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eateth for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. Не that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.-Rom. xiv. 1-8.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.-Eph. iv. 1-6.

ADMINISTRATION OF ORDINANCES.

It has been already stated, that the Independents believe, that there are two ordinances of perpetual obligation, viz., baptism and the Lord's supper. The following observations will show the views they generally entertain, and the reasons which induce them to prefer their modes of administration.

BAPTISM.

Baptism is an ordinance founded upon the command of Christ, as the lawgiver of his church; it has no connexion with the baptism of John; was first administered on the day of Pentecost; and is to be observed as the introductory rite to instruction and obedience.

Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teach

ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.-Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? and they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.-Acts xix. 1--5,

In stating the opinions generally held by the Independents, and to furnish scriptural reasons for their peculiar usages, it will be necessary to consider, 1st, the subjects who are fit to receive the rite; and 2nd, the mode in which it is to be administered.

I.

The Subjects.

The subjects to whom this rite may be administered are,I. Adults who acknowledge the Messiahship of Christ, and profess their faith in him.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? 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.-Acts ii. 37, 38.

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.—Acts x. 47, 48.

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, see here is

water; what doth hinder me to be baptized!* And he com. manded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.-Acts viii. 35, 36, 38, 39.

II. The children of such parents as have made a credible profession of their belief in the Gospel; and are, therefore, concerned to bring them up in the fear of the Lord.

1. The unrepealed covenant which God made with Abraham, embraces them; and as anciently the children of believers received circumcision as the outward sign; so now they are entitled to the initiatory rite of baptism.

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: Every man child among you shall be circumcised. Gen. xvii. 5-10.

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.— Acts. ii. 39.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.-1 Cor. vii. 14.

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision: (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man.-John vii. 22.

* Verse 37 is purposely omitted, on account of the highest probability of its spuriousness. The passage is wanting in the best Greek manuscripts; and its variations, where it is found, show that it was introduced by some later hand, to take off the appearance of unbecoming haste in the baptism of the eunuch.

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. -Gal. iii. 9.

And this I say, that the covenant which was confined before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.-Gal. iii. 17.

2. It was the undoubted practice of the apostles to baptize children.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there, And she constrained us. Acts xvi. 14, 15.

And he (the jailer) took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.-Acts xvi. 33.

And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.-1 Cor. i. 16.*

3. It may be inferred from the use of the Greek term (oîños) for household or family.

One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.-1 Tim. iii. 4.

Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and (even) their own houses well.-1 Tim. iii. 12.

4. It was universally practised by the primitive church; ecclesiastical documents of the highest antiquity bear testimony to its prevalence; the practice was regarded for more than thousand years before it was directly attacked; and then principally assailed on account of some perversions to which all Divine institutions are liable.

* It is worthy of remark, that intelligence from those missionaries who baptize converted heathen parents and their children, very closely resembles the narratives of baptisms in the Acts of the Apostles.

The following are some of the testimonies* to the antiquity and extent of the practice, which will suggest the following reflection; that the whole church, in its purest age, unanimously adopted an innovation; or that the ministers of religion who lived nearest to apostolic times, only perpetuated what their predecessors had observed.

Justin Martyr, who lived about forty years after the Apostle John, says: "There are many men and women of sixty or seventy years, who from children, were made disciples to Christ, who remain uncorrupt; and I glory that I can show such from every nation."

Irenæus, who was known to Polycarp, John's disciple, says, "Christ came to save all by himself; all I say, who are regenerated↑ (i. e. baptized) by him unto God, infants, and little children, and boys, and young men, and elders."

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Origen (born about A. D. 183) affirms; the church had also from the apostles, an order to give baptism to infants.” Tertullian, (A. D. 219,) Cyprian, (A. D. 253,) Augustine, (A. D. 385,) give, in various ways, their testimony to the practice.

II.

The Mode.

The mode of baptism which Independent churches prefer is, that of pouring or sprinkling; and they feel justified in adopting it for the following reasons.

1. The original word which our Lord used, signifies, "to

* Note (F.)

†The apostle called it the "washing of regeneration"-Titus iii. 5. Hence probably the origin of the term regeneration above.

It may be said there is no positive precept for this practice :-neither is there for the observance of the first day of the week as the Sabbath-nor for the choice of pastors, for family prayer, &c.; but the inferences for regarding each are abundantly satisfactory.

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