proselyte baptism was raised to the character of an initiatory and indispensable rite. To these might be added the opinions expressed by Ernesti, Paulus, Bauer, De Wette, Hase, Olshausen, and others, who all agree in asserting that proselyte baptism existed not before the destruction of the temple. Indeed, these are the views of most German scholars of the present day. Would that all our opponents were as thorough in their scholarship, and as candid in their state ments! It will not be thought improper to conclude these remarks by some extracts from Professor Stuart's work on Baptism, since that learned and impartial congregationalist has, it would appear, derived his opinions on the subject before us from German writers, whose statements he in fact epitomises. This erudite man says : "In fine, we are destitute of any early testimony to the practice of proselyte baptism, antecedently to the Christian era. The original institution of admitting Jews to the covenant, and strangers to the same, prescribed no other rite than that of circumcision. No account of any other is found in the Old Testament; none in the Apocrypha, New Testament, Targums of Onkelos, Jonathan, Joseph the Blind, or in the work of any other Targumist, excepting Pseudo-Jonathan, whose work belongs to the seventh or eighth century. No evidence is found in Philo, Josephus, or any of the earlier Christian writers How could an allusion to such a rite have escaped them all, if it were as common, and as much required by usage, as circumcision? "That we cannot point out the exact time when proselyte baptism began among the Jews, is little to the purpose of those who hold to its great antiquity; for where are the monuments which show how and when many a rite began, which came into general reception in the churches of Christ in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries? Nor can I think, with many writers, that there is anything mysterious in respect to the adoption of such a rite by the Jewish churches. How obvious the idea, that a heathen man, who came over to the Jewish churches, was unclean in his heathen state! And what could be more natural than to require ablution of him, especially when the days of Pharisaie superstition were fully come? The rabbins tell us, that circumcision, bap tism, and oblation were all necessary to his initiation. How, then, could the baptism of John or of Jesus, which was the sole initiatory rite, be derived from the proselyte baptism of the Jews? "Besides all this, when a proselyte was once baptized and received, this rite was at an end. His children, born after his reception, were no more required to be baptized than those of the native Jews. What parallel, then, can be drawn between Christian and proselyte baptism? "Be the origin of proselyte baptism as it may, I cannot see that there is any adequate evidence for believing that it existed cotemporarily with the baptism of John and of Jesus." From the researches of the abovementioned scholars and others, the following conclusions are incontrovertibly obtained:-1. Infants of proselytes were not necessarily baptized with their parents. This Schneckenburger proves from the following original authority: "Infants who become proselytes with their father are not obliged to be baptized, as the act of the parent is valid for them." 2. Children born after the reception of their parents into the Jewish church were not baptized, as various statements plainly prove. 3. In the Jewish initiatory rites circumcision, baptism, and oblation, were all observed. Thus in the Babylonish Talmud we tells us that "as the initiation was not read:-" He is not a proselyte until he religious but civil, it could not be per is circumcised and baptized." See also formed on the sabbath," a fact which he the treatise above-mentioned, Winer's abundantly proves. 5. This baptism, Bible Dictionary, &c. 4. This baptism such as it was, had no existence in the was originally a purification, and not an time of Christ. In the language of the absolute initiatory rite. Indeed, when pædobaptist Stuart, we ask, "What baptism began to be regarded as a part parallel, then, can be drawn between of the initiatory rite, Schneckenburger Christian and proselyte baptism?" THE LATE REV. JAMES DORE OF MAZE POND. MR. EDITOR,-Some of us, whose sympathies range over two generations, find it pleasant now and then to warm our hearts by reviewing our former activities, so much eclipsed by the zeal and vigour of the present day; and, not the less delightful, to mingle with the love we bear to our pastors a grateful remembrance of those who once "had the rule over us," and who, under divine influence, moulded us into the rude resemblance we may bear to the Great Model of all excellence. To some such it will not be uninteresting to read an account of the discovery of James Dore, who, in his day, was ardently beloved by his own people, and was also the highly respected associate of Booth, Fuller, Birt, Hall, Hughes, and others, who are now set as stars in the firmament of heaven, and formerly adorned and fertilized the water-walk of the Christian church. It is contained in a letter (which I have found among some old papers) from Mr. Reader, an independent minister in Hampshire, to the grandfather of the estimable treasurer of the Baptist Fund, Mr. William Lepard Smith; and it furnishes also a pleasing illustration of the refined denominationalism of the last century. If you think well to make use thereof, it may prompt others of your readers to dig out similar historical remains for your cabinet. SIR,-The reason of my taking this liberty on so slight an acquaintance as that of a short agreeable interview at Newport is this :-There is there a family of the name of Dore, the father and mother of which are of the established church, but the eldest son in the baptist ministry at Cirencester by some signal steps of Providence, and, as I am informed, by encouragement which you kindly gave or procured for him. The two next sons, there is reason to hope, received saving impressions by means of the ministry of Sir Harry Trelawney. The eldest of these two is baptized among the baptists at Lymington, where he now lives. I heard the younger of them, that is, the third son, pray very agreeably at a private weekly meeting at Mr. Sturch's vestry, at which, as also at a like meeting at Mr. Atkins's meeting-house, a Yours faithfully, ABEJA. text of scripture is proposed for persons to give their thoughts upon it the following week. I attended at all the meetings at both places while I was there, and at all of them, except the last, I heard the fourth son, James Dore, whom I suppose to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, and who is the immediate object of this letter, deliver his thoughts in a very proper, serious, and agreeable manner, quite in an evangelical strain, in writing indeed, as most of the others did, but so as to excite the admiration of all that I heard speak concerning him. This gave rise to a thought that he was a proper person to be educated for the ministry, as well as his eldest brother. It appears probable to me and Mr. Clarke, my son-in-law, that he will hereafter, by some means or other, be in the ministry; perhaps led into it by solicitation, without proper | very important, but that he rather preparation, if such is not afforded him, which I imagine I should find no difficulty to procure for him among the independents, among whom my acquaintance lies. But considering that as his two eldest brothers are baptists, should he be educated in a different way, it might occasion debates, and perhaps alienation of affection betwixt him and them, after the last of the private meetings while I was there, in order to be the more thoroughly acquainted what steps were proper to be pursued, I took him away on a short walk, in which he informed me that he was not brought so immediately to a sense of religion by Sir Harry's ministry as by seeing the effect of it on his brothers. Without giving him the least intimation of what I had in view for him, I inquired of him, as I saw him from sabbath to sabbath at Mr. Atkins's meeting, which he was most inclined to, the baptists or pædobaptists? He answered, that it did not appear to him thought the baptists in the right. I Your obedient humble servant, Wareham, Dorsetshire, HINTS TO TRAVELLERS. In a sermon on the death of the late Joseph John Gurney, Esq., by Mr. Alexander of Norwich, the preacher says, "To show how naturally and gracefully he could mingle religion with the common affairs of life, I may relate to you an incident which was told me by a friend, who one day happened to travel with Mr. Gurney and some other persons on the outside of the coach. When they had proceeded a few miles, Mr. Gurney said, 'As we started rather early this morning, I was not able, at home, to read my portion of scripture, so that if there be no objection, I will read a chapter aloud.' He did so, making suitable remarks on the verses as he read them, and diffusing such a hallowed influence on those around him, that my friend said, 'It was one of the happiest days I ever spent.' Now, with Mr Gurney, the doing such a thing as that was as free from ostentation as it was from awkwardness. It was a deed of simplicity and godly sincerity;' and was so conducted as to seem as appropriate for the top of a coach, as for a meeting-house or a cathedral. There is a paragraph in one of his unpublished manuscripts, which is in beautiful harmony with this anecdote, and which may possibly have some reference to it. After speaking of the duty and importance of always being on the watch to make a good use of our time,' he says, 'I have sometimes endeavoured to apply these principles to travelling, in which a considerable portion of the time of some persons is almost unavoidably occupied. A call of duty or business may often carry us to places at a distance from our own homes. Is the time taken up by the journey to be one of mere indolence? Is the convenience of being conveyed from one place to another, to be the only profit which it shall yield? Ought we not rather to make a point, on such occasions, of adding to our stock of knowledge and of useful ideas, by reading, by conversation, and reflection? Is there no object of interest which may be examined by the way? Is there no person of piety or talent, with whom we CHRIST A STRANGER. "O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night ?"-JEREMIAH xiv. 8. O HOPE of Israel! thou that art Such wast thou when thy weary feet Some sweet'ning drops infuse. Such, when to weep with them that wept, The crested wave careered. Such wast thou when the rabble rude, And bore thee captive thence; A ransom price immense. But years, long years have rolled away, Its brief but wondrous reign: Thou too, our island parent, thou Upon thy bosom bright; Thy martyrs' blood, besprinkled toil, Why is it thus? Why in our land Do thousands, buried with their Lord Ah! wooed by pleasure's syren song. Compassionate our guilty race, More soft than dews of morning pride, Our sins, like theirs of ancient years, Futtersca. |