INFANT BAPTISM ALONE ORTHODOX.

AN ADDRESS.

PREFACE

MY DEAR PARISHIONERS,

It being my duty to endeavour to preserve you in the way of truth and unity: (since "there is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all :) I feel myself called upon at this time to write you this Address. And for this reason that if any of you should be induced to read a Book, entitled "Christian Baptism Explained," now advertised for sale at this Station, and pressed upon you from door to door, you may, if you desire it, have the opportunity of hearing both sides of the question. "For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his "own work; and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another."

CHAPTER 1,

OF THE ERRORS OF THE BAPTISTS.

The main errors of the Baptists lie in these five particulars.

1. They cannot see the oneness of the everlasting covenant, and its seal in the Jewish and Christian Church.

2. They cannot see the compréhensiveness of Christ's command, "Go ye, and make disciples, (as it is in the Greek,) of all nations, &c.

3. They cannot see the nature of Christ's Church, or the Lord's Vineyard.

4. They cannot see that the covenant of grace is a deed of gift. And,

5. They cannot see the difference between regeneration and conversion,

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1. They cannot see the oneness of the everlasting covenant; because, forsooth, it contains both temporal and eternal promises-but they put asunder what God hath joined together. Look at Gen. 22 chap. 16, 17, 18, v. "By myself have I sworn, (saith the Lord,) that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed, as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies:" (temporal promises,) "and in thy seed," namely, Christ according to the flesh, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." So that the covenant is not divided, but comprizes both. The seal of this covenant, then, was, as you can see throughout the whole of the 17 chap. of Gen. circumcision, the grand mark, indeed, of the entire visible Jewish Church for the Gentiles were called " Uncircumcision," in contradistinction: Eph. 2 chap. 11, v. so also, "baptism is a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men be discerned from others that be not christened." Albeit," as he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God; Rom, 2 chap. 28, 29, v. 30

he is not a Christian, which is one outwardly; neither is that baptism, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Christian, which is one inwardly; and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God," And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen thro' faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham; saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed; so then they, which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham," Gal. 3 chap, 8, 9, v. Yea, St. Peter declares, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit; by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight persons were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Eph. 3 chap. 18, 19, 20, 21, v.-Who, indeed, was the Seed of the woman promised by the Lord God Himself, when Adam fell:-Who was, in one word, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

They cannot see that the Jewish and the Christian Church are thus but one and the same visible Church in a continued succession, tho under different sacraments-that circumcision was equivalent to baptism, it being evidently spoken of as such by Christ Himself, John, 7 chap. 22, v.— and that both are the branches of the olive tree," mentioned in Rom. 11 chap. 17. v. The Jews, are the natural branches of it, the Gentiles are

ingrafted into it: and though the former are now broken off, they will be again grafted in. Now the tree is ever the same: therefore the two sacraments are one and the same: their spiritual signification and intention are alike.

The objection, which the Baptists here make, saying, Then were all the women and female children excluded from this sacrament, is no objection at all; it rather strengthens our argument, in as much as they are spared the pain of a bloody sign, and the man's is reckoned unto them. For as man and wife are but one body, and the man is the head of the woman, his circumcision answered for both. "The woman was taken out of man; she was bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh; and whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it." 1 Cor. 12 chap. 26, v. But some people will argue perversely, when they are so determined, and desire to distinguish themselves from their neighbours for their apparent superior righteousness, like the Pharisees of old. But comfort yourselves, Brethren, with these words of St. Paul: "For there must be also heresies among you, that they, which are approved, may be made manifest among you." 1 Cor. 11 chap. 19, v.

2. They cannot see the comprehensiveness of Christ's command, when He said to His disciples, "all power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth: Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Mat. 28 chap. 18, 19, 20, v. Accordingly they went forth, and made disciples, or Christians, every where: and how? first by baptizing them, which is the sign of the covenant,