Essay on Christian baptism

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Preface

During my ministry in the Establishment, an indefinite fear of the conclusions at which I might arrive led me to avoid the study of the question of baptism ; but I felt obliged to examine honestly each passage of Scripture upon the subject which came in my way, and the evidence thus obtained convinced me that repentance and faith ought to precede baptism. The reasons assigned by the Anglican Catechism why an infant should be baptized without repentance and faith, are very unsatisfactory. As soon, then, as I had settled my mind upon the union of the churches with the state, I turned my attention to this question. Aware how many are disposed to attribute any opinion which contradicts their own to such a partial, one-sided investigation as they practice themselves, I determined to form my judgment entirely by the study of the Scriptures, and of such authors as advocate the baptism of infants. To that determination I have adhered. And not having read a single Baptist book or tract,

IV PREFACE.

I publish the following work as an independent testimony to the exclusive right of believers to Christian baptism. Undoubtedly, I might have enriched its pages by an examination of the able and excellent authors who have written on the same side, and, by the use of their reasonings and researches, might have escaped some of the errors of detail, into which it is possible that, in the discussion of a question so extensive and so complicated, I may have fallen ; but then I should have lessened its value as an independent testimony. Several of the works with which I have the misfortune to differ are written with ability and with calmness, especially those of Wardlaw and Leonard Woods, of Halley and Godwin. Nothing can be better than the spirit which pervades the volumes of Budd and Bickersteth : if I dissent from their conclusions, I gladly express my conviction of their honesty ; and, while contending against one of the opinions of pious Pgedo-Baptists, I earnestly hope that nothing may ever diminish the cordiality with which we may act together in promoting the cause of the Redeemer.

I assume in the following essay that the word baptism means immersion, and that to baptize is to immerse ; the evidence of which fact I hope to adduce in a separate volume.

LIST OF AUTHORS REFERRED TO.

Barnes, Commentary on the New Testament.

Bengel, Gnomon Novi Testament!.

Bickersteth, Treatise on Baptism. London, 1840.

Bloomfield, Greek Testament, Critical Digest.

Budd, Infant Baptism. London, 184L

EUesley, Annotations on the Gospels.

Godwin, Christian Baptism. London, 1845.

Grotius, Amiotations.

HaUey, The Sacraments. London, 1844.

Henry, Commentary on the Bible.

Archdeacon Hoare, Baptism. London, 1848.

Pool, Annotations on the Bible.

Scott, Commentary on the Bible.

Tracts for the Times, No. 67.

Wardlaw, Dissertation on Infant Baptism. Glasgow, 1846.

Whitby, Commentaiy on the New Testament.

Woods, Lectures on Infant Baptism. Andover, U.S., 1819.

CHAPTER II. Baptism to be admtnistered to none but Believers

I. Meaning of the Commissioii..- - 48

II. Jewish Baptism 51

III. Baptism of John 54

IV. First Baptisms by the Disciples of Christ 65

V. Apostolic Baptisms.

Baptism of three thousand Converts at the Day

of Pentecost 66

Baptism of the Samaritans 74

Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch 79

Baptism of Paul 81

Baptism of Cornelius 83

Baptism of Lydia and her Household 84

Baptism of the Jailer of Philippi 85

Baptism of the Corinthians 88

Baptism of the Twelve Ephesians 88

VIU CONTENTS.

Page

VI. The Nature and Effects of Baptism, as declared

in the New Testament 92

VII. The Practice of the Churches of the fii'st Centu-

ries of the Christian Era affords Evidence that Believers alone ought to be baptized 120

CHAPTER ill.

Infant Baptism.

Sect. I. General Considerations to show the Unlawfulness of Infant Baptism 126

II. Infant Baptism is not warranted by the Circumcision of Jewish Children 137

HI. Promises to Parents and Children 189

IV. The Blessing pronounced by our Lord on Children 212

V. The " Holiness" of the Children of Believers (1

VI. The Baptism of Households 227

VII. Silence of the New Testament respecting the Baptism of the believing Children of Chi-istians 232

VIII. Practice of the early Churches 241

IX. The Numbers who practice Infant Baptism 250

Chapter V

Practical Inferences. 1. Reasons why Members of Paedo-Baptist Churches should be baptized 280

II. BeaBons for Free Communion 287

Conclusion

A Form of Baptismal Self-dedication to God.. . 302

INTRODUCTION.

After our Lord's resurrection from the dead, and shortly before his ascension to heaven, he addressed to his apostles these solemn words : " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth : go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world," Matt., xxviii., 18—20. In an examination of the nature of Christian baptism this passage merits the earliest and most attentive consideration, because it both records the institution of baptism and declares its perpetuity. To understand what baptism fs, we must first examine carefully the terms of the law which renders it obligatory. After we have examined the law itself, we may then consider the various comments which inspired writers have pronounced upon it, and gather whatever light we may be able from the practice of baptism, both before this enactment and after it ; but our first duty is to examine the terms of the law itself.

It has been said, indeed, that Christian baptism was instituted before, because it is recorded that " Jesus made and baptized disciples," John, iv., 1 ; iii., 26. But this incidental mention of the fact of baptism having been administered by the first disciples can not amount to a perpetual law in the churches. Four disciples only are mentioned as having followed Christ : Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaniel, John, i., 40—43. Even these had not received their call to leave their nets and follow him, Matt., iv., 18. And it was with reference to a time later than this that Luke records, " When it was day he called unto him his disciples ; and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles,' Luke, vi., 13. So that these disciples baptized before they were ministers of Christ, and when they were yet very imperfectly acquainted with the Gospel. When Jesus began to preach, his instruction exactly resembled that of John : " Jesus began to preach and to say. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt., iv., 17. And it is probable that when his disciples baptized, they did not baptize unto the name of Jesus, as John did not baptize unto his own name ; but that, like John, they baptized in token of the repentance of the converts as persons expecting the kingdom of heaven to be shortly set up. The idea that they were baptized by the command of Jesus, as professing their faith in him as Christ, is very improbable. For many were baptized, John, iii., 26 ; iv., 1. If Jesus had commanded them all openly to confess that he was Christ, how could he charge his apostles to conceal the fact that he was Christ ? How can we understand the following passage : " When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying. Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am ? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist ; some Elias ; and others Jeremias, or

INTRODUCTION. H

one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. .... Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ," Matt., xvi., 13-16, 20. Either the apostles had wholly ceased to baptize, or those who were baptized did not profess their faith in Jesus as the Christ. Moreover, as the Pharisees knew that many had been baptized (John, iv., 1), and assuredly learned the circumstances of those baptisms, if all the converts had by the order of Jesus declared their faith in him as Christ, how could the Jews come round about him in the temple and say, " How long dost thou make us to doubt ? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly," John, X., 24. The profession of the converts by order of Jesus would have been certain and overwhelming evidence that he claimed to be Christ, nor could they either then or afterward have been in want of any proof of that fact. See Matt., xxvi., 63—65 ; Luke, xxii., 66—71. There were, doubtless, proofs enough afforded that he was Christ by the song of the angels, the visit of the Magi, the testimony of John, the miracles which he wrought ; but the question is, whether he so openly and so constantly declared himself to be Christ that all men knew his claims ; and if he did not then, whether the baptism of his disciples could involve a profession of their faith in him as Christ. To me it appears clear that they made no such profession ; and that the baptism then administered by his disciples was sim.ply, like that of John, a baptism of repentance, because the kin2:dom of heaven was at hand.

Let us further notice that there is no statement whatever that the twelve apostles, subsequently to their appointment, ever baptized a single convert till after the ascension of Christ. If they did so, still there is no statement that this was by express command of our Lord, nor that it Avas meant to be a perpetual law in his Church ; and even if this also be assumed without proofs, still it remains certain, as I think; that their baptism was essentially different from the baptism enjoined by Christ before his ascension, because it was not baptism unto the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This it could not be. Even the apostles of Christ, though his chosen companions, and daily taught by his own lips, remained very ignorant of spiritual truths till the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He often reproved them for their unbelief, Matt., xvi., 6-12; xvii., 20; Mark, xvi., 14; Luke, xxiv., 21-25. When he told them that he should be crucified, they could not comprehend it, Matt., xvi., 21-23; Luke, ix., 45; John, xvi., 17, 18; and many truths, which they were to learn afterward, did Jesus abstain from teaching them during his ministry on earth, because they were not prepared to receive them, John, xvi., 12. Under these circumstances, it can not be supposed that these apostles, still so ignorant and so unbelieving, every where consecrated men to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, associating with the Deity the Lord Jesus Christ, as one with him in nature and glory, and the Holy Spirit, who had not yet been poured out, because Christ was not yet glorified, John, vii., 39. I am unable, therefore, to believe that Christian baptism was instituted before the resurrection of Jesus Christ ; and am compelled to examine his commission as containing " the great law of Christian baptism," and " the chief authority for the continued practice of baptism in the Christian Church." ^Halleij, 490, 493.

II. Next, it is necessary to settle another preliminary question, i. e., whether the baptism spoken of in Matt., xxviii., 1 9, refer to the body or to the mind. Did our Lord command his ministers to baptize in water or in the Spirit? The following considerations may enable us to determine that the general opinion, which refers the word to material, and not to spiritual baptism, is correct.

1 . "When men are brought to believe in Christ, it is necessary that they should profess their faith in him openly, Matt., X., 32, 33; Rom., x., 9, 10 ; Rev., xxi., 8. Baptism unto the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, is such a profession, which is therefore necessary to the Church, and, as such, is here commanded. The objection that the baptism of the Spirit, as being more important than water baptism, must be here understood, has the less force when we consider that the spiritual baptism is involved in the discipleship which is previously mentioned. All believers are baptized in the Spirit at the time of their conversion to God, John, i., 12, 13 ; iii., 5 ; and, therefore, when our Lord commanded his apostles to go and make disciples, he in effect commanded them to seek for them by prayer and preaching the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the next duty was to lead them to confess Christ by baptism in water. To object that baptism here can nol mean water baptism, Decause the baptism of the Spirit is more important, is no more sound than to affirm that when our Lord said to his disciples, "Take, eat" (Matt., xxvi., 26), he could not mean the sacramental bread, because it is so much more important to eat his flesh spiritually by faith, John, vi, , 5 3—5 5 . Assuredly the baptism of the Spirit is more important, but the baptism of water is not therefore unnecessary ; and unless we are prepared to discard the Lord's Supper as unworthy of Christ, we must maintain the rite of baptism to be worthy of him. If symbolic acts are unsuitable to our spiritual religion, we should not eat the Lord's Supper ; if, on the contrary, they are suitable to it in any case, no symbolic act can be more simple or more expressive than immersion.

This rite was indeed practiced by the apostles from the beginning, Acts, ii., 38. But on what was their practice founded ? They certainly did not introduce will- worship into the churches : they enacted nothing which was without Christ's authority. Now whence did they derive this baptism of the converts ? The baptisms mentioned in John, iii. and iv., were not unto the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, nor even unto the name of Jesus as the Christ ; nor did they afford any proof that Jesus meant them to be universal in his churches, if, indeed, they continued beyond the first months of his ministry. Now if these baptisms, incidentally mentioned and not expressly commanded, amount not to a law in the Christian Church, then there is no other law of baptism than that contained in Matt., xxviii., and in Mark, xvi. If these statements do not contain an injunction to baptize, then there is no command directing the ministers of Christ to baptize ; there is no initiatory rite in the Christian rehgion ; there is no appointed mode by which a man shall at his conversion individually confess Christ : a thing very difficult to credit.

It has been argued, that a law meant to be universally binding on the Church of Christ would have been expressly recorded by all the Evangelists, whereas Matthew alone has recorded it. But, indeed, Mark has recorded a similar declaration of our Lord, which involves it, Mark, xvi., 1 5, 1 6. It is no more surprising that John has omitted to record the institution of baptism than that he has omitted to notice the institution of the Lord's Supper ; and if John might omit it, why might not Luke ? If it may be argued that this is no command to baptize in water because Luke and John have not recorded it, we may argue that he has not promised to be with his disciples to the end of the world, because these two evangelists are silent respecting it ; and deny that he has given any promise of the Spirit to his Church, because that promise is not noticed by the Evangelists Matthew and Mark. See Luke, xxiv., 49 ; John, xx., 22.

When Paul declared that he was not sent to baptize (1 Cor., i., 17), he referred to the words of his special commission, recorded Acts, xxvi., 17, and the reason why he rejoiced to have baptized but few Corinthians, was that they could not suppose him to have wished to form a Pauline party of those baptized by his own hands (1 Cor., i., 15). But in no respect did his general practice difier from that of the other apostles ; like him, they were chiefly sent to preach the Gospel (Matt., xxviii., 1 9 ; Mark, xvi., 15); and, like them, he baptized the converts. In various churches he may have left them to be baptized by his companions, as at Corinth ; but they were all baptized with his sanction. The converts were baptized at Philippi (Acts, xvi., 15, 33), at Corinth (Acts, xviii., 8 ; 1 Cor., i., 13 ; xv., 29), at Ephesus (Acts, xix., 5 ; Eph., iv., 5), at Colosse (Col., ii., 12), and throughout Asia Minor (1 Pet., iii., 21) ; the disciples were also baptized at Rome (Pv^om., vi., 3) ; and since there is no reason to suppose that the discipline of these churches difiered from that of the other apostolic churches, we may infer that all the converts in those churches were similarly baptized. From the days of the apostles, all the churches, without exception, received baptism without any other commands than these ; in the earliest Christian writings these passages are appealed to as the law upon the subject. No one in the first ages ever objected to this interpretation on the ground that a spiritual baptism was intended ; and all, without exception, accepted water baptism as a divine ordinance. Since, then, an open confession of Christ at the beginning of the Christian life is important, since the mode of confessing him by immersion is simple and significant, since there is no other command of Christ enjoining baptism, since the apostles every where baptized their converts in water, and since all the churches of Christ received the practice from them, we have reason to think that the command in Matt., xxviii., referred to water baptism, and not to baptism of the Spirit.

2. It is important to consider in what sense the command would naturally be understood by the apostles, because our Lord would not so speak as to mislead those whom he was instructing. It is evident, from the manner in which baptism is mentioned in the New Testament, that the writers were familiar with the term and with its meaning. On this occasion, apparently, the apostles asked no explanation of the command, and the evangelist ofiers none to his readers. The meaning was, it seems, plain to every one. What, then, was that meaning ? Baptism in water had been practiced by the Jews, by John, and by the apostles of John. We read, " Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan," Matt., iii., 5, 6. Thousands, therefore, had been baptized by him, and his baptism was the topic of universal conversation, Luke, iii., 15 ; John, i., 25. Shortly after the disciples of Jesus began to baptize, and numbers received the rite from their hands, John, iii., 22—26 ; iv. , 1 , 2 . When any conversation arose among the disciples respecting baptism among the Jews, the word always meant baptism in water ; if they used the word with reference to the ministry of John, it meant baptism in water ; or if they spoke of it with reference to the followers of Christ, it still recalled the fact that they had been baptized in water. Every one was familiar with the baptismal rite, every one talked of it ; it admitted proselytes into communion with the Jews ; it admitted converts into the company of John's disciples ; it was administered to the disciples of Jesus. When, therefore, Jesus said to his apostles, " Go ye and teach all na- B tions, baptizing them. ... Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. . . . He that believe th and is baptized, shall be saved" — they must have understood him to speak of baptism in water.

It is true that John had spoken of a superior baptism when he said to the multitudes of Jesus, " He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost," Matt., iii., 11. And Jesus himself had renewed the promise to his disciples in these words : "Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Ghost not many days hence," Acts, i., 5 ; but the disciples could not understand our Lord to mean in the terms of the commission this spiritual baptism, because this was a new thing understood by few (John, iii., 1-9), talked of by few (John, xiv., 17), and which certainly had not yet superseded, as, indeed, it never afterward did, the common meaning of the term. Not one Jew in twenty who used the word baptism would mean the baptism of the Spirit ; not one in a thousand would think of spiritual baptism when he heard the simple word employed ; and, therefore, no one would employ it in that sense ; and when the apostles received the command simply to baptize, they must have understood it as all other Jews would of baptism in water.

Had any question arisen for a moment as to the meaning of the term, it would, as I think, have been speedily settled in their minds, by their noticing in what manner both John and Jesus spoke of the spiritual baptism. They had heard John say of Jesus, " He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost ;" and they had heard Jesus say, " Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Ghost ;" but they had never heard either

John or Jesus say, " Ye shall baptize others in the Holy Ghost." On the contrary, though John was a great prophet, who " turned many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God" (Luke, i., 16), yet he expressly disclaimed this power of baptizing in the Spirit, which was to be the prerogative of Jesus alone : " I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance, but he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost," Mattv, iii., 11. Hitherto, when John had commanded his disciples to baptize, he meant them to baptize in water ; when Jesus had commanded his disciples to baptize, he meant them to baptize in water ; and now that, without any special promise of higher power, he again commanded them to baptize, how could they understand him to mean something totally new, or suppose him incidentally, and without any explanation, to confer a power withheld even from John the Baptist ? But as Jesus knew that the disciples must understand him to mean that they should baptize in water, he certainly did mean it.

3. We have also satisfactory, positive evidence that our Lord here commanded his disciples to baptize in water.

Like John, the ministers of Christ to the end of time are sent forth to turn many to God (Luke, i., 16) ; but, like him, they are unable to baptize in the Holy Ghost, Matt., iii., 11. This baptism in the Spirit, which is the regeneration of the soul, is exclusively the work of God. Men may be employed by him to preach, but the work of regenerating a spirit, of giving life to a dead soul, the work of the new creation, is always ascribed to God and to Christ — never to ministers. See Acts, ii., 33,

47 ; John, i., 13 ; Tit., iii., 5 ; James, i., 18 ; 1 Pet., i., 3 ; 1 John, iii., 9 ; 1 Cor., iii., 5, 9 ; 2 Cor., v., 17 ; Eph., ii., 1-5, 11, &c., &c. The ministers of Christ, therefore, are here not called to do what is exclusively the work of God, to baptize in the Spirit, but, as their appropriate work, to lead those whom God has baptized in his Spirit to profess their change of mind by baptism in water. Nowhere can baptism, when it stands alone, be shown to refer to spiritual baptism. But both the word and the phrase which are here employed are employed of the baptism in water.

First, let us observe the New Testament use of the word baptism.

" Then Peter said unto them. Repent and be baptized, every one of you," Acts, ii., 38.

" Then they that gladly received his word were baptized," Acts, ii., 41.

" When they believed Philip . . . they were baptized. . . . Then Simon himself believed also ; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip," Acts, viii., 12, 13.

" Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized," Acts, xviii., 8.

" 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 which should come after him, that is, Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," Acts, xix., 3-5.

*' I thank God that I baptized none of you but

Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanus ; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent mc not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel," 1 Cor., i., 14-17.

Without comment on these passages, we can at once see that in them all baptism alone, without any mention of water, means baptism in water, and not baptism in the Spirit.

Next, let us notice the New Testament use of the phrase " baptism unto the name of God." I should not omit, in passing, to recall the phrase in the prophecy of Jeremiah, " Circumcise yourselves to the Lord" (Jer., iv., 4), because " circumcision to the Lord" is similar to " baptism to the Lord," both external acts betokening the same duty of sanctification and dedication to God. Several times are similar phrases used in the New Testament, of which the following are instances :

" They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea," 1 Cor., x., 2. They were marked to be the disciples of Moses, by following him into the Red Sea, where they were buried for a while within the cloud and sea which surrounded them.

" Were ye baptized unto the name of Paul," eig TO bvofia 'n.av?iov (1 Cor., i., 13), were you dedicated by your baptism in water to be disciples of Paul ?

" Only they were baptized elg to bvojia, unto the name of the Lord Jesus," Acts, viii., 16.

" When they heard this they were baptized eig TO bvofia, unto the name of the Lord Jesus," Acts, xix., 5.

As in all these places the phrases " to be baptized unto the name" of any one means to be dedicated by water baptism to the service of any one, the similar phrase in the commission to the apostles must mean the same thing ; and when Jesus said, " Baptize them unto the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," he meant. Dedicate them by water baptism to the service of the Triune God.

As all the direct evidence is in favor of interpreting the word baptism when it stands alone in the New Testament to mean water baptism, and as " antecedent probabilities," if there be any, " are of very small value, if opposed by direct evidence," " scarcely deserving to be taken into account" (^Godwin, 143), we may unhesitatingly conclude that the commission to the ministers of Christ to baptize is a command to them to baptize in water.

On the whole, as it seems to me, we have abundant reason to conclude that the command in the commission to the ministers of Christ to baptize is to baptize in water ; and that it is the will of Christ that disciples or believers in him should be baptized in water in all successive generations.

On the same grounds, all the other passages of the New Testament in which baptism is mentioned alone must, unless special reasons can be adduced for the contrary, be understood to mean baptism in water. In Rom., vi., 3, and Gal., iii., 27, believers are said " to be baptized unto Christ ;" and in CoL, ii., 12, "to be buried with him in baptism." Eph., iv., 5, reminds us that among Christians there is " one baptism ;" and the Apostle Peter declares (1 Peter, iii., 21), «' Baptism doth save us ;" all which passages,

[NTRODUCTION. 23

for the reasons above assigned, must be understood to mean baptism in water.

III. Further, this command to baptize, or to immerse in water, must be understood to be of perpetual authority, and to bind the ministers of Christ to baptize his disciples to the end of time, for the following reasons, among others :

1 . As our Lord has here commanded his disciples to disciple and to baptize the nations, with the assurance that while they are accomplishing this mission he will be with them ecjg rrj^ avvTeXelag rov aiutvog, " to the end of the world," it follows that they must continue to baptize until the end of the world.*