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TEHS MB ILICAIi B E D (DBIDIEJ B
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RALEIGH, N. C
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1855.
CoxarcsiCATioNS for publication! or In any
yrtLj relating to the Editorial Department, should be
addressed to the Pev. J, J, James, ot Editor of the
Biblical He i order," Raleigh, N. C.
Letters relating to the business of the offi.ce,
mast be addressed to J.." J. James 3c Co., Raleigh
V. C. . ., ' - -
All orders not attended to In a reasonable time
should be repeated, and all remittances' not duly
receipted should be inquired after that errors and
oversights may be promptly corrected. '
Persons writing to 'us on business would
confer a reat vorby giving their Post OfEce ad
. dress; also that of each individualflbr whom "they
ite. -s ' -
ELDER J, J. J ATMESi Editor. ; .".
ELDER G.W. JOHNSTON, Associate Editor.
Regular Correspondents.
.ELDER W. H JORDAN.
.ELDER JAMES McDANIEL. :
elder a Mcdowell. -
ELDER T. W. TOBEY. ; ' ,
ELDER J. B. SOLOMON.
S&- The length of the Report this week crowded
out several other articles which will appear next.
Financial,
We again call attention to the financial coalition
of the Recorder office. To arrange and supply the
publication office, so as to provide against conlin
gencies, and be in readiness to execute - orders of
such job work as may be 6ent us, we have already
had to anticipate oar receipts by several' hundred
dollar?, which we have advanced out of our own
pocket. Shall we not hope that the friends of the
Recorder, who may be owing for the same, will not
allow their dues-to remain unpaid, while we are
Contracting debt to send' them the paper? We
think they will not allow any such thing. We are
almost sure that a little reflection will cause them to
do as some have already done of late make us re
mittances without further delay. Most cases of
non-payment, we doubt not, are induced by inat
lention and forgeifalness of the fact that time runs
on, whether the subscription money is sent or not
We believe that all our good subscribers, who may
be in arrears, are desirous of paying ns and for
the purpose of enabling them to ascertain what
they owe us we send out some accounts this week,
and shall send out some more next. Several breth.
ren have also consented to act for us in collecting
in their respective sections, to whom we have given
accounts. These brethren will give receipts to all
who may pay monies to them. The accounts we
now enclose, and those in the handset brethren
were made out some two months ago. If persons
who have since that time paid us Bhould receive
accounts they may know why it is. We could not
now without considerable. trouble seperale them.
We call upon those only; to make remittances
who are really in arrears.
If any who owe us do not intend to pay ur can
ler requires that they should write us to that effect
assigning, their reasons for such a course that we
may know what to defend- oni We have never
been accustomed to do a credit business. To act
on the cash principle', we have found more conve
nient, safe, and economical, and if our subscribers
will only try it for a short time they will be most
likely induced to adopt it for the same reasons.
New Subscribers
Our subscription list is much two small for the
number ,f Baptist in North Carolina. We want
to add at least one thousand to our present number
within the next six months. This can be easly
done if our brethren in different parts of the State
will only maaifest the interest shown by the Dele
gates of our last Convention at Warrenton. Quite
a number of whom pledged themselves for Jive new
subscrbers and several have already obtained and
forwarded.the names. Hence many more' brethren
will do likewies. Fo four new namea with the
cash we will send to the address of the person for
warding them one copy of either of the following
works for which we charge $155 whea sent . by
mail. -
Orchar'ds History of the Baptistsy Great Iron
"Wheel, Ida Norman, Life and Writings of An
drew Broaddus bv Jeter, Burmah'sJGreat Missiona
ry, &c, or an equivalent in value of any books we
have on hand that may be desired.
V Queries."
We find on out table this week quite a nam to of
queries, accompanied with- requests that we shou.'l
answer them, borne of them- would have received
attention before this, but for other paramount du
ties. . We proceed now to give our views of seve
ral of them as follows : .'
1. We as Baptists believe that the church of
o Chrast is composed of true (immersed) believers; is
v it right to exclude immersed believers belonging to
other denominations from communing with ust
A Baptists.
Answkr We think it is the duty of the church
es to invite to the table of their Lord none bat reg
ular orthodox christians that is, persons who have
been regularly baptised, upon a profession- ot their
faith in Christ, and who- are- is- good standing in
- regular gospel churches. Christ instituted the Sup
per among' his immediate followers; and charged
them to observe it 1: in remembrance of him. The
breaking of bread was confined by the inspired A
- pestles 'to those who had been baptized upon a
profession of-their faith in Christ ; nor have we any
scriptural example of persons partaking of this sac
; lament" who 'were, not, so far at least, as outward
: qualifications were xoncernedr regular disciples, and
in regular connection wiflvthe apostolic churches.
Individuals, however pious in other respects- who
. ahoose to pass by the regular churches o&Garist and
connect themselves with societies not organised -according
to the Gospel plan, and who thus refuse
to-be under the watchcare and discipline of regular
Gospel churches, have no right to expect the- latter
to invite the mJo the table of their Lord. Baptism
' properly administered is a prerequisite "to admis-
- sion to the, lord's Supper' To be properly admin
istered tha-candidate., for baptism must make a
. credible profession ofjaith.in. Christ; jand . apply to
those whaare authorised by.the gospel to -administer
that osdbance Irregular baptisms under ordi-
Tvir v oircanKtaQces we are cblix&l to regard as of
no afilhority. " Until a tollever is willing to obey
tha plain commands of .Christ, he or she is ncta?
ULleJ to the .privileges of his house. 1
. 2. Do the souls of the peobldof God go directly
to Heaven when they leave the bodies? , .
Axs. We know df no other place for the abode
or residence of the soul that has been redeemed by
the blood of Christ and sanctified by bis spirit, after
it leaves, its earthly tabernacle; than that "house
not made with hands eternal in the heavens When
Lazarus died he was carried by angels into Abra
ham's bosom ; a figurative representation of heav
en. Christ said to the penitent thief on the cross,
"this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."
Paul speaking of his present sufferings says', "to
depart and be with Christ fa Jar better." The
same Apostle also "speaks of the spirits of the just
men made perfect in Heaven," meaning no doubt
those spirits who were redeemed on earth and per
fected in heaven. These and other passages,which
might be quoted we think justify the belief, that
when the mortal life of God's people end their spi
rits are borne immediately into the presence and
glory of their Savior and God.
"We are aware that other theories on this subject
have been set forth, but we do riot consider them
deserving of serious esaminatbn.
. 3. At the resurrection of the just, will these
bones and sinews and flesh, be raised, or will it be
another DOdyhke this which will then be glorified
. .answer. l here has been much learned and
ingenious discussion as to the identity of the bodies
of the just in the present life with those they wi
have after the resurrection. The enquiry is one o
those mysteries of human redemption, which we
cannot in this life fully understand. We can now
see it only as through a glass darkly. Not do we
think it would tend really to edification to philoso
phise or speculate about a matter, over which God
has seen fit to leave the vail of mystery. v The fact
so clearly revealed that our bodies, that is; the bo
dies of the saints, will be raised and fashioned like
unto the glorious body of our Saviour, is a. truth at
once so grand nsd sublime, so full of hope and
comfort that we feel but "little interest in the en
quiry as to what particular way it will be effected
An all-wise and all-powerfal God has promised it,
ana given us a pledge of its fulfillment in the resur
reetion of bis own Son whom he raised from the
dead, and set him at his own right hand. Paul in
1 Cor., 15th chapter tells ns that Christ's was "the
first fruits of the resurrection ten they that are
Christ's at his coming;" and as certainly as his body
was raised, so certain will the bodies of all his
saints be raised at the last day. The same Apostle
tells us of the wonderful change which will take
place in the bodies of the Saints. They are sown
in corruption, raised in incorruplion ; sown in dis
honor, (by sin) raised in glory : sown in weakness,
raised in power ; sown a natural body, raised a spi
ritual body. The sleeping dust of all the redeemed
will eventually be waked by the trump of God and
come forth in a suitable form to be made spiritual
and glorious ; and it will be immaterial whether it
has passed through one hundred, one thousand or
millions of changes, it will at the command of God
be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Jesus,
and be a fit temple for the glorified spirit. How or
by what process-so great a change will be effected,
we pretend not to conjectare. It is God's work and
marvellous" in our eyes. Nor should the enquiry
trouble the devout and humble believer as to wheth
er these bones and sinews and flesh will appear
again, or whether his body then will be the same
material that it now is. i God who so wonderfully
iormed the material body which is so soon to pass
away, will doubtless suitably dispose that which is
to exist forever, in a spiritual and glorious state.
Literary Notices.
X ETEESOK9 L.ADIES NkTKiTikl. Wir.i7tp tn
Dec, 1855. The last No. ffr th nrpsont M
. fwu. . VM. V.
thisnnnnloii an.l t.ll- 1. - 3 ... 1- .
wauiuuauie wwies, 13 on our tame; and presents
f.V, vi- t j- " ... r r
ufimistaitaoie marics of still on the Dart of the de
signers to meet the most fostideoas tast of those
for whom it is intended. Its embellishments are
iruijv superb. Jwtited by Mrs. Ana S. Stephens
uuvMiii. reierson, r,sq,, luzuhesnut street.
mittucipma. rrice 9 & per annum.
NOTICE.
There will be a meeting of the Board of Mana
gers of tho N. C. B. Convention at Wake Forest
College on Saturday ; next, .Commencing at nine
o'clock A. M.
On the same day at a later hour there will be a
call meeting of the Trustees- of the College to at
tend to some unfinished businesa
It is also desirable that the Board
of the N. C. Publication Society should have a
uieeung m me Aiternoon. -
It is hoped that all brethren helnnpincr the
above Boards who can will make it convenient to
ue in attendance. 1 -
The Grape Culturb at th WEsrThe nnlit.
vation of the grape for the purpose of converting
us jmce inio wine, is rapuny extending at the
West, partioularlv in the vallev ofth Ohin a
correspondent of the- New York Journal of Com
merce, writing from Cincinnati; communicates some
interesting intelligence in regard to this matter. He
says that this has been a bad year for the grape,
owing to the unusually wet seasons Most of the
vineyards suffered from the mildew and-roti Snm
. few escaped, and produced crops of four to six
uiiuicu o.uvib w uieaure ; dui ue average for the
whofc country, will scarcely exceed one hundred
and fifty galions to the acre. . 'tv
.1- We learn ihat Be v. B. VV: "Whilden, late
missiodary in China, has bsfm elected as a professor
in the Cherokee Baptist police, Geo., and that
Bevr Eambaut, Jate pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Savannah,' has also be3 ejected to a
professorship in the same institution, wfcich is now
abovt commenoing operations.
A Peotestaki in raB Cbaie of St. Peteh.-
Dr. Burchard was at Rome not long since, and
went to St. Peter's. iEniering into the "holy,, of
holies,' he walked'up and sat down in the Pope's
chair, the holy Papald throne, directly under the
golden canopy of the Apostle's successor, and the
Vicar of Christ upon earth. For a moment some
in the church seemed paralpzed, lot at length the
sentinel on duty rushed forward, and with several
malladetlosi interspersed with- pious ejaculations to
la madre-santissima e purissima expelled the Uev.
gentleman at the point of the bayonet Br. Burch
ard says he had sharp work to escape. ' , "
Tttcsdeb' StobiC A dreadful thnndpr ktnrm
occurred at Liverpool, (England,)' in the course of
wuicn me iignt ignming struck a buiding occupied
by a maker of signal lights and skyrockets, in! which
a quantity of those combustibles were stored. A
tremendous explosion ensued, which blew off the
roof and- reduced the- buildings to a complete
wrecd-. ' " , . . -
t. AmeSg the killed by tire late Missouri Rail,
road disaster was Rev. John Teasdale, the late
beloved pastor of the Third Baptist ' Church iu St.
Louis. The Western Watdimari states that from
the nature of his wounds he mftst have died instant
ly. 'For him adds our contemporary, "we cannot
grieve, but fr his bereaved family,, bis widowed
partner, and several orphan children, for the church
of his love, which he had done so much to build up
we grieve in bitterness of soul, lie was-'eminetly
a man of God,aa earnest preacher, till the Jiht of
eternity broke upon his freed ppitrit, a kinLsym-
linm.1
pam.smg ineud,.a.Jaho;-ious pastor, and an upright
Discussion at Banks' Chapel. ;
1 i 'l- k Mondat.OcL 29. 1855.
Mb. Him, in his first speech on Monday first
adverted to air. Purify's Pedobaptist authorities.
Such testimony ho-could not regard as of much
importance, because the witnesses; whatever they
might have conceded, . all held and, practidin
lam oapusm. xney were satisfied with the rite,
notwithstanding their, concessions. Ncandcr, Mr.
II.said, had been largely quoted. , Mr. P, had
merely read Keander's speculations-and what did
they amount to r Any body else bad as good fight
to speculate on the' subject as the German histo
'kfKMk P. had said something about Origen and
bapUsmal regeneration That the notion did pre
vail at an early age that both adults and infants were
regenerated in baptism nobody denied. Ultraism
was common in alt ages. Even Mr. Purify now
held that the baptism of infants is an act oiblasphe.
my. Mr, P. interrupted the speaker, and said he
had 'already corrected him two or three times on
uis suDjeci. it was a point not growing out of
tnej proposition in debate, and- the remark upon
which Mr. IL founded his charere had not been madf
during this meeting. Mr. II. merely alluded to it
forffect for the purpose of exciting prejudice.
Once for all, he begged to explain tha matter. In
asejmon at Brassfields, Mr. l said ho remarked
That if infant baptism whs ordained of God, it was
I'?1 WSU 10 e practiced if not so ordained,
lujprcuce, as a religious ordinance, was blasnhe
my: the term " blasphemy" he used iu the sense
ot profane." If Mr. H. saw proper to continue to
present htm in a false light, he might do so and
make all the captital out of it that he possibly
could. Mr. Ileum resumed, sayiug, as he had been
interrupted he hoped the Moderator would prolong
uis ume. lie would now proceed to shew that in
fnnt Vaviliam 4 1 J
. i-wm iiau icru iuuuu in every coun
uj, m evury age since the beginning 0f the
christian era. Ho asked Mr. P. if he admitted it
wis now practiced if it was practiced the last
century, and so on down to the third aze of the
cut isudu caurcn. vir. f. prdve it is in the
Uiblc, as the proposition requires you to do."l Mr
II. asked the time, and then set about trivia th
prooi he had promised. Mr. P.j he said, had quo
ted many Pedo-baptist authors!: Wfaeu did these
witnesses say infant baptism originated ? ft
not denied that it esisted in the 3rd century and
iiuougn air. i.s witnesses deposed on so many
points, on this important point they were silent
none ot them1 told us at what period it startrd
why not as well suppose it begun in the days of
.U.l , . . .
iuc uiposues as at any other time ? Jusiin Mai
tyr and Origen, who lived before th Conrril nf
.Nice in 325, bore testimony as to the exiatnc of
inlant baptism in and before their d iy. Irenieus,
who lived in the same age, declared that the church
had learned from the Apostles to baptize infn;s,
Here was evidence sufficient to sustain the practice :
SIT!? rtF Urknl ii.awI. T A . a j 1 . .
. . ntl5ui ajjumain was ine ueciarations
or speculations of Neander, 11 the learned, pious, but
smoy-neaded UermanV Indeed all Mr P
thorities and concessions were of little importance
wnen compared to such testimony
.
Mb. Pubifv said Mr. H. had promised to move
luai iniani oaptism had existed in every christian
country in all ages since the days of Christ. This
he had not done. But suppose he had suc
ceeded in d )ing so The proposition before them
required Mr. Ueflin to prove from the scrivturest
that infant baptism originated with Christ or his
Apostles. He might quote all the Fathers"' that
ever lived, and though they should testify in favor
of infant baptism, still it would be no proof that
me scrtptures leach infant baptism. That was the
subject in hand. It was well known the F.athers
referred to, lived long after the Apostles, and in an
age when religion w as corrupted, and tradition es
teemed as highly as the Bible.
Meander, whom Mr. II. had pronouned & "smo
ky-headed German," f hould be farther heard on
the Subject. His testimonT
by Mr. H.'g denunciations the woild knew he was
one of the best and most accurate historians that
ever lived. He should now tell, if possible, still
more plainly how infant baptism came into exis
tence. In the first Dart of Neanrinr'a liUinri, n,.k
ished by Stanford & Swords,, in 1848, n. n. 198
and 199 the author speaks as follows :
" As faith and baptism are constantly so closelv
connected together in the New Testament, an
opinion was likely to arise, that where there could
be no faith, there could also be no baptism. It is
certain that Christ did not ordain injant baptism;
he left indeed, rnucbr: which was; not needful for
salvation, to the free development of the Christian
spirit, wiihout here appointing binding laws; We
cannot prove that the apostles ordained infant bap .
tism 'f Item those places where the "baptism- ot a
wuuie. iamuy. is mentioned, as in Acts xvi. 33, 1
Cor. i. 16, we can draw no such conclusion be
caase the inquiry is still to, be mode, whether, there
were; any children in these families of such an age,
,nai iney were not capable of an intellhrent recen-
tion jof Christianity, for this is the only pointon
Vhich the case turns. From the deficiency
of historical documents of the first half cfthis
period, we must also, avow that the want of any
positive testimony to the custom cannot be brought
as an argument against its : antiquity. The first
passage which appears .expressly to noint to ihi'
matter, m found in Irenjens. Wr Tm11 onnc'ioKj
whole of this remarkable passage with some degree
of accuracy. Irenajus is endeavoring to show, lhat
Christ did nojt stop the progress of the development
of human nature, which was to be sanctified by him;
but that he sanctified it, in all its successive stagesi
in conformity to US essential qualities in each:
He came to redeem all by himself ; all I say, who
are born again into God through him, infants, chil
dren,' hoys, youths, and the old. Therefore, he
passed through every pgc, and became a.: infant to
infants, sanctifying infants, he became a child t.mo:
children, to sanctify those of this age, giving them
at the same time an example of piety, of justice,
and obedience, and for young men he became a
young man, to set them an example, and to sancti
fy them to the Lord. It U here of consequence to
remark particularly, that infants (infantes) arec.f(
pressly distinguished from children , (parvuli,). to
whom Christ can serve as an example and that
these infants are represented a being only .capable
of receiving an objective salvation from Christ,
who appeared in an age and condition similar to
theirs. This salvation is imparted to them -in con
sideration of their being born again in reference to
God, through Christ. In Ironaiu's the" new birth
and baptism are intimately connected, and it would
be difficult for one to imagine any thing else than
baptism as meant by : the new birth, wherftisod in
reference to this age. Infant baptism also here ap
pears the means -by which. the principle imparted
through Christ to human nature from its very ear
liest development-might be appropriated to the sal-
vation of children. We find bere ihe essentially
cnristian notion, from which infant baptism would
derive itself spontaneously; the more Christianity
penetrated into domestic lift j namely, that Christ,
by means of that Divine life, which he communica-
tedto human ttature, and revealed In it, has sanctl- 8ensef ftnd mustf therefore, have baptized infants, as"
fled thatnatute from tha very first seed of its'de. well as adults. From the Covenant of God with'
vclopement-'. If everything was as it . ought to be th6 Israelites, Mr. H." said, he had shown that iti
jhe child born in a Christian family, would have fantg ete entitte(1 (0 lhe seai: The same
this advantage, that he did not first come to Chris-1 Co?fenant 8tm wfla iir existence; baptism is now
tlamty from heathenism, or from a natural life of it88eal . The right of iDIant5 to this seal, settled
sin, but that he would grow np, from the first dawn- and estallished under' the old dispensation, had nev
mg of conscience, under the imperceptible and pre- 1 been re'Dcaled it still existed to its fullest ex-
Yen fang inff uence .of a sanctifying and ennobling
v..uu mBnjl6eeosw conscious-
neEsinthonaturaUifc.a tmne principle, enno-
bling nature, would bd near him, by which the di-
v ner portion of his nature might be , attracted and
strengthened beore its ungodliness could come in.
to full activity ; and this latter evil spirit would
here find I itself overmatched by its counterpoise.. In
such a life the new b,rth would form no division,.
that began at any one particular moment, but it
would begm ,mpcrcept,bly,-and so continue its pro-
gress through the whole life Therefore, the vis,.
bio token of the new birth, that is, baptism, was to
be g.ven to the child from its earliest hours, and ne
was to be consecrated to his Saviour from the very
Vn ii . . . t , . , ,
riom this idea, founded on the internal feelings
of Christ.an.ty, which obtained an influence over
mans dispositions, the custom ofinfant baptism
proceeded. Oh! that men bad not so soon confused
h2 Dmne thing and the sign which represented it,
and had not wished to bind the work of the spirit
on the outward sign !
"But immediately after Irenaju, in the latter
yuars of the second century, Tcrtullion appeared as
uCii0uS uppuneui oi iniani oapusm, a prooi main
was not then usually considered as an apostolic or-
,1;.. s. i . i . -i ii . iv l.
uumu"' ,or 1,1 luai ca3e ne wouia naraiX uave
eiuurca to spcaic so strongly against u."
Here, Neander shewed lhat infant baptism ori-
ginated ' some time between the Apostles' day and
4lwi ol t . .. jL ...!iL.. m .j I
vuv, o.u vcmu.j. ii cenaiii mai iieuner vnnsi
UUI ",e oruumed ii, ne uisuncuy, aeciares ;
,uai"ins mai it ueveiopea nseinrom tne spir
auu ucs.gU oj cunsuanuy. irenaus, ne aaraits,
is tne mst person who mentions the practice about
Yv vioae oi me zuu ccniury, anu mat lertaiuan, a
uuiB H.tvr,-.FpaTeu as us zeaious opjwnent, wn.cn
was proof that the praciice was not then a general
, ;UL'repwaf Qo evwence that I-enajns even
alluded to infant bpt1Sni in the passage ferred to ;
but if he did, n only established that infant baptism
uwgmau aoout close oi the nd century, at a
; . n t . . , , , . -
time, too, when the notion; prevailed that baptism
, :rr j w : rr' s Wl a" afeca
and conditions.
tuucnuuiiiy was uennue enougn.
Mr. H. had raader a mighty effort to find infants
iu lucuiccnYum-uiius. i nai ine wora meant
U n.-.l- 1 .1 , rr.i . ,
i t, ..... .
if rra,TMA K;U. A J- i-i....
ni. nr.f I U t i
.t - rr. , ,
tamed them. To he. of anv avail in Mr IT-fllrt
must prove that there were infants in the families"
rr i- ....
i v vuutu uut pruvo mis, an nis criucisms on
"oikos" amounted to nothing. For, there were
many " families" or "houses" that embracel no in
tants. In 1 Cor. 1st chan.. lfiih v nnd lni.h
chap 16th v. in Gen. 7th chap., 1st v., and in 2 1
Sam. 3d chap., 1st verse, the word "oikos" was
used, and in not a single instance did it include in
fants. It, therefore, like the Enrlish won! " fami-l
v ""6uv wl luistu uui iiiciuue iiiianui. accoramv i
. . .
to the circumPtances of the case. To prove thehn th i T "
i irx i . iinS tfae eflorts that were being made to stop its
1 f ... .uw VMO WUUltUIICU ill
the New-Testament, it was necessary first to prove
that those households contained infants which no
man could do. There were numerous instances on
rccora ot baptist Ministers m our own dav, bap
tizing whole houses in which there was not an in
ant the Apostles doubtless ateo - baptized many
such families. But it might even be admitted (which
was not done, however,) that there were infants
in thc houses now under consideration, and vet the
admission would not prove they were baptized. A
lsa.TiTl..T HOW Tninrhr. anv ho KimivAii n irhn . V I
r . 7 " 7 , - c ""uoc-
meaning simply that he baptized all that were ca
pable of receiving the ordinance on their own faith
and the same the Apostles might have said -with
erfect propriety. They were commanded to con
fine baptism to believers and therefore the very
condition of the ordinance implied this restriction in
stwakino- nr .ritln, nU,,t t l,-
this idea? was the follovinz :
On the case of the jailor, Adam Chtrk says-The
Apostles " spake unto him the word of the Lord.
Thus by teacfnng him" and and all that were in his
house the tkynrihe of the Lord, they plainly pointed
TJV'Ta1 Wf ! . 0n' ADd h &PpeaTS
euu iiBWftwe amy WHO WERE CAPABLE
OF bkciivino instruction, embraced this, anil
showed the sincerity of thelr faith by immediately
receiving baptism:' Notes on Acts lf; 32,
On Acts l&i 81, John Wesley says" Ttoul
Shalt be saved and th W K kK. . rru
M.x an ZZ" T' n ' J
On Ihp sam nna Anla 1ft. O., XTU
hold ihP fnlirt,w . ..Tr. :
iuauuew ireurv
God' with all his house."
: 6 rjwIV,!M' .
H'rhAvA : i5- I
iuwc ncic huiiu iu Ilia
house that lemscd to be' baptized ; they
were unanimous in embracing the Gospel."
'A- On the baptism of Lydia and her householdActs
16 : 14, Dr. Clark used the annexed language s "
V " Whose heart the Lord opened. As she was a sin
cere worshipper of God, she was prepared to receive
the heavenly troths spoken by Paul and his corn-
Panious ' and as she was faithful to the grace Rhe
had received, soOod gave her more grace, and gave
her now achvine conviction that what was spoken
oy raui was true-: and therefore she attend-ed'cn-
to tub raiNas ; shp betibved Tn and eeceived-
THEM AS THE DOCTRINES OF GOD) AND IN THIS
FAITU SHR WAS JOINED BIT MER WHOLE FAMILY J
JKD IM IT THEY WERE ALL BAPTI2ED:"
: M. Heflin resumed his argument, first noticin
Mr'; Pb. comment on the testimony of the Fathers
The fact,thvt the Fathers lived near the days of
ine .a.posucs, air. ja. iougni a sumciem reason for
believing lhat they ocrived infant baptism from
iuem; now coma tne cus;oai nave arisen in such
an early age and become prevalent if it rested upon
no divine authority?; An innovaCipn so glaring
couia noi nave guinea
permanent foothold at that
tarly period.
- . '
Mr; P., in his agument iust cl6sed, -admitted that
oikos sometimes included children. To establish
his position it was necessary he should shbwthat
ine households, whose baptism is recorded , in the
New Testaipent, did not contain' childrenJ., This
he had not done, and 'could not'doVx Oikos meant
family, or house, and the speaker would insist that
the baptized householdsin question " 'did ' contain
children, till it was shown to tho contrary.: "
. iThe ApoBtles' Commission" taught-the doctrine
of infant baptism. It authorized, the preachers of
the Gospel to baptize all nations," and there was
n0 ' nation that did not contain . children ; hence,
children are to be baptized as part of all nati oils,
Tne Apostles understood the" Commission in this
and q alJ its Circumcision, as the sign of
tbeCovenant, had. been: abrogated, arid baptism
tedut the'right ofinfant children to the
ordinanie had been abolkhed. There.was
no need of cxpres8 jaw 0 the 6QbjecV in" the 5ew
diepCDSalion. It was delood !hat the'rights of
were reC0gnij5ed. hence when
Christ-commanded the Apostles to- baptize all
th mu8-t: have understood 'him to com
mand tbe baptism of infants. To 'disprove the
rigbt of infant9 baptism,ita opponents must show
thaMhat ri ht wa8 at gome time repealed, for it
CertaiD!y - once existed. On' "this subject; Mr.' Hi
Baid Mr, p- made in- attem t0 be ,easant
but tftiy in Mr, Purify was like the dancing of
an elephant. It suited some men fo attempt pleas-
an,r;pa t,nt nt Mr P -
illustratioii of lhe abov6 position, Mr- II.
submitted the following: A law stood on the Statute
Bookf deciaring that all ffee-holderS had a right
t0 VQte . shouIll lhe j, a
Tiew to extend the right of suffrage, pass another law
declaring that all free citizens over the age of 21
years shotfid vole, would any one be sinrpl-j enough
t0 8nppose lhat thc freeholders were not included
jB the second law, because they were particularly
anuded o iQ the first and not Itt the last ? Infants
were included in the first law respecting member-
ship in the Church j aid because they were not
expressly mentioned In the re-enactment of that
uw lin(ur -th fiosnpl T.nnt;r,n ht
reason believing they were excluded
Mr. H thought be had now proven that tTie
practice of baptizing infants begun with the Apos
ties. If he held the opinions of Mr. Pjon this sub-
ject, he would scruple even to express them on
Sunday, as Mr. P. had so often done J :
Mr. Purify had quoted the Discipline on Kites
aD(1 Ceremonies. Mr. H. still thought there was
a difference between riles and . ordinances. The
old practice of feeloshing, , that once prevailed
amW the R,nti,f. wna n u ' k.
i o- r -j v vuivuiuuri uui
not an ordina,lCe. rMr n. Lere ... : . fl
slraia of ridicu!e eo entire, Qat of both
t0 itawplrit and its manner, that we thought it would
M0 him more credit not to nm a ih m t,l-
h; Innri,- rnr tho i
wv vr VM.W UV VI U
I n r'v.
Tr i '-i
imam uapuaiu, ue saiu, ne aid regrara asarxsi
"""wuitti iub
w.i. uuutuuuai V WUU UU-
rent3- iney were guilty of no Romish tvrannv
.. a . J wiuou lanu;
iney leu meir memoers to exercise thpir
imA . , ... lle.lr T.
inlarmtiTi nfi of 1 AianninA nn'mi. 1 : : mi j i
not seek to hamper and restrain the exercise of
tne Human mind, aa did some others. (?) They
would appeal to the people teach" them their du
ty, and then leave the nr to discharge it, in view of
their responsibilities as immortal creatrues. Lio-ht
was easily imparted on this subject. Since the
controversy between himself and Mr. P. first com
menced, light had spread itself abroad, and infant
baptism .was gaining ground" in this community j
i i . . . . . .
and it WOUld Continue to rain rrnnnl nrrfwithcianl
progress,
On re-assembling in the afternoon, lhe ModeraJ
tora proposed to the disputants to close the discus-"
sion on the first proposition the present day. ; Afiet
some conference between the Modpratoia and
iuwssrs nunin ami ruruy, me suggestion was
agreed to on this condition that each of the dispu
tants should make a speeck of an half hour m
length and afterwards occupy ten minutes a piece
in samming up their argument?.
phatically that the Commission taught infant bap
tism. Dr. Clark, his own brother, denied it, TTr
said the people must, by teaching, be bought to
an acquaintance with God, and then baptized.
Mr. P. had frequently called for the ehapter and
verse that taught infant baptism, but it had not
yu-w. . taiu ue uaa given ine
Kaon nvAnMn TUf. FT : J L. 1 i . 1 .
I w-ujumc imicu vji, nucu ue nau me commission.
That commanded the baptism of all nations, and of
course included mfants.J Mrj P. dissented. ' The
Commission commanded the baptism, not of all
nations indiscriminately, but of believers "in Christ ;
and hence, the command being limited, excluded all
infants from the ordinance.'
The assumption of
Mr. II. that the silence of Scripture on the subject
Zh:: L'r:
7 , T a iuw proveu mat
t- t, x.' ' .! . J . . ..
udu raacle a f1 nou"8ll Over OlkOS.
Because it was admitted thatj it
CJUQe CJa,ara Wr ' Concluded that, the
A-;ti, i u . ., , .
":"uies uapiizea-cniiaren. Mr. V. tur
nishedeexamnlesfrom the old Tt
same number from- the Newj whete the word was
. . Muu W
used, without including , infanta. JNIr. H". would
find little use for oikos till he coukl: produce the
law for the baptism of infants ; and after that, be
would have to prove there were . infants in the
households" mentioned, before he could establish his'
point. Of these households there . were four oh" re
cord; The very terras ci the Scriptures themselves
clearly showed there were no irifa.it; in them,, or if
there verer that they were not baptized. ; The tes
timony of Wesley, Clark, and Matthew Henry.
confirmed this sttatement. . , - ;
Mr. H. had said" there was as stronfe evidence in
favor of infant baptism as there was in favor of the
ehange of the Sabbath from the 7th to the 1st day ;
of the week. Mr, P. j gave Apostolic example to
sustain-the change, and said if Mr. II. would fur-"
nish as clear an example in favor ofinfant baptism
he would receive it.
- Afr Pl haA n. ncW. -..m .ct
where, when,-and' by whom was -circumcision
abolished and baptism put in its place ? ' C. Taylor
declared circumcision was not abolished, and that
baptism was not its substitute 'Hebrew christians
practiced both throughout the Apostolic age ; Did
fJur. If. intend to answer on this point? or did he
acknowledge by his silence that he had asserted
what could not be proved 1 rDid silence prove any
thing now t ! The Jew still ? practiced Circumcision"
the right was still binding npon his whole nation
-it never was abolished.; Ilow thencould baptism
be its successor t , . . . : f ; . 1 : ' - :r .
Mr. P., as he had abundance of Pedo-baptist
testimony . at hapd, would read 'a, few more ex
tracts r-, : ' i - - -" :- -
Isaac Barrow, D." P., of England, .Works,- Vot. 3,
Article 6antismx fin oiu r
. , - w oaptizinw. or im
mersing m water the object, thereof, thosed
of any naUon whom his ministers can t tiT
struction and persuasion render disciple ; Zu
suchasdostneerely BUEVJJ the truth cfZ
trine,, and seriously resolve to obcuhis env,'
ments . It is performed ln thet
mtntered by the authority, and bears special
tion unto the persons of the blessed Triniiv t
chief objects of the faith pkofesSEI, and 7
objects of the obedience hndertaken - therS Z
exhibiting gracious favours unto - the person v
Uzed, and as recieving special
of the church, jlu. who professed
time
tixvi that Jesusvastheonly Redeemer of thevJS
e tha
who,
in conseouenrw w t.
- WI 111 1
mised to live in a mann- nt "lun pro.
A W ua m.J 1 II lirvv,, - .
pro."
... . , " . : w"'"IUjaoie to the purit
of his holy relisnon. wp ;m : vmtJ
omfmir (tin Ji'.-.n!l.. .1 n .
Thes
BAPTISM WAS ADMINISTERED TO KOXE BUT
6CCB 19
HAP BEEN r. PBETIOUSLT
CIPAI. POINTS OF CHRISTIANITY and had also rtr
satisfactokt; proofs of pious dispositions "2
upnght mtentions."
, Mosheim
Ch. HlStOrV SprrmA r.'...
49. " The persons that were to h hlTV?
they' had repeated the creed, confessed and renouiZ
their sins, &c, were immersed under water 7a
received into Christ's kingdom,
Mosheim Ch. History-Third Century-pa!re 70
-There were,. twice a year, stated timi whea
baptism Was administered tbsuch asi after a Ion
durfeof trial and preparation, offered themselves
candidates fo the pfbfession of Christianity
VV ood's works, Vol. 3rd, page 322.' The wAJiT
or AN EXP k Ess, positive commad or script
w. u MANY WORDS, THAT IN
fa NTs should be baptized is not to be considered
as a valid objection against Infant Baptism "
Prof. Moses Stuart in his work on Baptism, pub.
hshed by Graves & Mark; page 189, says-" On
the subject of infant baptism I have said nothing
The. present occasion did not call for it ; and I have
no wish or intention tor enter into the controversy
reepecling it. Lhave only to say that I believe in
botl the propriety and expediency, of the rite thus
aJministered j,and therefore accede to it ex animo.
Commands oa plaim aitd certain examples ix
THr XEW TESTAMEKT BSLATIVli TO" W I DO KOT
If there are no commands or examples of it in the
New Testament, how can Mr. Heflin prove that in
fjnt baptism is authorized by the scriptures ?
Mr. P. avowed his kind feelings toward all peo
ple, and expressed an earnest desire that all might
receive the truth. He had presented sufficient tc
timony from even Pedo-baptfct authors, leaving
the Bible out of the question, to convince any un
prejudiced mind that infant baptism is unauthorized
by the Scriptures. -
Mb, Hefli.v said it was Tnecessary Mr. P. should
avow his kind feelings toward Methodists in ordtf
to let us know, they were in existence ! His re 1
gards for them' could hot be very high for he had
once charged them with being blasphemers because
they baptized infants. Mr. Purify remarked that
Mr. Heflin was the most unfair man he . had ever
known he persited in reiterating a thing that had
repeatedly been explained.
Mr. P. had frequently called for the ecripturejhat
taught infant baptism : Ur, H: aid he had given
it. It was- found in the Commission, which re
quired the baptism of all nations. Christ knew'
the Apostles would nnderstandjnm as commanding
infant baptism, when he gave the Commission. '
Mr. Purify had failed lo tell us the period of ils
origin; and be should therefore contend that infant
baptism was as old as the authority to' preach the
tospei. lhe Jbathers, as had been shown already,
believed and practiced it. Through a succession of
ancient Fathers down to Policarp, who was the
disciple of Saint John, tho rite could be traced;-and
Irenmus distinctly declared that the Church receiv
ed a tradition from the Apostles to baptize infants.
Mr. V. asked for the evidence that infant baptisnf
could be traced down to the days of the Apostles
he wanted the facts, the authorities, to sustain the
assertion. Upon what had already been advanced,
Mr. H. said, he had a right to bae the presump
tion that the Apostles did bant ize infants'. TMr.
. : . l
P. 41 proof, not presumption, is what we want"!
Mr. If. said he had given the proof. He had men
tioned a- number of names in the second centurv
who" sustained the custom ; and the fael that infant
baptism existed so near the days of the Apostles -was
evidence that it originated with them.-
The testimony of Dr. Clark had been quoted
against infant baptism. Mr. P. did not read enough.
Clark said he did not wish his concession so cod-'
strued as to invalidate the claims of infants to' the
rite of baptism. Clark quoted against infant bap
tism ! The thing was ridiculous. . He was as firm
a Pedc-baptist as he was'an Armiriian. He had
battered down the old rotten wafts of Calvinism,
and spread Arminian sentiments all over the land ;
and he would demolish-all opposition to infant bap-'
tism, if allowed to speak for himself. Mr. n. then
read from Clark, where he declares, after the ad-
mission referred to, that parents, especially Jewish'
pareni&V would bring their childen to baptism, and
converted heathens would follow their example, if
no obstacle Were thrown in their way. Clark,
herefore, Mr. H. thought, was of opinion that in-
ana were included in the command to baptize the'
nations. - This is our recollection of the substance
of the passage from Clark. We requested Mr. H.'
to furnish us the quotations made by him during
the debate, but be has not done so.: - -
Mr. P. b ad t aid there was a difference of signifi
cation between oikos end oikia, and quoted CV
Taylor fo sustain hinfih it. Mr. Heflin coincided;
but said oikos, accordiig to his opponeut's own ad v
mission, sometimes included children. The Apos
tles then sometimes baptized children, as they bap-.
tized whole houses ; and, in; all probability, would
have done it oftener h&&: not Jieatheiiish obstacles
been thrown in -their wa"y, as is frequently the case'
in our times;?, The wanner, in which this was said,
plainly intimated that Mr. H. meant that Baptist"
opposition to irffant sprinkling was a " heathenish1
obstacle in: the way of its general pre valence." If
there Were infants in the4 households in dispute Mr-',
H. said7-ilr. P.'mn'st prove it, before the caes could .
have any bearing against infant baptism. Mr. Pi' .
on this subject, had said there might be infants in -.
any; household baptized, and yet in spealting of the '
baptism we would not allude! to the infants but only!
to such as were qualified to feceivejthe ' ordinance r "
if a man and his wife digreed and quarrelled, wet
would say the house was divided against itself, yet -
we would not be "QUdyrsloodT as;, weaning that the
children and infants1 of the house were arrayed
against each-other. - Yes but said Mr. Heflin, -the1'