the apostles have felt it right to treat infants, as having no place in the Christian church; when they remembered, that the great body* of those males, who had been in the visible church from the days of Abraham, were ceremonially introduced into it in the time of infancy; and when they remembered the declaration of the Lord Jesus, "Of such is the kingdom of God?" From the mere silence of the apostolic commission respecting infants, it cannot be inferred, that infants are not to be baptized, unless it can be inferred from the same silence, that they are to be neglected in every respect. Jesus did not let alone those infants, who were brought to him. It appears, that they were not brought to be baptized. he did for them all that was desired. He treated them with tender affection, and gave them sucha blessing, as all parents desire for their children, when with suitable feelings they present them before the Lord, to be baptized. It was declared to the apostles, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." What, if any one should infer from the silence of the apostolical commission respecting infants, that no infant will

But

*Not all. See Ex. iv. 24, 26. Josh. v. 2-9. Moreover, some proselytes had joined the church, taking “hold of " God's "covenant." See Esth. viii, 17. Is. lvi. 6. and Acts, ii. 10.

be saved? Whence do believing parents derive their hope concerning the salvation of their children, who die in infancy? From other passages of Scripture, and from the Scriptures in general. But those same other passages, and the Scriptures in general, favour infant baptism.

These words of Christ to his apostles, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," are considered by some, as implying, that faith ought to go before baptism. It is granted, that faith ought to precede baptism, in all cases, in which the passage just quoted is literally applicable. But this passage, though in its spirit it is applicable to mankind in general, is not literally applicable to infants; nor to all adults; but only to those persons, whose duty it is to believe, and who at the same time have need of baptism. Abraham believed in the LORD before he was circumcised; but Isaac and Jacob were circumcised, before they believed. When proselytes joined the ancient church, they professed faith before they were circumcised, but their infants were circumcised with them. The mode of expression, "He, that believeth and is baptized," agrees with the circumstance, that the christian church was about to be es

tablished, and the gospel to be preached to those, who after believing would, of course, need Christian baptism.*

Accordingly, those, who gladly received Peter's words, were baptized; the Samaritans, who believed Philip's preaching, were baptized; the Etheopian eunuch, also; and many of the Corinthians, hearing Paul, believed and were baptized. That the words of Christ respecting faith and baptism, in Mark, xvi. 16. had a more particular reference to the first believers,

* It is highly probable, if not certain, that of the twelve apostles, (that is, the eleven and Matthias) every one had been baptized either by the son of Zacharias, or by some person, whom that figurative Elias had baptized; and we may consider John, iii. 5. as having been fulfilled, even as to baptism, in all the apostles. Compare Acts, i. 21–26. with Matt. iii. 5, 6, 11. Luke, iii. 21. and vii. 29, 30. and John, iv. 1, 2. It was no more necessary, we may say, for the apostles, who administered Christian baptism, to receive this baptism themselves, than it was for John the baptist to be himself baptized. But it is probable, that many of those, who received Christian baptism on the day of Pentecost, had been baptized by John. The apostle Peter said, Let every one of you be baptized. Whether Appollos ever received Christian baptism, or not, Paul baptized the twelve disciples, whom he found at Ephesus, though they had been baptized unto [or into] John's baptism; possibly, however, not by John himself. But these things afford no argument for the repetition of Christian baptism.

is manifest from the two next verses, where our Lord told the apostles, what "signs" should follow those, who believe. But with respect to all times and places, adult persons to whom the gospel is preached, who have not been baptized, ought to be baptized after believing. But, if it appears from the Scriptures in general, that the infants of believers ought to be baptized, no Christian will think, that those persons, who have been baptized in infancy, as the children of believers, ought to be baptized after believing. The phrase, Believe and be baptized, is often repeated by one person and another; and possibly some think, that there is such a text of Scripture, or, at least something in Scripture, amounting to a command to all persons, to be baptized, after they believe, or after they first profess faith.* But there is no such text, nor any thing amounting to such a command.

*First profess faith. So far those, who deny infant baptism, are willing to depart from the literal meaning of Mark xvi. 16. There is perhaps no Christian in the world, who will go so far, as to say, that it is the duty of every individual to be baptized, after he believes. On the other hand, those, who infer from the verse in Mark, just mentioned, that no persons ought to be baptized before they believe, or profess faith, either must take it for granted, that infant baptism is wrong, or must infer, that it is wrong, from the mere silence of that verse respecting infants.

That baptism has, in a certain sense, taken the place of circumcision, appears from the following considerations.

(1). Circumcision was a mark, by which the ancient church was distinguished.

Other nations were termed uncircumcised. Baptism, as a kind of mark, distinguishes the Christian church. This is manifest from the apostolic commission, to which we have been attending, from Eph. v. 25, 26. from Gal. iii. 27-29. and from other passages. The passage in the epistle to the Galatians runs thus. "For as many of you, as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And, if ye" are "Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise;" heirs according to the promise, since the promise was to Abraham and his seed, and heirs to the blessings promis ed, which blessings imply an "eternal inheritance." This passage plainly shews, that baptism is a distinguishing mark of the Christian church; and it clearly indicates, that baptism has, in a certain sense, taken the place of circumcision. Two important ideas conveyed are these. Once the Jews were circumcis