being persons incapable, from their age, of making a profession of Religion. And this acquires further probability from the argument which she employs to induce the Apostles to abide at her house. Had her household believed, for whom she was evidently concerned, would she not have said, "If ye have judged us to be faithful to the Lord?" for beside the "appearance of evil" being avoided, there would have been a little Christian Church in her house requiring further comfort and counsel; and new opportunities of usefulness would have been given to men who were wont to "exhort and comfort and charge their converts, as a Father doth his children," and who looked upon them as their "glory and joy," and "lived if they stood fast in the Lord." And it is not unworthy of remark, that Lydia's

*

trade was mean, and could neither require, nor support, even a few servants.

Let the account above noticed of the Baptism of "Lydia and her household," be compared with the account given of the Baptism of the Jailor and "all his," shortly after, at the same place. In the latter case, it is distinctly stated, that the Apostles "spoke the word of the Lord unto him, and to all that were in his house," and that "he believed in God, with all his house;" and that "he

* γυνὴ καὶ ταπεινὴ ἅυτη, και δῆλον ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης. CHRYS. in loc.

and all his were baptized straightway." Here the household makes a conspicuous figure in the narrative its circumstances are specified with a degree of minuteness wholly unaccountable, upon the supposition that the two cases are alike. But suppose, what I cannot but think to be highly probable, that Lydia's household were incapable, from their tender age, of hearing and believing the word of life; and the two cases are naturally stated-just as one would expect to find them stated by an historian who wrote with the express design of directing the Church, till the kingdom of God should come, how she was to act in similar cases, by the difference of the terms employed in the description of the different facts which either came under his own observation, or were related to him by those who were concerned in them.

But should the author have been mistaken in concluding, that the designed alteration in St. Luke's language in his latter account amounts to a tacit declaration, that he is describing a case widely different from the former, the result would only be, that the New Testament is without an instance of Infant Baptism—a thing not extraordinary, if the conciseness with which it is written, and the ample proof it affords of the general necessity of Baptism, and the reluctance of parents in particular to embrace a Religion every where spoken against, if not oppressed, and the

nature of the questions which were most likely to take up the attention of the Church, be considered. Still, the argument for infant Baptism would not be weakened; it would not indeed be able to occupy the 'vantage ground which an instance would give it, but it would be immoveable, resting on "the word of God which liveth and abideth But should the Author's conjecture be right, (and there is good reason for thinking it so,) the question would be settled, as is on all hands agreed.

for ever."

These are some of the arguments for Infant Baptism. They have long satisfied the Author's mind and they are left with some confidence with the reader to decide whether, if they do not remove every difficulty from the subject, they are not of more weight in favour of Infant Baptism, than those arguments are against it, which are taken from the inability of little children to repent and believe, or to make a covenant, or to express their consent to a covenant made in their names; because whatsoever is affirmable against Infant Baptism, is affirmable against Infant Circumcision, and against Infant Salvation.

*

The Antipædobaptist in fact, argues as the

* "Impetremus, si possumus, a fratribus nostris, ne nos insuper appellent hæreticos, quod eos talia disputantes nos appellare possimus forsitan, si velimus, nec tamen appellanus. Ut amici exhortamur, non ut inimici litigamus. Detrahant nobis, ferimus:

Socinian does on another vital question. The Antipædobaptist meets with arguments for Adult Baptism and thence maintains, that there can be no other; just as the Socinian meets with arguments for the human nature of Christ, and thence maintains that He can have no other. Whereas, if there are arguments for Christ's human nature, there are arguments also for His divine nature; and if there are arguments for adult Baptism, there are arguments also for infant Baptism. Christ, I firmly believe, ordained both in his Church. "What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

canoni non detrahant, veritati non detrabant; Ecclesiæ pro remissione peccati originalis parvulorum quotidie laboranti non contradicant. Fundata ista res est.—Adhuc fortè nostra non est reprehendenda patientia: sed debemus timere ne culpetur negligentia. Habete cum illis amicè, fraternè placidè,amantèr, dolentèr : quicquid potest faciat pietas" Aug. de Bapt. parv. Tom. 5. p. 832.

CHAP. V.

What, in the case of Infants, is necessary to make their Baptism available to the great end for which it was ordained?

*

This important question has received two very opposite answers. It is maintained by some, that Prayer, in its proper sense, is an essential adjunct to Baptism. On the contrary, it is maintained by others, that nothing is required, on our part, but the use of water, and the prescribed form of administration. The latter opinion is formed

"Prayer is that part of religious practice, wherein we do immediately address ourselves to God, having by speech (oral or mental) a kind of intercourse and conversation with Him. It is that acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon Him, or our total subjection to His power and pleasure; together with that profession of faith in Him And avowing of service to Him, which we do owe as His natural creatures and subjects; that humble confession of our infirmity, our vileness, our guilt, our misery, (joined