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PARTI.

THE IMPORT OF βαπτίζω.

CHAPTER I.

To engage anew in the discussion of the subject of Baptism, may seem to need an apology. Mine is, that it is a point in which Christians are not as yet agreed, and therefore all truth is not seen. For I cannot think that God has of design hidden the truth, or that he has revealed it doubtfully on a point which has proved to be of such magnitude by its practical results. Hence I believe that when all truth is seen on this subject, which may be seen, all true Christians will so far agree that no obstacle to their perfect union in feeling and action will remain.

But the truth on this, as on all other subjects, is not to be elicited by the action of any one mind, but by the united contributions of many.

When in the dark ages, in the midnight of Papal gloom, all truth was lost or obscured, and the social fabric erected on principles radically corrupt, it pleased God to make no new revelation, nor to raise up and illumine any one gigantic mind, of power to grasp all truth, and to restore it at once to its systematic proportion, or to erect in all its harmony a model of the social system in its perfect state.

Of the universal system different individuals grasped different part, yet still mingled with much error, and thus God accomplished that which no single mind was capacious enough to do.

He grasped, through many minds, the great outlines of the system of universal truth, so that none might be lost. Yet as in individual minds it was still limited and mingled with much error, divisions and sects arose, each holding important truth, which God was not willing to lose; and yet not so unmingled or in such proportions that all could unite as one.

But this mixture of error with truth is not destined always to last. The movement of the mind of the universal church is destined still to be upward; for she is taught of God.

And in completing the fabric which he is about to erect, each shall contribute his portion of truth to the grand result, whilst the errors of each shall disappear and die away. Then shall all finite minds be harmonized in one by the all-pervading mind of God. As if to prepare the way for this result, the public mind has of late been directed with new interest to this subject. It has been brought up by certain great questions in evangelizing the world, and has excited much attention.

It has elicited works of much talent and extensive research through a wide field of philology. The spirit of the discussion has been much ameliorated, at least in many of the leading writers, though not always in the local and subordinate controversies. Yet union is far from being obtained; nay, in some particulars, the prospect is more discouraging than ever. This must be a matter of grief to all who desire the fulfilment of the prayer of Christ. Nor is it in harmony with the convictions of the age on the duty of Christian unity; for however Christians practise, they are more and more convinced that there is something wrong and offensive to God in the present divided state of the Church.

We have reason, then, to suppose that exactly the right ground has not been taken on either side, and we ought to aim at the simple ground of truth for the sake of union and the common good,

To furnish some small share of the materials which God may use in producing this result, is my object in this effort.-And at present my remarks will relate entirely to the mode of Baptism.

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