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    more thai * » profession of repentance and a new hie , and therefore it is called the baptism of repentance . With respect to the subjects of 'baptism , we should covtsicer , more thran we do , the great power of a master of a family in the East , and how far his own acts affected his wife , children and

    servants , and indeed every thing belonging to him : thiis ^ though circumcision was a religious ceremony , expressive of a covenant between God alid Abraham , it

    was applied , not only to the children of Abraham , but also to all that were bqrn in his house , or bought with money , i . e * his slaves , who were not in the least interested in the covenant . In fact , it only concerned Isaac ; Ishmael who , however ^ was circumcised , had no interest in it at all . See

    Genxyii . 12 , 23 . The circumcision of Ishmael , of the children bf Abrailutfn in general , and of his slaves , was nol considered as any act of their ' s , but only of their masted , and therefore , their consent was laot in the least necessary .

    When the Ninevites repented , at the preaching of Jonah , the caU tie were made to fast , as express sive of the contrition of their masters . I have no doubt but that th «

    Jews admitted proselytes to their religion , by solemn ' washing or baptism as . well as by eirCum * cislon ^; indeed , considering thep ideas an # practices in other re *

    ^ pec * , I should bave wbndered if they hud not done it * and I have as little dpuBt , but tkfct when a ttm ^ ter bf a ^ family em brace d their religion , ftfeir children , if not their slivefc » ahb , - were bapti zed and iiVcutticiitd * This then being \\ w

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    commoh practice of the Jews , mmt Lord had no occasion to give any particular instruction , as to the proper subjects of baptism . Whem

    a head- of a feniily was converted to Christianity , , he and all his house ) i * e * his children and & ) aves were baptized ; npt as a mark of their being Christians , but of their

    master being one , and of the obligation he was under to educate them in that religion , and inculcate upon them the maxims of it ; this is an obligation that is peculiarly sacred , and hardly ever fails of success all oyer the East *

    There is nothing that a Mahometan- is more intent up + ii , than *• make his servants good Mussulmen . When the children were grown up ^ < or the slaves chaoged

    their service * they might adhere to the religion they had been brought up in , or not ; , as they pleased . InfanUbaptism appears to roe to have , been the unifor m

    praetace of Christians , as far as I cian collect from the primitive fathers , till , an idea was introduced , of the peculiar efficaty of baptism , as such , to wash away sins , and

    the safety of ¦> d ying soon after baptism , before a person had contracted fresh guilt :- ^ qji . this ac * count , Coastantine theGreatj and many others , deferred baptism till

    the hour > of death . . Afterwards , slaves being generally infranchised and considered asacting for them . Selves , and the . power . of fathers ovejr their chiidixn having never been so great in the northern

    nations , Christianity and all the badges < jf it , came to be considered ^ in aTl respects , a personal thing ; and hence the conclusion / that nti persons could be the subject of any of ite i nstiiuUaiJ * hat with tkeir

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    45 O&gkHd LeUir ^ f ^ m ^^ n ^ tU ^ ,

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1812, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1744/page/12/