deed, '' faid he, "indeed I fliould ; " thefe, as well
as I can recollc6l, were his very words. But when,
on the contrary, our views take in the grand dcfi gn
of engaging the attention the more fixedly to the rif-
ing race, all the fuppofed lillinefs vanifhes away, and
It appears a ptan worthy the wifdom uud kindn^ifs of
God.

I was led njore particularly to view the matter in
this point of light, by confidering tliat commiilion
given to the apolUes by the rifen Saviour, refpe6ling
O 2



^^2 OF THE USE or



the Gentile nations, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19, 20. " All
pov7r r is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
j-ethereiore, imd, mat/ieeteusate, d'i{:c\p\e all nations,
oaptiJing taem in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghofi ; ^idaskontes, teaching
tnemto obferve .all things whatfoever I have com^
niancled you, &c. " Here we have the whole plan iuft
as I have fetit down in the cafe of circumcifion ;
X hey are lent to make difciples (fcholars ;) for r/Zwi-
^//z^?mLaim, and fcholar in Engliih, are juft the
Uime ; tiiey are to enter fuch as are made fcholars by
baptiim; they are to inarudlthefe fcholars in the
tamgs 01 Chnft, inordei^that they mav obferve them.
Oarblefled Lord, by making ufe of the words wa-
theeuumtc, make difciples, and didaskontes, teach-
mg, carries our views immediately to matheetai, dls.
cipuli, fcholars, and didaskaloi, prosceptores, fchool-
mad-rs ; and thus we are prefented with a Chriftian
Ichool with fcholars and mafters.

According to this view of the fubjea, and to this
our Lord's words naturally lead us, there appears not
only a grandeur of defign, but likewife an exaa fym-
metry m the different difpenfations of God— I mean
that attention to the rifing offspring, which had fhown
itiell m a former difpenfation, and, no doubt, in all.
xtisto beobferved that our Lord ufe s a term a
fchool term, which will agree to an infant as well as
an adult , for the word matheetees, a fcholar of
which the word ufed by our Lord is the theme, does
not neceffanly intend previous learning nor prefent
learning, but only learning in defign. We call thofe
fcholars, who have done learning, and fo we do thofe
who are now at their ftudies, and fo likewife thofe
who have not yet begun to learn, provided they are
entered for that purpofe : fo that the idea of learning
*Joes not neceffarily annex itfelf to the term mathct
Ue^, Icholar, any farther than to denote a perfonwho
13 entered into a fchool with a view to learn.
^ But here it may be aiked. What propriety can there
oe, ui calling a perfon a difciple or fcholar, who is



INFANT BAPTISM. 163

yet incapable of learning ? I reply, he is properly fo
called, bccaufe he is entered with that defign. e. g.
Numbers iii. 28, " In the number of all the males,
from a month old and upwards, were eight thoufand
and fix hundred, keeping the charge of the fan<5luary,"
Can any body tell me how a child of ffx weeks old
could be a keeper of the charge of the fandluary ?
Certainly he could no otherwife be called a keeper,
but as one defigned and appointed to that fervice.
Juft with the fame propriety, an infant, who, by cir-
cumcifion or baptifm, was or is publicly entered into
a religious fchool, may be called a difciple in a reli-
gious fenfe. And it is a very general opinion, that
infants are a6lually fo called in Atls xv. 10. " Why
tempt ye God to put a yoke on the neck of the difci-
ples ?" That infants are called difciples will appear
plain, if we afk. On whofe neck was this yoke to have
come ? Every one knows, who knows the manner of
Mofes refpe(Sling circumcifion, that it would have
come on adults, but chiefly on infants ; and then it is
evident, that as part of thofe, on whom the yoke
would have come, were infanta, it is as evident, that
thofe infants v/ere called difciples : But whether this
be fo or not, the word made ufe of by our Lord will
agree to infants as v/ell as adults.

The apoftles are to make difciples — ^that is all ma-
theeteusate imports. But ftill the queftlon is. How-
are they to make them ? I anfwer, By teaching ; for
neither adult nor infant can be made a difciple with-
out. And herein the Baptifts are very right, and I
agree with them, that adults and infants muft be made
difciples by teaching, or they will not be made fo at
all. But then how can an infant be made a difciple
by teaching ? I reply, not dire6lly, but indire6lly ;
that is, the parents, being v/on over by teaching to
embrace the truth, they present their infants to the
Chriftian fchool to be tramed up in the fame truth ;
and thus they become difciples. e. g. Joel is to fanc-
tify a fail, and call a folemn alTembly, to gather the
people, ciders, children, and thofe that fuck the



^^^ ' OP THE USE OF

breafts. But how is he to affemble them ? HeMs to
blow a trumpet in Zion. But what does a fucking
child know about the found of a trumpet ? I anfwer,
he knows nothing at all about it. How then are fuck-
ing children to be brought together by the found of a
trumpet, feeing they know nothing of the trumpet or
Its found ? I reply, In the fame way as infants are
made difeiples by teaching. But how is that ? Eve-
ry one knows how it is, who knows any thing; and
this I have already explained. If the trumpet had
not been founded, the fucklings would not have been
coUeaed, and if men were not taught, infants would
not become difeiples : So then infants as well as men
are made difeiples by teaching, as elders and fucking
children are brought to the fall by the found of a
trumpet.

Viewing baptifm as introducing infants into a vifi-
ble ftate of difciplelliip, we ^re to confider others as
teachers and overlookers of ^efe difeiples : And then
the ufefuUiefs of fuch an inftiti^te will difplav itfelf
before us. We fee an infant baptifed.—If our views
terminate there, alas ! what is it ? Infant fprinkling
only, the baptifm of a baby. Things which are little
in themfelves, become great by their connexion with,
and relation to, others. We fee an infant baptifed.—
What does it import? He is received into difciple-
Ihip. /. e, to be a fcholar in a Chriftian fchool. Now
carry your views into the department of parents, paf-
tors, deacons, and members ; and liften to the filent
language of this inilitution. " Parents, paftors,- and
people, pray for us ; during our tender infancy, pray
for us. And when matured by age, caufe the doc-
trine which you profefs, to drop upon us as the rain,
to diflil as dew, as the fmall rain upon the tender
herb, and as Ihowers upon the grafs. Watch over us
with united care, and bring us up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord." It is a difpenfation grand
and merciful, which is calculated more powerfully to
turn the attention of men to the concerns of thofe who
are rifing into life, and polling into eternity.



1 A4
IsrAKT BAfTISM. '""

There 1. one fault among othe» i" »;>«„ ^^P'^^. J^f:

tem, that it places the rifmg f "*r,«''°" [PfttXm-
out of nght. I do not mean th«t the Bap .fts then>

felve, do this; fo^" tl^«i^=°'^^V,? hi iVftem
is much better than their fyftem| but the r IjUem

places them out of fight. And^'^ *'V ^ ,-,i w'
from all the difpenfations of God, ot which we
have any particular knowledge ; which alone would
lead to a prefumption, that it is not ot ^o"-

To what I have faid concerning the ufe of mtant ^
baptifm, under the idea of an inft.tution fu.ted to
draw the attention more powerfully to 'he immorta
concerns of the rifmg generation (and he m"» o«^«
ry inattentive to human nature, who does not tee a
beauty and bleffednefs in fuch a "contrivance) there is
no cbjeaion that can be brought by a Baptift, but
maybe retorted. He may fay, Cannot all this be
done without baptifmg infants? Rf tort : Cannot men
be built up in faith and love, without either bapt.fm
or the Lord's fupper?..-Are not many baptifedm-
fants as deftitute of real religion as others. Ket...-
And are not many baptifed adults, »= deftitute of re-
ligion as heathens? Are not many unbaptifed mJants
broucht up in Chriftian knowledge equally as well as
the baptized ones ? Ret.-And are not many, who
have not been baptifed in adult age, as giacious and
holy as thofe who have ? In this way every objeftion
which can be broght may eafily be retorted on the

'Tiut'tbe truth is, that the enjoyment of ordinances is
to be confidered only as a mean of grace ; they are
%vc-ll fuited as ordinances to imprefs the nyna ; out
.hen, it is very certain, they effeft nM^g. »"l«f«
God is pleated to give the mcreale. T*e poffeffion
of the word of God, the enjoyment of pteaching, bap-
tlfm, the Lord's fupper, are good things in them-
felves, though many are never the better for them ;
but we are to eftimate thefe things not by the advan-
tage which fome receive, but by their own fuitabhi-
nefs to promote, as means, fome great enda.



^^^ OF THE USE OF



cinU?"" Tif ?^''^''t!''^^'''' under the notion of diA
^ind of difciplme m the church of God. It futr-
Ihou d be formed, as they become capablef into

Jnd fo"; '' 'I' P."r^ "^ ^^^^'^^- inflruaion?
tl^ n "^^^>: ^^^^'^^ ^«^^d have its fchool. That
there fliould be in churches, not only poimenai, paf-
tors, but d^daMoi, fchoolmafters, Eph. iv u
,1 hat the minifter and other fit perfons, fhould prel

their children to baptifm, fhould confider themfelve!
as bound m confcience to fee them forth-coming L
this fociety at all appointed feafons. That all the
memoers fhould watch over them, with refpek to
their morals, and likewife their Chriflian learning.
In lliort, the whole fliould be a church bufmefs, regu-

TethruT''''"r ^.^^^i^S^^^^rding to the wifdom
of each Chnftran fociety. For as the infant is re-
ceived by the church as a difciple in its baptifm, th^
church becomes bound to regard that infant as fuch :
aJid to fee that it is treated as a fcholar of Chrift To
all ims, ,t IS plain the idea of difciplelhip leads ; and
in this view It becomes greatly important, as its ten-
dency ,s to draw the cares and prayers of the whole
Chriitian church towards the riling generation.

1 here are many fptcial ufes conneaed with this
grand leading idea, which the limit of this effav will
notpermit me to mention. I cannot fay how far the
leacl.ng idea itfelf is attended to by thofe who adopt
infant baptifm ; ifitbenot, it is fo much the more
to be lamented, that in this, as well as in other things,
thefpirit oi an inftitute is not followed up to its pro-
per fcope. It is fufficient, notwithaanding, to my
prcfent purpofe, in fhowing the ufefulnefs of an ordi-
nance, if there be a natural fitnefs, in the ordinance
itlelf, to promote the great end I have mentioned.
And as every fyftem we embrace is likely to imprefs
our minds according to its nature ; that fyftem mufl
be eminently good and ufeful, which is calculated,



INFAKT BAyriSM. I6f

moft of all, to bring the rifmg generation, and their
everlafting concerns, to our mind ; to hold them up
perpetually before our eyes ; and to fix them habitu-
ally upon our hearts. — All this the admiflion of Infants
by baptifm to a ftate of difciplclhip in the church of
God, is evidently calculated to do ; and herein I
judge its main ufefulnefs confifts.



TffE E}fS),



CONTENTS



Page
I. AN Introduction, wherein the ques-
tion is fairly stated. 8
IL The argument of the Baptists against

infant baptism : 13

1. From the want of express precept^ ^c, 13

2, From their want of faith and repentance, 24

III. Arguments in favour of infant baptism. 37

1 . From the institution of their membership, 37

2. From the continuance of that institution, 43

IV. A scheme of the whole controversy, 8 1
, V. Remarks on that scheme ; wherein the

\ only argument of Mr. Booth against
the continuance of infant membership
is refuted, 81

VL An Appendix, in which the whole
system of the Baptists is overthrown
by consequences, 100

') A case submitted to the consideration of the

Baptists y 134

VII. The mode of baptism; wherein the
force of the term, the circumstances,
and allusions are considered, 135

VIII. The practical use of Pjedobaptism, 160