rebuke in writings on the nature of baptism. In the Council of Trent it was as hard to see the meaning of those words in which the Lord has covenanted salvation to each believer, as Dr. Halley now makes it out to be to comprehend what was intended by commanding every believer to be baptized. Those ages of corrup tion spread their gloom, not only over the page of revelation, but it was made to cover all existence. The clearest facts of nature were denied in the very face of absolute demonstration. The operations of earth had none to understand or admire them, and heaven expanded her deep blue bosom to mankind in vain; the glory was still a secret, because the observer was blind.

"By thus glancing at the evil we may learn its cure. The mind, though not altogether free, has, notwithstanding, in some departments, been considerably emancipated; and the rule by which its liberty has been so far gained for natural investigations, must work out its freedom in divinity. Where man has laid aside the use of plausible conjectures, and confined his attention to facts, by becoming a servant and interpreter of nature and nothing more, knowledge has extended; it has become more definite and clear, and every human resource in action has been augmented beyond the utmost boundary of ancient thought. Let the same rule be applied to revelation, and every desirable result will be obtained. When preconceived notions have been laid aside, and the facts of revelation have been carefully collected and arranged, instead of exulting over its obscurity, reason will be found for using the words of David, "The entrance of Thy word giveth light, it maketh wise the simple.' "--Christian Disci., pp. 88, 480-482.

A. BOOTH.-"Baptism was evidently intended for the disciples of Christ in general, a very great majority of whom, though thoroughly capable of understanding an express precept, or a plain example, relative to the ordinance, have neither capacities nor opportunities for long, abstruse, analogical disquisitions, in order to come at the mode and subject of baptism. Yet persons the most illiterate, and of the narrowest capacities, if really converted to Jesus Christ, must be supposed capable of understanding what baptism is, and the Scriptural grounds on which it should be administered; or else it would never have been appointed for them by our gracious and omniscient Lord."-Pædob. Examined, vol. iii., p. 116, Ed. 1829.

The length and number of these extracts can only be justified and commended by the importance of our being convinced that God has not obscurely revealed His will. The following are from Pædobaptist writers :

pre

Dr. HALLEY." Assuming the truth of our conclusion in the last lecture, that baptism is an ordinance of perpetual obligation in the Christian church, it does seem extraordinary that Christians, in the honest and diligent study of the New Testament, should be unable to discover who are to be baptized, or in what manner the rite is to be performed. I cannot but think that if both parties proceed in the inquiry honestly, impartially, without prejudice, and without preference, until the conclusion be fairly reached, the truth may be ascertained. To which side the latent prejudice which obstructs the force of evidence may belong, it is not for me to assume, nor even to conjecture. Whether I have been succesful or not in pursuing the inquiry with an impartial and unbiassed mind, I do believe that if other and abler divines on both sides will divest themselves of judice, they may bring this dispute to a satisfactory determination. Instead of saying, so quietly and comfortably as some good people do, Let us agree to differ, it would be more in accordance with our respect for the will and authority of Christ to say, Let us agree to find out the truth, adhering closely to Scripture, seeking all aid in its correct interpretation, assuming nothing without proof, and carefully endeavouring to detect the cause of the error, on whichever side it be, the proton pseudos, which, lurking in the breast of one party or the other, in this as in almost every controversy, vitiates all the subsequent reasoning, and, ever present in the dispute, colours with a false light the arguments adduced on each side of the question, concealing the weakness of some, and imputing a fictitious value to others. Let us reach, if it be possible, the arx cause of this unhappy dispute, and then it surely cannot be difficult for an unprejudiced mind to ascertain the truth. Vituperation and abuse in this controversy have probably done more than any thing else to obscure the truth. Let every controversialist consider

how far he is guilty of obstructing, by the acrimony of his words, the force of his own arguments. . . . . Upon baptism we have more full and precise information than we have upon any other ritual observance."*-Cong. Lec., pp. 92-94.

Dr. ADAM CLARKE.- "When the four Gospels and the Apostolic Epistles are at hand, every thing relative to the salvation of the soul, may be clearly apprehended by any simple upright person."

Dr. OWEN." Every thing in the Scripture is so plain as that the meanest believer may understand all that belongs unto his duty; or is necessary to his happiness. There can be no instance given of any obscure place or passage in the Scripture, concerning which a man may rationally suppose or conjecture, that there is any doctrinal truth requiring our obedience, which is not elsewhere explained." Archb. TILLOTSON.-"No prejudice being so strong as that which is founded in education, and of all the prejudices of education, none so obstinate and hard to be removed as those about religion; yea, though they be never so absurd and unreasonable."-Works, vol. i., Serm. 20.

Dr. BENSON.-"What can be more absurd than to imagine that the doctrines or rules of practice which relate to men's everlasting salvation should be delivered in such ambiguous terms as to be capable of many meanings?"-In Dr. A. Campbell's Chr. Bap., p. 133.

Dr. CUMMING.-"Did the great Author of revelation design that He should be understood by fallible creatures? If not, what serves a revelation for? Was it given only to amuse mankind; or to set them together by the ears about the sense of unintelligible sounds? Such a thought can never find entertainment in the

mind of one who is certain that there is a God. We must therefore conclude that God did intend to be understood; [and] that He has made use of such expressions as were suited to convey a certain determinate sense to our understanding."-Grounds of Pres. Diff., pp. 74, 75.

Dr. WHITBY. -“Do any [wise lawgivers] make laws in matters necessary to be observed by their subjects, so obscurely as that they cannot be obeyed till they are interpreted by the judges, or cleared by some other means? If it happen at any time that some of their laws be dubious or obscure in any matter of importance, is not this judged an imperfection in them fit to be remedied by an explanatory act? Yea, doth it not happen, either for want of skill or care to make them clearer? neither of which can be supposed in our great Lawgiver. Shall then, that Jesus, who is the wisdom of the Father, be supposed to have acted so, in matters which concern the everlasting salvation of His subjects, as no wise lawgiver ever chose to do?"-Def. of Prop., &c., p. 52.

PRESB. CON. OF FAITH.-"All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

"The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and, therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold, but one, it may be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly."-Ch. i., § 7, 9.

Dr. G. CAMPBELL.-"If the sacred penmen wrote to be understood, they must have employed their words and phrases in conformity to the current usage of those for whom they wrote.

"There is a great difference between the mention of any thing as a duty, especially of that consequence, that the promises or threats of religion depend on the performance or neglect of it; and the bare recording of an event as fact. In the former, the words ought to be as special as possible, that there may be no mistake in the application of the promise, no pretence for saying that more is exacted than was expressed in the condition. But, in relating facts, it is often a matter of indifference whether the terms be general or special."--Four Gos., part ii., § 23; part in, § 8.

That this writer, and some others, are always consistent with themselves, we do not afirm. It would be well if none of us ever spoke or acted inconsistently with our most correct sentiments and best feelings.

ISAAC TAYLOR.-"We adhere to the belief, and on this very ground renounce Romanism, that, whatever our Lord intended to be of permanent observance in His church, He has caused to be included in the canonical writings; for we may religiously believe that all points at once of great moment and of universal application, are so affirmed in Scripture as to carry the convictions of every humble and docile mind."-Anc. Christ.

Dr. EADIE."The Bible is meant to be fully and correctly understood." "The Bible resembles a chart given to a mariner." "The Bible is easily understood. What it concerns you most to know, is told in simple and striking phraseology. "The Bible is a clear and perfect rule of duty.' "It is easily understood."-Lec. on the Bible, pp. 30, 31, 103.

Dr. T. ARNOLD.- "If the sense of Scripture as to any important point may fairly be doubted by honest sensible men, it seems to me to be no better than mockery to call them the rule of faith." Is it unimportant to know the meaning of an action which the Head of the church has solemnly enjoined on every one of His disciples?

Dr. J. P. SMITH.-"The Author of revelation spoke to mankind in such language as they were accustomed to use, such as they could most readily understand, and such as must ever remain the most affecting and impressive to the buman heart." "To say all in one word, it must have been intelligible."-Cong. Lec.,

pp. 282, 218.

Dr. J. MORISON.-"I believe that the presumed difficulties in the interpretation of Scripture, so much dwelt upon by the advocates of traditions, are occasioned much more by the vain curiosity, the besetting prejudices, and the unsubdued passions of mankind, than from any real want of clearness in the written record. Hom. for the Times, p. 57.

Bp. TAIT.-"It is a favourite device of Rome to represent Scripture as obscure." -Dan. and Safeg. of Mod. Theo., p. 14.

T. H. HORNE."The practical reading" of the Scriptures "is of such a nature, that the most illiterate person may prosecute it with advantage; for the application of Scripture which it enjoins, is connected with salvation; and consequently, if the unlearned were incapable of making such application to themselves, it would be in vain to allow them to peruse the sacred writings."-Intro., vol. ii., pp. 638, 639.

Dr. HETHERINGTON.-"We can go to the humble dwellings of the poor, to those who have no books but the Bible, and no learning but what enables them to read its sacred pages. Ask, then, that Bible-taught and Bible-loving poor man or poor woman, to give an account of the faith, and a reason for the hope that is in them. The answer may be expressed in very plain and homely language, but it will convey as clear a statement of the leading principles of the Gospel, as ever was framed by any Council of the Fathers, or Assembly of Divines."-Lec. on Popery.

Dr. H., speaking of Church Government, says, "The diversities of government may be all comprised within the three following chief designations:-Episcopal, or rather Prelatic, Presbyterian, and Congregational. Each of these forms of church government is regarded by its adherents as apostolical in its origin, and founded on the authority of Scripture, as they are accustomed respectively to argue. That these arguments cannot be all equally sound and valid is self-evident; but it is not necessary to assume that those who employ them are aware of their inconclusiveness, or insufficiency to prove the points at issue. Human passion, interest, and prejudice, are very strong, and can bias imperceptibly the most candid minds that are under their influence. Men may, therefore, arrive at different conclusions from the same premises, without any direct or intentional violation of moral integrity. It were well that all who engage in controversional discussions respecting church government, would bear this in mind, so that they might conduct their argument without any impeachment of each other's veracity. We hold, indeed, that Scripture is sufficiently clear and explicit on the subject of church government; and that there never would have been such diversities of opinion on that question as there are, had not human passion, interest, and prejudice, found easy entrance, and disturbed the primary constitution of the primitive church, and the inquiries of Christians in all succeeding times."-His. of the Ch. of Scot., pp. 9-11.

A. BARNES.-"From these expectations of the apostles we may learn,-1. That there is nothing so difficult to be removed from the mind as prejudice in favour of

erroneous opinions. 2. That such prejudice will survive the plainest proofs to the contrary. 3. That it will often manifest itself even after all proper means have been taken to subdue it. Erroneous opinions thus maintain a secret ascendancy in a man's mind, and are revived by the slightest circumstances, even long after we supposed they were overcome, and even in the face of the plainest proofs of reason or of Scripture."-Com. on Acts 1-6.

Thus do we perceive that Episcopalians and Presbyterians, Independents, Wesleyans, and Baptists, concur or vie with each other in maintaining the simplicity and perspicuity of Divine revelation as a whole, and especially in regard to the preceptive portion thereof.

SECTION VIII.

BAPTISM A POSITIVE INSTITUTION, REQUIRING EXPLICIT REVELATION.

Dr. R. W. HAMILTON." Is it revealed? Then we are bound to allow it as the teaching of the Christian dispensation. .... Is it revealed? Then have we no warrant for that vacant, dissembling state of mind, which would waive all opinion, suspend all decision, concerning the fact... Is it revealed? There must not be equivocation or concealment." "We do honestly believe, we must therefore dauntlessly affirm."-Cong. Lec., pp. 390, 391, 404.

Dr. CHALMERS."Have the Bible, that high and ultimate standard of appeal, perpetually in your eye; cultivate a growing acquaintance with this standard; it will keep all right and steady, and save you from being agitated by the ever-varying winds of human doctrine, and human speculation; your faith by hearing, but your hearing by the Word of God."-(Disc. on Rom. x. 17, p. 11.) "By pinning your creed to your minister you put the whole of this provision away from you; you change the heavenly institution for the earthly; you turn from the offered guidance of the Almighty, and resign the keeping of your conscience to one who, in as far as he wanders from the law of God, is as blind and ignorant and helpless as yourselves. No, my brethren, keep fast by your Bible; try, if you can, to outstrip us in the wisdom of the Word of Christ."-(Do., p. 10.) "Sin is a want of conformity to the will of God."—Addr. to the Inhab. of Kal., p. 6.

ASSEMBLY'S SH. CATE.-"Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of the law of

God."

POSITIVE institutions, such as sacrifices, circumcision, and all ritual ceremonies, are not ascertainable as duties from the light of nature, or the faculty of reason, but solely from revelation. They would not exist as duties were they not Divinely enjoined. They are thus distinguished from the moral duties of loving our Creator, praising our Benefactor, honouring our parents, speaking truthfully, acting justly, &c. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two positive institutions of the New Tes tament. However appropriate, important, and useful these symbolic institutions, we can know nothing respecting them as our duty but from revelation. In making this distinction between moral and positive laws, we impugn not God's right to enact them, nor lower man's obligation and privilege to obey all the positive requirements of his Creator. Being Divinely enjoined, we are under obligation practically to regard them in accordance with the Divine injunction. Moral obligation necessarily follows from Divine revelation and injunction. An institution, however, thus originating in the sovereign pleasure of the Divine Being, may be expected to be clearly revealed. This was the case with sacrifices, with circumcision, and with all the rituals of the Mosaic economy. We do not say that baptism must clearly mean immersion, pouring, or sprinkling, but simply that it must have a clear import. The following extracts will both illustrate and enforce the writer's sentiments. Excepting the first and the last, they are from Pædobaptist authors.

Dr. A. CAMPBELL."Will it not be conceded by all, that whatever good reason can be given why, not a general, but a specific word was chosen by God, in

commanding circumcision to Abraham and his posterity, demands a term as specific and intelligible from the Christian Lawgiver, in reference to the institution of baptism?* Now, as Jesus Christ must have intended some particular action to be performed by His ministers, and submitted to by the people, in the command to baptize them, it follows that He did select such a word, or that He could not or would not do it. This is a trilemma from which escape is not easy. If any one say He could not, then either the language which He spoke, or His knowledge of it was defective. If the former, then the language was unfit to be the vehicle of a Divine revelation to man; if the latter, His Divine character and mission are directly assailed and dishonoured. Or if any one say He could have done it, but would not, he impeaches either His sincerity or benevolence, or both; His sincerity, in demanding obedience in a particular case, for which He cared nothing; His benevolence, in exacting a particular service in an ambiguous and unintelligible term, which should perplex and confound His conscientious friends and followers in all ages of the world! Follows it not, then, that He could, that He would, find such a word, and that He has done it and that baptizo is that specific word?"— Chris. Bap., p. 118.

Bp. BUTLER.-"Moral duties arise out of the nature of the case itself, prior to external command; positive duties do not arise out of the nature of the case, but from external command; nor would they be duties at all, were it not for such command, received from Him whose creatures and subjects we are.”—Anal. of Rel., part ii., ch. i.

Dr. OWEN.-"Positive institutions are the free effects of the will of God

depending originally and solely on revelation. All things concerning the worship of God in the whole church or house, now under the Gospel, are no less perfectly and completely ordered and ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ, than they were by Moses under the law."

Dr. J. G. KING. "Positive duties. . . can have no foundation but in the express words of the institutor, from which alone they derive their authority.”—Rites and Cere. of the Gr. Ch. in Russia, p. 12.

Dr. WILLIAMS.—“ By positive laws I understand such laws as do not appear to us obligatory, except on the mere authority of the Divine Legislator." "What a wise legislator intends should be understood and complied with, he will make sufficiently clear and determinate; but what is not so, does not, properly speaking, make any part of the statute. And this is eminently the case in those laws that are called positive."—Antipado. Exam., vol. i., p. 23.; vol. ii., p. 358.

Pres. EDWARDS.- "Those laws whose obligation arises from the nature of things, and from the general state and nature of mankind, as well as from God's positive revealed will, are called moral laws. Others, whose obligation depends merely upon God's positive and arbitrary institution, are not moral: such as the ceremonial laws, and the precepts of the Gospel about the two sacraments.". . . Positive "precepts are the greatest and most proper trial of obedience; because in them the mere authority and will of the Legislator is the sole ground of the obligation, and nothing in the nature of the things themselves; and therefore they are the greatest trial of any person's respect to that authority and will."-Sermons, p. 232.

Dr. GOODMAN.-"Now it is very evident that all things of this nature ought to be appointed very plainly and expressly, or else they can carry no obligation with them; for seeing the whole reason of their becoming matter of law or duty, lies in the will of the legislator, if that be not plainly discovered, they cannot be said to be instituted, and so there can be no obligation to observe them, because where 'there is no law there can be no transgression,' and a law is no law, in effect, which is not sufficiently promulgated."—Preser, against Popery, p. 7.

Dr. SHERLOCK.-"What is matter of institution depends wholly upon the Divine will and pleasure, and though all men will grant, that God and Christ have always great reason for their institution, yet it is not the reason but the autho

* The word "demands," we adopt only in application to the unambiguous character of the term Divinely chosen to designate the action Divinely required. We maintain that the term which God has chosen is specific as well as clear; but we do not say that God might not have commanded the application of water to any part of the body just as the candidate and the administrator might agree respecting it. We maintain that God's command is far otherwise.