which he says-Blessed are they who, having trusted to the cross, have gone down into the water; because [they shall receive] the reward in its time." Again, quoting a passage from the Old Testament, in which, according to the quotation, mention is made of a river with beautiful trees growing up out of it, of which whoever should eat would live for ever, he proceeds-"This he says, That we descend into the water laden with sins and corruption, and ascend bearing fruit, having in the heart the fear [towards God], and in the Spirit the hope towards Jesus;" or, as Archbishop Wake translates, "having in our hearts the fear and hope which is in Jesus by the Spirit." avail with God is humility, what pure love can effect with God, how the fear of him is good and great, and saves all those who lead a holy life with a pure mind." In this connection, which would so naturally suggest the thought of infant baptism, if such were "the uniform practice," not the slightest allusion to it occurs. No one, in reading this section, would once think of the children as having been baptized, or as at all externally related to the church, otherwise than is the case in any well ordered Christian family, the children of which are, of course, trained according to the Christian religion. The passage is remarkably similar to that in Eph. vi. 4: "Train up your children in the nurture [adeia] and admonition of the Lord." This epistle contains no other notices of baptism; and these evidently relate to instances of professed believers being baptized on their personal reception of the gospel. No allusion to infant bap-as more properly a fragment of a homily tism can be found in this epistle. II. The next in order are the two epistles of Clement. The first of these, to the Corinthians, contains no allusion to baptism, unless a conjectural reading, suggested by Dr. Mill, in the seventh section, be correct, and be rightly interpreted by him. If, however, his conjecture and explanation be correct, it was evidently, from the connection, the baptism of professed believers that was present to the author's mind. The editor, whom I am now following, gives a different reading, and, in all probability, the true one; in which no allusion to baptism need be recognised. While this epistle contains no recognition of baptism, it is interesting to notice a remarkable passage in the twenty-first section, which gives instruction to the Corinthians respecting their children: "Let your children receive Christian instruction [rs iv Xplory raideias], let them learn of what The second epistle of Clement, so called, is regarded, by competent judges, of a considerably later date. At whatever time it originated, and whoever was its author, it comes into notice here because it has held a place among the writings ascribed to the apostolic fathers. It contains allusions to baptism, all which relate to one point, namely, the unpardonable nature of sins committed after baptism. They are the following. In the sixth section, "How shall we, if we do not preserve our baptism pure and undefiled, enter into the palace of God?" In the seventh section-" What think ye? What shall he suffer who corrupts the contest of incorruption? (i. e., who violates his Christian engagements, the image of a contest for a crown being employed.) For, not having kept their seal (i. e. baptism), he (God) says, Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched." In the eighth section-"Wherefore, he saith, Keep the flesh pure and the seal (baptism) undefiled, that ye may receive eternal life." The connection throughout, in which these references to baptism occur, | historical existence of the practice at indicates a personal recognition, in bap- that early date. tism, of the duty and purpose to lead a righteous life, and by no means the baptism of infants. III. The Epistles of Ignatius. These are seven: namely, to the churches in Ephesus, Magnesia, Trallae, Rome, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and to Polycarp. In these epistles we find the following references to baptism. To the Ephesians, section eighteenth, the writer says, respecting Jesus, "who was born and was baptized that by his suffering he might purify the water." In the epistle to the church in Smyrna, section first, he speaks of Jesus as having been baptized that he might fulfil all righteousness; and in section eighth, he says, "it is not lawful to baptize in the absence of the bishop." In the epistle to Polycarp, section sixth, addressing Polycarp's church, he says, "Please him for whom you are soldiers, from whom also ye receive your wages. Let no one of you be a deserter. Let your baptism remain as weapons, faith as a helmet, love as a spear, patience as your panoply." In these, which are all the instances furnished by these letters of reference to baptism, no allusion obviously is made to infant baptism. It is worth while to notice, that in the epistles to the church in Magnesia, sections eighth and tenth, and in that to the church in Philadelphia, section sixth, the writer introduces earnest warnings against the efforts with which some Judaizing teachers sought to corrupt the Christian faith. In such connections, as also in similar ones of the New Testament, had infant baptism been a current Christian practice, the mention of it, as holding a place similar to that of the Jewish circumcision, would have been so natural, that the entire absence of the most remote allusion to it, casts deep suspicion on the This To the epistles of Ignatius is appended an account of his martyrdom. contains no allusion to infant baptism. IV. The epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians. This contains no allusion to baptism at all. Nor does any occur in the epistle appended to this, giving an account of Polycarp's martyrdom. V. The Shepherd of Hermas, a work divided into three books: the first consisting of four Visions; the second, of twelve Commandments; the third, of ten Similitudes. Several references to baptism occur in this work, without a solitary allusion to infant baptism. In Book I., Vision III., section III., as the church is likened to a tower, the question is proposed, "Wherefore was the tower built on the waters?" In reply it is said, "Hear for what reason the tower was built on the waters. Because your life has been made safe, and will be made so by means of water;" a recognition, no doubt, of the commonly believed necessity of baptism to salvation and to union with the church. In accordance with this belief of the necessity of baptism to entrance into the kingdom of God, is the figment (minutely expanded in Book III., Similitude IX., section XVI.) that even the righteous men who had died during the Old Testament dispensation could not be admitted into the kingdom of God, unless the apostles and teachers who made known the Son of God had, after their decease, preached to them the gospel and baptized them in Hades. "For," says this sapient writer, "before a man receives the name of the Son of God, he is appointed to death; but when he receives that seal, he is liberated from death and assigned to life. That seal is the water, into which men descend doomed (bound obligati) to death; but they ascend assigned to life." Baptism is also in this work spoken of as the commencement of a holy life. In Book I., Vision III., section VII., as explanatory of an allegorical representation, the question is proposed and answered," But the rest, that fell near the waters, and could not be rolled into the waters, who are they? They are those who have heard the word, desiring to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but when the sacredness of the truth comes up to their memory, they draw back and walk again according to their wicked desires." Baptism is mentioned, also, in Book II., Commandment IV., section III., as procuring remission of sins. I have now completed the examination of the writings which have been ascribed to the Apostolical Fathers. The result is, that they contain absolutely no recognitions of, or allusions to, infant baptism; but invariably in instances which are at all indicative of the recipients of baptism, such language is employed as excludes the idea of its having been administered to infants. What the great Schleiermacher, that learned and profound theological investigator, said of the New Testament in reference to infant baptism, namely, that those who wish to find infant baptism in it must first put it into that book,* is also true of the Apostolical Fathers; it must first be put into their writings before it can be found there. The darkness of Egypt was not more destitute of a cheering beam of light than is the historical period embraced by the Apostolical Fathers destitute of evidence that infant baptism then existed. THE DISCOVERY OF THE SILVER CUP. It was the cup of the actual ruler of the land in which Benjamin and his brethren were strangers. It was the cup of the prime minister of Pharaoh, the most potent monarch of the times. It was the cup of a man whom all Egypt revered for his profound wisdom and strict integrity. It was the cup of the benevolent dignitary by whom Benjamin and his brethren had been treated with hospitality that astonished them. He had indeed expressed some suspicion of them on a former occasion; but they had complied with his requisition that they should bring their youngest brother, of whom they had spoken; he had entertained them magnificently, and His dismissed them with kindness. his favourite cup-a valuable cup"and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack." Nothing could appear more conclusive than the evidence of the theft. These foreigners, who were from Canaan, a bad country where wickedness of every kind abounded, had been entertained on the previous day, when the cup was used. They had left the house very early in the morning, as soon as it was light, and the cup was missed shortly afterwards. Who was so likely to have purloined it as one of these strangers? Each man had his sack, according to the custom of eastern merchants, in | friendship of the Almighty! Of Him which were deposited provisions and other comforts for the journey; how probable that some one, tempted by the beauty and costliness of the cup, expecting never to return to Egypt, had slipped it into his sack! The steward pursues them; charges them with the theft, descants on their ingratitude, and demands the surrender of the stolen article. They all deny the offence; Search, Search, they exclaim, Search and see, and if it be found on ony one of us, let the culprit die, and the rest of us be your slaves. The sack of Reuben, the eldest, is emptied on the earth; its contents are spread out and examined: there is nothing that is not his own. The sack of Simeon is opened; he has long been in confinement, and Benjamin looks on anxiously hoping that his brother has not been tempted to retaliate for his causeless detention; but all is well. The sacks of others are searched in like manner; but everything is satisfactory, and the countenances of the brethren brighten as the investigation proceeds. At length it is Benjamin's turn. How glad he is! His brethren are all clear, and of his own innocence he is certain. With what alacrity he empties his sack; when lo, the cup! "The cup was found in Benjamin's sack." whose eyes are in every place, whose knowledge is unerring, whose power has no bounds! He can deliver in every emergency, and cause light to shine forth out of darkness. How important it is to be reconciled to Him, and able to confide in his love! How needful it is to commit ourselves every morning to his protection and care! In all our ways, it behoves us to acknowledge him, for it is only as he guards us that we are safe. Innocence is no security against the violent man, the deceitful man, the unreasonable man. We are only safe from overwhelming calamities, when preserved by God's providential goodness. What a lesson does this incident afford to all who are ever engaged in the administration of justice! Every juror, on whose decision the lives or liberties of fellow men are dependent should ponder well this case, and keep it in his memory. No man should be convicted of whose guilt any doubt can be reasonably entertained. Many an innocent man has been executed, and the mistake has not been discovered, till it was too late to rectify it. A striking parallel to the case of Benjamin occurred some years ago at Canterbury. A French refugee, named Du Moulin, who resided in that city, was indicted for coining. "On his trial it was proved that he had often been detected in uttering false gold, and that he had made a practice of returning counterfeit coins to persons of whom he had taken money, on pretence of his having received those pieces from them. On searching his premises when he was apprehended, a great number of counterfeit coins had been found in a drawer by themselves, and others packed up in different parcels with good money; and on further search, some aqua regia, several files, a pair of moulds, and Poor young man! He knows that he is innocent, but who will believe it? It is vain to make protestations,-there is the cup! What thoughts rush into his mind! His reputation is gone; he is abashed as he looks at the countenances of his brethren. The prospect before him is death or slavery. Never shall he see his father again, or his father's house. And what can be the cause? Has any of his brethren done this maliciously? What explanation can he offer? What defence can he make? O how important it is to have the many other implements for coining, had been discovered in a flask. On this that of Benjamin, divine Providence interposed on behalf of an innocent man; but in others, alas! the irreparable blow has been struck before the fatal error was discovered. The ten brethren who had accompanied Benjamin to Egypt were all present on this occasion, and their case was also distressing. Their reputation was involved, and their liberty was endangered. The ruler before whom they had to appear, though generous was austere and stern; he seemed to be rather capricious, and he had entertained strange suspicions respecting What view he might them before. take of these circumstances, and what * Gambier's Introduction to the Study of Moral at Dothan, had seen a younger brother Evidence, p. 216. coming towards them with unsuspect |