ideas into Christian spheres, Jewish modes and conditions into the Christian order and economy-just as Peter's Jewish language, when he said, in his pentecostal speech, 'to you and to your children,' finally came back to him in its Christian power, -it would make no bold and staring figure any where. If the Christian teachers looked to see all the better mercies of the old economy transferred into the Christian, and exalted there into some higher and more perfect meaning, we ought certainly not to expect any debate, or anything but a silent, scarcely conscious flow of transition, when infants are taken to be with their parents, in the church, the covenant, the Christian Israel of their faith. And in just this way the defect of any bold declarations on the subject of infant baptism in the writings of the New Testament, and the fact that it appears only in a few historic glimpses, and occasional modes of speech. that are subtle implications of the fact, is sufficiently accounted for."

Dr. Bushnell intimates that infant baptism came to pass, just as Peter's Jewish language, when he said, in his Pentecostal speech to you and to your children,' finally came back to him in its Christian power." But what is here assumed as an illustrating fact, our readers will perceive, is only an imagination.

Had infant baptism been transferred into the Christian. dispensation by a transference of Jewish ideas into Christian spheres, Jewish modes and conditions into the christian order and economy, that is, had it, as Dr. Bushnell elsewhere represents, been intuitively transferred, it could not have failed of being mentioned somewhere in the New Testament, which so frequently, and in so great a variety of connections, introduces the subject of baptism. For one moment, let us think of the consultation at Jerusalem respecting circumcision, as it is recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts. Here, if infant baptism came into use, either in the place of infant circumcision, or on the same principle, either among the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem, or among the Gentile Christians at Antioch, the fact could not have been passed over in silence. Let us think, too, of the account respecting Philip's preaching

When they believed

to the people in the city of Samaria. Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.* If children were baptized on account of the faith of their parents, why does not the record add the words, and their children? But we will not detain our readers with instances of silence, where silence cannot be well accounted for, if there was such a practice as that of which we are speaking.

In the close of the last extract, Dr. Bushnell acknowledges that, in the New Testament, infant baptism "appears only in a few historic glimpses, and occasional modes of speech that are subtle implications of the fact." Whether it appears there at all or not, we shall by and by endeavor to ascertain, and to put our readers in the way of ascertaining.

"But," continues Dr. Bushnell, "we are inquiring after the mode in which this rite became an accepted element of the Christian organization, and a part of the church practice, as we certainly know that it did at sometime afterward. Peter probably conceived as little what his language might infor respecting it, as he certainly did what hidden import there was in his testimony, by the same words, of grace to the Gentiles; for he spoke in prophetic exaltation, as the ancient prophets did, not knowing what the spirit of Christ did signify. But suppose one of these adult converts at the Pentecost to have set off, after the few happy weeks of his sojourn are ended, for his home in some remote region of Arabia, Parthia, or Greece. He carries Christ with him, he is a new man, filled with a strange joy, burning with a strange, all-sacrificing love to the cause of his new Master, and to every sinner of mankind. He begins to preach the Christ he loves to his friends, tells them all he knows of the new gospel, speaks to them as one whom Christ has endowed with power to speak. He gathers a little circle, which we may call a church, around him, perhaps converts a little obscure synagogue into a church. He knows that he himself was baptized as a token of his faith, and he has heard a thousand times repeated, Christ's words,

*Acts vii: 12

'he that believeth and is baptized,' 'except a man be born of water and of the spirit,' and he does not scruple to baptize all his new fellow disciples. Then comes the question, what of the families? what of the infants we have, who are not old enough to believe? This, on the supposition that he had heard nothing of infant baptism before he left Jerusalem, which may or may not be true. But he has heard the whole story of Christ's life many times over, including the fact of his beautiful interest in children, and his declaration, ' Of such is the kingdom.' He recollects also the ancient religion of his people; how it identified always the children with the fathers, and included them in the covenant of the fathers, raising doubtless the question, whether the gospel in its nobler, wider generosity and completer grace, would fall short even of the old religion in its tenderness to the family affections, and its provisions for the religious unity of families. And just here, we will suppose, the words of Peter, in that first sermon, flash on his recollection--for the promise is to you and to your children.' They meant almost nothing, it may be, when they were spoken, but how full and clear the meaning they now take! It is like a revelation. The doubt struggling in his bosom is over, the question is settled. My children,' he says, ' are with me, one with me in my faith, included with me in all my titles and hopes, and as I came in, out of the defilements of sin, and was baptized in token of my cleansing, so too are they to share my baptism and be heirs together with me in the grace of life.'

"Thus instructed, he will baptize his children, and make his religion a strictly family grace, expecting them to grow up in it; others also consenting with him in the same conclusion, and offering their children to God in the same manner. And, as the result, they will no more be Christians with families, but Christian families-all together in the church of God. In this manner, the Pentecost itself, when the seeds that are in it are developed, will almost certainly issue the adult baptism there begun, the baptism of the three thousand, in the common baptism of the house."

As a work of imagination, the picture here presented is

admirable. Why should we undertake to refute it? A voice of heavenly wisdom has proclaimed, "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the

wheat? saith the Lord."*

DR. BUSHNELL'S ARGUMENTS FOR INFANT BAPTISM.

IV.

THE RECEPTION OF YOUNG CHILDREN BY OUR LORD, AND APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY.

Dr. Bushnell states (p. 152) that "Christ comes very near to a specific and formal command of infant baptism, when we put together, side by side, what He says of baptism in the third chapter of John, and what He says concerning infants elsewhere." What He said to Nicodemus, in the third chapter of John, we have already considered. Let us now see what He did and what He said concerning infants and young children, when they were brought to Him, as related by the Evangelists.+ "Suffer the little children," He said, "to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. And He took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." He manifested the tenderest affection and regard for them, in ways adapted to their state; and thus He encouraged all to expect from Him the spiritual blessing that may be needed for our children, as well as for ourselves. But he neither baptized the little ones, nor commanded them to be baptized. Had infant baptism been in accordance with his will, surely He would have given some intimation of it, on an occasion so favorable.

.

One of the discourses in the volume before us is entitled "Apostolic Authority of Infant Baptism ;" and it is based on I Cor. i: 16, I baptized also the house of Stephanas. In

* Jer. xxiii: 28. See Mat. xix: 13 15; Mark x: 13-16; Luke xviii: 15-17.

this Dr. Bushnell presents afresh the organic unity of the family as a ground for the baptism of infants. "The father and mother are not merely a man and a woman, but they are a man and a woman having children; and accordingly it is the father and mother, that is, the man and woman and their children, that are to be baptized." He adds: "It is precisely this great fact of an organic unity that is taken hold of and consecrated, in the field of religion, by the Abrahamic and other family covenants. And the whole course of revelation, both in the Old and New Testament, is tinged by associations, and sprinkled over with expressions that recognize the religious unity of families, and the inclusion of the children with the parents. All the promises run- to you and to your children;' for Peter's language here is only an inspired transfer and re-assertion of the Jewish family ideas, at the earliest moment, in the field of Christianity itself. In this universal religion, therefore, we are to look for the continuance onward of the old family character and the inclusive oneness of fathers with their children. The only difference will be that the oneness will be raised into a more spiritual and higher sense, just as everything else was raised. The children are thus looked upon to be presumptively as believing in the faith, and regenerated in the regeneration of the fathers."

Rather, we would say, the children are looked upon to be what they are, children of believers, to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;-and when they give evidence of being believers, they are looked upon to be such. Believing, like repenting, is a personal act. It cannot be performed by proxy. And the Scriptures nowhere authorize us to assume that children have faith merely because their parents have, or to account them as "regenerated in the regeneration of the fathers." On the contrary, a great principle is announced in the admonition, "Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father."*

Dr. Bushnell proceeds: "And here again circumcision

* Matt. iii: 8.