Christian church, as many, both ancients and moderns, have rashly thought; but to intimate the same grace of Christ which baptism now seals to us.*" See Chap. IV. No. 20.- Now, either these learned authors were extremely inadvertent, or they were very generous to their opponents, in giving up an argument well adapted to defend their own practice; or our opposers proceed on a gross mistake, when they plead this passage against us. Besides, as every one sees the term baptized is here used merely by way of allusion; and as the allusive acceptation of a word should never be made the standard of its literal and proper sense; it must be very incongruous to produce this passage in favour of sprinkling, and shows great poverty of argument in defence of the common practice. See Chap. II. Reflect. VIII. Reflect. VI. If then so many of the most eminent Pædobaptists agree, that the term baptism, properly speaking, signifies immersion; and if, to so great a degree, they farther unite in declaring, that the principal facts represented by the ordinance are, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as the substitute of his chosen people; their communion with him in those facts, and their interest in the blessings procured by them; we have reason to conclude, on their own principles and concessions, that there neither is, nor can be, any valid plea for pouring or sprinkling, as a proper mode of administration. This must be the case, except it should appear on farther enquiry, that the apostles and first Christians did not practise what the name of the ordinance is allowed to imply, and the design of the institution seems to require. We must therefore consider, in the following chapter, what some of the most learned Pædobaptists have to say on that part of the subject. * Bib. Exercitat. exercit. viii. § 12. CHAPTER IV. The Practice of John the Baptist, of the Apostles, and of the Church in succeeding Ages, in regard to the Manner of administering the Ordinance of Baptism. [N. B. Candour demands we should here acknowledge, that though these numerous and learned authors have expressed themselves in the following manner; yet many of them insist upon it as highly probable, that the apostles did sometimes administer baptism by pouring or sprinkling.] WITSIUS." It is certain that both John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ, ordinarily practised immersion; whose example was followed by the ancient church, as Vossius hath shown, by producing many testimonies from the Greek and Latin writers. Disp. I. de Baptismo, thes. vi., and also Hoornbeek, de Baptismo Veterum, sect. iv." Econ. Fœd. l. iv. c. xvi. § 13. 2. L'Enfant. "In the water-in the Holy Ghost.' These words do very well express the ceremony of baptism, which was at first performed by plunging the whole body in water, as also the copious effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. Note on Matt. iii. 11. Eng. translat. 3. Anonymous." If we have regard to the manner in which the idea of baptism is naturally adapted to the situation of a guilty creature, zealous to express his abhorrence of sin; or to the general practice of the Jewish, as well as other eastern nations; to the example of our Lord, and of his disciples; and to the most plain and obvious construction of the Greek language; we shall be inclined to believe that infant sprinkling is not an institution of Christianity, but a deviation from the original rite, which was performed by dipping, or plunging into water....The arguments by which the Pædobaptists support their practice and doctrine, appear to us to be so forced and violent, that we are of opinion, nothing but the general prevalence of infant sprinkling could have so long supported it." English Review, for Nov. 1783, p. 351. 4. Gurtlerus.-" The action in this element of water, is immersion; which rite continued for a long time in the Christian church, until, in a very late age, it was changed into sprinkling: of which an example is hardly to be found in ancient history, except what relates to the clinics, or sick persons, who, when confined to their beds, were to be initiated by the sign of the covenant of grace. Hence baptized persons are said to have descended into the water,' and to be 'buried with Christ into death,' (Matt. iii. 16; Acts viii. 38; Rom. vi. 4;) for they who are immersed in water are covered with it, and as it were buried in it, until they arise out of it." Institut. Theolog. cap. xxxiii. § 117, 118. "In 5. Bp. Davenant." In the ancient church, they not only sprinkled, but immersed those whom they baptized." Expos. Epist. ad Colos. in cap. ii. 12. 6. Pictetus." As to the manner of administering baptism, it was usual in ancient times for the whole body to be immersed in water; as appears from Matt. iii. 6, 16; John iii. 23; and Acts viii. 38. This rite might be used in those warm countries; and it must be confessed, that such a rite most happily represented that grace by which our sins are, as it were, drowned, and we raised again from the abyss of sin." Theolog. Christ. 1. xiv. c. iv. § 17. Genev. 1696. 7. Dr. Robert Newton." It must be confessed, that in the primitive times, and in those hot countries where the gospel was first preached, baptism for the most part was administered by dipping or plunging the person baptized into water....This ceremony of washing with water was the usual way among the Jews of receiving proselytes and from thence it was introduced by our Saviour into his church." Pract. Exposit. of Catechism, p. 294, 295. 8. Piscator." "Tdaтa Toλλα, signifies many rivers; as dop, in the singular number, denoted the river Jordan. This is mentioned to signify the ceremony of baptism which John used; that is, immersing the whole body of a person standing in the river. Whence Christ, being baptized of John in Jordan, is said to ascend out of the water, (Matt. iii.) The same manner was observed by Philip, (Acts viii. 38.)" Ad Joh. iii. 23, in Mr. Henry Lawrence's Treatise of Bap. chap. v. p. 64. 9. Abp. Secker." Burying, as it were, the person baptized in the water, and raising him out of it again; without question, was anciently the more usual method : on account of which St. Paul speaks of baptism, as representing both the death, and burial, and resurrection of Christ, and what is grounded on them, our being dead and buried to sin, renouncing it, and being acquitted of it; and our rising again to walk in newness of life." Lectures on the Catechism, lect. xxxv. 10. Mastricht." The sign representing, or the element in baptism, is water;-the sign applying, is washing,-whether it be performed by immersion, (Matt. iii. 6, 16; John iii. 23; Acts viii. 38,) which ONLY was used by the apostles and primitive churches; because it is not only more agreeable in the warm eastern countries, but also more significant, (Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5;) or whether it be performed by sprinkling, which is not destitute of its foundation and analogy, (1 Pet. i. 2; Heb. x. 22; compare Isa. lii. 15, and Ezek. xxxvi. 25,) and is more agreeable in these countries." Theologia, l. vii. c. iv. § 9. 11. Calvin." From these words, (John iii. 23,) it may be inferred, that baptism was administered by John and Christ, by plunging the whole body under water ....Here we perceive how baptism was administered among the ancients; for they immersed the whole body in water. Now it is the prevailing practice for a minister only to sprinkle the body or the head. In Joan. iii. 23; Comment. in Act. viii. 38. 12. Spanhemius.-"To be baptized is denominated by Paul, a being buried, according to the ancient manner of baptizing. For immersion is a kind of burial; and emersion, a resurrection, to which the apostle alludes, Col. ii. 12. So Christ, being baptized, went up out of the water, (Matt. iii. 16.) The same is related concerning the Ethiopian eunuch, (Acts viii. 38.)" Dubiorum Evang. pars. iii. dub. xxiv. § 2. 13. Vitringa." The act of baptizing, is the immersion of believers in water. This expresses the force of the word. Thus also it was performed by Christ and the apostles." Aphorismi Sanct. Theolog. aph. 884. 14. Bp. Patrick.-"They [the primitive Christians] put off their old clothes, and stript themselves of their garments; then they were immersed all over, and buried in the water." Discourse of the Lord's Supper, p. 421. 15. Marloratus." From these words (John iii. 23,) it may be gathered, that baptism was performed by John and Christ, by plunging of the whole body." Comment. ad Joan. iii. 23. 16. Mr. Stackhouse." The observation of the Greek church, in relation to this matter [the baptism of Christ] is this: That he who ascended out of the water, must first descend down into it; and consequently, that baptism is to be performed, not by sprinkling, but by washing the body. And indeed, he must be strangely ignorant of the Jewish rites of baptism who seems to doubt of this; since, to the due performance of it, they required the immersion of the whole body to such a degree of nicety, that if any dirt was upon it, that hindered the water from coming to the part, they thought the ceremony not rightly done. The Christians, no doubt, took this rite from the Jews, and followed them in their manner of performing it. Accordingly, several authors |