than three quarters of a year engaged in this investigation, before I came to a conclusion: but I was then so fully satisfied, that the infant children of believers, and of all who make a credible profession of faith, are the proper subjects of baptism, that I have never since been much troubled about it.

"This was my conclusion, especially from the identity of the covenant made with Abraham, and that still made with believers; and from circumcision being the sacrament of regeneration under the old dispensation, as baptism is under the new, and the seal of the righteousness of faith-Abraham received this seal long after he believed; Isaac, when an infant; Ishmael, when thirteen years of age. The men of Abraham's household, and Esau, though uninterested in the promises concerning Canaan, yet, as a part of Abraham's family, and of the visible church, were circumcised by the command of God himself. The circumcision of infants was enjoined, with denunciations of wrath against those who neglected it. The Apostles were Israelites, accustomed to this system. Adult Gentiles were admitted among the Jews by circumcision, and their male children were circumcised also. In Christ, there is neither male nor female.-Had only adults been designed to be the subjects of Christian baptism, some prohibition of admitting infants would have been requisite; and we should never have read, as we do, of households being baptized without any limitation or exception of this kind being intimated.--In short, unless it can be proved that circumcision was not the sign, or sacrament, of regeneration, even as baptism now is, I cannot see how the argument can be answered: and all the common objections against infant baptism, as administered to subjects inca- pable of the professions required, and the benefits intended, bear with equal force against infant-circumcision.

"The conclusion, thus drawn, rests not on this one ground alone: collateral proof was not, and is not, overlooked: but my idea always was, that not the privilege of the infant, but the duty of the parent, is the grand thing to be ascertained: and this clears away much extraneous matter from the argument.

"To the question of immersion, or sprinkling, or pouring, I never attached any great importance. Immersion is doubtless baptism: and so is sprinkling, or pouring, according to my unvaried judgment. If a few texts seem to allude to

baptism by figures taken from immersion, how many speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, under the idea of pouring us?

out upon

"The investigation of this controversy brought a variety of other subjects under my consideration, of which I had not before at all thought. I met with many objections to the established church, which I was not competent to answer, except by reciprocal objections to many things in use among our opponents, which I thought at least equally unscriptural. In this unsettled state of mind I was induced, by the following means, to preach irregularly.

"On becoming curate of Olney, I was asked to preach some annual sermons which Mr. Newton had been used to preach: and this brought me acquainted with several families, chiefly in Northampton and the neighborhood, in which he had expounded to private companies. When I had ventured on this rather irregular service, (in which I had not before been engaged,) I was drawn on further and further, till I was led to preach frequently (always on the weekdays,) in houses and other private buildings; commonly to numerous congregations. This service was in no degree advantageous to me, in a secular point of view, but the contrary; and the state of my health, oppressed with most distressing asthma, far beyond what I have now for many years experienced, rendered it extremely self-denying. I often rode seventy or eighty miles, and preached four or five sermons, between Monday morning and Thursday noon, (for I always returned to my week-day lectures,) while more than half the night I sat up in bed, in strange houses, unable to lie down from oppression of breath, and longing for the morning; and, on my return home, and sometimes while from home, the remedies which I was obliged to employ were of the most unpleasant nature."

One of the painful "remedies," to which my father's bilious and asthmatic complaints compelled him, at this period, and for many years after, to have very frequent recourse, was strong antimonial emetics. Another may be learned from the following passage of Mr. Cowper's letters. "Mr. Shas been ill almost ever since you left us, and last Saturday, as on many foregoing Saturdays, was obliged to clap on a blister, by way of preparation for his Sunday labors. He cannot draw breath upon any other terms.-If holy orders were always conferred upon such conditions, I

question but even bishoprics themselves would want an occupant. But he is easy and cheerful."*

My father proceeds concerning these irregular engagements: "I am not conscious that ambition was my motive, though it might intermingle: but I hope that zeal for the honor of Christ, and love to souls influenced me. I felt no consciousness of blame in what I did, nor perceived, that, in order to consistency, it was needful for me to choose one ground or the other, and act either as a clergyman of the establishment, or as one who had receded from it. I had abundant proof that my irregular exertions were attended with much success: and I did not, as I have subsequently done, see much reason to doubt, whether the evident usefulness of these labors, in many individual instances, was not counterbalanced by the hindrances which such proceedings throw in the way of other ministers, and candidates for the ministry, and by the general obloquy which they entail upon the whole body of clergy, in other respects agreeing in sentiment with the persons who thus deviate from established order. This consideration, taken alone; would probably induce me, with my present views, to decline such services, even were I placed in my former circumstances: but it did not then occur to me. Gradually, however, I became more sensible of the inconsistency and impropriety of attempting to unite things in themselves discordant, and more attached to the established church: so that, after I had been a few years in London, I refused to preach irregularly, except as once in the year I consented to exchange pulpits with Mr. Hill of Surry Chapel, that being the stipulated condition of his preaching a charitysermon for the Lock Hospital: and, when I took my present living (before which I could not be said, after I came to London, to have any thing directly from the church,) I immediately refused to do this also, and determined no more to deviate from regularity.

"I do not say this as blaming those who once belonged to the establishment, but have since been induced to labor in a different part of the vineyard; but merely as accounting for my own conduct; and as bearing my decided testimony against the practice, at present not common, of holding a living and yet preaching irregularly. The reason applies, in good measure, in respect of curacies and

Vol. iii, Letter 81: to Rev. J. Newton, Sept. 8, 1783.

lectureship; but not with equal force. As to those who have nothing of the kind, neither livings, lectureships, nor curacies, and who preach at one time in a licensed meetinghouse, or elsewhere, and in a church at another time; I would do the same, were I a dissenting minister, if I were permitted to do it. The veto belongs to the bishop, not the nolo to the preacher."

The justness of most of these observations commends them at once to our approbation. On two points, however, I am not able to discern the fairness of the distinctions made. I know of no engagements into which an incumbent enters to comply with established order, which are not also virtually made by a curate or a lecturer: nor can I readily admit, that he who holds a situation as a minister, only by virtue of his being a clergyman of the established church, can be said to "have nothing from the church," in such a sense as to be free from its rules, and from the engagements which he formed on being admitted to holy orders. It appears to me, that whoever avails himself of his clerical character continues under the engagements which he made in order to acquire it. Though, however, I thus venture to question the correctness of my father's reasoning on this particular point, I am confident that it was perfectly satisfactory to his own mind, and implied no sort of subterfuge or evasion. Beyond all doubt he viewed things just as he here states them.

In connexion with this discussion on irregular ministra tions, the reader may perhaps not be displeased to have placed before him what has always appeared to me a very excellent passage, on intinerant preaching,extracted from my father's Commentary on 2 Chronicles, xvii.-"Notwithstanding the prejudices of mankind, and the indiscretions of individuals, an itinerant preacher, if duly qualified and sent forth, is one of the most honorable and useful characters, that can be found upon earth: and there needs no other proof that, when this work is done properly and with perseverance, it forms the grand method of spreading widely, and rendering efficacious, religious knowledge, than the experience of the church in all ages; for great reformations and revivals of religion have generally been thus effected. It is especially sanctioned by the example of Christ and his apostles, and recommended as the divine method of spreading the gospel through the nations of the earth; itinerant preaching having almost always preceded, and made way

for, the stated ministry of regular pastors. But it is a work which requires peculiar talents and dispositions, and a peculiar call in providence; and is not rashly and hastily to be ventured upon by every novice, who has learned to speak about the gospel, and has more zeal, than knowledge, prudence, humility, or experience. An unblemished character, a disinterested spirit, an exemplary deadness to the world, unaffected humility, deep acquaintance with the human heart, and preparation for enduring the cross, not only with boldness, but with meekness, patience, and sweetness of temper, are indispensably necessary in such a service. They who engage in it should go upon broad scriptural grounds, and dwell chiefly upon those grand essentials of religion, in which pious men of different persuasions are agreed; plainly proving every thing from the word of God, running nothing into extremes, and avoiding all disputes, however urged to it, about the shibboleths of a party. In this way itinerant preaching is a blessing which all, who love the souls of men, must wish to be vouchsafed to every part of every nation upon earth. And, if those who are in authority would employ select men of known and approved piety and ability, protected and countenanced by them, to go from city to city, and from village to village, through the kingdom, teaching in every place the plain acknowledged truths and precepts of the Bible, immense good might be done. Those stated teachers, who have been grossly negligent or profligate, must either be disgraced or reformed; others might be stirred up to use greater diligence; and the instructions of stated faithful ministers would receive an additional sanction, which could not fail of producing a happy effect."-It may be observed that at the period of the Reformation, in the reign of Edward VI, a practice of this sort existed in our church, under the sanction of authority. Six eminent persons, (of whom John Knox was one,) were appointed to go through various districts of the kingdom as preachers:* and that such an office was not continued has probably been a great loss to our church. I have heard a wise and excellent clergyman lately deceased, who was always a strict adherent to order, lament the mismanagement of things in the Church of England, as compared with some other establishments. Had Whitfield and Wesley (he said,) arisen in the Church of Rome, that

* Burnett and Strype. See M'Crie's Life of Knox, anno. 1551.