Home > Author > Adoniram Judson
21 " Christ commands those who believe, to be baptized. Pedobaptists adopt a system, which tends to preclude the baptism of believers. They baptize the involuntary infant, and deprive him of the privilege of ever professing his faith in the appointed way. If this system were universally adopted, it would banish believer’s baptism out of the world. "
― Adoniram Judson , Christian Baptism
22 " The seed to which the land of Canaan was promised, was most evidently the lineal descendants of Abraham. To the same seed the Lord promised to be a God. Mark the terms of the promises: ‘I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ But he was not their God, in a spiritual sense. It appears from their history, that, in every age, a remnant only were truly pious. "
23 " Dr. Wall. ‘France seems to have been the first country in the world, where baptism by affusion was used ordinarily to persons of health, and in the public way of administering it.—It being allowed to weak children (in the reign of Queen Elizabeth) to be baptized by aspersion, many fond ladies and gentlewomen first, and then by degrees, the common people, would obtain the favor of the priest, to have their children, too tender to endure dipping in the water. As for sprinkling, properly called, it seems it was at sixteen hundred and forty-five, just then beginning, and used by very few. It must have begun in the disorderly times after forty-one. They (the assembly of divines in Westminster) reformed the font into a basin. This learned assembly could not remember, that fonts to baptize in had been always used by primitive Christians, long before the beginning of popery, and ever since churches were built; but that sprinkling, for the common use of baptizing, was really introduced (in France first, and then in other popish countries) in times of popery: And that, accordingly, all those countries, in which the usurped power of the pope is, or has formerly been owned, have left off dipping of children in the font; but that all other countries in the world, which had never regarded his authority, do still use it; and that basins, except in cases of necessity, were never used by papists, or any other Christians whosoever, till by themselves.’90 ‘The way "
24 " In the epistle to the Galatians, it is written, ‘If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise’.120 Let us inquire, what is implied in believers’ being the seed of Abraham; and what promise is here intended. In the context,(ver. 6, 7.) it is written, ‘Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness: Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.’ Abraham believed; therefore, they who believe, are his children. This is perfectly in the style of scripture. The unbelieving Jews are called children of the devil, because they were like the devil, in their character and conduct. On the same principle, the profligate are called children of Belial; believers, children of light; and unbelievers, children of disobedience. On the same principle, believers are called children of Abraham. They are like Abraham, in character and conduct. They have faith of Abraham. "
25 " It has, however, been supposed, that the church membership of infants is supported in the following passage: ‘Suffer little children, and for bid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’.150 In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, it follows, ‘Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein’.151 We cannot suppose, that our Lord used words, in such different senses, in the same speech, as would unavoidably mislead his hearers. In the latter passage, the kingdom of God denotes heaven, and to receive the kingdom, as a little child, is to receive it with the humility and docile disposition which characterize children. This passage explains the former. Of such, says Christ, is the kingdom of heaven. Does he mean, of such in age and size, of such in the moral temper of the heart, or of such in humility and docility of disposition? His subsequent remark determines in favor of the latter meaning. Nor is this a singular application of the phrase. On another occasion, he says ‘Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven’.152 He certainly does not mean, Except ye become as little children, in age and size, but in humility; for he immediately adds, ‘Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself, as this little child,’ zampc. "
26 " Dr. Owen. ‘The institution of the rite of baptism is no where mentioned in the Old Testament. There is no example of it in those ancient records; nor was it ever used in the admission of proselytes while the Jewish church continued. No mention of it occurs in Philo, in Josephus, in Jesus, the son of Sirach, nor in the Evangelical History. This Rabbinical opinion, therefore, owes its rise to the Tannerœ, or Ante-Mishnical doctors, after the destruction of their city. The opinion of some learned men, therefore, about the transferring of a Jewish baptismal rite (which in reality did not then exist) by the Lord Jesus, for the use of his disciples, is destitute of all probability. "
27 " Bossuet. ‘Experience has shown that all the attempts of the Reformed to confound the Anabaptists, by the scripture, have been weak; and, therefore, they are, at last, obliged to allege to them the practice of the church.’161 Chambers. ‘As none but adults are capable of believing, they’ the German Baptists, ‘argued, that no others are capable of baptism; especially, as there is no passage in all the New Testament, where the baptism of infants is clearly enjoined. Calvin, and other writers against them, are pretty much embarrassed, to answer this argument; and are obliged to have recourse to tradition, and the practice of the primitive church.’162 Also the Oxford Divines, in a convocation, held one thousand, six hundred and forty-seven, acknowledged, ‘that, without the consentaneous judgment of the universal church, they should be at a loss, when they are called upon for proof, in the point of infant baptism. "
28 " Cardinal Hosius, President of the Council of Trent. ‘If the truth of religion were to be judged of by the readiness and cheerfulness which a man of any sect shows in suffering, then the opinion and persuasion of no sect can be truer or surer that that of the Anabaptists; since there have been none, for these twelve hundred years past, that have been more grievously punished, or that have more cheerfully and steadfastly undergone, and even offered themselves to, the most cruel sorts of punishment, than these people.’ ‘The Anabaptists are a pernicious sect, of which kind the Waldensian brethren seem also to have been. Nor is this heresy a modern thing; for it existed in the time of Augustine.’ In Rees’ Reply to Walker, p. 220; and apud Schyn Hist. Mennonit. p. 135. "
