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changed these, and resorted to persecution and extermination, by your inhuman mandates, as if the almighty and everlasting Word, were to yield to your authority; and as if the divine ordinances of the Son of God, might be improved into a more suitable form, and made to answer a better purpose, through the wisdom of men. Oh presumption of presumption! oh madness of all madness-why exalt thyself, O earth and dust? Acknowledge Christ Jesus as your chief Lord, who, of God, is made to you a Prince and a Judge. (Eccl. 10.) The heavens are the Lord's, saith David, but the earth he gave to the children of men. (Eph. 1; Col. 2.) If any one were to rise up against the earthly emperor or king, and enter upon the kingdom and government, he would not be borne patiently, nor go unpunished; much less will it be left unpunished, when an arm of earthly flesh rises against the emperor and king, Christ Jesus, to dethrone him from the seat of his divine majesty, and to rob him of his sceptre and his crown, as though Christ, the eternal Wisdom of God, were unreasonable and unfit for . the heavenly government. Reflect what befel the haughty and proud hearts who were for erecting their seats near the throne of God. (a)

Therefore humble yourselves under the Almighty hand of God, as Peter teaches, (1 Pet. 5) and takethe prosperous, great king, Nebuchadnezzar, as an example, (Dan. 3, 4 ;) and observe how grievously he was punished by God, on account of his pride; and how, after being punished, he turned his heart to wisdom, and feared the Almighty; he praised his works and adorable name.

Beloved, awaken and mend your ways, for it does not become the creature to rise up against the Creator. Christ will himself be the head of his church-the only teacher in his school,-the only king who will judge his kingdom-not with the doctrines and commands of men, nor with slaying and murdering, but with his holy spirit, his power, his grace, and his word.

Therefore, we pray you, O you great ones of the earth, whom we, through the mercy of God, acknowledge in all temporal things before our gracious Lord, that you would not grieve the eternal Almighty king, Christ Jesus, who has been ordained by his Father as the only Lord and Saviour of our

(a) Christ is thrust out, where his word is despised and rejected.

indigent souls; and that you perform the duties of your office in temporal government, to which you have been called.-We do with all our hearts, desire to render Cæsar, the things of Cæsar, and to God, the things that are Gods. (Matt. 22.) Be pleased to consider well, this, our doctrine and instruction, concerning baptism, and the Lord's supper, and the shunning of Babylonian deeds; and compare it with the word of the Lord. We hope, through the grace of God, you will find in truth that we believe and teach nothing else, than what the true oracle of the Lord has commanded us, and his holy apostles have testified. To this end, may the great Lord grant you his grace. Amen.

CONCERNING BAPTISM.

Christ, after his resurrection, commanded his apostles saying, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28.) (a)

Here we have the Lord's command concerning baptism, when and how it shall be administered after God's ordinance; namely, that the gospel must first be preached and then those baptized who believe therein. Christ says, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that

believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned." (Mark 16.) (b) Thus hath the Lord commanded and ordered, therefore, let nothing else be taught or practised forever. (1 Cor. 3.) God's word abides forever. (Isa. 40; 1 Pet. 1.) Young children are without understanding and cannot be taught, therefore, no baptism can be administered to them, without per

(a) Christ's expressed command to baptize. (6) The command of Christ extends to believers, and not to infants.

verting the ordinance of the Lord, misusing his high name, and doing violence to his holy word. In the New Testament there are no ceremonies commanded children, for it treats, both in doctrines and sacraments, with those who have ears to hear and hearts to understand. (Matt. 13; Mark 4; Luke 8.)

As Christ commanded, so the holy apostles taught and practised, as may be perceived in many parts of the New Testament. (a) Thus Peter said, Repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of sins, so shall ye receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Again, Philip said to the Eunuch, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest be baptized." (Acts 8.) Here faith followed not baptism, but baptism followed faith. (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Eph. 4; Heb. 6. (b)

Thus has Christ commanded baptism, and received it himself, according to the following manner :-when the time had come, and the hour had approached, in which he was to execute his enjoined commission, to preach the word, and make known his Father's holy name, he went to John, to the Jordan and was baptized by him, that he might fulfil all righteousness. He prepared himself to meet temptation, misery, the cross and death. And as a willing, obedient child, he resigned himself to his father's will; he himself said, that he did not come to do his will, but the will of him that sent Him. (John 6.) He was baptized by John, attseted to by the Holy Ghost, and acknowledged by the Father, as a beloved son. (Matt. 3.c)

Behold, thus Christ commands, and was himself baptized; and thus the apostles taught and practised. Who will rise up against the Lord, and say, it shall not be so? Who will teach and instruct WISDOM? Who will charge the apostles and evangelits with falsehood? It would be altogether unbecoming for a child to command and judge his father, or a servant his master; and it is much more improper for the creature to oppose the Creator.-But now it is manifest that the world with its unprofitable doctrines and commandments of men-with its anti-christian customs, long-standing usages, its tyrannical, murdering sword, judges over Christ and his word. Christ's truths are esteemed lies; his wisdom, foolishness; his light,

(a) The apostles taught baptism as consequent upon faith. (b) Faite comes not from obedience, but obedience from faith. (c)Christ is baptized,

darkness; and his gospel, perverted and false. In short, Christ must be silent and suffer.(a)

Now it may probably be said, that a command of this kind was necessary in the beginning of the gospel, for at that time there were no believers whose children might be baptized.(b) But if the parents are believers, their children then are also baptized, even as Abraham, when he believed, circumcised his children. (Gen. 17.) Oh no! this does not follow.-Although Abraham believed God, only one half of his seed was circumcised, namely, the male children, and not the females, though he was the father of the female, as well as the male children of which, in the replication, by the grace of God, more shall be said.(c)

In the beginning the gospel was to be preached, and faith followed hearing, and baptism followed faith; this is incontrovertible, for so the scriptures teach. (Rom. 10; Mark 16.) That believer's children should be baptized because Abraham's children were circumcised, (Gen. 14,) cannot be supported. by scripture; but if it could be established, though it cannot, but few, would then be baptized, for the number of true believers, it is to be lamented, is very small. They are not all christians who are so called.(d) But those only, who have the spirit of Christ, are true christians; and I know not where many are to be found. Yea, all who with Abel bring an acceptible offering; those who are born with Isaac of the free woman, and with Jacob, have the birth-right, and have obtained the paternal blessing, must be slain by Cain, mocked by Ishmael, and hated by Esau, (Gen. 25, 27; John 3; Gal. 4.) even as we hear and see on all sides,-may God effect a change for the better.

This is the word and will of the Lord, that all who hear and believe, be baptized, (as above stated) in order to profess their faith, and declare that they will henceforth not live according to their own will, but according to the will of God,

(a)Mark the means by which the christianity of the world is preserved. (b) Vetus lex omnib. suis ceremoniis fine habet, nova cum suis prodiit. i e. The old law, with its ceremonies had an end, and the new law with its rites came forth. (c) Ceremonie veteris legis celebrabantur juxta praceptum ita etiam et in nova lege. The ceremonies of old law were celebrated according to precept, so also must the new. (d) Non omnes christiane, qui se christanos jactitant, i, e. They are not all christians who boast themselves as such.

(2 Cor. 6.) That for the testimony of Jesus they are ready to forsake their lives and property, and to suffer hunger, affiiction, persecution, the cross and death; yea, they desire to subdue the flesh with its lusts, and arise with Christ, even as Paul says, know ye not that all who are baptized with Christ are baptised unto his death. (Col. 2.) We are buried with him, by baptism, into death; that, like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the power of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6.)

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Beloved reader, take heed to the word of the Lord, for this also Paul teaches, (Gal. 1,) who received not his gospel of men, but of the Lord Jesus Christ himself; Even as Christ died and was buried, so also ought we to die unto our sins, and be buried with Christ in baptism; we are not to do this after we have been baptized, but we must commence the work beforehand. (a) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead, is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.-Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him; for in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. (Rom. 6.)

Think not, that by dying unto sin, we teach that christians are to become insensible to sin. By no means; but they die so unto sin as to be no longer under its dominion; thus Paul says; Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, &c. John says, whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God. (1 John 3, 5.) (b)

Even so, the death of the Lord would not have profited us, had he not risen from the power of death to the praise of les Father. Neither would it avail us any thing to bury our sins in baptism, if we do not arise with Christ Jesus, from the power of sin, unto a new life, to the praise of the Lord. That Christ died, he died once unto sin, says Paul, but that he lives

(a) Nota quæ hic dicuntur, i. e. Note what is here 'said. (b) Fide goumodo christianus peccatis moritur, i. e. Behold how the christian dies to sin!

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