REV. W. F. BROADDUS, OF VIRGINIA, AND OTHERS. VIRGINIA I speak as unto wise men; judge ye what I say.-1 COR. x, 15; NEW-YORK LIBRARY PUBLISHED BY GEORGE LANE, For the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Conference Office, S58 1841 175720 y25 M25 34 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, by George Lane, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York. OBLIGATION, SUBJECTS, AND MODE OF BAPTISM. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. WHEN an individual presents himself in the character of a controversial writer, a proper respect for public opinion requires that he state the reasons which have induced him to take such an attitude. The following pages have not been called forth by a fondness for writing,-nor from the want of other important matters with which to occupy the writer's time,-but by the solicitations of friends; and by what he at least considers an imperious call of duty, in view of the responsible relation which he sustains to the people of the Potomac district. There are times when silence may become treason; and error, unexposed, may be passed off for valid truth. Until lately, I have had no intention to write on the subject of Christian baptism; and even now I should not have written-so numerous and pressing are my engagements-could I have persuaded myself that the circulation of any one of the excellent tracts that have been written by others would have met our peculiar circumstances in relation to this subject. With a district two hundred miles in length; containing six or seven thousand church members; with fifty-two large meetings to attend in about forty-eight weeks, and a travel of about two thousand five hundred miles to perform in the same time; I considered that I had no time to devote to writing on this subject, without oppressing myself, or neglecting matters having a prior claim upon me, and possessing a paramount importance. The former I have done, in view of the necessity laid upon me, in order to avoid the latter. At different times and in several places, at the instance of my friends, I have been led to make remarks on the obligation, mode, and subjects of baptism; and have administered the ordinance to hundreds of adults of all ages, from the sire of seventy, down to the youth; as well as to infants. With the Baptists, as a people, we have had no quarrel, and for many of them we have had, and do still entertain, more than mere respect; and if our views, as expressed in the following pages, should be thought to be expressed in language too severe, we have only to say, that where we have seemed in the least caustic, it was because we considered the case required it. We have no interests that we have not laid at the feet of truth; and none that we are not willing to peril in its defence. And we wish it distinctly understood, that we take the whole responsibility of the views herein expressed. : We have not sought to make proselytes to a party; nor have we even interfered with any who have been awakened at Baptist meetings; we have acted solely on the defensive, in order to save our people from perplexity, and prevent others from "bereaving us of our children." Some eighteen months ago, I found a pamphlet circulating in the community, written by Elder W. F. Broaddus, entitled, "Strictures on Mr. Dieffenbacher's doctrine of water baptism, infant baptism," &c. I read it, and found a good deal of ridicule and sophistry employed against those who hold infant baptism, and baptism by sprinkling or pouring. I took no public notice of it, until the tenth day of last November, when at Upperville, Va., by request, I delivered an argument on baptism, in which I replied to all the matter contained in the strictures which I thought entitled to notice; but, lest any offence should be |