ancient practice of the Jews in this matter; and that the Jews do still continue so to do, there is no other question, than as it is a question Whether any proselytes do now-a-days either come over themselves, or bring their children to be at all initiated in their religion? for the books that order the initiating of infants by baptism, are such as the present Jews do own for orthodox and authentic: Sir Norton Knatchbull has one argument which I wonder much at him for using, and at the other for borrowing it of him, because it had been very commonly answered long before he used it; which is, That if baptizing of proselytes had been in ordinary and familiar use with the Jews, the Pharisees would not have said to John, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor Elias? &c. If John had been then baptizing of Gentile proselytes, and had not baptized the natural Jews, the Pharisees would not at all have wondered to see converted Gentiles baptized; though the office of doing even that, was probably not accounted lawful for any but such as had a commission from the Sanhedrim; which John, we suppose, had not; and, therefore, they might even in that case have examined by what authority he did it; but the case here was quite otherwise. The multitudes whom John baptized were mostly, if not all, natural Jews; and the Pharisees and other Jews (knowing that their own nation was not to have any other baptism than what they had already, till the Christ should come, or Elias, his forerunner) looked upon this practice to be in effect the setting himself up for the Christ, or at least for Elias (as he was indeed that † Elias [or forerunner] which was for to come); and, therefore, it was that they sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him Who art thou? And that all men mused in their hearts concerning him, whether he were the Christ or Luke iii. 15. not. Ainsworth, Lightfoot, Hammond, and every one that has occasion, do shew the easiness of solving this doubt. The first of these, having largely shewn how common and known a custom this baptism of proselytes was, adds at the end of it,* Hereupon baptism was nothing strange to the Jews when John the Baptist began his ministry. Mat. iii. 5, 6. They made question of his per son that did it; but not of the thing itself. John i. 25. It is plain that their questions put to John do naturally import no other. They do not ask him What meanest thou? or, What wouldst thou signify to us by this new ceremony of baptizing? -nor any question like that; but, Who art thou? And when he confessed (John i. 20) I am not the Christ; they say. What then? Art thou Elias? &c.; and when he said I am not (meaning that he was not Elias in that proper sense that they dreamed of; for they expected that very same person that had been carried to Heaven) they asked farther, Who art thou? What sayest thou of thyself? Why baptizest thou then (meaning the nation of the Jews) if thou be not the Christ, nor Elias? &c. All this has nothing in it to evince the contrary, but that the Jews themselves did use before to baptize such Heathens as came over to them; and, indeed, such a pompous recital of arguments, that have been long ago commonly answered, may serve to amuse such as have not read the answers; but it is not fair nor ingenuous dealing for any learned men to use them for that purpose. It brings' on the world that great inconvenience of being forced in books to say pro and contra the same things over and over again. *On Gen. xvii. 12. THE HISTORY OF INFANT BAPTISM. PART THE FIRST. CHAPTER I. QUOTATIONS OUT OF CLEMENS ROMANUS [In the Apostles' Time.] Clemens Romanus, epist. 1, ad Corinthios, cap. 17. Ἐπὶ δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἰωβ ὅτω γέγραπται, Ἰὼβ ἦν δίκαιος καὶ ἄμεμπτος, ἀληθινὸς, θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς κακό. Αλλ' αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ κατηγορων λέγει· Οὐδεὶς καθαρὸς ἀπὸ ρύπε, ἐδὲ εἰ μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἡ ζωὴ αυτό. 'Again of Job it is thus written: That he was just and blameless, true, one that feared God and eschew'ed evil; yet he condemns himself, and says, There is none free from pollution; no, not though his life be 'but of the length of one day.' These words of Job are quoted from ch. xiv. 4, where the English translation is, Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? - not one; but in the Greek translation, made by the Septuagint, which was in use in the times of our Saviour and the apostles, they are as Clement here renders them; and they are accordingly so read by all the primitive Christians; and you will see in the following quotations, that they often from thence conclude the necessity of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, even of a child that is but a day old; and in the next chapter he brings in, to the same purpose, the saying of David, in Psalm li. 5. Clemens Romanus, cap. 38. T8 ̓Αναλογισώμεθα ἦν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐκ ποίας ὕλης ἐγεννήθημεν, ποῖοι καὶ τίνες εἰσήλθομεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ὡς ἐκ τῇ τάφω καὶ σκότες. Ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς καὶ δημιεργήσας εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον αυτό, προετοιμάσας τὰς ἐυεργεσίας αυτό πρὶν ἡμᾶς γεννηθῆναι. 'Let us consider, therefore, brethren, whereof we were made, who and what kind of persons we came ' into this world, -as if it were out of a sepulchre, and from utter darkness. He that made and formed us, brought us into his own world, having prepared for 6 us his benefits before we were born.' That which I produce these places for, is to shew what the doctrine of this apostolical man was, concerning the pollution and guilt with which infants are born into this world. Hermas, Pastor, lib. 1, visione 3, cap. 3. He having there described an emblem or vision, shewed him by a woman who represented the church, concerning a certain tower built on the water, by which the building of Christ's church was signified, has these words: Interrogavi illam, Quare turris ædificata est super aquam, domina? Dixeram tibi et prius te versutum esse, circa structuram diligenter inquirentem, igitur invenies veritatem. Quare igitur super aquas ædificatur turris, audi; quoniam vita vestra per aquam salva facta est et fiet.' 'I asked her, Why is the tower built on the water? 'She answered, I said before that you were wise to enquire diligently concerning the building; therefore, you shall know the truth. Hear, therefore, why the tower is built on the waters: - Because your life is saved, and shall be saved by water.' By this is denoted that baptism with water is appointed the sacrament of salvation to such as are saved; which meaning will more plainly appear by the inport of the passage following: Hermas, Pastor, lib. 3, similitud. 9, cap. 16. He is there relating a vision of the same import as the other; the building of the church represented by the building of a tower, wherein all things are shewn and explained to him by an angel. He sees some stones put into this building that were drawn up from the deep; and others that were taken from the surface of the earth. The first denoting persons already dead; the other, persons yet alive. Of those drawn up from the deep, he saw first ten stones, which filled one range of building next the foundation; then 25 more, then 35 more, then 40 more; and afterward, in the explication of the vision, he asks the angel," Lapides vero illi, Domine, qui de profundo in structura aptati sunt, qui sunt? Decem, inquit, qui in fundamentis collocati sunt, primum seculum est; sequentes viginti quinque secundum seculum est justorum virorum. Illi autem triginta quinque prophetæ Domini ac ministri sunt. Quadraginta vero, apostoli et doctores sunt prædicationis Filii Dei, Quare, inquam, de profundo hi lapides ascenderunt, et positi sunt in structuram turris hujus, cum jampridem portaverint spiritus justos? Necesse est, inquit, ut per aquam habeant ascendere, ut requiescant; non poterant enim aliter in regnum Dei intrare, quam ut deponerent mortalitatem prioris vitæ. Illi igitur defuncti sigillo Filii Dei signati sunt, et intraverunt in regnum Dei. Antequam enim accipiat homo nomen Filii Dei, morti destinatus est; at |