INTRODUCTION. AFTER our Lord's resurrection from the dead, and shortly before his ascension to heaven, he addressed to his Apostles these solemn words: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo I am with you alway, even to the end of the world," Matt. xxviii. 18-20. In an examination of the nature of Christian baptism this passage merits the earliest and most attentive consideration; because it both records the institution of baptism and declares its perpetuity. To understand what baptism is we must first examine carefully the terms of the law which renders it obligatory. After we have examined the law itself, we may then consider the various comments which inspired writers have pronounced upon it; and B gather whatever light we may be able from the practice of baptism, both before this enactment and after it but our first duty is to examine the terms of the law itself. It has been said, indeed, that Christian baptism was instituted before, because it is recorded that "Jesus made and baptized disciples," John, iv. 1; iii. 26. But this incidental mention of the fact of baptism having been administered by the first disciples cannot amount to a perpetual law in the churches. Four disciples only are mentioned as having followed Christ: Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaniel, John, i. 40-43. Even these had not received their call to leave their nets and follow him, Matt. iv. 18. And it was with reference to a time later than this that Luke records, "When it was day he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named Apostles," Luke, vi. 13. So that these disciples baptized before they were ministers of Christ, and when they were yet very imperfectly acquainted with the Gospel. When Jesus began to preach, his instruction exactly resembled that of John: "Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Matt. iv. 17. And it is probable that when his disciples baptized, they did not baptize unto the name of Jesus, as John did not baptize unto his own name; but that, like John, they baptized in token of the repentance of the converts as persons expecting the kingdom of heaven to be shortly set up. The idea that they were baptized by the command of .... Then Jesus, as professing their faith in him as Christ, is very improbable. For many were baptized, John, iii. 26; iv. 1. If Jesus had commanded them all openly to confess that he was Christ, how could he charge his Apostles to conceal the fact that he was Christ? How can we understand the following passage, "When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ," Matt. xvi. 13-16, 20. Either the Apostles had wholly ceased to baptize, or those who were baptized did not profess their faith in Jesus as the Christ. Moreover, as the Pharisees knew that many had been baptized (John, iv. 1), and assuredly learned the circumstances of those baptisms, if all the converts had by the order of Jesus declared their faith in him as Christ, how could the Jews come round about him in the temple and say, "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly," John, x. 24. The profession of the converts by order of Jesus would have been certain and overwhelming evidence that he claimed to be Christ, nor could they either then or afterwards have been in want of any proof of that |