tament, where the act is not defcribed, were performed in the fame manner as these were, of which an account is given. Incompetent as this evidence may appear to you, we think it a fufficient answer to your queftion, wherein you aik, by what authority we make immerfion effential to baptifm, &c. I would alfo affure you, that whenever you will make out as much proof from fcripture for fprinkling, as being an inftituted mode of baptifm, as has now been produced in favour of immerfion, I will lay down my pen, and forever drop the dispute. Although what has been offered may be confidered as ample proof of the queftion in difpute, yet being defirous of giving you full fatisfaction, I shall proceed to lay before you one confideration more, which appears to us of confiderable weight in the prefent cafe; and that is, the native fignification of the Greek verb (baptizo) to baptize, which we fuppofe neceffarily requires dipping. We are fully fenfible, at the fame time, that this fenfe has been controverted by many men of eminent abilities; notwithstanding, we think the evidence greatly preponderates in our favour. Nor fhall we think it a difficult task to prove the fenfe for which we plead, from Predobaptifts themfelves; and that too, from fome as learned and judicious as any, whofe names adorn the biographical page. This kind of evidence I conclude you can have no reasonable objection to, because you cannot fufpect them of any defign against themselves, nor will they make any conceffions to fentiments which they oppofe, further than truth obliges them to; therefore, I may fay of their evidence in the prefent cafe, as David did of Goliath's fword, there is none like it. I may have occafion hereafter to mention fome writers of a much earlier date, but I fhall here begin with Luther. In his tranflation of the New Teftament, he has rendered the Greek word to baptize by the Ger man taufen; and in his works he hath expressly declared, that the baptifmal verb taufen, fignifies to immerfe, or to plunge into the water.* Thus Matt. iii. 1. Zuder zeit kam Johannes der tauffer-In thofe days came John the dipper. To this we may add the teftimony of the Genevan oracle, Calvin, who fays, "The word baptize fignifies to dip; and it is certain that the manner of dipping was used of the ancient church." Shall I add to this, the teftimony of that celebrated profeffor of divinity, Witfius? "It cannot be denied (faith he) that the native fignification of the word baptein and baptizein, is, to plunge, to dip."+ Full to the fane point are alfo the words of Vitringa-"The act of baptizing is the immersion of believers in water. This expreffes the force of the word. Thus alfo it was performed by Chrift and his apoftles." If you pleafe, we will now look at the ancient Helvetia confeffion, first written in the year 1536, by or under the direction of Bucer, ten years before the death of Luther, and afterwards publifhed again by the paftors of Zurich, in 1566; in which we have, the following unequivocal declaration: "Baptifm was inflituted and confecrated by God, and the first that baptized was John, who DIPPED CHRIST IN THE WATER IN Jordan; from him it came to the apostles, who alfo did baptize with water." The confeffion of Saxony, written by Melancthon, in the year 1551, perfectly agrees with the above: I will now tranfcribe it. "Baptifm is an entire action, to wit, a DIPPING, and the pronouncing of thefe words, I baptize thee in the name of the Father," and fo on.|| These two laft are not to be confidered merely as the teftimony of two men, or two particular churches, but as including a number of churches in two large diftricts. As Dr. Collins was juftly esteemed a learned and critical expofitor, you will perhaps be willing to hear his opinion in the prefent cafe. "A great part (faith he) of thofe who went out to hear John were baptized, that is, dipped in Jordan." "To be baptized is to be dipped in water; metaphorically, to be plunged in afflic Inftitut. Chrift. Relig. 1. iv. c. xv. § 19. + Econom. Food. 1. iv. c. xvi. § 3. Aphorifmi Sanct. Theolog. Aphorif. 884. in Booth. tions I am, faith Chrift, to be overwhelmed with fufferings and afflictions." To this we may add the tef timony of Mr. Daniel Rogers: "None (faith he) of old were wont to be fprinkled; and I confefs myself unconvinced by demonstration from scripture for infant fprinkling. It ought to be the church's part to cleave to the inftitution, which is dipping; and he betrays the church, whofe officer he is, to a diforderly error, if he cleave not to the inftitution, which is to dip. That the minifter is to dip in water as the meetest act, the word baptizo notes it. For the Greeks wanted not other words to exprefs any other act befide dipping, if the inftitution could bear it." "To dip therefore is exceeding material to the ordinance; which was the ufage of old, without exception of countries, hot or cold."+ The above quotations are all made from Pædobaptift writers, to which I wish to add one obfervation from a late learned hiftorian : « A linguift (fays he) determines himself by his own knowledge of the Greek language, and an illiterate man, by the beft evidence he can obtain from the teftimony of others, whom by his condition he is obliged to trust. "To the latter it is fufficient to obferve, that the word is confeffedly Greek, that native Greeks must understand their own language better than foreigners, and that they have always baptized, and do yet baptize, by immerfion. This is an authority for the meaning of the word infinitely preferable to that of European lexicographers; fo that a man, who is obliged to truft human teftimony, and who baptizes by immerfion, because the Greeks do, understands a Greek word exactly as the Greeks themselves understand it; and in this cafe the Greeks are unexceptionable guides, and their practice is in this inftance fafe ground of action."‡ This laft remark is confirmed by Dr. Wall, who affures us that "the Greek church, in all the branches of it, in Europe, Afia, Egypt and Ethiopia, has always preserved. Poole's Contin. of Annot. on Matt. iii. 6. and xx. 22. + Treatife of the two Sac. Part I. chap. v. and viii. in Booth's Padobaptift Exam. p. 23. Robinson's Hiftory of baptism, p. 5, 6. the custom of dipping infants in baptifin, that were in health, and able to bear it."* By the term always, we must understand from the time when they first began to baptize infants. I will not for the present trouble you with any more quotations from Pædobaptifts, but will hold myfelf engaged to produce five times as many, whenever there thall be a reasonable demand. I conclude, if human teftimony can establish any point, we must allow, from the difinterested nature of the evidence now confidered, that the native fignification of the Greek verb laptizo, (which must determine the proper fense of our English word to baptize) to be fairly fettled. Should it be objected that any, or all the perfons above quoted, held, notwithstanding, that baptifm might be lawfully administered, either by pouring or fprinkling, in ordinary, or at least in particular cafes this would by no means invalidate their evidence, with refpect to the point in hand; it would only prove them inconfiftent with themfelves, and that they fuppofed that they had a right to depart from the inftituted way, and adopt one which, in their view, appeared better calculated to ferve the interefts of religion. Should we fuppofe a number of perfons, of established veracity, to appear before a court of judicature, to give evidence upon oath in a certain cafe, and they fhould all jointly agree in confirming a particular fact ; but at the fame time should add, that it was their opinion, that there might be other circumftances connected with the attefted fact, which, if true, would be equally important to the cafe in hand, although they could not be pofitively proved;-no perfon would be at a lofs how to decide a cafe of this nature, nor would he put this fuppofititious evidence upon an equal footing with fiber fact, unless he were governed by intereft or prejudice. Thus, Sir, we have traced the MODE of baptifm up to its origin and have found it firft in the hands of John the Baptift, who had his commiffion from heaven ↑ * Defence of the history of infant baptism, p. 148. † John i. 6. He adminiftered it to the Saviour, and probably to the difciples, who by virtue of the great commiffion baptized others; and wherever the act is defcribed, it certainly has the appearance of immerfion. We have alfo heard the teftimony of feveral celebrated writers, in establishing the meaning of the word to baptize. These declarations, taken from Pædobaptifts, muft always remain in our favour, notwithstanding all that may be faid of their practifing in a different way. Hence we conceive that immerfion, as the appointed mode of baptifin, has been fairly made out, both from fcripture and reason, and from the full conceffions of the writers upon your own fide. And if what has now been faid, should not convince you or any of your brethren, yet it will undoubtedly fuggeft fome of our reafons for differing from you in our practice. If the mode of applying the water of baptifm be indifferent, then the difpute is at an end; but, if it be important, the neceffity of one condemns the other. But to me it appears inconfiftent to fuppofe, that there can be a positive command, and the mode of our obedience be indifferent; for this at once takes off the authority of the command. Yet here, Sir, we have not the happiness to be agreed in opinion: for you fuppofe the matter to be indifferent, and attempt to illustrate it by the posture of the body in prayer. But a moment's reflection must convince you, that the cafes are not parallel. The pofture of the body makes no párt of prayer, any more than the place does where the man is when he prays for prayer is properly a mental exercife, and not immediately connected with any pofition of the body whatever. But this can by no means be faid of the application of water in baptifm: for this makes a material part of the ordinance, and is effential to its very existence. If the institution require no more than to sprinkle a few drops of water in the face, any perfon must be ftrangely fuperftitious to be immerfed. And on the other hand, if it does really require immerfion, then * Chap. ii. 23. |