Harbinger, April 1, '64. MISCELLANEOUS. are rationalists, 2 materialists, and 2 avow themselves to be seekers. One is a Pusey. ite The Unitarians are divided under the heads of Unitarians simply, of whom there are 3800; Unitarian Presbyterians, 201; Non-subscribing Presbyterians, 167; and Arians, 32. Several of this denomination, however, are ranked under the general head of Presbyterians. The figures of the general return are as follow:-The Established Church-males 339,314, females 354,043; Roman Catholics-males 2,205,053, females 2,300,212; Presbyterians males 254,734, females 268,557; Methodists-males 21,290, fe. males 24,109; Independents-males 2112, females 2420; Baptists-males 2141, fe males 2096; Society of Friends or Quakers -males 1680, females 1680; all other persuasions males 10,846, females 7952; Jews-males 200, females 193. According to these figures the numbers who profess the religion of the Established Church are about one-fourth of those be longing to the Roman Catholic body, and equal to the Presbyterians and the other denominations together. WE SHALL BE SATISFIED. How often we find ourselves contemplating our eternal home, and after all, our imaginations relative to our employment, or what we shall be, and finding our finite powers too feeble to penetrate the vail which divides that heavenly land from ours -how sweet to feel that this precious promise will be verified! "We shall be satisfied." Nothing which will be in any way conducive to our happiness will be denied us. Satisfied. What a depth of meaning in that one word! Satisfied, after the toils of earth, with rest in heaven; after the night of sorrow, with the day of unending joy; after wearing the sin-stained garment of mortality, with the robe of righteousness; after the separation of loved ones, with a joyful reunion; after the terrible conflict, with the triumphant victory; after bearing the cross, with wearing the crown. Who then would be discouraged in the heavenly journey? Who then would shrink from trials coming from our Heavenly Father's hand, when we know "Our troubles and our trials here It is only a little while, weary one, and thou shalt find that rest that remaineth for the people of God. A little while and thy feet shall no longer tread the rough paths of earth, but the golden streets of the New Jerusalem-the fears and perplexities that so often annoy thee shall be exchanged for perfect peace. Thy tears and sighs shall 147 be lost in joy and gladness, thou shalt be far removed from the scenes of thine earth. ly pilgrimage, and shall range for ever the Elysian fields of glory. "There safe shalt thou abide, and sweet shall be thy rest, With every longing satisfied, with full salvation blest." WESLEY ON BAPTISM. To the Editors of the Liverpool Mercury. Gentlemen,- If you will kindly afford me space in your columns, I wish to vin dicate the officiating minister of St. John's Wesleyan Chapel, Prince's Park, from the charge of " apostacy" brought against him by "Primitive" in your impression of to-day. The "apostacy" consists in his baptizing four infants and "pronouncing them in that ordinance to be regenerated with God's Holy Spirit, and received by adoption as God's own children." spectfully refer "Primitive" to the writings of the "sainted and immortal Wesley" to prove that the founder of Methodism held the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Wesley's sermons 19 and 45 are on the no more, 66 I re on the staff of that new birth." They were written at a time of extraordinary deadness and formality, sense" that is, St. John's sense and are, consequently, upon the “fuller - rather than the "ecclesiastical." Now in both these the initial sense (or St. Paul's) is recognised as distinctly as words can do so; recognised, too, as I shall show, at the very moment that the preacher is denouncing ar ignorant and presumptuous reliance upon the mere reception of baptism. "Lean " he says, broken reed that ye were born again in baptism. Who denies that ye were then made children of God and heirs of the kingdom of heaven? But, notwithstanding this, ye are now the children of the devil. Therefore ye must be born again..... And if ye have been baptised, your only hope is this, that those who were made the children of God by baptism, but are now the children of the devil, may yet again receive power to become the sons of God, that they may receive again what they have lost, even the spirit of adoption, crying in their hearts Here then is a preacher Abba, Father." of conversion proclaiming the necessity of being "born of God" in the fuller sense and yet acquainted with the baptismal and recognizing it. In the second sermon on this same subject we have two passages well worthy of notice-one in which Wesley, whilst deny. ing the (effectual) new birth, or fuller sense of the term "born of God" in the case of all baptized adults, yet as expressly defends the doctrine of baptismal regeneration in the case of all infants:-" There 148 THE TRUE GLORY. may sometimes be the outward sign where there is not the inward peace. I do not now speak with regard to infants; it is certain our church supposes that all who are baptized in their infancy are at the same time born again, and it is allowed that the whole Office for the Baptism of Infants proceeds upon this supposition. Nor is it an objection of any weight against this that we cannot comprehend how this work can be wrought in infants, for neither can we comprehend how it is wrought in a person of riper years.' Nothing, then, can be plainer than that this eminent preacher of "conversion" fully approved of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration; and no marvel, for he uses it to enforce the necessity of" conversion" in a passage of astonishing power:-" There is nothing under heaven that can excuse a lie, other wise I should say to an open sinner you have been baptized, do not own it, for how highly does that aggravate your guilt. Were you devoted to God at eight days old, and have you been all these years devoting yourself to the devil? Does the abomination of desolation, the love of the world, pride, anger, lust, and a whole train of vile affections, stand where it ought not? Have you set up all these accursed things in that soul which was once a temple of the Holy Ghost, set apart for an habitation of God through the Spirit ?" &c. If No man could have written such a passage as this who believed the reception of grace at baptism to be a matter of uncertainty. The heartiness of the whole passage arises from the contrast he had in his mind be. tween the grace conferred in baptism and the evil lives of the baptized. Wesley also published, subsequently to the sermons and notes, a short treatise on baptism. It is an exact counterpart to the treatises of Jewel and Barrow. Its doctrine is higher than Barrow's. I would earnestly direct "Primitive's" attention to this treatise also, as, in the part which speaks of the grace of baptism, there is not a single quotation from a father or any other writer, but from Scripture only. I am well aware that the majority of Wesleyans do not adhere to the views of baptism embodied in these sermons and this treatise, but I would say to them -Look to the opinions of your founder. How is it that he expresses himself so differently from what you do? He tells you why he does so by his quotations from Scripture. He takes in simple faith certain passages of God's Word which allude to baptism. Was he right? You believe him to have been specially raised up as a sort of apostle of spiritual religion to break up the empty formalism of his day, and yet, whilst insisting upon the fuller meaning of Harbinger, April 1, '64. the "new birth," or "birth of God," he as Hoghton-street, Southport, THE TRUE GLORY. (For the B. M. H.) TELL me not of that Southern clime Tell me not of the spangled field Is Justice seen in God-like prime? Harbinger, May 2, '64. LABORERS IN THE HARVEST. 149 MAY, 1864. LABORERS IN THE HARVEST. READER, are you aware that two great harvests are to be wrought while time shall last? The field is the world in which two sorts of laborers have been and are now engaged, superintended by two masters - the Evil One and the Good One. Let us glance at the harvesting of the first four thousand years, and behold the fruits gathered under the direction of the Wicked One. Cain murdered his brother; the antediluvians through violence and bloodshed were destroyed in the flood; the shameful behaviour of the four cities of the plain caused their destruction by fire and brimstone from heaven; Pharaoh's wickedness plunged him and his army, his horses and chariots, into the sea; the seven nations in Canaan, having filled their cup of iniquity, were smitten, small and great; the Assyrians, fighting against Judah, were destroyed to the number of 185,000 men; and the four great Empires fell successively with millions slain. Infamous laborers also were abundant, such as Jeroboam, Ahab, Athaliah, Jezebel, Cleopatra, Herod, Antony. In later periods the enormous produce of envy, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, political and religious trickery, has been fearful and astonishing. Behold the cost of this harvest which is so cheerfully paid, and no lack of laborers! Countless millions of pounds sterling have been spent in Heathen and Christian lands to carry on this work, and the end is not yet come. The end of this appalling harvest is seen in the following :-" And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe" (Rev. xiv. 15.) Reader, M harvest? Are you in affinity with Jezebel, Ananias, Sapphira, Simon the sorcerer, Elymas, and a host like them? Are you a co-worker with the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable... and idolators, and all liars?" If so your reward shall be the second death. Let us now examine the harvest under the Holy One. The seed dropped at first grew mightily, producing a rich harvest of those who "through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." He who was the object of their prayers, tears, and faith; who was pointed to by the innumerable sacrifices on the altar slain, and represented by the illustrious characters acting in the affairs of menNoah, Abraham, Moses, David, with a host of others renowned in sacred story -at length after an interval of four thousand years, made his appearance, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. We rejoice in him who possesses the knowledge incomprehensible, wisdom unsearchable, love boundless, dignity royal, and glory ineffable. Well, what does this peerless One- this wonder of the universe-reveal in relation to this harvest?" He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man." The devil deposited a lie, resulting in death to millions. The Messiah says, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few : pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into the harvest" (Luke x. 2.) What a sad reflection that the laborers are few in the Lord's harvest, while in that of the adversary the laborers are so plentiful! Brother and sister, are you a laborer in this are we laboring in this work of bring Harbinger, May 2, '64. who have expressed a willingness to labor in this work. What do you say, brethren, shall they be supported? If not, let us pray no more relative to this matter, for our prayers shall be an ' abomination to the Lord. ing souls to Christ; or are we slothful, | Lord has answered by sending those covetous, envious, hateful, divided, ambitious, desiring the applause of men? We pray that the Lord will send laborers in the field; and when they appear we fail to put forth the means for their support. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." The Lord has placed the earth's treasure, this fulness, in our hands; but alas for us if we fail to make the proper appropriation ! We have prayed for laborers, and the Brethren, awake, and with your means be diligent to turn many to righteousness, for in so doing you shall shine as the stars in the firmament for ever and ever. A. C. Jordan, January, 1864. "UPSIDE DOWN." "These that have turned the world upside down, have come hither also" (Acts vii. 6 ) 66 CHAPTER IV. 66 know of any writer earlier than TERTULLIAN who has actually mentioned infant baptism ?" asked Mr. Bell. "I do not, and I admit that proof of an earlier mention has not been found." "Did Tertullian, who, so far as we can discover, is the earliest writer who names infant baptism, advocate or oppose it ?" "He," continued the Curate, "urged the delaying of baptism and wrote against the baptism of infants.” "Then, Sir, you admit that there is no proof that any one earlier than the third century named infant baptism?" THE gentlemen whose conversation furnished the last chapter, with several others, having again assembled the Curate, according to promise, entered upon his defence of infant baptism. He begged them to notice the most ample proof of its very early existence. IRENEUS," he continued, wrote about eighty years after the Apostolic age and was then an aged man. He was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John. Permit me to read his words from Wall's History of Infant Baptism—' He (Jesus) came to save all persons by himself; all, I 66 who mean, by him are regenerated unto God, infants and little ones, and children and youths, and elder persons." Mr. Vapid remarked that" the quotation says nothing about baptism," to which it was replied, "that though baptism is not named it is nevertheless implied, as the early writers used regeneration to denote baptism." Granting that interchange," responded Mr. Clearthought, are you able to affirm that the one invariably stood for, or implied, the other? If not baptism might not have been at all in the mind of Ireneus when he wrote that sentence." Do you 66 Yes, so far as actual mention is concerned, but they imply it. Justin Martyr, for instance, who was born near the close of the first century, wrote about the middle of the second century, 'There were many of both sexes, some sixty and some seventy years old, who were made disciples in infancy.' Now the Baptists generally admit that all disciples were baptized, and therefore though baptism is not named, it is without doubt implied." 66 No, Sir," resumed Mr. Bell, "nothing of the sort. It is written that 'the Lord made and baptized more disciples than John.' The disciples 1 Harbinger, May 2, `64. "UPSIDE DOWN." But," replied the Curate, the young persons referred to could not have been of that order. They are expressly called infants and therefore if disciples, they must have been made so by baptism and not by teaching." 'Here, Sir, you repeat the error into which Dr. Wall and others have fallen. The word pais, used by Justin Martyr, is applied to persons of from twelve to thirty years of age. Jesus when twelve years of age is designated by the same term, and it is also applied to him at the time of the combined opposition of Herod and Pilate (Acts iv. 27.) Eutychus, the young man mentioned in Acts XX. is called pais. Justin Martyr's infants, then, may have been from twelve to twenty years of age. At all events they were old enough to be taught, for only the taught can be disciples. You may rely upon it, gentlemen, that infant baptism has no historical basis. Not one of the five Apostolic FathersBarnabas, Clement of Rome, Hermas, Ignatius, or Polycarp-either name it or allude to it, but they do say what implies believer's baptism and that only. The like may be said of the oldest of the Greek Fathers. Papius, Dionysius, Tatian, Melito, Ireneus, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria, never mention it. In saying this I do not wish to insinuate a doubt as to its early origin. The Mystery of Iniquity advanced with rapidity, and no doubt infant baptism had commenced by the time of Tertullian, as his protest against it proves. But then those early writers who do name it also 151 indicate that infant communion in the Holy Supper was at the same time common. Let me read two or three passages from my note-book "The Lord's Supper was considered as essential to salvation, for which reason it was even thought proper to administer it to infants."-Mosheim's Church History, century III. St. Augustine, I am sure, held the communicating of infants as much an Apostolic tradition as the baptizing of them."-Chillingworth. "That in the primitive church children received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is obvious from what Cyprian relates concerning a sucking child, who so vio lently refused to take the sacramental wine, that the deacons were obliged to open her lips and pour it down her throat." Dr. Hook, Dean of Chichester. communion in the Latin church was, lest "The reason for laying aside infant by puking up the holy symbols the sacra ment should be dishonored."-Bishop Jeremy Taylor. "The Roman church, about the year 1000, entertaining the doctrine of transubstantiation, let fall the custom of giving the holy elements to infants; and the other Western churches mostly did the like, upon the same account; but the Greeks, not having the same doctrine, continued, and do still continue, the custom of communicating infants." - Dr. Wall-History of Infant Baptism. He, then, who will accept infant baptism because it existed in the third century must take infant communion along with it, and very much more that every person present will reject. But, gentlemen, could you prove it to have been practised immediately after the death of the Apostles, you would do nothing. We, as Protestants, demand Bible authority. I refuse to admit the divine origin of an ordinance for which Bible sanction cannot be producedand now I call upon you who hold infant baptism to give your strong reason from the one un-erring book." Mr. Maitland assured the meeting that he knew nothing of the early writers they had been discussing. He agreed with Mr. Bell, "that the question must be settled by the Bible and that if infants are baptized on account of |