XIII.-ON EVIDENCE FROM THE FUTILITY OF ALL KNOWN OBJECTIONS 164-554 § 1.-Futility of Pædobaptist Philological Objections 165-194 . § 9.-Futility of Objections from the Multitude Baptized . 339-355 355-390 § 11.-Futility of Objections from Christ's Commission. 390-394 § 15.-Futility of Objections to the Immersion of Paul § 16.-Futility of Objections to the Immersion of Cornelius 427-432 § 17.-Futility of Objections to the immersion of Lydia. 432-435 § 19. Futility of Objections from Eph. iv. 5. § 20. Futility of Objections from Heb. vi. 2 § 24. Futility of Objections from Supposed Danger § 31.-Futility of the Objection that Sprinkling is not § 35.-Futility of the Objection that Baptists allow of § 36.-Futility of the Objection from the Admission of § 37. Futility of Sundry Less Frequent Objections. 1.-On Evidence from the Fathers. 2.-On the Washing of a Part for the Whole. 3.-On One Person Immersing Another 4.-On Dipping, Pouring, or Sprinkling a Sign of Cleansing and 5.-On Alleged Assumptions by Baptists 534-536 9.-On the Silence of Scripture, and on the Burden of Proof AN APPEAL TO PEDOBAPTISTS ON THEIR AVOWED SENTIMENTS AS INTRODUCTORY. SECTION I. BAPTISM A DIVINE INSTITUTION. J. A. JAMES.-"O God! I render Thee my sincere and hearty thanks for the sacred Scriptures, that inestimable volume, which is given by Thine inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. May I consider Thy Word the only infallible standard of truth; and turning from all human authority, however I may avail myself of the teaching of uninspired men, may I determine to receive nothing as truth which is not taught here, and everything as truth which is taught here. Give me an enlightened understanding, and lead me into a knowledge of Thy will."-Chris. Father's Pres., p. 27. NEANDER. "We must follow not the spirit of the age, but the Spirit of God."-His. of Chris. Dogmas, p. 10, Bohn's Edition. Dr. LEIFCHILD.-"Watch the errors of your times and neighbourhood."-Counsels to Min., p. 48.* THAT baptism has been enjoined by the highest authority, whatever may be the import of the word, and whoever may be its proper subjects, appears to the writer indisputable, inasmuch as we have the express command, "Go ye, therefore, and teach" (marginal and proper rendering, Make disciples of) "all nations, baptizing them," &c. (Matt. xxviii. 19.) This command is prefaced by the words, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," ver. 18. We read also in Mark xvi. 15, 16, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." In accordance with this law of the kingdom of heaven, on the day of Pentecost, to those who inquired, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you," &c. Subsequent conduct and instruction recorded in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, prove that baptism, whatever may be its import or advantages, was regarded as having been legislatively enacted by the adored Sovereign and Head of the church. Hence Acts ii. 41; viii. 12, 13, 36, 38; ix. 18; x. 47, 48; xvi. 15, 33; xviii. 8; xix. 3–5; xxii. 16; Rom. vi. 3, 4; 1 Cor. i. 13-17; xii. 13; Gal. iii. 27; Eph. iv. 5; Col. ii. 12; 1 Peter iii. 21. Baptism, therefore, is not indebted for its origin to the decrees of popes or ecclesiastical assemblies, to the whims, vagaries, inventions, or policy of uninspired, designing, or erring men. It is commanded by "the wisdom of God." It should not, therefore, be scorned or despised; nor should it be practically disregarded, unless the intention of God that it should be of temporary continuance, can be proved from His own Word. * The reader will perceive that some of the subsequent prefixes to the various sections of this volume are from Baptist writers, and that many of these prefixed quotations were not intended for baptism by their respective authors, but that they are here atinced because of their appropriateness and importance. B SECTION II. BAPTISM A NEW TESTAMENT INSTITUTION, Prof. WILSON.-"We may safely take little interest in the mere contest of party-the battle of man against man, Pædobaptist against anti-Pædobaptist; but in the noble strife of solid facts and sound reasonings it should be our ambition to come off victorious. Christians must not despise the value any more than 'the day of small things.'"-Inf. Bap., pp. 68-70. Bp. BUTLER."Many persons, from different causes, never exercise their judgment upon what comes before them, in the way of determining whether it be conclusive, and holds. They are perhaps entertained with some things, not so much with others; they like and they dislike; but whether that which is proposed to be made out be really made out or not-whether a matter be stated according to the real truth of the case, seems to the generality of people merely a circumstance of no consideration at all."-Pref. to Ser. CHRISTIAN baptism is not an institution of Abraham, or of the inspired legislator, Moses, or of the Old Testament. It is an institution of the New Testament, of the Christian dispensation, being enjoined by Christ on His disciples. John's baptism undoubtedly bore a great resemblance to Christian baptism. "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” And the evangelist Mark, speaking first of John the Baptist, uses these words, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The distinction between John's baptism and that enjoined by Christ, need not by us now be defined. Christian baptism is an ordinance of which we read, from the inspired writings, only in the New Testament. We learn from the Old Testament that there were instances in which it was the duty of one person to wash another (Ex. xxix. 4; xl. 12; Lev. viii. 6). Whatever resemblance there might be in this to Christian baptism, we draw hence no arguments; we deem all inferences from this to be unnecessary, if not irrelevant. We also read of the washing or bathing of the unclean (Lev. xiv. 8, 9; xv. 5–8, 10, 11, 13, &c.; xvi. 26, 28; xvii. 15, 16; Num. xix. 7, 8). These passages are adduced simply to shew that a bathing of the person was one of the required purifications under the law of Moses. The pouring of water on a person, by himself or by any fellowcreature, is not mentioned in the Old Testament, except in reference to Elisha, who "poured water on the hands of Elijah." The sprinkling of water, unmixed with anything else, upon any person, by himself or by his fellow-man, is a circumstance not mentioned in the Old Testament. The pouring of oil on certain persons, and the sprinkling of blood, and of water mixed with ashes, and of water mixed with blood, are named (Num. viii. and xix ;* Lev. xiv. 5-7). God promised to pour out His Spirit, Prov. i. 23; Joel ii. 28, 29: and in Isaiah xliv. 3, it is promised, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground." Also in Ezekiel xxxvi. 25, is the prediction, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." These last are not records of what man has done, or has been enjoined to do, but of what a faithful God graciously promised. OLSHAUSEN.-"The symbolical signification of the rite of baptism was so intelligible, that as soon as the Jews saw John practise it, they understood what he meant by it. Accordingly, this passage can afford no proof that baptism (in its distinction from mere lustration) was known before John and Christ."-Com. on John i. 26, 27. * The water of purifying referred to in Num. viii. 7, was mingled with the ashes of the |