Imatges de pàgina
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Ifhmael, who had no intereft in the promise of which circumcifion was a feal, and also all his flaves, "those who were bought with his money." Gen. xvii. 13.

The reason of this practice does not easily appear to us, whose customs and modes of thinking are fo different from thofe which prevailed, and which ftill prevail, in the East. The power of a mafter of a family was very extenfive, and the actions and customs by which he expreffed his own character or refolution, generally extended to all the branches of it. Thus, when the Ninevites - made folemn profeffion of their repentance, they clothed even their cattle in fack-cloth, and made them faft as well as themfelves; not that they could imagine that the brute beafts were capable of repentance, or could have done any thing to difplease God; but this mournful appearance of every thing about them, was conceived to be expreffive of their own contrition and humiliation. Jonah

iii. 7.

It being the univerfal cuftom, therefore, for the master of a family to circumcife, and probably, alfo, to baptize his children and flaves, as well as himself, upon his making profeffion of Judaism; and the propriety of the thing being exceedingly obvious to all the people in the Eaft, it would be taken for granted, that baptifm, if it was used at all, was to be adminiftered in the fame undiftin

guished

guifhed manner, when a perfon made profeffion of christianity; and the command to baptize all nations would neceffarily have been understood in this fenfe, unless our Lord had added fome exprefs reftriction.

Accordingly we find, that when the jailor, who had the cuftody of Paul, was converted, both himfelf was baptized, and all his. Acts xvi. 33. Alfo when Lydia was converted, it is faid, that she was baptized, and her houshold. Acts xvi. 15. Now, by this phrafe, a Jew, and even a Roman, would neceffarily understand, that both the principal perfon himself, and all who were under his immediate power, either as a parent or a master, were included.

What the Jews did with respect to young men, grown up to years of understanding, but living with their parents, when they were converted to Judaism, is not faid: but it is probable, that they were not circumcised without their own confent, as in general it must have been the cafe with flaves. And fince christianity is evidently more of a personal concern, and men are chiefly interested in it as individuals, and not as members of focieties, or even of families, it may be taken for granted, that only young children were required to be baptized along with their believing parents.

As flaves, we find, were often converted without their masters, and christianity made no diftinc

tion between bond or free, as being of the fame value in the eye of God, it will hardly be thought probable, that flaves were ever baptized without their own confent. At least, the custom did not continue long, especially as flaves were about that time growing more independent of their masters, acquiring civil as well as religious privileges; till at length, through the influence of maxims which christianity greatly countenanced, they were univerfally manumitted in Europe.

The baptifm of children, therefore, is to be confidered as one part of a man's own profeffion of christianity, and confequently an obligation upon him to educate his children in the principles of the chriftian religion. If a child have no parents, or none who will engage for his religious inftruction, other perfons, who will undertake this kind office, are fo far its parents, and therefore may baptize it, as they would do their own children.

Laftly, I would obferve, that it is an argument in favour of the baptizing of infants, to which I do not fee how any fatisfactory reply can be made, that it appears, from the hiftory of the chriftian church, to have been the conftant practice from the time of the apoftles. The first mention that is made of it is as of an uncontroverted practice, and it is even argued from, as an univerfally received cuftom, against very intelligent perfons, to whose

caufe

cause it would have been of the greatest advantage to have proved it to be novel, or of no authority. This was more especially the cafe with Pelagius; for, though Austin, in support of his doctrine of original fin, appeals to the practice of infant baptifm, as being neceffary to do it away, his antagonist does not pretend to dispute the fact, but only denies that this was the use of it.

Now it is certainly highly improbable, that such a custom as that of infant-baptism should have been established fo early as it appears to have been, contrary to the apoftolical practice, and no trace be left of the innovation; especially when every thing belonging to christianity, about which all perfons were not entirely agreed, became fo foon the fubject of the most eager contention and debate. And it does not appear to be of any confequence by what argument we can infer, that any opinion or practice was apoftolical, whether by their own writing, or any other fufficient evidence. They could not themselves be mistaken in a case of this nature, and their practice is an authoritative rule for us.

$5. Of the Lord's Supper.

HE Lord's fupper, confifting of eating bread,

TH

;

and drinking wine, is a religious rite inftituted by Chrift, in commemoration of his death the breaking of the bread more especially representing the wounding of the body of Chrift, and the pouring out of the wine, the fhedding of his blood; and this rite is to continue to be celebrated by the disciples of Chrift till his second coming.

The defign of this inftitution being to serve as a memorial, or record, of that important fact of the death of Chrift, it may be confidered as one monument of the truth of the chriftian religion, as was obferved in a preceding part of this work.

Being more especially a memorial of the death of Chrift, in which he chiefly manifefted the love that he bore to mankind, it furnishes the most proper opportunity of recollecting the love of Chrift, and rejoicing in the confideration of the bleffings of his gofpel.

Since this rite is peculiar to chriftians, it likewife ferves as a public declaration of our being christians; and is, confequently, a recognizing of the obligation we are under to live as become chriftians. For no man can say that he is a chriftian,and especially in a public and folemn man

ner,

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