baptized with his baptism and thus initiated into his society of professed followers,-and that nothing can be more certain than that this was required of them all, as an initiating act." In view of the above, Jesus Christ never was a member of his own church, otherwise he was an anabaptist, (i. e. twice baptized.) Such, O such, are the reasonings of men who will not anoint their eyes with eye salve that they may see. Rev. iii, 18..

III. I close by noticing Mr. S's singular method of sustaining his thesis.

1. He supposes that the old Jewish body politie and the church of Christ are one and the same thing, under different dispensations.

2. He takes it for granted that the Mosaic washings and Christian baptism are the same thing, only used for different purposes.

3. He admits on pp. 2, 3, 4, 9, that there is neither precept or example in the New Testament for infant sprinkling.

4. He supposes that infants are to be members of the church of Christ, because they were, as he supposes, of the Jewish body..

5. He therefore supposes strongly, that they are to be baptized.

I was amused when running over his "Critical Dissertation," to see how often Mr. S. employs this kind of proof,-suppose, or take it for granted, viz: On p. 1 twice, p. 2 three times, p. 3 once, p. 4 once, p. 5 twice, p. 6 once, p. 7 once, p. 8 once, p. 9 twice, p. 10 once, p. 12 once, p. 14 once, p. 15 once, p. 18 once, p. 19 three times, p. 21 once, and pp. 23 and 24 are wholly suppositions. While making this examination I was forcibly reminded of the remark of President Edwards, "The business of an argument is to prove, and not to suppose or take for granted the very thing which is to be proved." This supposing

and taking things for granted is a mere rope of sand; it never can convince strong, well disciplined minds; they must have more than this, or remain unmoved. Allow me such a string of suppositions, and I can prove the doctrine of transubstantiation, or any other point of faith and practice of the Romish church. God says to us distinctly, Jeremiah xxiii. 28, "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully; what is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord ?" The following facts will illustrate the fallacy of resting upon such arguments:

In A. D. 1813, Russell Colvin, Jesse Boorn, and Stephen Boorn, lived in Manchester, Vt. Colvin left, and none of his friends knew where he was for years. September, 1819, the two Boorns were arrested for the supposed murder of Colvin. From Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 they were under trial; Judge Doolittle presided ; attorneys, L. Sargeant and R. Skinner for the prisoners, and C. Sheldon, States Attorney, for the State.

Evidences. 1. A Mr. Boorn "dreamed that R. Colvin came to his bedside and told him that he had been murdered, and he must follow him, and he would take him to the spot where he was buried."

2. "A little dog dug out of a hollow stump some bones and toe nails, (partly burnt) which were pronounced human."

3. Colvin's ghost appeared to a man and declared that the Boorns killed him, and pointed out the spot where he was buried; the place was an old potatoe hole, where they found a knife, a button, and near by an old hat, all which were proved to be Colvin's."

4. "Jesse Boorn said that Stephen Boorn had confessed to him that he did kill Colvin."

5. "Stephen wrote a full confession that he did kill Colvin, and stated the circumstances at length, and gave it to the sherif."

6. "A person in the jail swore that Stephen made the same confession to him."

7. Silas Merril swore to the same."

A jury of twelve (I could name them all) found them guilty. Judge Doolittle sanctioned it, and Judge Chase pronounced the sentence, that they be hung, Jan. 28, 1819. The Vermont Legislature was petitioned to remove or commute the sentence; but they refused at first by 104 against 31, and finally 97 against 42. Dec. 22d, Mr. Whelply, of New Jersey, arrived at Manchester, Vt. with Colvin, affirming that Colvin had lived in Dover, N. J. since 1813. The prisoners were set at liberty, and the day was kept as a jubilee by the whole town. Such was the result of proving murder by supposed testimony and dreams. Judges, jury, great lawyers, the Legislature and the whole community were deceived. Such has been the uniform result of attempting to prove infant sprinkling from Roman Catholic relics, tied together with a string of inferences and suppositions. Many · men-good men and great men-have been and can be led astray by the arguments of the age, while it remains a fact that pedobaptism is as destitute of proof as the murder of Colvin. Isa. viii. 19, 20.

CHAPTER II.

THE COVENANTS.

SECTION I.

ON pp. 18 and 19, Mr. Sawyer has said something of the covenants; but, as usual for pedobaptists, they are only mentioned that an inference may be drawn from them. The word covenant means, first, an agreement between two or more parties, on certain terms; and secondly, a promise made by one party to another. A specimen of the first is that national covenant made with the Jews at Sinai; of the second is at Gen. viii. 21-22: ix. 9-17. The word employed in the Old Testament is in the New, 40, rendered covenant, law, promise, command, &c. There are several covenants in the Scriptures : One with Noah, Gen. ix. 8-17; with Abraham, Gen. xvii.; with the whole nation of Israel, Ex. xix.-xxiv.; with Phinehas, Numb. xxv. 10-13; with David, 2 Samuel, vii. 5-29; the covenant of works, Rom. iii. 27; of redemption, Gen. xxii. and Psa. lxxxix. &c.

Pedobaptists say that the Abrahamic covenant and God's covenant with the gospel church is one; that God made but one covenant with Abraham, and circumcision was the seal of it. But the Bible speaks plainly of a plurality of covenants. There is the covenant of God concerning Christ, (as McKnight renders it,) Gal. iii. 13-18, 430 years before the giving of the law, Gen. xii. 1-4; and the covenant of circumcision, made 24 years after that, Gen. xvii.; and the covenant of Horeb, made 406 years after this,the law of Moses being called a covenant, at Jer. xxxi. 31, 32: Zech. xi. 10-11: Heb. ix. 4. God also speaks definitely of a plurality of covenants, at Rom. ix. 4: Gal. iv. 24: Eph. ii. 12. Here are three covenants, at least. Now we ask, which of these cove

nants was made 430 years before the giving of the law? for this is the covenant by which the blessing of Abraham comes on the Gentiles through CHRIST. Gal. iii. 14. The time here given is of much importance, and is thus computed by Dr. Macknight: "To the birth of Isaac, 25 years, Gen. xxi. 5; to the birth of Jacob, 60 years, for Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born, Gen. xxv. 26; Jacob went down into Egypt when he was 130 years old, and according to the Septuagint the Israelites sojourned in Egypt 215 years. for thus they translate Ex. xii. 40. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan was 430 years." Now reverse the reckoning. They sojourned in Egypt 215 years: Josephus, book 2, chapt. 15, sec. 2; the age of Jacob when he entered Egypt was 130, Gen. xlvii. 9; from the birth of Jacob to the birth of Isaac 60 years; and from the birth of Isaac to the covenant of circumcision, which was made when Abraham was 99, Gen. xvii. 1, is but one year; for Isaac was born when Abraham was 100, Gen. xxi. 5; making it but 406 years to the covenant of circumcision. The full time of 430 would carry us back just 25 years before the birth of Isaac, making Abraham 75 years old at the time when God made the covenant with him (see Gem. xii. 4) spoken of at Gal. iii. 13-18. Hence the evidence is conclusive, that the covenant of Abraham, Gal. iii. 13-18, and other places in the New Testament, and the covenant of circumcision, are two distinct things, made 24 years distant from each other, and with reference to different things.

4

It is manifest that the blessing of which the apostle speaks, Gal. iii. 14, was not by the law of Moses; and it is equally evident it was not by the covenant of circumcision, for the PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, which is the blessing named, was by faith to the gentiles, just as it was given to Abraham. Rom. iii. 26