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    p ^ mgH ^ fl SfA ww ^ % ' tf » segiA to 'W i » ueh &ti ? ess on these M $ m& && a ^ ilist baptis m ^ for in tiA . coAehsiiAg . paragraph- he takes a

    different ground , < there are , " say a be •' ¦ buff " - - % wo principal schools of Christian theology * t&e one holding that-the lessors and discipline of the Church are unchangeable—the others

    that much of the first form of our religion was temporary , a scaffolding to be taken down when the buildin g wa& completed /* This principle will eany us a great way . It may exexclude not only Baptism and the

    Lord ' s Sapper , but the observance of the Sabbath , and every form of worship , public and private . In short , it will 4 o away with all authority as to externals * concerning which every individual may say with Thomas Paine ^ "Myown irrind is my own church / 1 Bat it deserves to be seriously

    considered by such refiners in religion i whether the abrogation of the forms may not , with the generality , endanger the substance . Judging- from scrips turai evidence , there appears to bfc no more reason for saying that the forms instituted by Christ and his

    apostles were intended to be temporary , than there is for asserting that Christ never baptized , or that St . Paul complied with the rite only in

    submission to the prejudice ot weak brethren . I believe the Gospels and the Epistles contain nothing that can afford a reasonable support to any of these notions .

    That much in after times has been added to Christianity in matters of form and ceremony , as well as of doctrine , and which it would be desm * bk to get rid of , there is no doubt . TOtwhat was instituted by Christ and the apostles , stands on a different ground , and should be treated with

    jflore respect , unless it could be cleary shewn that it was intended to be temporary . As there was in former * jP » a disposition to add to Christianity and encumber it with unne ^ ceasary ceremonies , there is now , on ier

    t u han < l > an inclination in some ] 7 ;? av v * y , on the plea of spiritualnatio n , what really belongs to it . But "M persons of this disposition form a £ n T . 8 cho ° of Chnaium tiiootogy I hurd ! V be admitted . With tfoe ex . V 0 L - ** i . 5 b

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    Sir , BEING o ^ e of those who feel deeply interested in the question con * cerning the Perpetuity of the

    ordinance of Baptism which has been agitated in the two last Numbers of your Miscellany , I confess my concern at observing that the writers on both sides seem "to have no

    conviction of its expediency , or moral advantage , " at least in the existing state of society . If it were really devoid of these essentials , this would form a decisive argument against its practice at the present day , sir * ee the great Author of our faith would by

    no means requare tike continuance of a ceremony after it had become useless * As it would never have been adopted in the first instance , either by Jestfs or his precursor in the introduction of a dispensation which had for one of its distinguishing objects the atoroga * -

    tioa of numerous « eremonie& ; and , under few ami simple external forms , to make its appeal to tike reason and eonscteuces of men ^ kut ( or purposes of great and imvnifest utility > s ^ neitfeer can it retain it& ohU $ at&o * i if that utility luis ceased . &ut it is singly

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    Mr . Pirn 4 m J $# wl Ihes of Perpetual Baptism . y&&

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    ception of the Quakers , who tiaay be said in ao « ae degree to belbi ^ f to this class , it appeara to bfe confined to a few specufetiVe men ,. w ) io , not coiit ^ rtt with the form of reli ^ on Jeft by Ghrtet and Lift apostles , seera to faacy they can improve it .

    It may indeed be said regard ing-Baptism , tJiat aa it does not appear in the New Testament that this rite was administered to any but new converts and their families r there is no authority for applying it to the children of Ghristian parents , either

    infants or adults . This objection is fairly stated by Mr . Belaham in his Plea for Infant Baptism . He acknowledges that if we knew nothing of Christian baptism but what is contained in the Testament , we might conclude that the rite was to be limited

    to proselytes and their families . Against this objection he sets the uniform , universal , undisputed practice of the primitive church , and I think makes out a very satisfactory case . But as

    your Reviewer does not take that ground , there is no oceaston to enlarge upon Mr . Belsham ' s argum&at in this place * F .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1826, page 733, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2555/page/33/