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CHAPTER VII.

The memorable passage, Acts, ii. 38-41, particularly examined.

THE practice of the apostles, acting under the immediate inspiration of the Spirit, as well as the commission which they received of the Lord Jesus, is naturally regarded as a proper source of information in relation to the present question.

Hence great efforts are made by Pedobaptists to show that the apostles did, in fact, practise the baptism of infants, and consequently, that this shows how they understood their commission. We frequently hear it asserted, in positive language, that the apostles practised infant baptism.

If this could be clearly made out, I admit that the practice would be correct. In that case, it would appear that Christ gave them additional instructions to those contained in the aforesaid commission.

But it evidently cannot be made out. The apostles have given no notice of having received additional instructions on this point, which include infants; neither are there any facts recorded which show that they did baptize them. But their whole history, as we have in fact seen already, and shall see more fully hereafter, goes to establish believers' baptism as the only gospel baptism.

It is, indeed, argued from the passage referred to at the head of this chapter, that the promise mentioned is that memorable promise made to Abraham, that God would be a God to him and to his seed after him; that baptism is represented as a token, or seal, of this promise, as circumcision was previously; and that the promise is to believers and their children as it always had been. So that here is a warrant for the baptism of

infants.

But a careful examination of the passage will show that this construction is unwarranted and grossly erroneous. It reads thus: "Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all

that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

The promise here referred to is evidently not the beforementioned promise to Abraham, but the promise of the Holy Spirit, which is contained in the passage itself, and repeatedly mentioned in the connexion, and which was contained in a prophecy of Joel that respected that very reason, and was expressly quoted as then fulfilled. God had said by him, chap. ii. 28, 32, "It shall come to pass in the last days, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh-and whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered." Christ had also said, while he was with the apostles, John, vii. 38, 39, "He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." Also, chap. xiv. 16, 17. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter --even the Spirit of truth." And after his resurrection, he bid them, Acts, i. 4, wait at Jerusalem "for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard of me," alluding to the above.

Accordingly, the apostle Peter reasoned on that occasion in this plain and forcible manner, chap. ii. 33: "Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear."

With this ever-blessed promise fully in view, which was then actually, and most strikingly fulfilling, he said to the awakened multitude," Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you and to your children," &c. Now, from the whole record, and its connexion, what can be plainer than that he refer red to the promise of the Holy Spirit, which, in case they should believe and be baptized, they should receive. He had just been citing a prophecy in which this promise was contained, and had applied it expressly to that occasion. He had also expressly referred to Christ's "being exalted," and to his having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit," and had consequently affirmed that "he had shed forth what they then saw and heard." Moreover, the apostles and brethren, as directed by Christ, had been patiently waiting for this very scene.

It is, therefore, exceedingly evident, that he did not refer to that special and comprehensive promise made to Abraham and his seed, but to the promise of the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying and comforting influences, and to a certain extent, in his miraculous influences, which was to them, and their children, and to all that were afar off, even as many as the Lord should call, precisely on the same condition of personal repentance and submission to Christ.

The promise of the Spirit as a sanctifier and comforter, is made expressly to all that believe. Hence Paul says, Eph. i. 13, "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." And, Romans, viii. 9, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Here, therefore, we see that there is a conspicuous promise which belongs to all believers-one which they are entitled to immediately upon their believing and submitting to Christ, and being baptized in his name. And in addition to this, many, in that early age of the church, received the miraculous operations of the Spirit. But these are not the most material things contained in the promise. The great and peculiar blessing was the gift of the Spirit to sanctify and comfort them-to illumine their hearts and seal their forgiveness and redemption. And to this the apostle manifestly refers-a promise made alike to parents and children and all others, both near and afar off, personally, upon their personally embracing the gospel.

It was one which perfectly suited the occasion-one that was peculiar to all believers-and, therefore, one that tended to enforce the direction given to those distressed and agonizing sinners.

This, therefore, was not the aforesaid comprehensive promise to Abraham; nor was it a promise that if the parents would repent and be baptized, they should not only themselves receive the Spirit and be saved, but their children likewise ; or that their children should also repent and receive the Spirit upon their account, or in consequence of their faith. But the promise was to the children personally in the same sense that it was to the parents; and it was to the one, on the same con. dition that it was to the other: and it was equally upon the same condition to all that were afar off. Whoever repented and submitted to Christ, should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost-or the Holy Spirit of promise, as a sanctifier and comforter.

Hence, this declaration of Peter is no more a warrant for baptizing the children of believers for their sake, than the children of unbelievers. For there is nothing more promised here to the former, than to the latter-yea, nothing more than is

promised to all others-to mankind generally. The very same promise, and on the very same condition, is indiscriminately made. Every repenting and believing sinner, whether parent or child, male or female, bond or free, at home or afar off, shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the plain and obvious sense of the passage.

Therefore, it does not give the least countenance to the practice of baptizing children upon the faith of their parents. We might derive as good an argument from this passage for baptizing all the ends of the earth upon the faith of the parents ad. dressed by Peter, as their immediate children. For the promise is as positively said to be to all them that were afar off, as to their children. If therefore this promise gave a right to the baptism of the latter, upon the faith of their parents, it did equally to the former. This consequence is unavoidable. And hence it is, of itself, sufficient to overthrow the argument; for an argument that proves too much, proves nothing.

Besides, the words to your children, include the adult as well as the infant children; so that the argument is precisely as strong for the baptism of the former, upon their parents' faith, as of the latter. Here again it proves too much, and so destroys itself.

How astonishing it is that men will build this practice upon such a foundation! Here is certainly nothing that intimates that children were baptized on the faith of parents, or were ever intended to be. Here is not even any thing more promised to believing parents respecting their children, (whatever may be promised elsewhere,) than is promised to unbelieving parents respecting theirs. The promise is to each personally, and to all of every rank, and every where, personally, whom God shall call by the gospel, and on the same personal condition. Repentance, in every instance, as it respects parents, children, or strangers, is before baptism. "Repent and be bap tized, every one of you," O that this blessed doctrine had always been taught!

Will any sober Christian come forward and say that there were infants baptized on that occasion? If any dare do it, does it not manifestly become them to tell how great a proportion of the three thousand were adults, and how great a proportion were infants? But the very attempt to designate the number of each would confound any one. Yea, it would confound any one to attempt to make out that a single infant was then, baptized. And there is certainly no mention made of the infants being brought another day. It is evident, there

fore, that this whole account-this memorable transaction-has nothing at all to do with infant baptism.

The comprehensive promise to Abraham that God would be his God did indeed include all spiritual blessings, and it included them to all his true seed, and therefore this particular promise was included that I have been treating of, and was eminently fulfilled on the occasion referred to. But this is no evidence that this was the promise particularly intended. The blessing here specified by the apostle was also included in the promise to our first parents, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." Also in the following promise of God in the prophecy of Isaiah. "My righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation." But will any one say that either of these promises was the one particularly referred to by Peter; and, thence, undertake to draw an argument for infant baptism? This might as well be done, as to say that the aforesaid promise to Abraham was referred to, and thence to infer the duty of baptizing infants.

There are other promises besides that made to Abraham, and reference may be had to these as well as to that, by the inspired apostles on different occasions. To one of them, instead of the promise to Abraham, which was sealed by circumcision, reference is most certainly had in the present case.

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