OF THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS, AND OF LAYING ON OF HANDS." (Heb. vi. 2.) IN THERE are many unlearned members of the Church of England, who frequently hear objections raised against the Doctrines and practices of their Church, but who, from want of information, are unable to reply to them. It is for such well-meaning, but unlearned, persons, that the following pages are intended. There are many doctrines and practices of our Church, which are violently attacked by Dissenters; the present remarks, however, are chiefly confined to the defence of INFANT BAPTISM and CONFIRMATION. I shall divide the subject into two parts; giving, in the first, our reasons for baptizing Infants, and for using Affusion, or Pouring, rather than Dipping; and, in the second, explaining the nature and importance of Confirmation, and the reasons of the Church of England for retaining it amongst her Services. In order to render my remarks on Baptism as simple and intelligible as possible, I shall arrange them in the form of a Churchman's answers to the objections of a Baptist; placing each answer opposite to the objection to which it refers. PART I. On the Baptism of Infants. BAPTIST'S OBJECTIONS. 1. Infants ought not to be baptized, because we do not read in the New Testament that any persons were baptized by the Apostles, except believers, that is,-persons who having come to years of discretion, made a profession of Repentance and Faith. 2. If our Saviour had intended that Infants should be baptized, the Apostles would have been sure to have recorded that this was His will. 3. There is nothing in Scripture which can in any way countenance the notion that Infants may be baptized. B 2. By no means, but just the contrary. Infants always had been admitted into Cove nant with God under the old Dispensation, and therefore, if Christ had intended that this should cease to be the case under the new Dispensation, He would surely have expressly said so. But as He did not expressly say so, we conclude that children may be made members of the Gospel Church, as they used to be made members of the Jewish Church. 3. When our Saviour took children in His arms and blessed them, He said " of such is the Kingdom of God." (Mark x. 14.) Now He either meant the Kingdom of God in OBJECTIONS. ANSWERS. Heaven, or the Kingdom of were ANSWERS. be baptized. The above, then is another passage which countenances the notion. Again, St. Paul, both in his Epistle to the Ephesians, and in that to the Colossians, expressly addressed children: (Eph. vi. 1. -Col. iii. 20.) and yet these Epistles are addressed to "the saints and faithful brethren." (Eph. i. 1.-Col. i. 2.) The “children,” then, whom he admonishes, were "saints and faithful brethren," that is, were baptized members of the Church, regarded as "holy." (1 Cor. vii. 14.) This then, is another passage, which countenances the notion. 4. So far from this being true, | the fact is, that all the first Christian Churches did baptize Infants. There are very many proofs that they did so. The following, however, is sufficient:-150 years after the death of the Apostles, a Council of 66 Bishops held a consultation on the question, whether a newly-born child might be baptized before it was 8 days old, or whether its Baptism should be delayed until the 8th day, as circumcision used to be amongst the |