History of

William & all's
Inland

rev. H.

Baktering 1835. H./otten. 1835.

THE

INTRODUCTION.

SECT. I.

.I. THE meaning and full import of a rule given in

any old book for the doing of any thing is not so
well apprehended by us, unless we understand the
history of that nation and of that time in which
the said rule was given. And this holds especially
for such rules as are expressed in very short and ge-
neral words.

For it is common for a rule or law to be so worded, as that one may perceive that the lawgiver has supposed or taken for granted, that the people to whom it was given, did already know and understand some things which were previous to the apprehending of his meaning; so that it was needless to express them. But though these things were ordinarily known to the people of that time and place, yet we that live at so great a distance of time do not know them, without an inquiry made into the history of the state of that time, as to those things which the law speaks of: and consequently without such inquiry the law or rule that was plain to them, will in many particulars be obscure to us. So, for example, many of the Grecian and Roman laws, whereof we have copies yet extant, would not be well understood by us, unless they were explained to us by such as have skill in the history of the

vol. I.

state of affairs in those empires. And so many passages in the books of the New Testament of our Saviour Christ are not rightly apprehended without having recourse to the books of the Old Testament, and other books wherein the customs of the Jewish nation are set forth, for understanding the state of religion among that people at that time when our Saviour gave his rules.

And another thing that does much help us in understanding the meaning of any such old law that is given in such short words, is, to observe and learn how the men that lived in or so near that time, that the meaning of the lawgiver must easily be known by them did practise it. For in what particulars soever we may doubt how or in what manner it is to be executed, their actions and declarations do serve as precedents to us upon the said law. And this holds especially in such laws as have been in continual use from the time of their enacting to this time.

Now our Saviour's law concerning baptizing all the nations, is, as I shewed in the preface, set down in scripture in very short and general words: and many people of later times have doubted whether it is to be understood to reach to the baptizing of infants, or only of adult persons. All that have any doubt, ought to have recourse to the two several helps for understanding the said law which I have here proposed.

I mean, they ought to learn as well as they can, what was the state of the Jewish religion as to baptism, at and before that time when our Saviour gave his order for baptizing all the nations; and what we must suppose the apostles did of themselves

already know concerning its being proper or im proper for infants; which it might not be so needful for our Saviour to express in his new direction to them.

And also they ought to learn as well as they can, how the first Christians did practise in this matter; whether they baptized their infants or not.

It is the latter of these two things that I have taken upon me as my task to shew; viz. how the primitive Christians did practise and this I do by giving you their own words, without omitting any that I know of for the first 400 years after Christ.

But yet some knowledge of the other point also (viz. how the Jews in and before our Saviour's time did use to act in reference to the baptizing of infants) is so very necessary to a right understanding of the words both of our Saviour and his apostles, and also of the primitive Christians and he that knows nothing of it, is so incompetent a judge of the force of their sayings that I think it needful for the use of ordinary readers, to premise, by way of introduction, some account of that matter also.

But I do not pretend in this introduction, in which I treat of the custom of the Jews in baptizing infants before our Saviour's time, to do as I do in the book itself, wherein I treat of the custom of the Christians in baptizing them after it; that is, to recite all the authorities that are about that matter. Partly because the quotations for that purpose are to be searched for in books with which I am not so well acquainted; and partly because those few which I shall produce, will make it clear enough that there was such a custom. I shall therefore content myself with reciting such of them as have been already