01.13. Footnoes

FOOTNOTES

{1} It is worthy of notice that this interpretation of the passage is adopted, and decisively maintained by Augustine, one of the most pious and learned divines of the fourth century. De Sermone Domini in Monte, ch. 27 {2} Essays on the Church of God, by Dr. J. M. Mason. Christian’s Magazine, 2:49, 50.

{3} Homil. VIII. in Leviticus ch. 12.

{4} Homil. in Luke 14:1-35.

{5} Comment, in Epist. ad Romanos. Lib. 5.

{6} Cyprian. Epist. 66.

{7} Inquiry into the Constitution, «fec. Part II. Chap. 3.

{8} Homil. 40. in Genesin, {9} See Wall’s History, Part. I. ch. 15—19.

{10} See John Paul Perrin’s account of the Doctrine and Order of the Waldenses and Albigenses; Sir Samuel Morland’s do.; and also Leger’s Histoire Generale des Eglises Vaudoises, Mr. William Jones, a Baptist, in a work entitled, a History of the Waldenses, in two volumes octavo, professes to give a full account of the Faith and Order of these pious witnesses of the truth; but, so far as I have observed, carefully leaves out of all their public formularies and other documents, every thing which would disclose their Paedobaptist principles and practice! On this artifice comment is unnecessary.

{11} A grave and respectable Baptist minister, in the course of an argument on this subject, candidly acknowledged that the administration of circumcision to an infant eight days old, would have appeared to him a useless, and even a silly rite! An honest, and certainly a very natural confession!

{12} Gill’s Commentary on Luke 2:42.

{13} The two preceding paragraphs are from the powerful and eloquent pen of the late Rev. J. M Mason, D. D. See Christian’s Magazine, Vol. II. p. 414-416.

{14} “A gentleman of veracity told the writer, that he was once present when forty-seven were dipped in one day, in the usual way. The first operator began, and went through the ceremony, until he had dipped twenty-five persons; when he was so fatigued, that he was compelled to give it up to the other, who with great apparent difficulty dipped the other twenty-two. Both appeared completely exhausted, and went off the ground into a house hard by, to change their clothes and refresh themselves." Scripture Directory for Baptism by a Layman, 14.

{15} See a very luminous and satisfactory view of the record of this baptism, by Professor Stuart, of Andover, in the Biblical Repository, No. X. p. 319, 320.

{16} Acts 9:1-43; Acts 22:1-30 compared.

{17} The Rev, Dr. Austin, in his answer to Mr. Merrill, speaks thus — “In besieged cities, where there are thousands, and hundreds of thousands of people; in sandy deserts, like those of Africa, Arabia, and Palestine; in the northern regions, where the streams, if there be any, are shut up with impenetrable ice; and in severe and extensive droughts, like that which took place in the time of Ahab; sufficiency of water for animal subsistence is scarcely to be procured. Now, suppose God should, according to his predictions, pour out plentiful effusions of his Spirit, so that all the inhabitants of one of these regions or cities, should be born in a day. Upon the Baptist hypothesis, there is an absolute impossibility that they should be baptized, while there is this scarcity of water; and this may last as long as they live." p. 41. So also, Mr. Walker, in his “Doctrine of Baptisms," (chapter 10) speaks of a Jew, who, while travelling with Christians, in the time of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, about sixty or seventy years after the apostles, was converted, fell sick, and desired baptism. Not having water, they sprinkled him thrice with sand, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He recovered, and his case was reported to the bishop, (or pastor, there being no prelates then) who decided that the man was baptized, {si modo aqua denuo perfunderatur) if he only had water poured on him again. This record shows, not merely that the “difficulties" referred to, are far from being ideal; but also that when the defect of the baptism by sand was attempted to be supplied, it was not by any sort of immersion, but only by the pouring on of water.

{18} The zealous Baptist, Robert Robinson, bears, on this subject, the following testimony: “The primitive Christians baptized naked. Nothing is easier than to give proof of this by quotations from the authentic writings of the men who administered baptism, and who certainly knew in what way they themselves performed it. There is no ancient historical fact better authenticated than this. The evidence does not go on the evidence of the single word, naked; for then a reader might suspect allegory; but on facts reported, and many reasons assigned for the practice." History of Baptism, p. 85. He then quotes several examples dated in the fourth century.

{19} The learned Wall speaks on the subject thus: "The ancient Christians, when they were baptized by immersion, were all baptized naked; whether they were men, women or children. The proofs of this, I shall omit, because it is a clear case. The English AntiPaedobaptists need not have made so great an outcry against Mr. Baxter for his saying that they baptized naked; for if they had, it would have been no more than the primitive Christians did. They thought it better represented the putting off the old man, of imitating Christ on the cross. Moreover, as baptism is a washing, they judged it should be the washing of the body, not of the clothes." Wall, Chapter 15, Part II.

{20} See Dr. Woods’ Lectures on Infant Baptism, p. 188, 189. See this interpretation of Romans 6:3-4, and the corresponding passage in Colossians 2:12, well illustrated in the Essay on Baptism, by Greville Ewing, D. D. of Glasgow, and also in a Dissertation on Infant Baptism, by Ralph Wardlaw, D. D. of Glasgow; and still more recently, by Professor Stuart, in the Biblical Repository, p. 327. 332.

{21} Wall, Part II. chapter ix. p. 352, &c.

{22} Walfridius Strabo, De Rebus Ecclesiast. as quoted by Wall.

{23} Wall, Part II. chapter ix. p. 360, 361.

{24} Faber’s Sermons, Vol. I. p. 145, 146.

{25} An evangelical and deeply conscientious minister of the Episcopal church, who, after struggling for some time with the most distressing scruples, as to this very feature in the baptismal service, ventured to alter a few words, was forthwith, by his diocesan, dismissed from the ministry.