for.

fome brief Narration of the Author, Institution, Nature, Ends and Ufes of Baptifm, fhould preceed the Adminiftration itself; this being of fpecial Ufe to inftruct, convince, confirm, excite and engage the Minds of all; by which alfo the Foundation is declared upon which Parents prefent their Children that they may be baptifed, others come to it, and Minifters go about the Work of Adminiftration, in Faith and full Af furance, that as they act in divine Things, fo by divine Warrant and Appointment: And may therefore look for the divine Bleffing to this holy and divine Inftitution. But what I more efpe- II. A Blefcially have in View, as previous to Baptifm, is, fing is to the Minifter's praying to God, in the Name of prayed Chrift, for his Bleffing upon it; That all the faving Defigns and Effects thereof may take Place, to the eternal Advantage of the Perfon or Perfons to be baptifed. This was reckoned fo neceffary in the primitive Times, that it was looked upon as an effential Part of the Admini-- L ftration (1). And tho' I cannot plead exprefs Scripture Command or Example for fo doing, yet that it is moft juft and reasonable, will appear, First, If we confider that our common Food, Meat and Drink, which we ufe for the Nourifhment of our Bodies, are faid, 1 Tim. iv. 5. to be Sanctified by the Word and Prayer, i. e. not only are they lawful as to their Ufe, but ordain'd for the Support and Prefervation of our frail Bodies, as to their Effect; and thus, by the Word appointing our Food for that End, and Prayer as the Mean whereby the Defign is obtain'd. And if we are to pray to God for his Bleffing on common Things, which are only for the Body, how much more fhould we plead for this on a divine Ordinance, which is appointed for the eternal

(1) See King's Enquiry into the Constitution of the primitive Church, Part II. pag. 71, 72,

eternal Advantage of the Soul. 2dly, Becaufe our bleffed Redeemer, and his Apoftles after his Example, did pray for the heavenly Bleffing and Influence to attend the Miniftration of the Supper; and if fo, then by a Parity of Reafon we are to plead this to accompany the Adminiftration of Baptifm For if that be for our growing up in Chrift, this does fignify our ingrafting into him,dly, Becaufe the Efficacy of all Ordinances depends only upon God, and flows from him, I Cor. iii. 6. Should he not therefore be fincerely looked to for this? 4thly, And fpecially, Becaufe he has promised his gracious and efficacious Prefence to be with his Minifters in their Adminiftration of this Ordinance, Matth. 10xxviii. 19. And fhould it not, in the moft earneft, humble and believing Way be fought; as we fed, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26,,27. compared with Verfe 37. 941

Obferves

underftanding of

this.

I

But for our further undertanding this, we may for better obferve, First, That it may be nodeftly conjectured, that the Reason why we have no exprefs Command for this, nor Inftance of it in the New Teftament, is, becaufe this of acknowledging God by Prayer, when his People were about the Adminiftration of a folemn and divine Ordinance, was an Action' fo plainly neceffary and obvious, that it was not fuppofeable that any Difpute would be moved about it. 2dly, That as this is the peculiar Work of the Adminiftrator, fo it is the fpecial Duty of the Congregation, in the moft folemn, fincere and fervent Manner, to jou with him therein: For Zeal to the Glory of God, edifying the Body of Christ, and the eter nal Happiness and Salvation of others, do all ne ce farily oblige hereto. But alas! the Action being frequent, it is to be fear'd, that this Chri Alan Duty is performed feldom and very flight1.3dly, It is to be observed, That by Prayer

at

at Baptifm there is no peculiar Sanctity or Holinefs put into the Water, far lefs any Virtue or Energy given to the Remains of, to work Won it ders, or heal Difeafes. That it is relatively, .. holy, in regard it is now used in an holy Ordin nance, and to and for holy Ends, is certain but when the Ufe ceafes, and the Relation is diffolved, this Holiness is at an End too; and any other or greater Degree of Holiness than, this cannot be apprehended, nor was it ever defigned. Hence, the Practice of fome, in pouring out the Water on the Church-floor, (holy Ground, as they reckon), after the Adminiftration is over, cannot be well vindicated from a confiderable Measure of Ignorance and Superftition.

2

I. The

And from what hath been faid, we may learn, Inferences from this. First, How unbecomingly they act, who rush this folemn Ordinance, not duly confidering Error of whofe and what it is; nor confcientiously endea the Precivouring to have their own Souls prepared there- Pitant. fore, Thefe People, whoever they be, fhow no fmall Difrefpect to the Author, and Difregard of the Matter, and proclaim to the World their Indifferency as to the Effect of this Ordinance. But II. Of the of this more afterward. 2dly, It informs us of Irreligi the Error of fome, who prefume upon the Adminiftration of this. Sacrament, not looking to. God, and addreffing the Throne of Grace for his Bleffing, for if we are in all our Ways to acknow ledge him, how much more in thefe of fuch an awful Nature and vaft Concern to us. And when this Acknowledgment is deliberately neglected, how may the Religion of fuch be very juftly fufpected ?ord o toils

11. Of the Action of Administration.

There are feveral Things which come under this Title, but I fhall begin with that which is

of

ous.

Anent

Baptifm.

of more fpecial Confideration, and difcourfe of
others as they come in Order.

We have above endeavoured to vindicate the

dipping in Validity of Presbyterian Ordination and Admi niftrations, against the vain and unchurching Principles of the rigid Prelatifts; and now we are obliged, as are alfo Prelatifts and others with us, to defend the

ted.

this awfulness and Validity of our

performing this Ordinance, by fprinkling or pouring a little Water upon the Perfon to be baptifed, against the Anabaptifts, who maintain the abfolute Neceffity of dipping or immerging the ftion fta whole Body into the Water. And as to this, it may be obferved, First, That it is not to be queftioned, but that the Word Baptife, in Greek BaTT, does fometimes, yea commonly in prophane Authors, fignify, to dip, immerge, plunge, or put the whole Body under Water. But if this be the real and true Signification of this Word, as used in this Sacrament, is what will not be fo eafily gone into. Nor, 2dly, Are we to dif pute the Lawfulness of baptifing by Immersion; this is univerfally granted: But the Question is, If it be fo abfolutely neceffary, as that these are not to be reckoned baptifed who were not dipt? Nor 3dly, Is the Question, Whether Immersion was practifed by the Ancients? Yea, it may be handed down by them, to very late Times (1). For it is unanimoufly agreed, That a Trine Im merfion, or dipping the Perfon into the Water, was a very ancient Practice. This they did once at naming the Father, a fecond Time at naming the Son, and a third at mentioning the Holy Ghost, to denote their Belief of, and being baptifed into the Faith of the Holy Trinity (2). But this was afterward juftly laid afide, as void of

(1) See Mr. Wall's Hiftory of Baptifm, Vol. II. pag. 359,, 495. (2) Hiftory ut fupra, pag. 360. Zanchius, Tom. 4. pag. 406.

of Scripture Foundation, and giving too much Liberty to human Inventions in the Things of God, by appointing fignificant Ceremonies in his Worship and Service. The Propofition then is this, That dipping of the Perfon into the Water is not necessary; but Baptifm is rightly admi-Truth afniftred, by pouring or Sprinkling Water upon ferted. the Perfon (1). And for Proof of this Propofi tion, I cannot indeed ufe fome Arguments that are commonly adduced; fuch as, That Immer fion endangers the Life of the Infant; and that it is not fo becoming that Modefty that should be among Chriftians: For, if we confider the Practice of the Greek Church, which extends itfelf to Nations whofe Climate is colder than our own, and the Adminiftration of the Sacrament of Circumcifion, there will appear to be little Weight in thefe Arguments. And as to the laft, fome tell us (2), That among the Ancients, when a Woman was to be baptifed, the Priests kept at a Distance, until Women had undreffed her, and put her in the Water to the Head; then the Prieft came, and putting her Head under the Water, used the Form of Baptifm, and then left her to be covered by the Women with a white Garment. But I fhall, for Proof of the above Propofition, offer thefe two Arguments.

First, If the Scripture has left us at Liberty as to this, and there be neither exprefs Precept nor Example for Dipping, then it is not abfolutely neceffary: But the Firft is true. As to "Precept, nothing can be alledged but the original Inftitution, Matth. xxviii. 19. Go Teach and Baptife, which laft Word, fay Anabaptifts, always fignifies to immerge or dip the whole Perfon into the Water. But if it can be fhown, that this Word Baptife has other Significations in the New

(1) See Confeffion of Faith, Chap. 28. Sect. 3. (2) Mr. Wal's Hiftory of Baptif, Vol. II. pag. 380.

Arg. I.

ད

ト