A Hand-book on Christian Baptism

in opposing each other; but while error is to be found among them, the thing is unavoidable."

The author has written without the bursting fulness or kindled anger of Elihu, and without despondency as to ultimate results. His conviction is that the assumptions and fallacies contained in works advocating infant sprinkling, are capable of exposure, and that an altered feeling and conduct towards believers' immersion will certainly be effected. He is not altogether ignorant of the change which has taken place in England since the time of Wycliffe, and of the difficulties with which the enlightened spirits of Locke and Milton had to contend in maintaining the rights of conscience. He has no doubt that truth is mighty, and that it will so prevail as to put an end to that diversity and opposition of sentiment now existing in regard to a solemn and practical injunction of our Lord and Saviour. And though he expects not to witness this desired consummation, he will be happy if his feeble exertions contribute to the hastening of that state of which inspired Writ assures us, when the watchmen of Zion "shall see eye to eye." For the accomplishment of this he believes that controversy, if enlightened and Christian, is not to be deprecated. Preceding and subsequent quotations show that this is the recorded opinion of some of the best and wisest of men in all Christian denominations.

A hand-book so controversial as this, he admits to be very undesirable. One containing simply facts and directions is to his mind. But in the present state of sentiment and practice, preaching and writing on baptism, the statement of objections made by opponents, with an exposure of their futility, he believes to be necessary. The two honoured brethren of the Independent and Methodist New Connexion denominations would have been followed less minutely, had the primary intention been to notice the arguments and assertions of so many others. He anticipates an objection not only to many quotations as unnecessary, but also to the noticing of many objections as being supererogatory, from a conviction that these antiquated objections have with shame been abandoned, and from ignorance to what an extent, publicly and privately, fallacious reasoning and glaring assumptions on this subject yet prevail. Possibly citations and the repeated reference to the power of prepossessions may be to excess; but it is impossible to do justice to all without an objection from many in regard to superfluous matter. Almost every part of Holy Writ adduced by any Pædobaptist in favour of infant sprinkling is acknowledged by one Pædobaptist or another to contain no proof, no valid argument, in favour of the hypothesis. One believes and confesses this in regard to one passage, and another in

regard to another. Thus one rejects reasoning on a certain passage as worthless, whilst another attaches such importance to it that he is ready to stake the Divine authority of his procedure on that very portion of the inspired record which his learned brother admits to be isolated, irrelevant, and worthless for any proof on behalf of the beloved practice. It is the same in regard to arguments from other sources. But the same positive and unfounded assertions continue to be made, as if in ignorance that the most learned among themselves had admitted their entire irrelevance, complete untenability, and utter worthlessness for the purpose for which they are thus quoted. Some of the quotations from Baptists would have been less necessary, had the work been written by one of the respected presidents of our colleges. Some sentiments have been uttered in the words of others for the sake of "convenience."

This work would have been less diffuse, more scholarly, and in many respects superior, had it been written by one out of many whose names the writer could mention; but being the nearest neighbour to one esteemed opponent, and a work on baptism adapted in its spirit and in the extent of its information to the benefit of Pædobaptists of all sections, and to the benefit of some Baptists, being regarded by the writer as desirable, he has considered it his duty to use his best endeavours to supply the supposed deficiency, rather than to wait for or wait upon others. Had there been no pastoral and other duties, the work would have proceeded more rapidly; and had there been no tiredness of this logomachy long before the conclusion was reached, and no failure of health-eventually confining the writer long to his bedroom, which he was not expected to leave for further employment on earth, and from which affliction perfect recovery is not anticipated-the Treatise might have been more to the approval of some. It is hoped by the writer that all is truthful and perspicuous, without which qualifications it is desirable no work should ever see the light. It is not meant by this that the writer is sure that no sentiment or argument of his opponent has ever been misapprehended. Not one is knowingly misrepresented. If errors have been made, he will desire to make such correction and reparation as may be in his power. But the discovery and exposure of such incidental errors, if they do exist, he will not regard as a reply to the facts and arguments of the work.

Whilst the writer admits that there may be a just complaint of some repetition and of occasional verbosity, he would remind the reader that some of the repetition has been intentional, as, for instance, the repeated reference to the potent influence of prejudice, and the application of

some recognized principle of interpretation or law of controversy. The statement respecting the burden of proof is required to be repeatedly mentioned, that the irrelevancy or worthlessness of each objection may be apparent, and that the reader who examines not the whole may fully comprehend the portion he peruses. Diffusion and repetition may also have been promoted by the insertion of an occasional thought or extract during the years of illness which have succeeded the first completion of this work. Also they might have been diminished had the author's present health allowed a more thorough and stringent revision along with the re-writing of certain parts, or had he habituated himself earlier to a more concise and nervous mode of uttering his thoughts. Certain expressions would have been more racy, and perhaps to some more efficient, had he not conceived that they would be less Christian. The alteration which has been made in some expressions, he feels assured will not be regretted on a death-bed. It may be that the softening of other expressions might then be regarded as a virtue, and not a failing. Aware of imperfection in diction, conscious of purity of aim, not writing at the request of man or to please men, not writing for the sake of a denomination, not thoroughly approving of the appellations Baptist and Pædobaptist, but desiring in all an increased conformity to the Divine will, and believing in the truthfulness of the sentiments enunciated and advocated, the work,-from the publication of which he has often shrunk through anticipation of pecuniary loss, of mortification from the discovery of mistakes, from the possibly harsh and unjust treatment of certain reviewers, and from the contempt of some who nevertheless must continue to be held in high estimation,-is committed to the Christian public with the believing prayer to God that it may promote an increased knowledge and practice of His holy and gracious will.

Whether, if life is spared, the remaining portion of his manuscript, referring to the subjects of baptism, will be committed to the press, the writer cannot now say. If such should not be the case, the works on baptism to which he has referred give instruction on the subjects as well as the action of baptism. Had not the author begun to write, he would not now commence; and had he not felt a strong objection to the performance of works of supererogation, along with a conviction of adaptation to man's good and God's glory in what he has written, he would not have committed this to the press. Such works as this, for the sake of examining the originals of all works that are quoted, should be written by those who have health and leisure, and who have access to many thousands of volumes, or whose finances enable them to purchase what they please.

In partial exculpation of the length to which he has gone, he might mention his own ignorance, at the time, of having proceeded so far; and the fact that he is defending what an estimable opponent deems it "incredible," yea, "inconceivable," that Christ should ever have commanded: a practice which is supposed to be perpetuated only because a certain denomination is under "the trammels of a party." Although he is not conscious that the Baptist denomination has bowed its neck, wholly or partially, unwillingly or by choice, to any Conference or Association, Synod, Union, or Parliament, to any human person or persons, yet it would seem that this denomination is considered to be so carried away by some mortal being or beings, as in effect to have sworn allegiance to the same. May all be preserved from having any other "Lord and Master" than "our Lord Jesus Christ," and may "power from on high" attend all endeavours to promote universal homage and praise "unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever."

VALE PARSONAGE,

TODMORDEN, December, 1864.