3
" how little can be said in support of a point, which, on account of its importance in the Pedobaptist system, demands the fairest and most invincible proof; and may lead you to adopt the sentiment, contained in the following words of Dr. Emmons: ‘Can we justly conclude, that it is the duty of believers now to circumcise their children, or even to baptize them, because it was once their duty to circumcise them? The truth is, we must learn the particular duties of believers, under the present dispensation of the covenant of grace, from the dispensation itself, which enjoins all the peculiar duties which belong it. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
5
" The Christian writers of the first century, who immediately succeeded the apostles, Barnabas, Hermas, Clemens Romanus, Ignatius, and Polycarp, usually called, by way of distinction, apostolical fathers, frequently mention the baptism of believers; but, like the inspired penmen, are entirely silent on the subject of infant baptism. The Christian writers of the second century, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, Tatian, Irenæus, and Clemens Alexandrinus, frequently mention the baptism of believers; but, like the inspired penmen, and the apostolical fathers, never mention infant baptism. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
6
" The first Christian writer, in the beginning of the third century, Tertullian of Carthage, the oldest Latin father, whose writings are extant, opposed the baptism of infants, which in the words of Professor Venema, ‘he certainly would not have done, if it had been a tradition, and a public custom of the church, seeing he was very tenacious of traditions; nor had it been a tradition, would he have failed to mention it.’170 His words lead us to conclude, that infant baptism was then a novel practice, just beginning and approved by very few. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
7
" St. Paul. ‘As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ’.182 Erasmus. ‘Paul does not seem,’ in Rom. v. 14, ‘to treat about infants.—It was not yet the custom for infants to be baptized.’183 Luther. ‘It cannot be proved by the sacred scripture, that infant baptism was instituted by Christ, or begun by the first Christians after the apostles.’184 M. De La Roque. ‘The primitive church did not baptize infants: and the learned Grotius proves it, in his annotations on the Gospel.’185 Ludovicus Vives. ‘No one, in former times, was admitted to the sacred baptistery, except he was of age, understood what the mystical water meant, desired to be washed in it, and expressed that desire more than once.’186 Chambers. ‘It appears, that in the primitive times none were baptized but adults.’187 Bishop Barlow. ‘I do believe and know, that there is neither precept nor example in scripture, for pedobaptism, nor any evidence for it, for about two hundred years after Christ.’188 Salmasius and Suicerus. ‘In the first two centuries, no one was baptized, except, being instructed in the faith and acquainted with the doctrine of Christ, he was able to profess himself a believer; because of those words, He that believeth, and is baptized. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
8
" Accordingly, Dr. Williams, the opponent of Mr. Booth, inquires, ‘Are not the same reasons, which are brought for infant baptism, in like manner, applicable to infant communion? And will not the objections against the latter, admit of the same answer, as those against the former?’208 The reasons stated in both parts of this discourse, lead us to the conclusion, that the immersion of a professing believer, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is the only Christian baptism. ‘He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned’.209 To believe in Christ is necessary to salvation; and to be baptized is the instituted method of professing our belief. It is, therefore, not only an infinitely important question to all men, whether they believe in Christ; but it is also a very important question to all Christians, whether they have been baptized. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
10
" When I proceeded to consider certain passages, which are thought to favor the Pedobaptist system, I found nothing satisfactory. The sanctification, which St. Paul ascribes to the children of a believer, (1 Cor. vii. 14.) I found that he ascribed to the unbelieving parent also; and therefore, whatever be the meaning of the passage, it could have no respect to church membership, or a right to church ordinances. The declaration of St. Peter, ‘The promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar even as many as the Lord our God shall call,’ (Acts ii. 39,) appeared not to bear at all on the point in hand, because the apostle does not command his hearers to have their children baptized, or acknowledged members of the church, but to repent and be baptized themselves. There is indeed a promise made to their children, and to all others that God shall call; but it does not follow, that they were to procure the baptism of their children, or of those that were afar off, until they gave evidence that God had called them. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
11
" When Christ said, concerning little children, that ‘of such is the kingdom of heaven,’ (Matt. xix. 14,) it appeared to me; that his comparison had respect, not to the age or size of little children, but to the humility and docility which distinguish them from adults. This seemed to be put beyond a doubt, by his own explanation, in a similar passage, in which he says, ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. xviii. 3.) "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
12
" If, thought I, this system is the true one, if the Christian church is not a continuation of the Jewish, if the covenant of circumcision is not precisely the covenant in which Christians now stand, the whole foundation of Pedobaptism is gone; there is no remaining ground for the administration of any church ordinance, to the children and domestics of professors; and it follows inevitably, that I, who was christened in infancy, on the faith of my parents, have never yet received Christian baptism. Must I, then, forsake my parents, the church with which I stand connected, the society under whose patronage I have come out, the companions of my missionary undertaking? Must I forfeit the good opinion of all my friends in my native land, occasioning grief to some, and provoking others to anger, and be regarded henceforth, by all my former dear acquaintance, as a weak, despicable Baptist, who has not sense enough to comprehend the connection between the Abrahamic and the Christian systems? All this was mortifying; it was hard to flesh and blood. But I thought again—It is better to be guided by the opinion of Christ, who is the truth, than by the opinion of men, however good, whom I know to be in an error. The praise of Christ is better than the praise of men. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
13
" But throughout the whole New Testament, I could find nothing, that looked like sprinkling, in connection with the ordinance of baptism. It appeared to me, that if a plain person should, without any previous information on the subject, read through the New Testament, he would never get the idea, that baptism consisted in sprinkling. He would find, that baptism in all cases particularly "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
14
" They were probably confirmed in this idea, by the phrase, ‘buried in baptism.’ The consequence has been, that all the Baptists in the world, who have sprung from the English Baptists, have practiced the backward posture. But from the beginning, it was not so. In the apostolic times, the administrator placed his right hand on the head of the candidate, who then, under the pressure of the administrators hand, bowed forward, aided by that genuflection, which instinctively comes to one’s aid, when attempting to bow in that position, until his head was submerged, and then rose by his own effort. This appears from the figures sculptured in bronze and mosaic work, on the walls of the ancient baptisteries of Italy and Constantinople. Those figures represent John the Baptist leaning towards the river; his right hand on the head of the Savior, as if pressing him down into the water ; while the Savior is about to bow down under the pressure of the hand of John. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
15
" During his passage from America to India, in the spring of 1812, he began to doubt the truth of his former sentiments. After his arrival in this country, and before he communicated the exercises of his mind to any of the Baptist denomination, he became convinced, that the immersion of a professing believer, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is the only Christian Baptism "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
16
" The primitive word (βάπτω) from which the word denoting baptism, is derived, signifies immersion. This, with the general consent of the Pedobaptists themselves, is as much the appropriate meaning of the Greek word, as of the English word, dip or immerse.1 This is the word used in the New Testament, when the rich man entreats, that Lazarus may be sent to dip the tip of his finger in water:2 when Christ says, ‘He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it;’3 and when, in the Revelation, Christ is represented, as clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.4 The inspired penmen have used no other word, beside this and its derivatives, to convey the idea of immersion; nor have they ever used this word in any other sense. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
18
" Christ promised to baptize his disciples with the Holy Spirit,41 and on the day of Pentecost, fulfilled his promise by pouring out the Spirit upon them.42 Here, it is said, the pouring out of the Spirit is compatible with the supposition, that sprinkling or pouring is baptism, but not with the supposition, that immersion only is baptism. This objection derives all its force, from the erroneous supposition that the baptism of the disciples consisted in having the Spirit poured out upon them. But if the pouring out of the Spirit proves that pouring is baptism, their being filled with the Spirit proves that filling is baptism. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
19
" Baptism is, by the apostle Paul, repeatedly compared to burial. In one passage, believers are said to be buried with Christ by baptism,51 and in another, to be buried with him in baptism, and to be therein risen with him.52 Whether baptism, in these passages, denotes external or spiritual baptism, it is evident, that the figure derives all its propriety and beauty from some implied resemblance between the external rite and a burial; nor can it be imagined, that the apostle would have ever compared baptism of any kind to burial, had there been no such resemblance. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
20
" Never, by any Christians, in any age, was sprinkling or pouring allowed in common cases, until the council of Ravenna, assembled by the pope, in the year 1311, declared immersion or pouring to be indifferent. From that time, the latter gradually came into general use. It was not, however, admitted into England, till the middle of the sixteenth century and not sanctioned till the middle of the seventeenth; when the Westminster assembly, influenced by Dr. Lightfoot, decided, that ‘dipping of the person in water, is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered, by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
