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which ye now see and hear.” (ver. 33.) So in Isaiah : (44. 3.) I will pour water upon him that

I is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. The influence of the Spirit, signified by baptism, is here compared to a shower. So it is in the 77th Psalm, which describes the baptism of the Jews unto Moses, in the cloud and in the sea. (1 Cor. 10. 2.) The Jewish purifyings, many of which were sprinklings, represented the atoning blood of Christ; and the same is signified by baptism. But the prophets foretold that Christ should sprinkle many nations, using clean water, and purify them from all their filthiness. (Isa. 52. 15: Ezek. 36. 25. with 1 Pet. 1. 2: Heb. 9. 13, 14.) The passage in Rom. 6. 3.* is supposed by some to prove that immersion is the Scripture mode of baptism. But the apostle is speaking of death and burial unto sin, and a resurrection to newness of life, which is signified by receiving baptism in the

* Hall thinks (Terms of Communion, p. 51) this passage implies that some Christians had not been baptized into Christ. The apostles might have been baptized by John; but, as Christ did not baptize, his disciples must have baptized each other, or the twelve never received Christian baptism. The Scriptures are silent, and the probable conjecture is that they were not baptized in the name of Christ. Paul thanks God that he administered this rite only to a few. If he employed any one to baptize for him, as some suppose, he would have done it through his agent, as Christ is said to have baptized when his disciples did. These things teach us not to magnify outward ceremonies.

name of Christ. He says also that as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal. 3. 27.) He says of himself: I am crucified with Christ. (Gal. 2. 20.) These passages, compared with Coloss. 2. 11, 12, will bring us to the conclusion that the words buried, circumcised, and crucified, are used in a figurative sense, and decide nothing positively respecting the mode of baptism. Neither can we learn this from the signification of the rite. Purity, and the necessity of purity, can be represented as well by a small as a large quantity of water. (Ezek. 36. 25: John 13. 10.) And finally, we cannot learn the precise mode of baptism from any explicit declarations of Scripture. Eye-witnesses did not need this instruction, and the Holy Spirit did not see fit to lay before us the temptation of relying on forms, by transmitting the exact model of apostolic performance. The result of our inquiries is, that the quantity of water used must be unimportant if, in other respects, the ordinance is rightly performed. Baptism by immersion, affusion, or sprinkling, is acceptable, with a pure heart and faith unfeigned. If we are not now required to wash the feet of the saints, and may celebrate the Supper in the day-time instead of the night, and in a church instead of an upper room,

and may substitute a morsel for a meal, we need not be rigidly scrupulous concerning the mere manner of applying the water of baptism.

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In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. (Gal. 5. 6: 6. 15.)

CHAPTER XIII.

ON THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM.

So far as the mature in understanding are concerned, there is no doubt in regard to the qualifications necessary to baptism. All who are capable of understanding the gospel, are required first to believe in Christ, and then to receive baptism in his name, as the seal of the righteousness of faith. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. (Mark 16. 16.) But there remains a distinct object of inquiry. Are the saints permitted to dedicate their infant children to God in the application of the baptismal rite? This question is not decided by the commission to preach the gospel in all the world, baptizing every believer. The instructions given to the apostles had reference, obviously and necessarily, to those who were capable of receiving the gospel. Otherwise infants must be excluded from salvation, for they could not understand and believe the gospel were it preached to them; and if faith is indispensable, there is no hope in their case. But if infants can be saved without believing the gospel, they may, also, so far as the apostolic commission is concerned, be baptized without believing the gospel.

The propriety of infant baptism, it is admitted, is not established by any positive command ; neither is it expressly stated that the apostles baptized infants. The authority for this practice depends on the correctness of the assumption that the church under every dispensation has been essentially the same, and that the principle of infant baptism, involved in circumcision, was designed to be perpetuated in the new token of the covenant. I shall consider,

1. The identity of the Jewish and Christian churches.

If we admit that personal holiness has always been necessary to salvation, and that none have entered into life except by the grace of God, it is evident that the righteous, from the first, have possessed one character, and have been subjects of the same spiritual kingdom. Successive changes of rites and forms there have been, and successive revelations and orders of teachers. But this no more destroys the sameness of the church, than a change of garments and conduct destroys personal identity. The kingdom of God is, and ever has been, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Holiness is the substance of its requirements and the sum of its blessedness. And has not holiness been required under every dispensation, Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Christian? It has been said that the Jewish ceremonies were external merely, and

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