" into the water, dipped them all over, and fo took them out again; and upon the "fincerity of their change, promised them the remiffion of their fins, and told "them of the Meffiah which was fuddenly to appear among them, and warned "them to believe on him." The inftances of washing in the pool of Siloam, in Solomon's ten lavers, or the hands in a bason, mentioned by our author, are very impertinent; and befides, fuch washing is not performed without dipping. Who ever washes his hands without dipping them in the water he washes in?

2. Another text mentioned, is John iii. 23. John was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there. Upon which this writer observes, that "the words in the original are many waters; which implies many springs "or brooks of water; waters fuited to the neceffity and conveniency of the "vast multitudes that resorted to John, as a supply of drink for themselves, and for the horses and camels which they rode upon, as well as for their baptifm. Here is no appearance of dipping in the cafe.-Had John baptized "all these multitudes by dipping, he must have stood almost continually in "water, up to his wafte, and could not have furvived the employment but "by by miracle." To which I reply,

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(1.) Admitting that the words in the original, many waters, imply many fprings or brooks, this fhews there was a confluence of water there; and every body knows, that many fprings and brooks being together, could easily fill large pools, fufficient for immersion; and even form and feed great rivers, which is often the cafe; and befides, the use this author finds for these springs and brooks, requires a confiderable quantity of water, namely, for the vast multitudes of men, and for their horfes and camels; and furely, therefore, there must be a fufficient quantity to cover a man's body in.

(2.) The words ma udara, many waters, fignify a large quantity, great abundance, both in the literal and metaphorical sense of the phrase, as it is used by the evangelift John elsewhere, fee Rev. i. 15. and xvii. 1, 15. and by the Septuagint interpreters, it is used even for the waters of the fea, Pfalm lxxvii. 19. and cvii. 23. and answers to ' ', Mayim Rabbim, in Cant. viii. 7. many waters cannot quench love; which furely muft refer not to a small, but a large quantity of water; and which phrafe there, the Septuagint render by much water, as we do the phrase here.

(3.) These words are given as a reason, not for the conveniency of drink for men and their cattle, but for the baptizing of men, and the conveniency of that; that the men that came to John's baptifm came on horfes and camels, we know not; however, the text affigns no reason for the choice of the place upon the account of convenience for them, but for baptifm only; and therefore, we

fhould

fhould not overlook the reason in the text, that is certain, and receive one, which, at moft, is very precarious and uncertain; befides, John had not, at this time, fuch vaft multitudes that followed him; thofe followed Chrift, and not him: he was decreasing: Chrift made and baptized more difciples than he. See ver. 26, 30. and chap. iv. 1.

(4.) Suppofing that vaft multitudes ftill followed him, and were baptized by him, this affords no argument against dipping in baptifm; and especially fince this was performed in a place where there was much water. Nor was the baptizing of fuch great multitudes by immerfion fo great an undertaking, as that he could not furvive it without a miracle; admit the work to be hard and laborious, yet as his day was, his ftrength was; according to the divine promise. We have had inftances in our own nation, in our climate, of perfons that have baptized great multitudes in rivers, and even in the winter time, and that for many days fucceffively, if credit is to be given to our own writers. Mr Fox the martyrologist, relates", from Fabian, that Austin, archbishop of Canterbury, baptized ten thousand in one day, in the river Swale; and obferves upon it, that whereas he then baptized in rivers, it followeth, there were then no use of fonts. And the fame, Ranulph, the monk of Chefter affirms, in his hiftory, and fays, it was on a day in the middle of winter; and, according to Fox, it was on a Christmas-day. And our historian Bede fays, that Paulinus, for fix and thirty days fucceffively, did nothing else, than inftruct the people, which from all parts flocked unto him, and baptized them that were inftructed in the river Glen; and who alfo baptized in one day vaft numbers in the river Trent, King Edwin being prefent.

(5.) Though, this writer fays, here is no appearance of dipping, in the cafe referred to in the text, yet there are several Pædobaptifts, who are of another opinion, and think there was. Calvin, on the text, thus writes; "from these "words, we may gather, that baptifm was performed by John and Chrift, by "a plunging of the whole body under water." Pifcator, on the place, has thefe words; "this is mentioned, to fignify the rite of baptifm which John used; "namely, plunging the whole body of the man, ftanding in the river; hence, "Chrift, being baptized of John in Jordan, is faid to come up out of the water, "Matt. iii. 16. The fame mode Philip obferved, Ats viii. 38." Aretius, on the paffage, writes in the following manner; " but, why did John stay here? "He gives a reafon, because there was much water here; wherefore penitent per"fons might be commodiously baptized; and, it feems to intimate, that a

☐ Acts and Monuments, vol. I. p. 154.

y Eccles. Hift. 1. II. c. 14. p. 77. & c. 16. p. 79.

x Polychronicon, lib. V. c. 10.

large

large quantity of water was neceffary in baptizing, that they might, perhaps, "immerse the whole body." To which, I fhall only add the words of Grotius, on the clause, much water: "Understand, fays he, not many rivulets, but, fim"ply, a plenty of water; fuch, namely, in which a man's body could easily "be immerfed: In which manner baptifm was then performed."

3. Another text, produced in favour of dipping in baptifm, is Matt. iii. 16. And Jefus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water. Το which is objected, that "there is no more in the original, than that our Sa"viour went up straightway ano, "from the water;" which Greek prepofition

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always naturally fignifies from, but never out of, and therefore, this inftance "can stand in no ftead." But if the prepofition never fignifies out of, it is ftrange that our learned tranflators fhould fo render it here, as alfo the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Perfic, and Ethiopic verfions; and fo it is rendered in the New Teftament in several places, as in Mark xvi. 9. Luke iv. 35, 41. As ii. 9. and xvii. 2. and xxviii. 23. and in others. And, moreover, it should be observed, that this prepofition answers to the Hebrew Min, which fignifies out of, as well as from; and which the Syriac verfion ufes here: And, as a proof of both, let Pfalm xl. 2. be confulted, and the Septuagint verfion of it, where David fays, the Lord brought him up out of an horrible pit, año max 120, and out of the miry clay. And, if our Lord came up out of the water, it is a clear cafe, that he must have been in it; that he went down into it, in order to be baptized; and that he was baptized in it: And, is it reasonable to think, he should be baptized in the river Jordan, in any other way, than by immerfion? the note of Pifcator, upon the preceding text.

See

4. A&s viii. 38, 39. goes in company with the former; and they went down both into the water-and when they were come up out of the water. And the following remark is made; "there can be no more proved from this text, than "that Philip and the Eunuch went down to the water, and came up from it. "The prepofitions, rendered into, naturally fignifies unto, and is commonly "fo used in the New Teftament- and the prepofition ex, rendered out of, pro"perly fignifies from-fo that there is no evidence from this text, that the "Eunuch was baptized by dipping." Here our author feems to have in view, a very falfe piece of criticifm, frequently used upon this text; as if the going down into the water fignified no more, than going down to the bank of the water, to the water-fide: And, to fupport which, his fenfe of the prepofitions, which he would have rendered unto, is calculated. But, it fhould be obferved, that the historian relates in ver. 36. that, before this, they were come to a certain water, to the water-fide; and, therefore, this, their going down, must be into it. Wherefore, as it cannot be denied, but that this prepofition frequently fignifies

into, it must have this fignification here; and this determines, and fettles the sense of the other preposition, and shews, that that must be rendered, as it is, out of; feeing, whereas they went down into the water, when they came up, it must be out of it: All which gives evidence, that the Eunuch was baptized by dipping. Calvin thought fo, who, on the text, has these words; "hic perfpi"cimus, &c. Here we fee, what was the manner of baptizing with the antients, "for they plunged the whole body into water."

5. The last text, mentioned in the debate, is Romans vi. 4. We are buried with him by baptifm into death. Where baptism is called a burial; a burial with Christ, a representation and resemblance of his; which it cannot be, unless it is administered by dipping. But this writer obferves, it is alfo faid, we are baptized into Chrift's death; and afks, "What resemblance is there in baptifm to "Chrift's dying upon the cross, if we are baptized by dipping? Was there

any thing like dipping in our Saviour's crucifixion?-would you have fuch "a manner of death refembled in baptifm, by drowning men when you baptize "them? And affirms, that this text has no reference at all to the imitation ei"ther of Chrift's death or burial, or to any particular mode of adminiftering "that ordinance; but the scope is to fhew us our obligation, by baptism, unto "a conformity to the death and refurrection of Chrift, by dying unto fin, and "rifing again unto newness of life." But, we have feen already, that there is a resemblance between the crucifixion and death of Chrift and baptifm, as administered by dipping. The overwhelming fufferings of Chrift are fitly signified, by a perfon's being plunged into water; and a great likeness there is between. the burial of Christ and baptism, as performed by immersion: And, indeed, there is no other mode of adminiftering that ordinance, that can represent a burial, but immerfion. And be it fo, that the scope of the place is to fhew us our obligation, by baptifm, unto a conformity to the death and refurrection of Christ, by dying unto fin, and rifing again to newness of life; then that ordinance ought to be so administered, that it may reprefent unto us, the death and refurrection of Chrift, and our dying unto fin, and rifing unto newness of life; which are done, in a moft lively manner, by an immersion into water, and an emerfion out of it. And, that there is an allufion, in this paffage, to the prie mitive mode of baptizing by dipping, is acknowledged by many divines and annotators; too many to recite: I will juft mention two or three. The Affembly of divines, on this place, fay, "in this phrafe, the apostle feemeth "to allude to the ancient manner of baptifm; which was to dip the parties bap"tized, and, as it were, to bury them under the water, for a while; and then "to draw them out of it, and lift them up, to reprefent the burial of our old

"man,

"man, and our refurrection to newness of life." Dr Hammond's paraphrase of the words, is this; "it is a thing, that every chriftian knows, that the immer"fion in baptifm, refers to the death of Chrift; the putting the perfon baptiz"ed into the water, denotes and proclaims the death and burial of Chrift; and "fignifies our undertaking in baptifm, that we will give over all the fins of our "former lives (which is our being buried together with Chrift, or baptized into "his death) that fo we may live that regenerate new life (anfwerable to Chrift's "refurrection) which confifts in a courfe of all fanctity, a constant christian "walk all our days." So Pifcator, on the text, "videtur refpicere ad veterem "ritum, &c. It seems to refpect the antient rite, when, in the whole body, they were plunged into water, and fo were, as if they had been buried; and "immediately were drawn out again, as out of a grave." But,

Fourthly, This writer thinks, it is not probable, from the inftances of adminiftering this ordinance in fcripture, that it was performed by dipping. And, 1. He obferves, "that in As ii. 41. there were three thousand baptized in Jerufalem, in one day; most certainly, adds he, towards the clofe of the day; "and asks, was there any probability (I had almost faid poffibility) that they "fhould all be baptized by dipping, in fo fhort a time? Or, is it probable "that they could fo fuddenly find water fufficient in that city, for the dipping of "fuch a multitude; efpecially while they were fo firmly attached to the ceremo“nial institution, which made it unlawful for two perfons to be dipped in the "fame veffel of water.' To which I reply,

(1.) That though three thousand were added to the church on one and the fame day, it does not neceffarily follow from the text, that they were all baptized in one day, the words do not oblige to fuch a sense; I am indeed willing to allow it, and am of opinion they were baptized in one day; though it does not appear that it was most certainly at the clofe of the day, as this writer affirms; for it was but the third hour, or nine o'clock in the morning, when Peter began his fermon, which does not seem to be a long one; and when that was ended, after some discourse with the converted perfons, and exhortations to them, this ordinance was administered. And if Austin, as we have seen from our hiftorians, could baptize ten thousand in a short winter's day, it need not feem improbable, and much less impoffible, that three thousand should be bap-. tized, even at the close of a day; when it is confidered that there were twelve apostles to adminifter baptifm to them, and it was but two hundred and fifty perfons apiece; and befides, there were the feventy difciples, who were adminiftrators of this ordinance; and fuppofing them all employed, they would have no more than fix or feven and thirty perfons apiece to baptize; and as for VOL. II.

S s

the