im

(25)
Many more Teflimonies might be brought from Men,
who ufe Rantifm inftead of Baptifm, but that I hare already
exceeded my firft Intention. But I fhall now fhew
you, that Mr. James (^ like the reft of thofc I have quoted
) hath contradifted himfelf: For in the fame 2otb
Page of his Book, where he vapours fo mightily, and
challenges us to prove, that Chrift, or any others, were
baptized by Dipping, as y^a have feen a^^ v.- ^ yet prefently
he tells us, That Baptifm was oft performed by
pipping, I gaiufay not. And in the very next Page he
faith, I do not produce thefe Teftimonies, as tho I would
maintain tliat our Lord Jefus was not dipped. It feems
his Confcience began to check him whilft he was writing.
And again, in Pa^, 2$. Who fpeaks againft the Antiquity
of Dipping /* I thought Mr. James had. Bue he goes
on,
Dipping there might be in Chrift's Time, and that the
beft way of Baptizing. Very well, then it feems we pradife
the moft Antient, and the beft Way of Baptizing,
by Mr. Jamts''s Acknowledgment : And himfelf doth praftife
the contrary, and therefore muft needs be felf- condemned,
as praftifmg the worft Wayj efpecially if he
will confider, That there is neither Precept nor Precedent
for Infant-Sprinkling in all the Word of God.
But to clofc this Head I am upon : If this be true, that
none of the Apoftles, nor firft Miniftcrs of the Gofpel,
did ever praftife the Sprinkling< of Infants 5 there mull
be fome goq^^Rcafon why they did it not : And the beft
I can think of is, becaufe Chrift had not commanded them
fo to do. But on the contrary, had commanded them to
baptize Penitent Believers, which were Perfons of grown
Years •,
to which Command they were obedient.
, And we have great Reafon to account them faithful
'
For the Apoftle Panl protefts, before an Affembly of Minifters,
A^s 20. 20. He had l^ept bacJ^ nothing that -was
profitable to them. And in ver, 26* he faith, / have not (hmned
to declare to you -all the Comfei oj God, If therefore
the Spriokliog of Infants had been profitable for
them, or a part of the Counfel of God concerning the
Churches, we had certainly heard of it in fome of F4«/*s
Speeches or Epiftlcs ; But not one Word being mentioned
about
: