4.

"The grand provifion, which, in his infinite wifdom and grace, Jehovah has been pleafed to make for the prefervation of a righteous feed upon earth, and for the maintenance and promotion, from age to age, of his caufe and kingdom in this hoftile world, they not only deny, BUT OPENLY CONTEMN." Is it not a profanation of language to talk of "charitablenefs" towards any sect of profeffing Chriftians, and at the fame time to charge them not only with denying, but openly contemning the grand provifion which God has graciously made, for the promotion of his caufe and kingdom in the world? This charge, however, appears to us fo totally unfounded, and fo far from that fpirit of meeknefs, which the love of Chrift infpires, that we fhall attempt no other vindication, but a folemn appeal to facts, and to the feelings of our fellow-men. Let thofe, who are best acquainted with our fentiments, with our doctrine, with our daily conversation and practice, testify, if they think us the open deniers and contemners of the provifion which God has made for the "promotion of his cause and kingdom in the world" Let the thousands in America, whom God has graciously condefcended to convert by our ministry, testify, if they have ever seen any thing in our conduct towards themfelves or others, which could justify such a charge. Let the converted Hindoos of Hindoftan declare, if they think the men who have left their friends, their country, and almoft every enjoyment held dear by civilized man, to publish in thofe benighted regions the precious name of a Saviour: let thefe teftify, if they have feen any thing in them, which looks unfriendly to the promotion of the caufe of God in the world. Although we have much reason to lament the languor of our zeal in this precious caufe, yet our confciences bear us witnefs in the fight of God, that we love and pray for its profperity; and whilft thus unjustly charged, we think we can rejoice, that our judgment is with the Lord, and our work with our God.*

5. The author of the difcourfes, ftill continuing his ftrain of accufation, adds-"They deny and contemn the grace which is fo kindly and fo condefcendingly offered

*Ifa. xlix. 4.

for the fpiritual renovation and everlasting falvation of the feed of the church." (page 79.)

An inquifitive mind, if permitted, would naturally afk two or three questions upon this article. Do not the fcriptures confider the church as the bride, the Lamb's wife, and the SAVIOUR himfelf as the Bridegroom ? What feed then has the church, that are not "renovated?" Has the church, properly fpeaking, any children but fpiritual ones? What grace is that fo"kindly offered," which the Baptifts "deny and contemn ?" And to whom is it offered? to parents for their children, or to children for themfelves? We know of no other grace, nor can we conceive of any which the author can have reference to, but the grace of infant baptifm. We know of nothing which diftinguishes the children of Pædobaptifts from the children of other believers, only their baptifm. It will be admitted, that there are unworthy profeffors in all denominations, from whom it would be improper and difingenuous to form a judgment of the whole. But it is not perceived, that Pædobaptifts in general discover any more folicitude for the eternal falvation of their children, than what is apparent in other Chriftians. Do they more generally restrain them from the vanities of the world? Or do they pray more fre quently, or more fervently for them than others? They may indeed prefent their fupplication upon a different footing from what the Baptifts do. They may plead their covenant relation to God; that they have Abraham to their father whereas others have nothing to pleas for theirs but the merits of a Saviour, or what is called "the uncovenanted mercy of God." An obfervation made by Paul, in his epiftle to the Romans, may caft fome light upon the fubject. What advantage then, faid he, hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcifion? Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.* If to enjoy the oracles of God was the chief advantage which the circumcifed Jew had above others; and "baptifm places children in the fame relation to the church as circumcifion did,” it will be difficult, we believe, to point out any great advan

Rom. iii. 1. 2.

tages, which the children of Pædobaptifts enjoy, which are not equally enjoyed by others. The oracles of God, as far as we know, are as freely and fully enjoyed by the children of the Baptifts, as by any others. St. Paul, in another of his epiftles, gives us his opinion of the real value of all the privileges to be derived from the covenant of circumcifion. Though I might alfo, faith he, have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he may truft in the flesh, I more. Circumcifed the eighth day, of the flock of Ifrael, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, &c. But what things were gain to me I counted lofs for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift fefus my Lord; for whom I have fuffered the lofs of all things, and do count them but dung that I win Chrift. We very much doubt, whether any perfons who were ever truly humbled before God, under a fenfe of their guilt and unworthinefs, then felt as if they had any thing to plead but pure mercy. their felf-exalting fchemes, founded upon their fuppofed covenant relation to God, at once difappeared, and those things which before they had reckoned upon as entitling them to divine favour, they counted but dung, that they might win Chrift.

*

may

The following, founds very different to us, from the ftyle of the New-Teftament writers, viz. Conditional promifes to parents, by which their children may or may not become "fubjects of grace." (page 38.) "Grace fo kindly offered to us for our children." (page 77.) And "grace offered for the fpiritual renovation of the feed of the church." (page 79.) This language is about as unintelligible to a Baptift, as that was to Nehemiah, which was fpoken by the children of thofe Jews who had married wives of Alhdod, &c.+ We hence leave it to those who can better understand it; and proceed to his next charge.

6. "The great body of God's vifible profeffing people, even the MOST ENLIGHTENED, and the MOST FAITHFUL, for hundreds of years, they utterly fet afide, Nehemiah xiii. 23, 24,

• Phil iii. 4, 5, 7, 8.

as conftituting no part of the true church of Chrift, but only a part of Antichrift."

We very much regret, that Mr. Worcester fhould throw out fuch an unqualified charge, without producing a fcrap of proof to fupport it. Can we fuppofe, that he feriously believed this to be the fentiment of the Baptifts in general? If fo, we fhall ftill regret, that he has undertaken to reprefent to the world, or rather to mifreprefent the fentiments of a people, which he knows fo little about.

Could any thing be produced from the writings of an individual, which might feem to bear hard upon the vifibility of the Pædobaptift churches, this alone would not prove it to be the general fentiment of the denomination. Do not the printed works of the Baptifts, from time immemorial, abundantly fhow that they hold no fuch fentiment ?

The writer of these sheets thinks it incumbent on himfelf, in this place to declare, that as far as he has been able to understand the fentiments of his own denomination, both in Europe and America, they never have denied that Pædobaptifts were vifible Chriftians; that a number of them united together, may be confidered as a vifible church; and that a minifter regularly placed over them, may be a vifible minifter of Chrift. Yet they confider them, individually and unitedly, in an error with respect to baptifm: that so far as their vifibility depends on baptism, fo far it is defective. We think we can fay, in the fincerity of our hearts, that we unfeignedly love our Pædobaptift brethren, who appear to walk in the spirit of the gofpel; and are determined to treat them as Chriftians; but as Chriftians whom we view in an error, as expreffed above, notwithstanding the hard things they are faying: of us. If Mr. Worcester can make out, that our denying the validity of their baptifm, is denying that they make any "part of the true church, but only a part of Antichrift," then his affertion may be true, and not otherwife. The fuppofition, however, is too abfurd to be admitted; for it would bring us to this conclufion, that baptifm conftituted the true church of Chrift 2

€ C 2

then confequently nothing more would be neceffary to make men true Chriftians, but to be rightly baptized.

6. The author of the difcourfes has charged the Anabaptifts* with "placing fuch stress upon baptifm in their mode, as to make it the fubject on which to difplay their greatest zeal; thus making people.believe, in too many inftances, that going into the water will anfwer all the purposes of their prefent comfort and of their eternal falvation." (Note, page 73.)

Can Mr. Worcefter lay his hand upon his heart, and folemnly declare, that he believes the above charge to be true? If he believes it, he believes it because he has evidence of its truth; for he is certainly a rational man, and no rational man will believe without evidence. If he has evidence, he certainly can exhibit it to the public. And that we may be either proved guilty, or elfe honourably acquitted, we call upon him as a gentleman, as a man of honour, as a Christian, as a Christian minifter, to bring forward the proof, that we "display our greateft zeal in making people believe, that going into the water will anfwer all the purposes of their prefent comfort and of their future falvation."

If it could be fairly proved, that any minifter who bears the name of a Baptift, had fo far departed from our known and avowed fentiments, as to teach in the manner stated in the charge, he would, on being convicted, be immediately rejected from our connexion. It is notorious to all who have the least knowledge of our fentiments, that we baptize only upon a profeffion of faith. That is, fuch perfons only as in a judgment of charity are thought to be experimental Chriftians.

* The term Anabaptift, has by common confent been permitted to repofe for about half a century. During this period, our opponents have generally been content to call us Baptifts: but Mr. Worcester thinks it not fufficiently descriptive; for he says, “ We are all Baptists," and hence concludes, as we re-baptize (as he calls it) fuch as they have fprinkled in infancy, Anabaptist is the most proper term of diftinction. (See his note, page 66.) A gentleman in Connecticut, who has lately published a large pamphlet on the fubject of baptifm, &c. feems not content with any names they have hitherto given us. He chooses to diftinguish us by the term Dipping Baptists, and Duck-dipping Baptists, and I know not how many more names. After all, it will be remembered, that hard names, and hard arguments, are very different things.