Whether the ceremony was performed by dipping or sprinkling, this was equally necessary, when such multitudes were baptized. But as the Jewish custom required the person to stand in the water, and having been instructed, and entered into a covenant to renounce all idolatry, and take the God of Israel for their God, then plunge themselves under the water. It is probable the rite was thus performed at Enon.

"In John iii. 5, Jesus says, 'Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' So by the baptism of water a man was admitted, when he became a proselyte to the Jewish religion. The

* John iii. 23.