we may equally insist, that as there is nothing contrary to the word respecting those eligible for baptism, and as his evidence is most clear; so it is most worthy here to be presented respecting the decision of the Council.

"As to the case of infants, of whom Fidus had said, that they ought not to be baptized within the second or third day after their birth, and that the ancient law of circumcision should be so far adhered to, that they ought not to be baptized till the eighth day; we were all of a very different opinion. We all judged that the mercy and grace of God should be denied to none. For, if the Lord says in his Gospel, 'The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them,' how ought we to do our utmost, as far as in us lies, that no soul be lost! Spiritual circumcision should not be impeded by carnal circumcision. If, even to the foulest offenders when they afterwards believe, remission of sins is granted, and none is prohibited from baptism and grace; how much more should an infant be admitted;-who, just born, hath not sinned in any respect, except, that being carnally produced according to Adam, he hath, in his first birth, contracted the contagion of the ancient deadly nature;-and who obtains the remission of sins with the less difficulty, because not his own actual guilt, but that of another, is to be remitted!

"Our sentence therefore, dearest brother, in the Council was, that none, by us, should be prohibited from baptism and the grace of God, who is merciful and kind to all."-CYPRIAN.

Upon this extract MILNER writes as follows:

"I purpose carefully to avoid disputes on subjects of small moment. Yet, to omit a word here, on a

point which has produced volumes of strife, might seem almost a studied affectation. On such occasions I shall briefly and pacifically state my own views, as they appear deducible from evidence.

"Instead of disputing whether the right of infant baptism is to be derived from Scripture alone, and whether tradition deserves any attention at all, I would simply observe, that the Scripture itself seems to speak for an infant baptism (1 Cor. vii. 14); and further, that tradition in matters of custom and discipline is of real weight, as appears from the confession of every one, for every one is glad to support his cause by it, if he can;—and, in the present case, to those who say that the custom of baptizing children was not derived from the apostolical ages, the traditional argument may fairly run in language nearly scriptural, if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God' (1 Cor. xi. 16); and we never had any such custom as that of confining baptism to adults.

"Here is an assemblage of sixty-six pastors, men of approved fidelity and gravity, who had stood the fiery trial of some of the severest persecutions ever known, and who have testified their love to the Lord Jesus Christ, in a more striking manner than any Antipædo-Baptists have had an opportunity of doing in our days; and if we may judge of their religious views by those of Cyprian, and they are all in perfect harmony with him, they are not wanting in any fundamental of godliness. No man in any age more reverenced the Scriptures, and made more copious use of them on all occasions, than he did; and, it must be confessed, in the very best manner. For he uses them

continually, for PRACTICE, not for OSTENTATION; for USE, not for the sake of VICTORY,-in argument. Before this holy assembly a question is brought, not whether infants should be baptized at all-none contradicted this, but, whether it is right to baptize them immediately, or on the eighth day? Without a single negative, they all determined to baptize them immediately. This transaction passed in the year two hundred and fifty-three.

"Let the reader consider: If infant baptism had been an innovation, it must have been now of considerable standing. The disputes concerning Easter, and other very interesting points, show that such an innovation must have formed a remarkable era in the Church. The number of heresies and divisions had been very great. Among them all such a deviation from apostolical practice as this must have been remarked. To me it appears impossible for this state of things, but on the footing that it had EVER been allowed; and therefore that the custom was that of the first churches."-Milner's Hist., vol. i. pp. 429–431.

Nor would we, for a moment, have it understood that the benefit to be sought and expected at baptism is limited to infants; as if there should be one service for an infant, by which to seek spiritual regeneration, and another for an adult, already in that state. We contend, indeed, that, in the latter case, regeneration is supposed to have taken place by the Spirit (for what conversion is worth anything without this?) before baptism can be administered to an adult; not that he is, therefore, to come for baptism expecting no blessing or seal of the Spirit; but that he is for that reason to expect the more, because it is

the sacrament which the Lord commanded to be reeeived. As, then, many can testify of lively convictions from their infancy, during which they were baptized; so, we doubt not, that many adults can speak of deepened convictions and holy affections vouchsafed to them at their baptism.

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Cyprian records a remarkable influence of Divine grace, which to him appeared to have accompanied his baptism. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose that this was commonly the case at that time. The inward and spiritual grace really attended the outward and visible sign. And it is to be lamented, that the corruption and perversion of after ages, availing itself of the ambiguous language of the fathers on this subject -which, with them, was natural enough-supposed a necessary connexion to take place where there had been a frequent one. In Cyprian's time, to call baptism itself the new birth was not very dangerous. IN OUR AGE IT IS POISON ITSELF. Men are apt to content themselves with the outward and visible sign; and it has long been the fashion to suppose all persons, who have been baptized when infants, to be, of course when they are grown up, in a state of regeneration by the Holy Spirit: and thus men have learned to furnish themselves with a convenient evasion of all that is written in Seripture concerning the godly motions of the third person of the sacred Trinity." (Milner, vol. i. p. 330.)

But that baptism of adults and infants often did, and still does precede, and, alas! in many cases, has never been, and in many cases never is followed by spiritual regeneration, is capable and easy of proof, with regard to both. And this is our special point, at such a

time as this, when that which Milner calls poison itself, is advocated, and put forth with such powerful pretensions and urgent claims to attention and notice -yea, lofty claims, are they not?-when not only regeneration, but even justification, is insisted upon by many divines of high reputation and character for sanctity, as belonging almost exclusively to the ministration of this rite.

We shall trace the fact of baptism not having been accompanied with spiritual regeneration from the earliest days of our Lord's personal ministry downwards.

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel by St. John, is recorded a discourse of our Lord to the Jews. The substance of it regards a type of the Old Testament, and what was typified. Their fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, which God gave from heaven, and it preserved life for a time, and then they died. But Jesus proclaimed himself to be the true bread from heaven, which if a man eat he should live for ever. By thus discoursing he presented himself as the object of faith, and the life of the soul, and also the preserver of soul and body unto life eternal.

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My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum." And,

"Many of his disciples, when they heard this, said,