THE ANCIENT MODE OF BAPTIZING,

BY

IMMERSION, PLUNGING, OR DIPPING INTO WATER;

MAINTAINED and VINDICATED;

Against the Cavils and Exceptions of the Author of a late Pamphlet, intitled, The manner of Baptizing with Water cleared up from the Word of God and right Reafon, &c.

TOGETHER WITH SOME

REMARKS upon the Author's REASONS for the Practice of a FREE or mixt Communion in Churches.

Some Remarks upon the Title of the Book, and the Author's method of writing.

TH

HE controversy about Baptism, both with refpect to its mode of administration, and proper subjects, has been of late fo diligently searched into, and thoroughly difcuffed, that it may well feem needlefs to trouble the world with any further writings upon that subject, it being in a great measure only actum agere, to do the fame thing over again, which has been well done already; but those of a different perfuafion from us, being continually thrusting their crambe millies coffa upon us, and repeating the fame things over and over again, though they have been sufficiently answered already, makes it neceffary for us, in the

defence

defence of truth, and for the honour of Christ in his ordinance, to reply. A late anonymous author has thought fit to let the world know what a talent he has in that part of the controverfy, which concerns the mode of administering this ordinance, by publishing a tract, whofe title page runs thus, The Manner of baptizing with Water, cleared up from the Word of God, and right Reason, in a plain free Debate upon that fubject, between Mr J.P. and Mr B. W. June 6th, 1726. Publifhed for inftruction in righteoufnefs. How he has acquitted himself in the management thereof, and what improvements and discoveries he has made beyond others, is our present business to confider. It seems our author has not thought fit to fay any thing concerning the fubjects of baptifm, but has confined himself to the mode of adminiftration of it; whether it was because he did not care to engage in that part of the controverfy, or whether he thought that it has been fufficiently handled already, and this not fo, is what I do not pretend to determine; therefore feeing he has not thought proper to take notice of it, I shall not think myfelf concerned to fay any thing about it. From the title page we are given to expect, that the manner of baptizing with water shall be cleared up to us; for it feems we were all in the dark before about it, or at least, there were such mists and fogs beclouding our apprehenfions concerning this ordinance, that there was no feeing clearly into it, until the publication of this treatise, by which the author fancies these are diffipated, and the affair set in a clear light; but I hope to make it appear, before I have done, that instead of giving more light, he has darkened counsel by words without knowledge. The title alfo promises that this shall be cleared up from the word of God, and right reafon. By the word of God, I suppose he means the written word of God, the fcriptures of truth, which indeed are the only rule of our faith and practice; and from whence, under the conduct of the bleffed Spirit, all our light in faith and worship fprings; but what he means by right reason, needs explaining, and is not so easy to determine. If he means a just and strong way of reasoning, one might juftly expect to find fomewhat of it in this his performance; but the cafe being otherwise, I shall not, at present, farther inquire what else he defigned by it; but only obferve to him, that we ought to believe and act in matters of faith and worship, upon the fole credit and authority of the great God, as he has revealed his mind and will in the facred writings.

The method which our author has taken, in order to fet this matter in a clear light, is dialogue-wife, or in the form of a conference between two persons, or to use his own words, in a plain free debate. What moved him to take this method does not indeed much concern me to know, but yet I cannot forbear think-' ing, one reafon might be, that he might have the opportunity of making his antagonist speak what he himself pleased; for it would have betrayed his weak

nefs

ness yet more, to have produced fuch arguments and objections which he was not, in his own way, able to folve: though at the fame time it is an instance of his difingenuity, not fairly to propose those arguments which are made use of, nor give them their full weight and force, which he ought to have done in handling a controversy honestly and faithfully; as well as making his friend speak such weak and ridiculous things as never were, at least publicly, made use of in this controversy. Had he had a mind to have made a trial of his skill and his talents and abilities this way, why did not he take out the arguments of fome fuch writers as Tombs, Danvers, Keach, Stennet, or Gale, and fairly propose them in their own words, and give an answer to them? But this would not have answered his defign, which feems to be, exposing to ridicule and contempt the ordinance of Baptifm, by plunging or dipping; and would, moreover, have been a task too difficult and laborious for him. Perhaps he also thought, this method best to conceal himself from being known to be the author of it; but if it is truth he is in search of, and bearing a testimony to, why should he be ashamed of it? why did not he put his name to his book? This is fuch a poor, mean, and cowardly way of writing, as manifeftly betrays either shame or fear to appear publicly in the cause he has espoused; if he thinks he is fighting the Lord's battles, why does not he appear like a man, in the open field, and not lie fcouting behind the hedges? But perhaps this is to keep off a full blow that he is afraid might be given to him. But to go on, this debate or conference is represented, as managed by two perfons, under the fictitious names of Mr J. P. a plunger in water, and Mr B. W. a baptizer with water, for it seems, according to our author, that plunging in water, and baptizing with water, are directly opposite to each other; but unless he can tell us, how a perfon can be baptized or dipped into water, without being baptized with it, they will not appear so opposite as he imagines, but of this more hereafter.

It is fcarce worth my while to take any notice of the time when this conference was held, unless it be just to remark, that it would have been as well for the credit of the author, the good and peace of the churches of Christ, and the glory of his name, or better, if it had never been, or at least, if it had never been published; but it seems it is published for inftruction in righteousness ; but if any are instructed by it in that way, in which our bleffed Lord thought it became him and his followers to fulfil all righteousness, it will be contrary to the defign and intention of the author; though I am credibly informed, that two perfons have been already convinced by reading his book, that plunging or dipping the whole body in water, is the right way and mode of administering Baptifm; fuch is the force of truth, that it will break out and appear, in fpite of all oppofition made against it.

I have nothing more to observe here, but only, that seeing the author has not thought fit to discover his name, the reader is defired to obferve, that I fhall call him by the name of Mr B. W, which is what he has been pleased to affume to himself; and so proceed to the confideration of this wild, jumbling, and confused debate, in the best order and method into which I am capable of ranging it: Though I should have observed to the reader, the terms or articles agreed upon in this conference. As, 1. "That whatever was spoke, should

be tried by the written word of God, and that only." But I thought from the title page, that right reason was to be joined to the word of God, in the management of this debate; but perhaps the mode of baptizing, the thing debated, is to be tried by the one, and cleared up by the other. 2." That in all "they should use plainnefs of speech, without any cunning craftiness; grant"ing unto him that spoke, the liberty of explaining his own words, and mean<ing;" but if cunning craftiness is not made ufe of, and a handling the word of God deceitfully, in this debate, by Mr B. W. I am much mistaken. 3. "That "all be done with the spirit of meeknefs, and true chriftianity; without paffion, prejudice, bitter reflection, or railing accufation." How Mr B. W. has conformed and acted agreeably to this article, may be very eafily observed, when he calls baptism, as administered by plunging, a fuperftitious invention; and a pleading for it, fathering foolish lies upon God, p. 23. and will-worship, p. 24. The last article is, "That they both fhould keep within the bounds of brevity " and civility; the one must not be tedious in speaking, nor the other troublea fom in interrupting." Which terms being agreed upon, to work they go, and what they made of it, is now our bufinefs to inquire.

66

CHA P. 11.

The firft argument for dipping or plunging in water, as the right mode of baptizing, taken from John's practice, and our Lord's example, in Matt. iii. 16. with the objections of Mr B. W. thereunto, confidered.

MR B. W. introduces his antagonist in p. 6. producing the inftance of Chrift's being baptized by John in Jordan, in favour of plunging or dipping in water, as the right and only mode of baptizing: the text cited is, Matt.fiii. 16. And Jefus, when he was baptized, went up ftraightway out of the water; from whence he argues, that he had been in it, feeing he could never be faid to go out of that wherein he had not been. To which Mr B. W. replies:

1. That

1. That the words fignify no more than that he went up from the water; as, fays he, perfons of your judgment have been often told. It is true, it is kind in fuch learned Gentlemen as Mr B. . that they will condefcend to instruct fuch poor ignorant creatures as we plungers are commonly represented, and as I fuppofe this author takes us to be; but when they have done their part, we are left without excufe, and cannot fay, that we have not been told to the contrary; though it is prodigiously affronting, that after all the pains they have taken to instruct us, yet that we should ftrenuously infift on the juftness of our tranflation, as we think, to be a little more ferious, we have juft reason to do. The reason of this low criticifm is, becaufe the prepofition am, and not è, is here made use of, but a fignifies out of, as well as from, and answers to the Hebrew, which alfo is of the fame fignification; and the rather it should be rendered fo here, not only because it fuits best with the scope of the place, but agrees with that parallel text in As viii. 39. where is made ufe of: So that there can be no foundation there for this trifling criticifm. But if Mr B. II'. should question whether the word is ever ufed in this fenfe, let him turn to the Septuagint in Pfalm xl. 2. which he feems to have fome regard for, and there he will find it, where David fays, the Lord brought him up out of an borrible pit, xam mix, and out of the miry clay. But,

2. He adds, "Suppofing the tranflation very right, I wonder, fays he, where "dipping, overwhelming, or plunging, can be feen therein !" What a prodi gious deal of strong reafoning is here? And I as much wonder too, where washing with water, either by pouring or sprinkling, can be feen therein. He goes on, "you fay, he went out of the water, therefore he had been in it; but if "you had faid, he had been dipped, overwhelmed, or plunged, I should have "denied the confequence." It seems, however, that he is willing to grant, that Chrift's going into the water, and being there, is a neceffary inference and confequence, justly deduced from his coming up out of the water; though he is unwilling to allow plunging to be fo, for otherwife I doubt not, but that he would have denied the one as well as the other and I hope he will be willing to grant, that Chrift went down into the water, in order to be baptized, and that he came up out of it as a baptized perfon; therefore he is defired to observe, that we do not infer plunging merely from Chrift's going down into the water, nor from his coming up out of it, but from his going down into it in order to be baptized, and from his coming up out of it as a baptized person; for that a perfon may go into water, and come again out of it, and not be plunged into it, we know as well as he; but that a perfon should go into water, and be baptized in it, as Chrift was, without being dipped or plunged into it, is what we deny; and if those circumstances of John's adminiftering this ordinance

in