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fimilar obfervations are equally applicable to the chriftian baptifm. On another occafion, he obferved to his difciples, "I have "many things to fay unto you, but ye cannot bear

them now.' He was unwilling to disturb their minds, and fhock their faith, with fuch doctrines and truths as they were not prepared to receive and entertain. He, therefore, waited for the abatement of their prejudices, and the arrival of a more convenient opportunity.

Again, although Chrift knew that the Romans had no equitable right to demand tribute of the Jews; yet, rather than occafion of fence, he procured, in an extraordinary manner, a piece of filver, in order to defray the taxes affeffed on himself and Peter.

The holy Apoftles conducted with the fame prudent, peaceable caution. The Jews who believed, efteemed circumcifion and the Mofaic cuftoms as an unfpeakable privilege, and wifhed to have them continued. They were accordingly gratified. Nay, in order to remove fufpicion, St. Paul circumcifed Timothy with his own hand. In compliance with the advice of the other Apoftles, he fhaved his own head and purified himself, as the law of Mofes required. This happened about 27 years after that law was annulled or fuperfeded by the gospel difpenfation.

The believing gentiles confidered the fe Jewish rites as great grievances, and requefted to be excufed. They alfo were freely in

dulged. The apoftolick language was, "we "that are ftrong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. "Let every one of us pleafe his neighbour, for his good to edification. For even "Chrift pleafed not himself, &c."-" For "though I be free from all men, yet have I

made my felf fervant unto all, that I might "gain the more. To the Jews I became as

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a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them "that are under the law, as under the law "that I might gain them that are under the

law; to them that are without law, as with"out law, being not without law to God, "but under the law to Chrifl, that I might "gain them that are without law. To the "weak, I became as weak, that I might gain "the weak. I am made all things to all men, "that by all means, I might fave fome."

This, Sir, is chriftian candour and condelcenfion. Thus, the Apoftles yielded to the ignorance, weakness, prejudices, bigotry, and fuperftition of mankind; in order to prevent unneceffary diffentions and feparations, and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace-that the gospel of Chrift might not be fruftrated or hindered, but have free courfe and be glorified.

When therefore we reafon from analogy, inference, or fair implication, it is natural to fuppofe, that Chrift meant to leave the mode of baptifm undecided, that his Apoftles and minifters, in all fucceeding generations,

might be at liberty to apply the baptifmal: water, in fuch a manner as fhould be moft expedient, in their various circumftances. In this very refpect, we difcover the wisdom and kindness of our common Lord. For as christianity was defigned to be an univerfal religion, it was proper that the rite of publick. initiation fhould be of fuch a nature as might be accommodated to the condition and inclination of perfons, in all ages, and nations,, and climates, and seasons.

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I PERCEIVE, in your letters addreffed to

Mr. Anderfon, on open communion, that you define a baptift as being "one who holds immerfion only to be baptifm, and visible believers the only fubjects." But, Sir, how could you, confiftently with this definition, affert fo pofitively, "that during the firft 6. century, the chriftians were all regular baptifts ?-and that the origin of the pædobap6 tifts is at once traced to about the middle

of the fecond century?" Unhappily, for the uninformed, prejudiced, and credulous part of mankind, fuch pedantick, pofitive affèrtions, unaccompanied with any evidence,,

often prove more effectual than the foundest reafons and moft conclufive arguments! It appears, however, that a modern baptift, with refpe&t to the fubjects, holds that infant baptifm is always unlawful and invalid, even when administered by dipping. A baptif, with respect to the mode, is one who holds that a total immerfion or dipping is abfolutely neceffary, in order to render the adminiftration of the ordinance lawful and valid. He confequently refufes to commune with thofe perfons, who have received baptifm in any other mode, although they were adult believers, at the time of being baptized. According to this defcription of a baptift, I have not been able, after the moft laborious and careful examination of hiftory, to find at fingle church or minifter of that denomination, before the twelfth century. Baptifm, I have shown, was practifed by fprinkling, occafionally, without oppofition, in the fecondcentury. This ftrongly indicates, that the practice was handed down, even from the Apofties; efpecially when we confider that there is no evidence to the contrary. Mere filence, with respect to infant baptism, or the mode of baptizing, during the first century, will not prove that thofe chriftians were baptifts. The depreffed, perfecuted chriftians of that age were conftantly engaged int other matters of greater importance, fufficient to occupy all their time and all their talents.

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I am ready to admit, that the Greek church, and various other churches at the prefent day, who ftill believe in the rite of infant baptifm, commonly practice dipping. The church of England alfo, according to their Rubrick, on ordinary occafions, formerly practifed dipping; but they were not reftricted to that mode, nor was it ever confidered by them as effential.

It is a very common thing, in fome places, even in this country, for thofe minifters to baptize, occafionally, by dipping, who ufually adminifter baptifm by fprinkling. A very, refpectable minifter, in the town of Providence, more than thirty years ago, baptized three perfons, on the fame occafion, in threedifferent modes, by their own particular de-.. fire. The firft was fprinkled in the meetinghoufe. The congregation then proceeded: to the river, at which the fecond had water. poured upon her head, and in which the third was dipped. Similar inftances have frequently happened in latter times. Thefe brothers and fifters, baptized in differentmodes, fome while infants, and others when adults, like the primitive chriftians, commune together in love and fellowship, at the fame table of their common Lord and Mafter.

Agreeably to what I have obferved, Mr. Worcester, of Salem, in a late publication,. fays, It is a well fupported fact, that in the "firit ages of chriflianity, and for about "welve or fifteen hundred years, baptifm,

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