Could one such decisive instance | joice in the belief, and in the be adduced in regard to baptism, open avowal of the belief, that I would resign my argument. baptism is an auxiliary to the 2dly. The Reviewer avers that preaching of the gospel; that it I consider baptism to be "iden-is to be used, where opportunity tically preaching the gospel." offers, at the same time and in Here I must be allowed to say, aid of the same design, viz. the he is under a mistake. [B] I re-direction of the ignorant, attenthe apostle Paul, we feel confident he tive mind, into the doctrines of would not have omitted the circum- the Divine Persons, in whose stance of his having been baptized. names it is administered, for its The fact, however, is, that we have improvement in christian know. no account of any testimony whatever ledge; but is there not a distincbeing given by Ananias. On the apos- tion between an auxiliary to a tle's being baptized, he appears to have been immediately received among those means and that means itself? And very disciples, at Damascus, whom because I speak of baptism under he had intended to persecute. Luke the former character, is it a just says, "Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Da-inference that I consider it “idenmascus: and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God:" and that he continued there some time in the exercise of his ministry, is manifest from its being said, that he "increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ." The incident, in the history of this apostle, which Mr. B. has somehow confounded with the above account, did not occur till some years after, (see Gal. i. 18.) many miles distant from Damascus; and it was not Ana tically" the latter? It appears to me that preaching and baptism were two weapons of the apostolic warfare; that the apostles generally employed them together; and that the united use of them was attended, in numerous instances, with eminent success: this may be gathered, I think, from the case of the jailor and of those converted on the day of Pentecost, and that without any mias, but Barnabas, who introduced "violent outrage of the princithe apostle to the church at Jerusa-ples and facts of the evangelical lem. Indeed the case of the apostle apostle history." Paul, to which Mr. B. has directed I am rather surprised also at our attention, is, of itself, a complete refutation of his system: for as it is the Reviewer's objections to what certain the conversion of the apostle he is pleased to call my "curious preceded his baptism, so it is obvious criticism on the participle bap that he was, without delay, associated tizing;" I have no conception of with the church at Damascus, and, as Matthew Henry has observed, "join- what he means by saying, "It is ed in communion with them" thus strenuously contended that teachdemonstrating that the qualificationing is wholly prospective." [C] both for baptism and the Lord's-supper is the same-repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Ed. [B] We really thought, and still do think, such passages as the following to be tolerable authority for our conclusion. 60 They (the apostles) gave men at once both the verbal sign of gospel grace, and the ritual sign, in order that the latter might affect the conscience and direct the judgment upon the former." P. 17. Again. "But instruction is here embodied, not in sounds and syllables, but in water, administered in the names of the sacred Trinity, that speaks to the heart or conscience, which accuseth, or else excuseth, by the rules of the gospel.” P. 41. Ed. [C] Mr. B. will allow ns to explain in his own words. "The command of Christ, therefore, is respecting those who have been baptized teaching them to observe all things.' Here the com mission ends, and our ministry ceases'; For myself, therefore, while with the greatest candour I would leave others to follow the dictates of their consciences on this mine, and to administer baptism freely to all who are willing to receive it; and that without fear that any "alarming consequences" will result from the practice. To conclude: Were time allowed me, I could easily say more than he has said upon the " alternate advance and retreat of the mind," (though perhaps not ex-subject, I feel it my duty to obey actly as he has supposed the case,) in its way to the adoption of my present system; for he, happily, never knew from experience the painful conflict which I have endured amidst the numerous hostile theories that long perplexed and distressed me. But God, who knoweth the way that I take, was my Omniscient witness. From the discovery of the system which I have adopted, I gained relief; for the moment I ventured to admit that the writ-lowing them an early insertion in ings of the New Testament, as your Magazine, you will greatly they explain those of the Old, oblige, are the only due authorities, and that the practice of the primitive ages can be safely gathered from them alone; my way became plain to the conclusion, that re- | Oct. 11, 1822. I ought to apologize for the length of these remarks; but it will, perhaps, be sufficient to say, that a conviction of the importance of the subject, united with a cordial belief of the system I have embraced, induces me to trouble you with them. By al Dear Sir, Halstead, JAMES BASS. velation does not exhibit baptism as a rite to which, when con verted, we are to submit as the profession of the gospel; but as FAMILY RULES. this Family. a means of grace to be enjoyed The following are the desired Rules of by all convinced of its utility, for directing them, in connection with the word, to the grace of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that they may obtain the grace of salvation; and that it recognizes nothing short of a public union with a christian church, as a profession of allegiance to Christ the King of Zion. [D] but it should be well considered that this command is confined to baptized persons; and that ministers may not even teach men to observe the all things' till after they have been baptized." P. 63. Ed. I. We have no time given us to throw away, but to improve for eternity; therefore we would join in no conversation that is unprofitable; but in that only which is good to the use of edi fying, ministering grace to the hearers. Therefore II. We are not anxious for the news of the town, or to be informed of the business of others : but we desire to hear of the tions in the New Testament, should terminate in the publication of a sys. [D] So far as sincerity is concerned, tem, which, as to its principal feaMr. B. is entitled to the fullest con- tures, is so perfectly visionary and infidence; we only lament that the re- congruous, and of whose entire failure search of more than thirty years, in itis next to impossible that there should relation to one of the plainest direc-be more than one opinion. things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Neither III. Have we any thing to say to the misconduct of others; therefore, let not the fault of any absent person be mentioned, unless absolute necessity require it, and then let it be done with the greatest tenderness, without dwelling upon it, May God preserve us from a censorious criticising spirit, and contrary to that of Christ... IV. We offer the. right hand of fellowship, to every one that cometh in the name of the Lord; but we receive none to doubtful disputations.. Whosoever loveth the Lord Jesus in sinceri ty, the same is our brother, sis- Extracted from Jowett's V. We neither receive nor pay visits on the Lord's-day; for we and our house desire particularly on that day to serve the Lord. VI. We earnestly desire every one to reprove us faithfully, when we deviate from any of these rules. So shall we be as guardian angels to each other, and as a holy miugled flame ascend up before God. Aud as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them." Gal. vi. 16. Christian Researches in the Mediterranean.? pp. 127, 167. "WE observed the people making holes in the sandy soil on the side of the river. Into these holes they put a small quantity of pigeons' dung and feathers, with the seed of melons or cucumbers. The value of this manure is alluded to in 2 Kings vi. 25. The produce of this toil I had an opportunity of seeing, in due season; that is, in the following month of June. Extensive field's of ripe melons and cucumbers then adorned the sides of the river. They grew in such abundance, that the sailors freely helped themselves. Some guard, Having lately visited a gentle- however, is placed upon them. man farmer in Cambridgeshire, I Occasionally, but at long and observed in his house the above desolate intervals, we- may obrules, printed and framed, hang- serve a little hut, made of reeds, ing up in a part of his keeping just capable of containing one room, sufficiently conspicuous to man, being, in fact, little more than be read by all who felt disposed a fence against the north wind. to read them. Considering them In these I have observed, someworthy of notice, and calculated, times, a poor old man, perhaps by the blessing of God, to do lame, feebly protecting the progood in all families, I have tran-perty. It exactly'illustrates Isa. scribed them for the Baptist Ma-i. 8. And the daughter of Zion And now a blessing, Lord, we crave, is left as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers. The abundance of these most necessary vegetables brings to mind the murmurs of the Israelites, Numbers ii. 5, 6. We remember the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick, but now our soul is dried away." At one place, the people were making bricks, with straw cut into small pieces, and mingled with clay to bind it. They were, in short, engaged exactly as the Israelites used to be, making bricks with straw; and for a similar purpose, to build extensive granaries for the Bashaw Treasure-cities for Pharaoh :" Exodus i. 11. : 15 I cannot omit the following notice of the subject of baptism. The Greek Bishop of Smyrna, when conversing with Mr. Jowett, said, There are five points in which we differ from the Latins; 1. Baptism we baptize the whole body, for Christ went up out of the water, a plain proof that he ad a blow si ྤ་༞།་་་ went into it! The other points of difference are, the procession of the Holy Ghost, Purgatory, the Pope's Supremacy, and the Host. Respecting the Host, the Bishop remarked, They use ünleavened, which is not breadapros, in Greek, meaning com plete bread; and surely,' said be, we ought to know the meaning.' We suppose that if the Bishop were acquainted with the disputes we have in England respecting the import of the Greek words used in reference to baptism he would say again, (and perhaps even our pædobaptist friends will agree, that some importance is to be attached to the opinion of a native Greek;) surely we ought to know the meaning. Mr. Jowett also informs us, that in the Coptic church, at Alexandria, they have a large laver, in which they baptize the whole body of the infant, using lukewarm water and holy oil. See his volume, pp. 16, 99. Juvenile Department. J. M. C. ever, should read it with far more important views. Many of the miseries of life result from want of experience. History and biography, if attentively studied, will, in a good degree, furnish the reader with many of the advantages without the pains of that effectual mode of learning. The reign at which we are about to glance, if contrasted with some of modern times, will afford a striking example of the sad ef fects resulting from the neglect In our last essay we had oceasion to notice the destructive wars between the houses of York and Lancaster: in this reign, we tal progress, and happily their termination. The ruthless disposition of young Edward, joined to his courage and activity, rendered him a fit instrument in the hands of the God of this world, to display in all their ge and corruption of Christianity, deep cloud which covers this and the consequent reign of ig-period, is a scene of horror and norance and vice, whether we bloodshed, savage manners, arrefer to individuals, societies, or bitrary executions, and treachestates; and such a contrast can-rous, dishonourable conduct in not fail to fill with gratitude the all parties." hearts of those who have been divinely enlightened, duly to estimate the advantages of living in a more christian age. But the careful youth must ever distin-are compelled to review their faguish between the name and the nature of things. In the days of our Lord, he was not in the most interesting sense considered a Jew who was one outwardly, nor that circumcision which was merely outward in the flesh; so we must not esteem that chris-nuine forms, the worst passions tianity which fashion and policy of our debased nature. A cir. have so denominated, but that cumstance occurred at the very only which has the tendency of commencement of this reign leading its professors to Christ which exhibited the hardness and himself, humbly to learn what he cruelty of his heart, and which would have them to do, and anxmust have led his enemies to cal ious to follow him in all the re- culate on what they might expect quirements of his gospel. from his success. A tradesman Were it possible to read the whose shop was distinguished by history of Edward IV. in some the sign of a crown, facetiously moments of mental abstraction, said he would make his son heir in which memory should slumber, to the crown: this coming to and therefore our earlier history the ears of the king, gave him be forgotten, it must be pro- such offence, that the poor man nounced an age of brazen infide- was actually condemned and exlity, in which men had no fear of ecuted for the joke ;—a fair speGod before their eyes, and their cimen of the tyranny and barbaconsciences were become seared rity which followed. The hatred as with a hot iron. It never of the two families became un. could enter the mind that it was bounded. The people attached professedly a christian country; themselves to either party as cirand all the high sounding titles cumstances influenced them. The of ecclesiastical dignity and au- nation became divided, and the thority must be concluded but wars were strangely denominated as a burlesque on all that was through Europe," the quarrel good and sacred and christian-between the two roses." like. The confession of histo- adherents of the house of Lanrians concerning this period of caster were distinguished by the English history, which can hard- red rose, and those of York by ly be better expressed than in the white-those fragrant and the words of one of them, is re-beautiful symbols, not of man's markable. “All we can distin- wickedness, but of the Creator's guish with certainty through the wisdom and power. The |