ΤΗΣ CONVERT'S GUIDE ΤΟ FIRST PRINCIPLES; OR EVANGELICAL TRUTH SUSTAINED BY THE UNITED TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD TLES, AND OUR PEDOBAP- TIST BRETHREN. COMPILED BY I. ROBORDS, Pastor of the First Baptized Church, New Haven, Ct. "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbor cometh and "The business of an argument is to prove, and not to suppose or take for NEW HAVEN: WILLIAM STORER, JUN., PRINTER. 1838. . 686 Bap R666C PREFACE. My apology for offering these few pages to the public, is found in the history of the recent glorious revival of religion in this city. Soon after I came to this place, God poured out his Spirit upon the Baptist church and congregation, and many were converted. The first Lord's day in April, I baptized 27; the second, 54, and so on, until near 200 were added by baptism, and 20 or 30 by letter. At this time, sprinkling, pouring, dipping, and close communion became the topic among our opponents. To put a stop to this, and turn the attention of the people to the Bible, I made public this proposition: "I will put myself under legal bonds, to pay as a free reward, $3000, for finding in any of the received versions of the Bible, sprinkling or pouring for the action, and infants for the subjects of baptism,→$1000 to be paid on finding each of the above. To decide this impartially, the texts supposed to contain the doctrine shall be submitted, without debate, to Dr. TAYLOR, of Yale College, and two learned pious Quakers. This proposition must be accepted by some clergyman or respectable member of one of the churches of this city.". No one accepted the offer; but directly, pulpits, presses, pamphlets and newspapers, like so many guns from a common battery, were made to bear upon the Baptist church and her doctrines, and every movement in the religious community indicated a war of words. I made application to respond through the "Chronicle," but was promptly refused. These, with other circumstances and events of the time, furnish at once an occasion and an apology for my present effort. |