VOL. III.

JANUARY, 1835.

NO. 1.

For the Sabbath School Visiter. HYMN

Written for the Sabbath School in a Congregation destitute of a Pastor.

When sorrowing on Tiberias' shore,

His followers mourned Him slain;
The Savior came in one blest hour,
To cheer their hearts again.

While as their risen Master known,
He shared their homely bread,
He turned to that repentant one,
'Go, feed my lambs,' He said.

When passing through the gathered throng,
Once little ones were brought,

Invited by his smile along,

He said, 'forbid them not.'

To living springs on Zion's hill,
Now gone His flock to lead;
He looks upon his followers still
And says, 'my lambs, go feed.'

Then, Savior, in thy tender care
We children may rejoice:

O let thy grace our hearts prepare,
To listen to thy voice.

And if no earthly shepherd's hand
Should guide us on the way;

O watch Thou o'er this little band,
Nor let our footsteps, stray.

A. B. H.

For the Sabbath School Visiter.

LETTERS ON INFANT BAPTISM.

THE writer of the following letters, was appointed, by the Middlesex Union Association, to prepare a Manuel on the subject of Infant Baptism. In accordance with this appointment, he commenced the work and had collected most of the materials, when he learned that a book on the same subject had just been published by the Mass. Sabbath School Society. The further preparation of the work was suspended, till he might ascertain whether its publication were not superceded by the one already published. At a recent meeting of the Association at which we happened to be present, after a plan of the proposed work was stated and some of the materials were read, we suggested the expediency of having these materials published in the Visiter, in a series of Letters. The Association approved of the suggestion, and expressed a wish that the writer would furnish us with the Letters, which he kindly consented to do.

We deem it of high importance that there should be a plain and familiar exposition of the grounds, and reasons, and practical bearings of the doctrine of Infant Baptism, in extensive circulation among our churches and Sabbath schools. The Visiter, circulated as it is among the members of some 5000 families and in most of our schools, seems to be the best vehicle for conveying the necessary information on this interesting topic, to the greatest number and in the most effectual manner.

Among our readers, there are, it is believed, not a few Parents who are accustomed to receive the doctrine of infant baptism in rather a hereditary way, through the influence of example, without distinctly seeing the evidence by which it is sustained. There are others who give up their children in this ordinance with some misgiving and doubt-the consequence of objections which they frequently hear urged, but which they are unable to answer. There are many young converts, who, having been baptized in infancy, delay making a profession of religion, on account of doubts in relation to the validity of their baptism, but who are not prepared to renounce it. There are too, some in the church, who, in consequence of a fear that they have not been properly baptized, have broken away from the religion of their fathers, and submitted to rebaptism. And there are others still, and they are a numerous class, who seldom or never reflect on the solemn fact that they have been dedicated to God in this holy rite; nor on the influence which this ought to exert on their conduct. To these several classes, the following letters will be rich in important and interesting instruction. It is a subject to which the writer has long devoted much thought and study, and which he has regarded as immensely important in its influence on the children of the church and on the church itself.

The letters are not designed to be of a controversial character. They

will exhibit the evidence on which the doctrine rests and its practical importance, without interfering with the opinions or practice of others. The present letter is much longer than the future ones are expected to be.

LETTER I.

The doctrine that the infant children of believers are proper subjects of Baptism, and ought to be dedicated. to God in that ordinance, is very generally embraced and practiced upon by the church of Christ. It is safe to say that nineteen twentieths of the Christian world have adpoted this practice. We find it in all the Congregational churches every where. In the Presbyterian, the Lutheran, the Episcopalian, the Roman Catholic, the ancient and modern. Greek, the Methodist Episcopalian, the Nestorian, the Armenian, and the Russian churches. All these denominations, though differing very widely in regard to other doctrines and practices, yet agree in the belief that it is proper to dedicate their children to God in Baptism.

Now the great question touching this practice, is, when, and where, did it originate? From what fountain did this srteam flow into the city of God? "Is it from Heaven, or is it of men ?" I firmly believe, and shall undertake to shew, that it is from Heaven, and was designed in the wisdom of God to be instrumental in leading many sons and daughters to glory. I cannot believe that it is an invention of man, and to be discarded with those errors, the offspring of human ignorance and folly, which have so long and so grievously afflicted the church. No. It is a stream that has made glad the city of God, and it came from the fountain above.

But the correctness of this view of the doctrine, you are aware, has been questioned. You are told that Infant Baptism is a human invention-an unscriptural, and an antiscriptural practice, which commenced long after the inspired Apostles of our Lord had finished their work of planting and setting in order the churches. If this could be proved by unquestionable evidence, no one would be so unreasonable as to maintain the propriety or lawfulness, much less, the necessity of the practice which we have adopted. But it never has yet been shown that this ordinance was unknown to the Apostles, and to the churches planted by their labors, and it never can be.

For the truth of the assertion that Infant Baptism is of

divine origin, I appeal to the history of the church, as found, not only in the inspired volume of the New Testament, (which, of course, contains the earliest account we have of the church, its doctrines and its ordinances,) but also as found in the earliest and most approved Christian documents not inspired. If now it can be made evident that the practice of Baptising the Infant children of believers, was sanctioned by Christ and his Apostles, and adopted universally by the church, planted by them, we are bound to receive it as resting on the same ground as all the other unquestioned doctrines and rites of religion.

In developing the historical argument for the divine origin of Infant Baptism, I remark,

1. The history of the church, furnishes no evidence that this ordinance was instituted by man in any age subsequent to that of the Apostles. It has been said that this practice commenced in the third or fourth century, certainly not earlier than the close of the second. If this be true, where is the account of its commencement? By what writer was it first advocated? By what church was it first adopted? And on what grounds was it adopted? You have a right to propose this enquiry, and to refuse your assent to the gratuitous assertion above referred to, until you are satisfactorily answered. But no anwer can be given to this enquiry, for the plain reason that the history of the church from the close of the first century until now, no where informs us that Infant Baptism is an innovation upon the practice of the Apostles. This is a fact of great importance. For it is not to be supposed for a moment, that the whole design of Baptism was changed, as it must have been to substitute infants for believing adults, without leaving any distinct trace of the change upon the page of history. It is plain even to the apprehension of a child, that so great a departure from the practice sanctioned by Christ and his Apostles, (if they baptized adults only) could not have taken place without some historical monument to mark the time and place of its com

mencement.

2. This practice was not for many centuries, twelve or fourteen at least, opposed on the ground that it was destitute of the mark of a divine origin. During all that time, no one ventured to deny that it commenced with the church