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THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

163168

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

1899

DISTRICT OF MASSÁGPPSETTS, to wit:

IT REMEMBERED, That on the tenth day of September, in the thirty-first year of the independence of the United States of America, MANNING & LORING, of the faid diftrict, have depofited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit:-"The Baptifm of Believers only, and the Particular Communion of the Baptift Churches, explained and vindicated. In Three Paris. The first--published originally in 1789; the fecond-in 1794; the third-an Appendix, con taining Additional Obfervations and Arguments, with Strictures on feveral late Publications. By THOMAS BALDWIN."

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In conformity to the A&t of the Congrefs of the United States, entiled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by fecuring the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the Authors and Proprietors of fuch copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and alfo to an A&t, entitled, "An A&t fupplementary to an Act, entitled, An A&t for the encouragement of learning, by fecuring the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the Authors and Proprietors of fuch copies, during the times therein mentioned;' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of defigning, engraving, and etching historical and other prints.”

WILLIAM S. SHAW, Clerk of the District of Maffachusetts.

PREFACE.

THE first of thefe Trads was written while the author refided in the State of New Hampshire, by the particular request of the Woodstock Association.* Without defigning to enter the wide field of controverly, a few thoughts were haftily collected, rather as an apology for the particu lar communion of the Baptifts, than an intended attack upon the fentiments and practice of others. The fubstance of what was then written, was presented to the above Affociation, at their meeting at Marlow, in the autumn of 1788, and published the fpring following.

In 1791 the Rev. Noah Worcester, paftor of the Congregational church in Thornton, published a reply, entitled, "A Friendly Letter," &c. addreffed to the author. This Letter, though written with a confiderable degree of Chrifian candour, contained some mifrepresentations and errors, which it was thought defirable to have corrected. Accordingly, in 1794 the fecond Trad was presented to the public, in the form of a "Reply" to the foregoing Letter. A fecond edition was called for in a few weeks; and a third was fome time after published in Connecticut. The repeated calls for this work, rendered its republication neceffary.

The controverfy had confiderably fubfided, particularly on the fide of the Baptifts, as very few things had been publifhed by them for the space of ten years; till at length Mr. Edwards's "Candid Reasons (as he is pleased to call them) for renouncing the principles of the Antipædobaptifts," reached this country. They were immediately reprinted, and distributed in all directions. This book acquired peculiar celebrity, on the account of its coming from one who had been a profeffed Baptift. It was fuppofed, that he understood the fecret, wherein our great firength lay, and would confequently be more likely to embarrafs our arguments than any other man.

What is now offered to the public in the following pages, as an Appendix, was at firft defigned only to contain remarks on this author. But finding the controverfy renewed

Compofed of Baptist churches in New Hampshire and Vernigift.

by our Pædobaptift brethren with uncommon zeal, and in fome inftances with an acrimony which but little becomes those who profefs to contend for the truth, it was thought proper to extend our observations to thofe articles which form the "ground work" of infant baptifm. The membership of infants, as founded in the covenant of circumcifion, and the famenefs of the Jewish and Chriftian churches, are the principal data from which Pedobaptifm is argued; thefe have therefore received particular confideration.

The reader will perceive, that our ftrictures on Mr. Edwards have been directed to thofe arguments only, which he confidered as principal in this difpute. Our limits would not allow us to attend to any thing more. It has not been our defign to fpeak difrefpectfully of the man to his own Mafter he must stand or fall.

As

Two Difcourfes of the Rev. Samuel Worcester, have alfo received cur animadverfions. His arguments being in fubftance the fame with thofe of Mr. Edwards, it was deemed unneceffary to go over the ground again. thefe difcourfes were defigned not only to ftrengthen and fupport Pædobaptifm, but to pull down and bring into dif repute the fentiments of his Baptift neighbours, who dwellpeaceably by him, we make no apology for attempting to prove his misstatements and mifreprefentations. We muft. be permitted, however, to fay, we have aimed to be candid, and to treat his perfon with due respect, whilft we have freely cenfured his errors.

Two Difcourfes by the Rev. Dr. Ofgood have alfo been briefly noticed. Thefe are written in the Doctors ufual. ftyle of elegance and perfpicuity, and contain feveral, very candid obfervations. A few inconfiftencies have however been noticed; and there are fome other things which we think highly reprehenfible, fuch as his comparing the Baptift minifters to the devil! and charging them with creeping into men's houses! &c. (page 33.) It is conceived that a man never creeps into another's houfe, when he is honourably invited.

The whole is with great deference fubmitted to a candid public. The author would fincerely unite with the pious of all denominations, in fervent prayer to Almighty God, for an increafe of fpiritual light, love, and knowledge, until error and prejudice fhall be exterminated, and all Chriftians be of one heart and one mind to ferve the Lord in the beauty of holinefs.

Bofton, December 23, 1806.

If they would acquit us from blame in the
foregoing inftance, why fhould they fault us
for refufing communion with those that we
verily believe have never been baptized according
to Chrift's inftitution: for, agreeably to an an-
cient writer," They who are not rightly bapti-
zed, are, doubtlefs, not baptized at all."*
Wherefore we conclude, that communion does
not belong to Chriftians merely as fuch, but to
them as baptized members of fome gospel
church.

Neither yet fhould we be quite safe to open
our doors for communion, to all who are in a
church ftate, and profefs to be baptized.

Therefore, it will be neceffary in the next
place, to attend to the fcripture account of the
Faith and Order of a Gofpel Church.

A gospel church must be built upon a gospel
plan. If we candidly look into the fcriptures,
we shall easily perceive, that the church is a fo-
ciety of faints, of faithful men and women in
Christ Jefus, that are joined together in holy
fellowship, that are incorporated into a visible
church ftate, and by agreement meet together
to carry on the worship of God, to glorify him,
and edify one another.

The church does not appear to be national,
provincial, or parochial; but truly congrega-
tional. It is not built of dead materials, but of
lively ftones each of them fitted before they
are laid in the building, "fo that there is nei-
ther hammer nor axe heard in all the houfe
while it is in building :" how wonderful! how

Baptifmum quumrite non habeant fine dubio non habent. Ter-
tull. de Baptifmo, cap xi. page 230
+ Pet ii. 5. 1 Kings vi. 7.

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