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    of U ^ treligipn , wWch we in Gamma Ij ^ ieve j ^ apd the duties pf which I gkmbt n ^ t to the best of pur knowledge \ We endeavour to practise . I am sure we * haU agree that the comman <} niejit

    p t CJfAnst & 8 supreme authority , both with respect to faith and practice . I presume that all those persons , who do not attend to any kind of baptism , jnay Jbe classed under the two following descriptions ; first , such as consider

    that ordinance as superseded by the baptism of the Spirit , which I believe is the sentiniept of the respeqta ^ ble society of Christian Friends , called Quakers ; and who also decline the ordinance of the Lord ' s Supper , on the princi p le of a religion wholly spiritual , to which they suppose these institutes -ace not now necessary . The second , such as do not consider baptism as extending beyond the pale of oonyerts from Judaism to Christianity . Tp the first of these I shall pnty propose jQ oe question , when thai is answered

    we shall be better a > le to judge of the scripliaraj > propriety of their Anti-bap-< tism . I ^ be question is this ; is , the religion of Frienda more spirijtual than the religion of die PripHfeive Churches , Martyrs , Confessors , Apostles , and of Jesus

    Christ himself ? Of the second class of Anti-baptists , more questions will be asked ; for the present the following . As I suppose it will be granted that &ap . tJ £ | i& in , or with wa . ter , was enjoined toy Jesus Christ : And as we a * e ready to admit l&at baptism , i&sonie iQm ?> jw 5 as practised by the Jews bef ^ e tb& time oi-Ghrist c is it a feet tha * iie

    adopted this ceremony , and , a * our gaj :-^ ucnble ^ submitted to it himself ? -Wm his baptism to be extended beyond * he limits of , converts to Christianity ? . M £ aa ihis ordinance to be extended , to

    pit the proselytes to the Christian faith ? Dud Christ give authority to J&he / Apostles , or to any of thqm , ; to > 01 $ 3 tt 6 fithe Gospel to eaery creature , to tjjii ^ aple ^ natjtona bapUzing them ? -t )* d Jibe ( Apostles preach the ( gospel to ^ idolaters , -did , they convert such , and

    when the door of faitjh was ope »^ d to the ^ Gtetittiles , were they Jewish converts previously ,-or idolatrous heathen ? liMerfc % bt ^ omui ^ n ^» d unciea , n Gen-H ^ les , A ^ ta x . 9 > U > whpn > Peter com ; muiubated iithe . C ^ spel , prev ^ QViQly to otheir cpnvexpQnjantf baptism circum-- ^ etied xJew ^ h cohvearte ? Jf ( j ^ iey iW / ere Jiiqiycilie ^ cwl \ ai conetitaated ^; twvidti

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    conyert ? Were qot some of the Corin . thian prpfessors , idolaters , before tliefr reception of the Christian faith ? Did Paul understand his commission ? Does he regret haying baptized Cris . pus , Gaius ami 4 ie household of Steuhanus ; was not the character of Paul traduced by the professing Christians at Cpjinth , and were not many of them a disgrace tp ^ their profession > Did not the Corinthians eitner weakly or malignantly represent Paul and his fellow-labourers as founders of

    different religious septs ? ^ Was not this sufficient reason to induce the apostle to congratulate himself , that he had baptized np . more of them ? Does he not ask th £ § e very people in . whose name they . Jfeiaji bieen baptized , whether in tile n ^ me of the Jewish

    Christian Apolios , or Jesus Christ ? Did these jjews who thus baptized idolatrous Gentiles , exceed their commis sion ? Wl ^ t does Paul mean when he says to these people ; Cor . i . 6 , 7 , w Know ye not that idolaters , &c ; shall not . inherit the kingdom of ( rod , and

    such were some of you , but ye are washed in . th 0 name of the Lord Jesjus ? " . Wsis not baptism always practised in the Christiarv church from the j&rst age , and was it not considered as . a privilege ? Have we aiv ^ account of the admig&ion of Gentile converts

    -without it ? When did the distinction between catechumens , and Christian professors 4 bt begin t Though Gentile convejets rejected qirqumcisiop , were ib&y eyer refused baptism ? Is it not ^ saio that as many as have been baptized into Christ , baye put on Christ ? Have not those who have put on

    O&istt , thus publicly acknowledged JBJjM to be Lorq \ to $ ) p& glory of God title JFathuer , and uierefore bound themselves to obey his Gospel ? What is the scriptural way of publicly professing to be a Chwtian ? Ought not such in

    a profession to be ma ^ e a way that cannot be misundeapstooid ? Was not baptism the Jewish and Christian mode of professing prosejytism ? Is the profession o ( Chmtianity a volun-111

    tary axxd public act ? X » a "i ?/ Christian befqr ^ lie is satisfied of the truth of Christianity * Or are they convinced of its tn # h w | to have never examined Us ^ yi 4 ence § ? t Was not tne ordinance of the LorjTs § upper pngi * nally ftdinuiH ^ . Ml tfre- Apo ^ ?!" f M ^ ^ L jA :. mi mt im-jb * wf ^ r : **^ . » . # a& rf ^^ . ww * ^

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    * G& Q g&Mn * te An&Jjaptht ? .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1816, page 266, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2452/page/14/