the field of corn? In other words-Whether it be not as much mercy to excuse some at least (viz. new born infants, weakly and unhealthy persons, and even all others throughout the winter season, in these northen and cold climates), from being totally plunged in baptism; as it was to excuse the twelve for plucking and rubbing the corn on the sabbath day.

"It enters into the nature of things ritual and circumstantial, to be mutable, transient, and liable to be changed. As they are often but an adoption of some national custom (which is apparently the case as to the institution of baptism), or, an accommodation of a common usuage to some purpose in religion so they are alterable in their nature; and are themselves in some measure to be accommodated to prevailing customs and tastes; to the several countries, climates, and tempers of mankind.

"To conclude:-If after" this my evidence," any still think it their indispensable duty to baptize by immersion only, let them, by all means, thus baptize; but then, we beseech them to forbear all severe censures of those who are not dipt. Let them not represent us as persons unbaptized-withdraw from our churches-refuse communion with us, at the common table of our Lord, upon so trifling a difference. This, surely, were to dishonour our sacred religion; and too naturally brings not only Christian baptism, but Christianity itself, into manifest contempt.

"Let us therefore, according to the apostolic preceptreceive one another, but not to doubtful disputations.-To maintain an unity of spirit, by mutual forbearance, and to live together in perfect charity, is a matter of infinitely more importance, than the quantity of water, or the manner of its application, with which a person is baptized. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. And the end of the commandment is charity; out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.'

NINTH WITNESS.

I, the NINTH WITNESS, shall endeavour "to follow a course of plain and close argument," while giving my testimony on the subject now before the Court. "It shall be my sincere aim to discuss it with fairness and candour; and honestly, but in the spirit of 'The Truth,' to exhibit what I believe to be the sense of the Holy Scriptures, to whose authority I trust I shall unreservedly subject all my opinions.

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Baptism we have called a federal transaction; an initiation into, an acceptance of, the covenant of grace, required of us by Christ as a visible expression and act of that faith in Him, which He has made a condition of that salvation. It is a point, however, of so much importance to establish the covenant character of this ordinance, and so much of the controversy as to the proper subject of baptism depends upon it, that we may consider it somewhat at large.

"The Church of Christ, in its largest sense, consists of all who have been baptized in the name of Christ, and who thereby make a visible profession of faith in his divine mission, and in all the doctrines taught by him and his inspired Apostles. In a stricter sense, it consists of those who are virtually united to Christ, as the members of the body to the head; and who, being thus imbued with spiritual life, walk no longer after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' It is obligatory on all who are convinced of the truth of Christianity to be baptized; and upon all thus baptized frequently to partake of the Lord's Supper, in order to testify their continued faith in that great and distinguishing doctrine of the religion of Christ, the redemption of the world by the sacrificial effusion of his blood; both of which suppose union with his church. If baptism be the door of admission into

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the church, some must judge of the fitness of candidates, and administrators of the rite must be appointed:-and since this institution has the authority of Christ and his apostles, it is no more a matter of mere option with Christians whether they will be subject to government in the church, than it is optional with them to confess Christ by becoming its members.

"The church is a society founded upon faith, and united by mutual love, for the personal edification of its members in holiness, and for the religious benefit of the world. It cannot employ force-the only door of the church is faith, to which there can be no compulsion; he that believeth and is baptized' becomes a member. They are to seek the intimacy of friendly society among themselves, and, except in the ordinary and courteous intercourse of life, they are bound to keep themselves separate from the world; they are enjoined to do good unto all men, but, 'specially to them that are of the household of faith;' and they are forbidden to eat' at the Lord's table with immoral persons, that is, with those who, although they continue their Christian profession, dishonour it by their practice.-Baptism is to be administered; but the manner of this service may be prescribed by a church, since the Scriptures have not determined it.

"By circumcision the Jews received the seal of the covenant, and were brought under the obligation of the whole law; they were made by it debtors to it; and when by their sins they had provoked God's wrath, they were reconciled to him by their sacrifices, with which atonement was made, and so their sins were forgiven them.-Now, in the new dispensation, though our Saviour has eased us of that law of ordinances, that grievous yoke, and those beggarly elements, which were laid upon the Jews; yet since we are still in the body subject to our senses, and to sensible things, he has appointed some federal actions, to be both the visible stipulations and professions of our Christianity, and the conveyancers to us of the blessings of the gospel. And the saving

benefits of the covenant of grace are made expressly to depend upon a true faith.

"The obligation of baptism rests upon the example of our Lord, who, by his disciples, baptized many that by his discourses and miracles were brought to profess faith in him as the Messias ;-upon his solemn command to his apostles after his resurrection, 'Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:'-and upon the practice of the apostles themselves, who thus shewed that they" understood what baptism meant. "Thus St. Peter, in his sermon upon the day of Pentecost, exhorts, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.'

"Several passages of Scripture, and the very nature of the ordinance of baptism, will, however, shew that baptism is to the new covenant what circumcision was to the old, and took its place by the APPOINTMENT of Christ. This may be argued from our Lord's commission to his apostles, 'Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,' &c. ' teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.** Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.'+ By what means, therefore, were 'all nations' now to be brought into the church of God? - Plainly, by baptizing them that believed the 'good news,' and accepted the terms of the new covenant. This is apparent from the very words; and thus was bap tism expressly made the initiatory rite by which believer of all nations' were to be introduced into the church and covenant of grace; an office in which it manifestly took the place of circumcision, which heretofore, even from the time of Abraham, had been the only initiatory rite into the same covenant. Moses re-enacted circumcision; our Lord not only does not re-enact it, but, on the contrary, he appoints another mode of entrance into the covenant in its new and + Mark xvi. 15, 16.

* Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

perfected form, and that so expressly as to amount to a formal abrogation of the ancient sign, and the putting of baptism in its place. The same argument may be maintained, from the words of our Lord to Nicodemus, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' If then he declares that no one can 'enter' into that church but by being born of water and of the Holy Spirit,' which heavenly gift followed upon baptism when received in true faith, he clearly makes baptism the mode of initiation into his church, in this passage as in the last quoted; and in both he assigns to it the same office as circumcision in the church of the Old Testament, whether in its patriarchal or Mosaic form.

"A further proof that baptism has precisely the same federal and initiatory character as circumcision, and that it was instituted for the same ends, and in its place, is found in Colossians ii. 10-12. Here baptism is also made the initiatory rite of the new dispensation, that by which the Colossians were joined to Christ, in whom they are said to be complete; and so certain is it that baptism has the same office and import now as circumcision formerly, -- with this difference only, that the object of faith was then future, and now it is Christ as come,- that the apostle expressly calls baptism the circumcision of Christ,' the circumcision instituted by him; which phrase he puts out of the reach of frivolous criticism, by adding, exegetically,-'buried with him in baptism;' for unless the apostle here calls baptism the circumcision of Christ,' he asserts that we put off the body of the sins of the flesh,' that is become new creatures by virtue of our Lord's own personal circumcision; but if this be absurd, then the only reason for which he can call baptism the circumcision of Christ' or Christian circumcision, is, that it has taken the place of the Abrahamic circumcision, and fulfils the same office of introducing believing men into God's covenant, and entitling them to the enjoyment of spiritual blessings.

"But let us quote Galatians iii. 27-29; 'For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ;