,transcribed from the #ahdb ,josiah     
,fletcher edition by ,david ,price4     
,,the ,,baptism ,,of ,,the ,,prince4    
99 99 99 99 99                          
,a ,,sermon                             
,,preached ,,in                         
,,prince',s ,,street ,,chapel1          
,,norwich1                        ,,on  
,,sunday ,,morning1 ,,jan4 #bc1 #ahdb1  
,,in ,,anticipation ,,of ,,the ,,baptism
 ,,of ,,his ,,royal ,,highness          
,,the ,,prince ,,of ,,wales4            
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,,john ,,alexander4                
99 99 99 99 99                          
,published by ,request4                 
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,norwich3                      ,,josiah
 ,,fletcher1 ,,upper ,,haymarket2       
,,sold ,,also ,,by ,,jarrold ,,and      
,,sons1 ,,norwich2 ,,and ,,by           
,,jackson ,,and ,,walford1 ,,london4    
#ahdb4                                  
,price ,fourpence4                      
99 99 99 99 99          ,,preface4      

,,the ,author of the following discourse
 hopes it will appear from the  perusal 
of it1 that the baptism of infants is a 
practice which he not  only believes to 
be scriptural1 but which he warmly and  
devoutly loves4  ,as a parent1 and as a 
pastor1 one of his most delightful      
employments has  been the dedication of 
his own children1 and of the children of
 others1  to the ,god of mercy4  ,he    
endeavours also to cherish in his own   
heart1 and  in the hearts of others1 the
 assurance that baptism is a sign of    
spiritual influences1 which our covenant
 ,god will graciously bestow upon  our  
children1 if we disciple them to ,christ
 by gospel instruction as well  as by   
water1 and if we 8teach them to observe 
all things whatsoever  ,christ has      
commanded40  ,the connection between our
 baptized households  and church        
membership is so intimate1 that children
 should be trained for  communion by the
 parent1 as well as by the pastor2 and  
every baptized  family should thus      

strive to be a church of ,christ1 and   
seek to possess1  by the grace of ,god1 
a domestic as well as an individual     
relationship to  8the general assembly  
and church of the first-born40  ,were   
this made the  object of more anxious   
and prayerful effort1 the degree of     
success1  divinely granted1 would       
surprise and bless our hearts2 the      
sacred  ordinance in which we delight1  
would be less ridiculed than it is2 the 
fatal mistakes which are made relative  
to it1 would be corrected2 and it  would
 soon become1 as in primitive times1    
universally practised4  8,if  infant    
baptism were more improved10 says       
,philip ,henry1 8it would be less       
disputed40    ,the following discourse  
is not put forth as a complete treatise 
on the  subject of baptism4  ,it is the 
mere outline of one branch of an        
argument  which is briefly stated1 and  
which is not even defended from the     
customary objections4  ,it was preached1
 and is now published1 not so much  for 

those who deny the ordinance to their   
children1 as for those who  practice it2
 to remind them of the privilege which  
they enjoy1 and of the  consequent      
responsibility which they incur4        
,nothing is said in the  sermon about   
the mode of baptizing1 because the      
object which the  preacher had in view  
did not require it2 and because1 during 
the time of  its delivery1 he was       
desirous to occupy the attention of his 
hearers with  matters of more importance
 than the question1 ,whether1 in        
baptism1 the  water is to be applied to 
the person1 or the person to the        
water8--though  he believes that the    
former mode is more scriptural and more 
seemly than  the latter4    ,,as ,,the  
,,discourse ,,was ,,occasioned ,,by     
,,the ,,baptise ,,of ,,the ,,prince ,,of
 ,,wales1  ,,the ,,heir ,,apparent ,,to 
,,the ,,british ,,throne1 ,,it ,,is     
,,now ,,published ,,with ,,the          
,,earnest ,,desire ,,and ,,prayer1      
,,that ,,he ,,may ,,be ,,spared ,,till1 

,,at ,,some ,,distant  ,,day1 ,,he      
,,shall ,,realize 8,,the ,,true ,,idea  
,,of ,a ,,patriot ,,king20 ,,and ,,that 
,,the  ,,royal ,,house ,,into ,,which   
,,he ,,is ,,born1 ,,may ,,from ,,one    
,,generation ,,to ,,another1  ,,present 
,,successive ,,princes ,,to ,,the       
,,throne ,,of ,,britain1 ,,who ,,shall  
,,rule ,,in  ,,righteousness1 ,,and     
,,who1 ,,in ,,the ,,scriptural ,,sense  
,,of ,,the ,,language1 ,,shall ,,be     
8,,nursing ,,fathers1 ,,and ,,nursing   
,,mothers10 ,,to ,,the ,,church ,,of    
,,christ4    ,,norwich1 ,,february #a1  
#ahdb4          ,,sermon4      ,,my     
,,dear ,,friends1    ,as it has been    
publicly announced that the infant      
,prince of ,wales will be  baptized on  
,tuesday next1 a suitable opportunity is
 now afforded for  directing your       
attention to the subject of baptism     
generally1 and  especially to the       
interest which little children have in  
the affections  of the ,saviour2 ,i     
propose1 therefore1 to address you this 

morning from                            
,,mark x1 #ac-af4        8,and they     
brought young children to him that he   
should touch them2      and his         
disciples rebuked those that brought    
them4  ,but when ,jesus      saw it he  
was much displeased1 and said unto them1
 ,suffer the little      children to    
come unto me1 and forbid them not1 for  
of such is the      kingdom of ,god4    
,verily ,i say unto you1 whosoever shall
 not receive      the kingdom of ,god as
 a little child1 he shall not enter     
therein4      ,and he took them up in   
his arms1 put his hands upon them1 and  
blessed      them40    ,the scene       
presented by these words is             
indescribably lovely2 and the eye  that 
contemplates it1 must affect the heart  
of the beholder with every  tender and  
grateful feeling4  ,it exhibits the     
eternal ,son of ,god holding  in his    
arms the infant of a day2 laying his    
mighty and merciful hand upon  its head2
 and bestowing upon it his own effectual

 blessing4  ,wonderful as  all this is1 
it is however in perfect harmony with   
the whole of his  character1 and of the 
great work which he came to accomplish4 
,the  infants which were now brought to 
him1 ignorant and helpless as they      
were1 were creatures which he himself   
had formed1 and which he had  inspired  
with the breath of life1 and with the   
germ of all those  intellectual and     
moral faculties which would render them 
immortal and  responsible to ,god4  ,he1
 therefore1 who guides the flight of the
 sparrow  as well as of the archangel1  
cares for the infant as well as for the 
man2  and he has testified his care1 not
 only now1 when he was gathering these  
lambs in his arms1 but through all the  
preceding dispensations of his          
mediatorial reign4  ,his disciples1     
influenced by the same mistaken         
feelings which led the multitude to     
rebuke the blind men1 who cried for     
mercy to the son of ,david1 rebuked the 
parents1 who were now desirous  that    

their infants should receive his gentle 
touch1 and 8that he should  put his     
hands on them and pray20 8but when      
,jesus saw it he was much  displeased1  
and said unto them1 ,suffer the little  
children to come unto  me1 and forbid   
them not1 for of such is the kingdom of 
,god10 and 8of such  is the kingdom of  
heaven40  ,when heaven was more         
immediately his  residence1 he had there
 been accustomed to gather little       
children in his  arms1 and to introduce 
them to the joys and royalties of his   
celestial  palace2 and when that palace 
is completely furnished with guests1    
little  children1 who have died in their
 infancy1 will constitute no small      
portion of the glorious number4  ,when  
he first formed a church on earth1  and 
separated the subjects of his own       
kingdom from others1 he did so  with an 
express reference to the children of his
 people2 and he  appointed the ordinance
 of circumcision to be administered to  
them at  eight days old1 as the token of

 his everlasting promise1 8,i will be a 
,god  unto thee1 and unto thy seed after
 thee40  ,when that church was          
reorganized by ,moses1 and during the   
whole period of the ,jewish             
dispensation1 the same divine regard to 
infants is manifested1 and their        
dedication to ,god1 by 8the token of the
 covenant10 is continued4  ,when1       
during that dispensation1 the gospel    
times of the church are predicted1      
children are always represented as      
sharing in the same privileges which    
they had been accustomed to possess2 for
 then1 says ,isaiah1 8the people  shall 
not labour in vain1 nor bring forth for 
trouble2 for they are the  seed of the  
blessed of the ,lord1 and their         
offspring with them40  ,and now  in the 
fulness of time1 when ,christ himself   
personally appears in the  world1 he    
manifests the same regard to little     
children that he had shown  from the    
beginning4  ,when they were brought to  
him1 8he took them up in  his arms20 not

 indeed to baptize them1 for he never   
baptized any one1  either infant or     
adult2 but to acknowledge their         
continued connection  with his kingdom1 
and their capacity for receiving1 not   
only an important  sign1 but the        
spiritual blessings which that sign     
denoted4  8,of such10  says he1 8is the 
kingdom of ,god10 or1 as the phrase     
signifies1 of such is  the church of    
,god2 and their being thus of his       
church1 is given as the  reason why they
 should be brought to him as the head of
 the church4  ,having thus declared that
 infants1 under the gospel dispensation1
  sustained the same relation to his    
spiritual kingdom which ,jewish infants 
had sustained1 he proceeds to treat them
 accordingly4  8,he put his hands  on   
them20 which was a sign1 as significant 
as the token of circumcision  or of     
baptism2 for it was the sign of his own 
blessing4  8,he put his  hands on them10
 as ,jacob put his hands on ,ephraim and
 ,manasseh1 when he  lifted up his voice

 to heaven and said1 8the angel that    
redeemed me from  all evil bless the    
lads20 or as the high priest put his    
hands on the  people1 when he blessed   
them in the name of the ,lord2 or as    
this great  ,high ,priest himself       
afterwards lifted up his hands and      
blessed his  disciples1 when he ascended
 from mount ,olivet to heaven4  ,true it
 is1  that1 as infants1 they could not  
understand the meaning of this sign1 any
  more than they could understand the   
meaning of circumcision or of  baptism4 
,they knew it not then1 but they would  
know it hereafter4  ,yet1               
notwithstanding their present ignorance1
 he did not refrain2 he put his  hands  
upon them4  ,and not only so1 but as a  
manifestation of his power  and grace1  
he accompanied the sign with the thing  
signified1 8and he  blessed them20 he   
baptized them1 not with water1 but with 
his own  blessing2 and thereby fulfilled
 his gracious promise1 8,i will pour my 
spirit upon thy seed1 and my blessing   

upon thy offspring40    ,the history    
which our text records is therefore the 
consummation and the  climax of a series
 of circumstances1 which are intended to
 show the  interest which the children  
of believers have in the ,saviour's     
kingdom4  ,and as such we receive it    
with joy and thankfulness4  ,there is1  
in the  heart of every christian parent1
 an earnest desire that his children1 as
  well as himself1 should participate in
 the enjoyment of spiritual  blessings2 
and when he receives his new-born babe  
into his arms1 the  first wish of his   
heart is to lay it on the arms of       
,christ1 and to  dedicate it to him for 
ever4  ,so strong is this feeling1 that 
many  persons1 who deny infant baptism1 
are so convinced of the desirableness   
of having some mode of dedicating their 
offspring to ,god1 that they hold  a    
special meeting for the purpose1 in     
which the pastor of the church sets     
their children apart by a solemn        
dedicatory service4  ,even the ancient  

,greeks and ,romans1 guided probably by 
imperfect tradition1 as well as by  the 
light of nature1 were accustomed1 a few 
days after the birth of a  child1 to    
carry it to the temple1 and to commend  
it to some patron deity4  ,instructed by
 the sacred scriptures1 it is our       
privilege to believe that  ,he who      
awakens this desire in the parental     
bosom1 has appointed  appropriate means 
whereby it may be expressed and         
gratified2 and that  having instituted  
circumcision1 for such as were of the   
kingdom of ,god  under the former       
dispensation1 he has now instituted     
baptism for such as  are of that        
kingdom1 whether they be adults or      
infants4  ,some proof of  this has      
already been afforded by the history to 
which your attention has  been called2  
for if ,christ has declared that our    
children now1 as well as  formerly1 are 
8of the kingdom of ,god10 and if he gave
 to them the sign of  his blessing1 and 
the blessing itself1 8can any one forbid

 water1 that  these should not be       
baptized80  ,but a variety of additional
 evidence is  still presented by this   
holy book1 our only divine and          
authoritative  guide4  ,the great       
question which we have to ask on this   
subject is1 ,what  is the will of       
,christ8 and in seeking an answer to    
that inquiry1 we are  not to dictate to 
the divine ,spirit the manner in which  
the will of  ,christ is to be made known
 to us1 but we are thankfully to receive
 it1 in  the form of express command1 or
 by any other mode of intimation that   
may  seem good in his sight4  ,as there 
is1 in the ,new ,testament1 no          
prohibition of infant baptism1 we are   
not much concerned about a direct       
injunction to practise it4  ,there are  
some institutions belonging to  former  
dispensations of religion1 which it was 
not necessary should be  formally       
re-enacted in the ,new ,testament2      
because the will of ,christ  respecting 
their continuance can be gathered by    

evidences less direct4  ,and as such a  
mode of teaching often requires         
thoughtful and continuous  reading to   
ascertain the mind of ,god1 we thereby  
gain a more extensive  and intelligent  
acquaintance with the scriptures1 than  
we could have  gained if every thing had
 been stated as expressly and minutely  
as it is  in the book of ,leviticus4    
,the sabbath1 for instance1 was         
instituted at  the creation2 it was     
continued during the patriarchal age2 it
 was  observed during the ,jewish       
dispensation till the time of ,christ2  
there is  no command enjoining it in the
 ,new ,testament2 and though some       
passages  seem at first sight to        
discountenance the observance of a      
christian  sabbath1 yet1 from various   
remarks and circumstances1 incidentally 
scattered through the sacred book1 we   
are led to believe it to be the  will of
 ,christ that a sabbath should be       
continued through the gospel            
dispensation1 and that it should be     

transferred from the last day of the    
week to the first2 and when we consult  
early ecclesiastical history1 we  find  
all our convictions confirmed by the    
fact1 that the first day of the  week   
was universally observed by the         
christian church as a day of rest  and  
worship4  ,the ordinance of             
circumcision1 in its connection with    
baptism1 is similarly circumstanced4    
,it was instituted in the time of       
,abraham1 and it continued to be        
observed till the time of ,christ1 as a 
memorial of ,god's everlasting covenant1
 and of the relationship which he  had  
established between believing parents   
and their children4  ,in the ,new       
,testament1 we find that the ordinance  
itself is changed from circumcision  to 
baptism2 just as the sabbath is changed1
 from the seventh to the first  day of  
the week4  ,but this is the principal   
change relative to the  ordinance which 
the ,new ,testament declares4  ,the old 
ordinance and the  new have precisely   

the same spiritual signification4       
,faith1 in an adult1  was as necessary  
to precede circumcision1 as it is now   
necessary to  precede baptism4  ,infants
 are quite as capable of being baptized1
 as they  were of being circumcised2 and
 that it is the will of ,christ they    
should  be baptized1 is quite as        
evident1 from scripture testimony1 as   
that the  first day of the week is the  
divinely appointed christian sabbath4   
,indeed1 their right to baptism seems to
 follow as a matter of course from  the 
fact declared in our text1 and already  
illustrated1 that our  children now     
sustain the same relation to the kingdom
 of ,god1 that the  children of         
believers did formerly2 especially when 
we find that ,christ  not only said1 8of
 such is the kingdom of ,god10 but also 
that 8he put his  hands on them1 and    
blessed them40    ,the evidence which   
the ,new ,testament affords of the right
 of infants to  baptism1 is1 however1   
abundant and various2 so much so1 that  

scarcely an  outline of it can be given 
in the small space allotted to it in    
this  discourse4  ,the commission which 
,christ gave to his apostles1 refers not
  only to baptism1 but also to the      
christian instruction with which baptism
  is to be connected1 and which it is   
the great design of the ordinance to    
secure4  8,go10 says he1 8and teach all 
nations1 baptizing them unto the  name  
of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of 
the ,holy ,ghost2 teaching them  to     
observe all things whatsoever ,i have   
commanded you40  ,circumcision had  been
 confined principally to one nation1    
baptism is to be extended to all        
nations2 and as the sphere of the       
ordinance is thus enlarged1 is it at    
all likely that the subjects of the     
ordinance are to be diminished8 and     
that children1 who were admitted to the 
initiatory rite of the limited  ,jewish 
dispensation1 are to be excluded from   
the initiatory rite of the  universal   
dispensation of the gospel8  ,if they   

had been excluded1 would  the ,jews have
 been silent about it8  ,would they not 
have made it a  subject of complaint8   
and would they not have referred to the 
exclusion  of their children as an      
argument in favour of ,judaism1 and     
against  ,christianity8  ,undoubtedly   
they would2 and their silence is a      
strong  presumptive evidence that the   
baptismal1 as well as the circumcisional
  commission1 included infants4  ,the   
word 8teach10 in the former part of  the
 passage1 is not1 in the original1 the  
same word as that which is  translated  
8teaching0 in the latter part2 but a    
word which literally  signifies to      
disciple1 or to make disciples2 so that 
the apostles were  directed to 8go and  
make disciples10 not of ,jews only1 but 
8of all  nations40  ,and how was this to
 be done8  ,by baptizing and by         
teaching4  8,go and make disciples of   
all nations1 baptizing them and teaching
 them40  ,the language of course implies
 that some degree of instruction must go

  before baptism1 in the case of        
ignorant adults2 but it is evident that 
the 8baptizing0 is to be introductory to
 the 8teaching0 just as  circumcision   
was4  ,the first persons who would be   
baptized1 would of  course be adults1 as
 was the case when circumcision was     
instituted2 but  there is nothing1      
either in the nature of baptism1 or in  
the terms of  this commission1 to       
exclude infants4  ,if it had been       
written1 8,go and  make disciples of all
 nations1 circumcising them1 and        
teaching them all  things10 who would   
have said that the language excluded    
infants from  circumcision8 and as      
baptism has succeeded circumcision1 and 
as it means  the same thing1 why should 
infants be excluded by a mere change in 
the  ordinance8 especially as the       
ordinance of baptism seems to be more   
suited  to an infant than circumcision  
was4  ,if1 nevertheless1 it be          
maintained  that no person is to be     
baptized until he has been              

taught--taught to  observe all things   
whatsoever ,christ has commanded1       
infants ,i admit will  then be excluded 
from baptism1 and so for the most part  
will adults be1  and no persons can be  
baptized at all2 for such 8teaching0    
comprehends  the entire gospel1 and can 
be afforded only by long continued      
pastoral  instruction4  ,the conduct of 
the apostles in executing the           
commission1  is1 however1 the best      
interpretation of its language2 and they
 considered  that a single sermon to the
 three thousand1 and a single           
conversation  with the eunuch1 and a few
 words to the jailor1 were quite        
sufficient to  precede baptism2 and it  
was not till after baptism1 that the    
principles  and duties of the gospel    
were more fully taught2 nor was it till 
after  baptism that they expected to    
perceive the fruits and the influences  
of  knowledge and of faith4             
,instruction has therefore precisely the
 same  relation to baptism that it had  

to circumcision4  ,it follows rather    
than  precedes4  ,it does so1           
principally1 in the case of adults2 it  
does so1  entirely1 in the case of      
children4  ,baptism is merely an        
initiatory rite4  ,it introduces the    
disciple into the school2 and it places 
him there1 that  he may be 8instructed  
in the way of ,god more perfectly10 and 
taught not  only to understand1 but also
 8to observe all things whatsoever      
,christ has  commanded40    ,long before
 the time of ,john the ,baptist1 8divers
 baptisms0 had been  practised by the   
,jews4  ,they appear to have been in the
 habit of  baptizing1 as well as of     
circumcising1 the households which were 
proselyted from heathenism to ,judaism4 
,they had therefore become  familiar    
with the ceremony1 and consequently     
expressed no surprise that  ,john should
 come among them baptizing with water4  
,john indeed baptized  unto repentance1 
and he refused this baptism to none by  
whom it was  requested4  ,the apostles  

baptized unto ,christ2 and therefore    
unto his  death1 his burial1 and his    
resurrection--unto all that he had done 
and  suffered as the mediator between   
,god and man4  ,and when they go forth  
to  make disciples of all nations1 how  
exactly their practice corresponds  with
 the principles ,i have stated4  ,these 
apostles were ,jews4  ,they  rejoiced in
 the exceeding great and precious       
promise which ,god had made  to ,abraham
 and to them1 8,i will be a ,god unto   
thee1 and unto thy seed  after thee40   
,authorised and encouraged by this      
promise1 they had been  accustomed to   
disciple and to dedicate their children 
by circumcision1  which one of them     
calls 8a yoke upon the neck of the      
disciples40  ,on  the day of ,pentecost1
 they began their work by declaring that
 the same  promise that had been the    
hope of ,jews1 was now given to the     
,gentiles  also1 and to their children4 
,they made the same distinction between 
the  children of ,christian parents and 

other children1 that they had been      
accustomed to make between the children 
of ,jews and of heathens2 for they      
called the one class 8unclean10 and the 
other class 8holy20 8else were  your    
children unclean1 but now are they      
holy20 that is1 externally and          
ceremonially holy--holy as all children 
are who are discipled and  consecrated  
unto ,christ4  ,they made baptism1 just 
what circumcision was1  a domestic as   
well as a parental service4  ,they      
baptized the family as  well as the man2
 not as an extraordinary circumstance1  
but as a common  practice2 just as our  
missionaries do1 who are placed in      
circumstances  similar to those of the  
apostles2 and who baptize not only men  
and women1  but families also--the      
household of ,stephanas2 ,lydia and her 
household2  the jailor1 and all his     
straightway4  ,when they wrote epistles 
to the  churches which they had         
baptized1 they addressed children as    
well as  parents1 and appealed to them  

in the name of the ,lord4  ,and though  
the  history of their labours extends   
over a period of sixty years1 yet in all
  that time they baptized none but ,jews
 and heathens2 they never baptized  any 
adult1 who was an infant when his       
parents were baptized2 nor is there  an 
instance upon record1 of a person who   
had been taught the gospel from  his    
infancy1 and whose baptism was deferred 
till the maturity of life4    ,the      
argument on behalf of the baptism of    
infants1 which has been thus  briefly   
and imperfectly sketched1 is full of    
conviction and satisfaction2  it is an  
argument for the understanding and the  
heart2 and it is in  blessed harmony    
with all that a believer desires on     
behalf of his  children4  ,we thank ,god
 for it2 and we thank ,god that having  
withheld a  direct and formal precept   
for the practice1 he has been pleased to
 make  known his will to us in such a   
way1 as enables us more fully to        
understand and to appreciate his word4  

,we consider that baptism in any  case1 
but especially to our children1 is a    
valuable privilege2 not indeed  as a    
mere ceremony1 but as a token of the    
goodwill of our heavenly  ,father4  ,we 
regard the rainbow1 not merely because  
of the beauty of its  arch1 but because 
it betokens the covenant which preserves
 the earth1 and  perpetuates the        
seasons4  ,and we regard baptism1 not   
superstitiously1 as  if it contained    
some mystic charm1 but because it is a  
memorial of ,god's  covenant mercy1 and 
the means by which our offspring are    
dedicated and  discipled4  ,and we      
regard it too1 because it is an         
institution which is  in beautiful      
harmony with the whole system of        
revelation1 in the ,old and  ,new       
,testaments4  ,as the substitute for    
circumcision1 it connects the  church at
 its origin1 with the church in its     
progress1 and in its gospel  maturity4  
,whilst the promise1 8,i will be a ,god 
unto thee1 and unto thy  seed after     

thee10 remains the same1 baptism now    
attaches to it the sign  and the seal   
which was once affixed by circumcision4 
,the language and  the conduct of       
,christ to little children1 in the case 
before us1 is in  perfect harmony with  
their baptism1 and with all the         
principles on which  their baptism is   
practised4  ,and when the apostles      
baptized households2  when they called  
the children of believers 8not unclean  
but holy20 and  when they addressed     
children in the epistles which they     
wrote to the  churches1 they adopted a  
style of speaking and of action1 which  
is not  only in accordance with infant  
baptism1 but which would not have been  
used if they had considered infants     
unfit for the ordinance4  ,there are    
indeed some christians1 worthy of our   
esteem and love1 who do not  perceive   
the force of this great argument1 and   
who1 therefore1 deny to  their children 
the blessed privilege which we          
thankfully enjoy4  ,but it  was not so  

formerly4  ,the nearer we approach to   
apostolic times1 the more  the practice 
of the church accords with the          
principles ,i have advocated2  and the  
most careful and learned ecclesiastical 
historians bear  undeniable testimony to
 the fact1 that for hundreds of years1  
immediately  after the apostles1 the    
baptism of infants was universal in the 
church4    ,,ii4  ,in proceeding1 from  
the subject of infant baptism generally1
 to  consider the baptism of the ,prince
 of ,wales1 ,i cannot1 with propriety1  
refrain from adverting to some          
appendages which will be made to his    
baptism1 and which the ,church of       
,england sanctions1 but which ,i        
conceive  to be unscriptural and        
injurious4  ,i allude principally to the
 sponsors2  to the sign of the cross2   
and to the doctrine of baptismal        
regeneration4    ,the persons who are   
most interested in the baptism of a     
child are its own  parents4  ,they are  
its natural guardians2 and they are its 

divinely  appointed ministers1 to       
dedicate it to ,god1 and to plead on its
 behalf  the promise of the everlasting 
covenant4  ,but in the ,church of       
,england1  the parents seem to be       
entirely excluded from participating in 
the  service4  ,the twenty-ninth canon  
declares1 not only that 8no parent shall
  be admitted to answer as godfather for
 his own child10 but that 8no  parent   
shall be even urged to be present0 at   
its baptism4  ,and when the  parents are
 thus wrongfully set aside1 another     
class of persons are  introduced1 called
 sponsors--godfathers and godmothers1   
who may indeed  be relatives or friends 
of the child1 but who sometimes are     
entire  strangers1 and who may be       
foreigners residing in a distant        
country4  ,the  appointment of such     
persons1 however ancient1 is not        
scriptural2 and  however desirable they 
may appear to be1 when the parents are  
dead1 they  are worse than useless when 
the parents are living4  ,the           

responsibility  which these sponsors    
take upon themselves is indescribably   
awful4  ,standing in the presence of    
,god1 they solemnly promise and vow that
 the  child shall renounce the devil and
 all his works1 the pomps and vanity of 
this wicked world1 and all the sinful   
lusts of the flesh2 that he shall       
believe all the articles of the         
christian faith2 and that he shall keep 
,god's holy will and commandments1 and  
walk in the same all the days of  his   
life4  ,such are the things which every 
sponsor engages shall be done2  and ,i  
ask1 ought any human being to enter into
 such an engagement8  ,if he  does enter
 into it1 will the ,lord hold him       
guiltless if he does not  fulfil it8    
,and yet how often is this solemn vow   
addressed to ,god1 by the  thoughtless  
and profane8  ,and how many sponsors1   
when they have made it1  never          
afterwards care for the soul of the     
child1 and perhaps never  afterwards see
 its face4    ,in imitation of the      

,church of ,rome1 the ,church of        
,england uses the sign  of the cross in 
baptism2 and having poured water on the 
child1 the  priest marks him on the     
forehead with a cross1 8in token that   
hereafter  he shall not be ashamed to   
confess the faith of ,christ crucified1 
and  manfully to fight under his        
banner40  ,this ceremony is not         
authorized by  the ,scriptures4  ,the   
sign of the cross was never used by     
,christ and his  apostles1 either as a  
part of baptism1 or as an appendage to  
it4  ,the  ,church of ,england1         
therefore1 has no right to command it4  
,by so doing1  she renders imperative   
what ,christ has not required1 and what 
many of his  people deem a vain         
superstition4    ,but the most          
objectionable part of the service1 is   
that which ascribes to  baptism         
regenerating efficacy1 by which the soul
 of the child is said  to be purified   
and saved4  ,the language used by the   
,church of ,england on  this subject1 is

 as follows3--8,dearly beloved brethren1
 this child is  regenerate1 and grafted 
into the body of ,christ's church40     
8,we yield  thee hearty thanks1 most    
merciful ,father1 that it hath pleased  
thee to  regenerate this infant with thy
 ,holy ,spirit1 to receive him for thine
 own  child by adoption1 and to         
incorporate him into thy holy church40  
8,i  certify you1 that in this case all 
is well done concerning the baptizing   
of this child2 who1 being born in       
original sin1 and in the wrath of ,god1 
is now by the laver of regeneration in  
baptism1 received into the number  of   
the children of ,god1 and heirs of      
everlasting life40  ,in accordance  with
 these declarations1 the child himself  
is afterwards taught to say by  the     
catechism1--8in my baptism1 wherein ,i  
was made a member of ,christ1 the  child
 of ,god1 and an inheritor of the       
kingdom of heaven40  ,and when this     
same child is brought for confirmation1 
his baptismal regeneration is  declared 

and ratified by the bishop1 when he     
says1 8,almighty and  everlasting ,god1 
who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these 
thy servants by  water and the ,holy    
,ghost1 and hast given unto them        
forgiveness of all  their sins40  ,all  
this1 you perceive is the language not  
of a commentator  but of the ,church    
herself1 uttered by her formularies1 in 
which she  plainly1 emphatically1 and   
repeatedly declares1 that all the       
children she  baptizes are1 by their    
baptism1 spiritually regenerated1 so as 
to be the  pardoned1 adopted1 and       
purified children of ,god4  ,so         
decidedly is this  doctrine the belief  
of the ,established ,church1 that the   
liturgy seems to  be constructed        
entirely on the principle that all her  
members are  spiritually renewed4       
,there is in it1 confession of sin1 and 
petition for  pardon1 such as any       
regenerated person might offer1 but     
there is in it no  prayer that any in   
the congregation may be born again1 and 

renewed in the  spirit of their mind2   
for that is a change which it is        
supposed has  already taken place in    
baptism4  ,if1 however1 it should be    
thought that  we attach too strong a    
meaning to her language1 listen to a    
statement  contained in the charge1     
which the present bishop of ,exeter     
delivered to  his clergy in the year    
#ahcf4  8,the church10 says he1 8is a   
visible body1  into which its members   
are admitted by a visible sign1 the     
sacrament of  the new life2 in baptism  
is regeneration2 without it we have no  
warrant  of scripture to affirm that the
 new birth takes place at all2 without  
it  we are yet in our sins1 in a state  
of spiritual death1 of enmity with      
,god1 and of fellowship with the arch   
enemy in his hatred1 and in its         
everlasting punishment60  ,now1 in the  
first place1 this doctrine of  baptismal
 regeneration is unscriptural1 and      
utterly subversive of the  gospel of    
,christ4  ,no writer in the ,new        

,testament ascribes spiritual  efficacy 
to water baptism4  ,john declares that  
he could baptize with  water only1 and  
that ,christ alone could baptize with   
the ,holy ,ghost and  with fire4  ,paul 
thanks ,god that he had baptized but few
 of the  ,corinthians1 and declares that
 ,christ sent him not to baptize but to 
preach the gospel1 which certainly would
 not have been the case if  baptism     
effected regeneration4  ,there is indeed
 a baptism1 emphatically  called the    
8one baptism10 which does regenerate and
 save2 but it is not  water baptism2 it 
is not 8the putting away the filth of   
the flesh20 it is  not ceremonial       
purification2 but it is 8the renewing of
 the ,holy ,ghost10  and 8the answer of 
a good conscience toward ,god40  ,what  
has been said of  circumcision1 may1    
therefore1 with equal propriety1 be said
 of baptism2  8,he is not a ,christian  
who is one outwardly2 neither is that   
baptism  which is outward in the flesh2 
but he is a ,christian who is one       

inwardly2  and baptism is that of the   
heart1 in the spirit1 and not in the    
letter2  whose praise is not of men1 but
 of ,god40  ,secondly1 the doctrine of  
baptismal regeneration is injurious to  
the souls of men4  ,there is a  strong  
tendency in the depraved heart of man to
 exalt ceremonies above  morals1 and to 
substitute ritual observances for       
spiritual religion4  ,this has been     
done1 both with circumcision and with   
baptism4  ,some of the  ,jews taught    
circumcisional regeneration1 and        
declared that every  circumcised man was
 safe4  ,precisely the same error has   
been connected  with baptism2 and       
equally injurious consequences follow4  
,by thus  substituting a ceremony for   
faith and for divine influence1 and by  
ascribing to that ceremony what the     
,spirit of ,god alone can secure1 the   
word of ,god is made of none effect2    
spiritual religion is reduced to a      
merely mechanical operation2 the        
worldly-minded and the immoral are      

taught to regard themselves as pardoned 
and saved1 because they have been       
baptized2 and thus thousands perish1    
whose blood will be required at the     
watchman's hand4  ,and thirdly1 this    
doctrine1 independently of other        
circumstances1 renders our nonconformity
 with the ,church of ,england1  and our 
dissent from its services1 a solemn and 
imperative duty4  ,when the present     
,prayer ,book was issued on ,st4        
,bartholomew's day1 in  #affb1 and an   
8unfeigned assent and consent0 to the   
doctrine of baptismal  regeneration1 and
 to other antichristian doctrines1 was  
demanded1 no less  than two thousand    
clergymen refused their signatures4     
,they could not1  with a good           
conscience1 declare 8that the ,book of  
,common ,prayer  containeth in it       
nothing contrary to the word of ,god20  
and therefore they  retired from the    
church in which they had ministered1 and
 submitted to  much poverty and         
persecution4  ,while we desire to value 

whatever is  scriptural in that church1 
and while we would love all who love    
,christ1  yet1 with our convictions of  
the unscriptural character of this      
doctrine1  and of other doctrines taught
 in its liturgy1 conformity would be a  
sin1  a wilful and presumptuous sin1 for
 which we should have to answer in the  
great and terrible day of the ,lord4    
,,iii4  ,having thus stated the doctrine
 of infant baptism as it is taught  in  
the ,scriptures1 and having shown you   
what is objectionable in the  baptismal 
service of the ,church of ,england1 ,i  
desire now to connect this  latter part 
of the discourse more immediately with  
the former2 and  therefore keeping in   
view the baptism of the prince1 ,i shall
 address you  as subjects1 as parents1  
and as children4    ,as subjects of the 
,british throne1 the feelings with which
 you hailed  the accession of our       
beloved ,queen ,victoria are1 ,i am     
persuaded1 still  fresh and joyous in   
your hearts4  ,her youth2 her education2

 her deceased  father1 and her still    
living and honoured mother2 her known   
attachment to  civil and religious      
liberty1 inherited from her royal       
ancestors of the  ,house of ,brunswick2 
and her virtuous character2 all         
conspired to brighten  and to bless the 
day of her accession1 and to fill our   
hearts with joy  and praise4  ,nor did  
we fail1 as members of the ,church of   
,christ1 to make  her the subject of    
special1 fervent1 and united prayer4    
,and it is a most  important and        
impressive fact1 that probably no       
sovereign1 either in  ,britain or in any
 other nation under heaven1 ever        
ascended a throne  accompanied by more  
earnest and affectionate supplications  
than ,queen  ,victoria did4  ,may all   
those prayers be answered1 in the divine
  bestowment of a long and prosperous   
reign1 followed by a holy and a happy   
eternity6  ,nor did the royal marriage  
tend to lessen either our joy or  hope4 
,it enhanced them both4  ,prince ,albert

 is favourably known to the  lovers of  
protestantism and of piety in this      
country1 as the branch of an            
illustrious family1 which at the era of 
the ,reformation1 protected and         
patronized the immortal ,luther1 when he
 was kindling in ,germany that  sacred  
flame which rapidly spread through this 
county1 and consumed many  of the       
corruptions and abominations of popery4 
,and now1 the royal pair  having become 
parents the second time--the parents of 
a prince1 and heir  apparent to the     
,british throne1 we earnestly pray that 
his baptism may be  accompanied and     
followed by an unction from the ,holy   
,one1 and that he may  grow1 as the     
,babe of ,bethlehem grew1 8in wisdom and
 in stature1 and in  favour with both   
,god and man40  ,vast indeed is the     
influence and the  responsibility to    
which1 as a ,british prince1 he is      
probably destined2  and much indeed1    
under ,god1 will depend on the education
 he may receive2  on the talents he may 

possess2 and especially upon the moral  
and  religious character he may acquire4
  ,in his reign1 if he be spared to     
reign1 and if not before his reign1 rank
 and wealth may have to yield  more of  
their influence to intellect and        
character1 and the many may have  to    
take a still greater share in those     
national affairs which are now          
principally conducted by the            
comparatively few4  ,ancient monopolies1
  however serviceable they may have been
 in former times2 and  ecclesiastical   
establishments1 injurious at all times1 
will have to  endure a more searching   
examination than they have even yet     
experienced1  and will probably have to 
give way to better institutions4  ,and  
in the  prospect of these               
changes--changes which seem demanded by 
the interests of  the nation and of the 
,church of ,christ3 and changes which   
will require1  in their introduction and
 completion1 much of wisdom1 human and  
divine1  we feel the necessity of       

constant earnest prayer1 that our rulers
 and our  fellow subjects may be all    
under the guidance of 8,him1 by whom    
kings  reign1 and princes decree        
justice40  ,believing too that the      
principles1  on which the congregational
 churches in this country are founded1  
are  scriptural principles1 and that    
they are favourable to civil and        
religious liberty1 to all the national  
interests1 and to the purity and        
progress of christian truth1 we desire  
to maintain them1 as our  forefathers   
did1 firmly and devoutly2 especially    
now1 when attempts are  making to extend
 among us the superstitions of popery1  
and the fatal  results of priestly      
domination4  ,if the existence of an    
,established  ,church in this country1  
renders us dissenters1 we trust that we 
are not  dissenters from the ,church of 
,christ4  ,our motto is1 ,conformity to 
the  ,church of ,christ in every thing2 
and nonconformity to every church which 
has dissented from ,christ's            

institutions4  ,these are principles1   
brethren1 which are too sacred and      
important1 not only to be trifled  with1
 but even to be advocated by carnal and 
worldly minds4  ,they belong  to 8a     
kingdom which is not of this world20 and
 we pray that all by whom  they are     
professed1 may be equally desirous 8to  
render unto ,cesar the  things which are
 ,cesar's1 and unto ,god the things     
which are ,god's40    ,in addressing you
 as parents1 who have dedicated your    
children to ,god  by baptism1 ,i would  
affectionately remind you of the duties 
which you owe  both to yourselves and to
 them4  ,the apostle tells you that     
8they are not  unclean but holy0--holy1 
as the sabbath and the temple were2 and 
holy as  all children are who are       
dedicated to ,god by a religious rite4  
,when you  brought them to the waters of
 baptism1 you thereby testified your    
conviction of their depravity and of    
their need of cleansing grace2 you      
thereby testified your belief that the  

great promise1 8,i will be a ,god  unto 
thee1 and unto thy seed after thee10    
which was once to the ,jews1 is  now    
unto you and unto your children2 and at 
the same time you testified  your       
intention 8to teach them to observe all 
things whatsoever ,christ has           
commanded40  ,remember then1 that the   
great and blessed privilege which  you  
have enjoyed1 is connected with         
corresponding obligations4  ,having     
given your children to ,god by baptism1 
you are to regard them as being         
peculiarly his2 and you are to regard   
yourselves not as their  proprietors1   
but as trustees1 appointed by ,christ1  
to train them up for  the church1 and   
for the service of their ,lord and      
,master4  ,baptism1 you  are aware1 does
 not constitute a man a member of any   
particular church2  but it gives him a  
ceremonial qualification for membership4
  ,and this is  just the position in    
which baptism has placed your children4 
,they are  candidates for communion with

 the church2 and1 as 8holy children10   
they  possess the ceremonial            
qualification for communion4  ,now1 as  
you have  been the means of giving them 
the one qualification1 you may also be  
the  means of giving them the other4    
,you may1 through the divine blessing1  
be  the means of making them spiritually
 as well as ceremonially holy4  ,and  it
 is the will of ,god that you should4   
,for that purpose he has committed  them
 to your charge2 for that purpose he has
 authorized you to baptize  them2 and   
for that purpose he has given you the   
blessed assurance1  8,believe on the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be 
saved1 ,,and ,,thy  ,,house40  ,one of  
the great principles on which the ,god  
of mercy acts1 in  his moral government 
of the world1 is to bless children for  
the sake of  their believing parents2   
and the number of such children which   
are  received into our churches1 and    
which are engaged in the christian      
ministry1 is an evidence of the fact1   

and of the faithfulness of ,him by  whom
 the promises are made4  ,but you are   
not to expect this blessing             
unconditionally2 nor are you to expect  
it from the mere fact of their  baptism4
  ,when ,god made promise to ,abraham1  
and gave him the sign of  circumcision  
as the token of his covenant1 he made   
the fulfilment of that  promise to      
depend on ,abraham's personal piety1 and
 on the religious  education of his     
children4  8,abraham10 said he1 8shall  
surely become a  great and mighty       
nation1 and all the nations of the earth
 shall be  blessed in him4  ,for ,i know
 him1 that he will command his children 
and  his household after him1 and they  
shall keep the way of the ,lord to do   
justice and judgment1 that the ,lord may
 bring upon ,abraham that which he  hath
 spoken of him40  ,and in like manner   
you are to be known to ,god1 and  to    
command your children and your household
 after you1 to keep the way of  the     
,lord1 and to do justice and judgment4  

,as parents1 you are to have  and to    
exercise authority in your own families4
  ,you are not only to  advise and to   
recommend1 but you are to command1 and  
to be obeyed4  ,you  are 8to rule your  
children and your own houses well2      
having your children  in subjection with
 all gravity2 teaching them to observe  
all things  whatsoever ,christ has      
commanded20 and ever1 acting in         
accordance with the  vow which you have 
made1 8as for me1 and my house1 we will 
serve the  ,lord40  ,having baptized    
your children unto ,christ1 you have    
motives and  encouragements of the most 
powerful and constraining character1 to 
8bring  them up in the nurture and      
admonition of the ,lord40  ,you can     
appeal to  them by the fact that you    
have given them to ,christ2 that you    
8have  opened your mouth unto the ,lord 
concerning them1 and you cannot go      
back20  and that1 by their baptism1 they
 and you have incurred responsibilities 
from which neither of you can be        

released1 and which should lead both of 
you to serious consideration1 and to    
unreserved consecration to ,god4  ,oh6  
then1 christian parents1 use the power  
and the privilege which ,god hath  thus 
put into your hands2 use them in        
connection with earnest and  unceasing  
prayer2 enforce them by consistent and  
holy example2 cherish  8the full        
assurance of hope0 that1 through the    
grace of ,god1 you will  succeed4  ,and 
you shall succeed2 8the ,lord will bring
 upon you that which  he hath spoken40  
8,he will be a ,god unto you1 and unto  
your seed after  you40  ,your house     
shall be saved as well as yourself4     
8,he will pour out  his ,spirit upon    
your seed1 and his blessing upon your   
offspring2 and they  shall spring up as 
among the grass1 as willows by the water
 courses4  ,one  shall say ,i am the    
,lord's2 another shall call himself by  
the name of  ,jacob2 and another shall  
subscribe with his hand unto the ,lord1 
and  surname himself by the name of     

,israel40    ,finally1 ,i appeal to you 
as baptized children2 and while ,i      
congratulate  you on the blessed        
privilege of having been dedicated to   
,god in your  infancy1 ,i would         
seriously admonish you of the           
obligations and  responsibility which   
your baptism has imposed4  ,almost as   
soon as your  existence commenced1 you  
were brought to an ordinance which1 like
 the bow  on the cloud1 is the sign of  
,god's better and enduring covenant4    
,when  you were almost as unconscious as
 the cloud on which the rainbow shines1 
,god fixed upon you the sign and the    
seal of his new covenant  righteousness4
  ,he did not wait till you had attained
 to years of  maturity1 or even of      
intelligence2 but before you could      
understand1 he  taught you2 before you  
could hear1 he spoke to you2 and his    
significant  language was1 8,you are    
come into a world of mercy as well as of
 pollution  and sin2 and this baptismal 
water is an emblem of that #8blood of   

sprinkling1' through which mercy may    
come to you40  ,that baptism1 beloved   
young friends1 has brought you into     
circumstances of great  responsibility4 
,it is an evidence that you were born   
into the midst of  gospel privileges4   
,it is a mark by which you are known to 
have been  dedicated to ,god4  ,it is a 
mark which never can be obliterated2    
which no  human efforts can wash out2   
which you will carry to the grave2 and  
which  will be found upon you at the bar
 of ,god6  ,with this mark upon you1    
there  you will stand1 not as 8unclean  
children0 and heathens1 but as 8the     
children of the kingdom20 as disciples  
who have been introduced into  ,christ's
 school1 and taught to observe all      
things whatsoever ,christ has           
commanded4  ,by that baptism which you  
have received1 and by those  commands   
which you have been taught to observe1  
you will then be judged4  ,and what will
 be your end1 if you obey not the gospel
 of ,god6  ,in your  case especially1   

obedience is expected1 because1 in your 
case1 it is  especially encouraged4  ,if
 there was much profit in circumcision1 
because  that unto them were committed  
the oracles of ,god1 how much more      
profit is  there in baptism1 because to 
you are committed1 not only the ,old    
,testament oracles1 but the ,new4  ,if  
he that was circumcised became  thereby 
8a debtor to do the whole law10 and 8to 
fulfil all its  righteousness10 how much
 more are you1 the baptized1 debtors to 
believe  and to practice 8the glorious  
gospel40  ,you have been baptized unto  
,christ1 have you put on ,christ8  ,you 
have been ceremonially qualified for    
church communion1 are you spiritually   
qualified8  ,you have been dedicated  to
 ,god by others in your baptism1 have   
you dedicated yourselves to ,god8  ,you 
have been 8born of water10 have you been
 8born of the ,spirit80 8for  except a  
man be born of water and of the ,spirit1
 he cannot enter into the  kingdom of   
,god40  ,nay1 except you go back to your

 own infancy1 and become  spiritually   
now1 what you were naturally            
then--8except ye be converted and       
become as little children1 ye shall not 
enter into the kingdom of  heaven20 and 
8,,verily ,i ,,say ,,unto ,,you1        
,,whosoever ,,shall ,,not ,,receive     
,,the  ,,kingdom ,,of ,,god ,,as ,a     
,,little ,,child ,,he ,,shall ,,not     
,,enter ,,therein40                     
99 99 99 99 99                          
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,printed ,,by ,,josiah ,,fletcher1     
,,norwich4