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can be looked upon as completely a member of the church of Chrift.'*

Perfectly conformable to thefe teftimonies, are the Catechifms and Confeffions of faith, that have been published at any time, or by any denomination of Christians: for if the positive inftitutions of Christ be not entirely omitted, baptifm is not only always mentioned firft, but generally mentioned in fuch a way, as intimates that it is a prerequisite to the Lord's table. And fo, even in our common forms of fpeaking, if we have occafion to mention both thofe folemn appointments of our Lord, bap tifm ftill has the priority. Thus generally, thus univerfally, is it allowed, that baptifm is neceffary to communion at the Lord's table.-Nay, many of our Proteftant Diffenting brethren confider the ordinance in a more important light than we. For they frequently reprefent it, as a feal of the covenant of grace; as a mean of bringing their infant offspring into covenant with God; and fome of them feverely cenfure us, for leaving our children to the uncovenanted mercies of the Moft Higli, merely because we do not baptize them. Expreffions and fentiments thefe, which we neither adopt nor approve; because they feem to attribute more to the ordinance, than the facred fcriptures, in our opin ion, will warrant.

It appears, then, to be a fact, a stubborn, inconteftable fact, that our judgment and conduct, relating to the neceffity of baptifm in order to communion, perfectly coincide with the fentiments and practice of our National Church, and with all Pædobaptist churches in these kingdoms. Nor have I

*Lectures, p. 508, 512. Difcourfes on Regen. Poftfcript to Pref. p. 12, 13.

heard of any fuch church now upon earth, with which we do not, in this respect, agree: for none, of whom I have any intelligence, be their fentiments or modes of worthip whatever they may, in regard to other things, admit any to the facred fupper, who have not, in their opinion, been baptized. And, on the other hand, when the importance of baptifm comes under confideration between us and them, it is manifest, that both Conformist and Nonconformist Pedobaptists in general, afcribe more to it than we, and place a greater dependence upon it. Confequently, neither candour, nor reafon, nor juftice will admit that we should be charged, as we have frequently been, with laying an unwarrantable ftrefs upon it.

The point controverted between us and our Pædobaptift brethren is not, Whether unbaptized believers may, according to the laws of Chrift, be admitted to communion; for here we have no dif pute; but, What is baptism, and who are the proper fubjects of it? In the difcuffion of thefe queftions there is, indeed, a wide and a very material difference; but in regard to the former we are entirely agreed. Why, then, do our brethren cenfure us as uncharitably rigid, and incorrigible bigots? The principal reafon feems to be this: They, in general, admit, that immerfion in the name of the triune God, on a profeffion of faith in Jefus Christ, is baptism, real baptifin; while our fixed and avowed perfuafion will not permit us to allow, that infant sprinkling, though performed with the greatest folem

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*The reader is defired to obferve, that when I make use of the phrase infant fsprinkling, or any expreffion of a similar import, it is merely by way of diflinction; without annexing any fecondary, or obnoxious idea to it.

nity, is worthy of the name. Confequently, though they, confiftently with their own principles, may receive us to communion among them, yet we cannot admit them to fellowship with us at the Lord's table, without contradicting our profeffed fentiments. For it appears to us, on the most deliberate inquiry, that immersion is not a mere circumfance, or a mode of baptism, but essential to the ordinance fo that, in our judgment, he who is not immerfed, is not baptized. This is the principle on which we proceed, in refufing communion to our Pædobaptist brethren, whom, in other refpects, we highly esteem, and towards whom we think it Your duty to cultivate the most cordial affection.Nor can we fuppofe but they would act a fimilar part, were they in our fituation. Were they fully perfuaded, for inftance, that the great Head of the church had not commanded, nor any way authorized, his miniftering fervants to require a profeffion of faith prior to baptism; and were they equally certain that the ordinance never was administered by the apoftles to any but infants, nor in any other way than that of afperfion, or pouring; would they not look upon the immerfion of profeffing believers as a quite different thing from baptifm? And, were this the case, would they not confider us as unbaptized, and refuse to have communion with us on that account? I am perfuaded they would, notwithstanding their affection for any of us, as believers in Jefus Chrift. Confequently, if we be really culpable in the eyes of our brethren, it is for denying the validity of infant baptifm; not because we refufe communion to Pædobaptifts-for an error in our judgment, which milleads the con

fcience; not for perverfeness of temper, or a want of love to the difciples of Chrift.

Nor was the Lord's fupper appointed to be a teft of brotherly love among the people of God; though feveral objections that are made against us feem to proceed on that fuppofition. It muft, indeed, be allowed, that as it is a facred feaft and an ordinance of divine worship, mutual Christian affection among communicants at the fame table, is very becoming and highly neceffary, and so it is in all other branches of focial religion. But that fitting down at the holy fupper fhould be confidered as the criterion of my love to individuals, or to any Chriftian community, does not appear from the word of God. No, the fupper of our Lord was defigned for other and greater purposes. It was intended to teach and exhibit the most interesting of all truths, and the most wonderful of all tranfactions. The defign of the Great Inftitutor was, that it fhould be a memorial of God's love to us, and of Immanuel's death for us that, the most astonishing favour ever difplayed; this, the most stupendous fact that angels ever beheld. Yes, the love of God, in giving his dear, his only Son; and the death of Chrift, as our divine substitute and propitiatory facrifice, are the grand objects we are called to contemplate at the Lord's table. As to a proof, a fubftantial proof of our love to the children of God, it is not given at fo cheap and eafy a rate, as that of fitting down with them, either occafionally or statedly, at the holy table. Numbers do that, who are very far from loving the difciples of Chrift, for the truth's fake. To give real evidence of that heavenly affection, there must be the exercise of fuch tempers, and the performance of fuch ac

tions, as require much felf-denial; and without which, were we to commune with them ever fo often, or talk ever fo loudly of candour and a catholic fpirit, we should, after all, be deftitute of that charity, without which we are "nothing." The reader, therefore, will do well to remember, that the true teft of his love to the difciples of Chrift, is not a fubmiffion to any particular ordinance of public worship; for that is rather an evidence of his love to God and reverence for his authority; but fympathizing with them in their afflic tions; feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and taking pleasure in doing them good, whatever their neceffities may be. For this I have the authority of our final Judge, who will fay to his people; "Come, ye bleffed of my Father, for"what? Ye have manifested your love to the faints and your faith in me, by holding free communion at my table with believers of all denominations? No fuch thing. "But, I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirfty, and ye gave me drink; I was a ftranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me ; I was fick, and ye vifited me ; I was in prifon, and ye came unto me.

Our opponents often infinuate, that we are more zealous to establish a favourite mode, and make profelytes to our own opinion and party, than to promote the honour of Jefus Chrift and the happiness of immortal fouls. Were this the cafe, we should, indeed, be much to blame, and greatly difgrace our Chriftian character. But why are the Baptifts to be thus reprefented? Do they affirm that the kingdom of Chrift is confined to them? that they only have the true re

* Matt. xxv. 34-40. Luke xiii, 25, 26, 27.

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