OF THE BAPTISTS. IT may be pleasing to fome of my readers to be pre sented with a brief account of the Baptists. I shall extract this account from the writings of those who were not of the Baptists' denomination, but rather prejudiced against them. Here it may be observed, that the religious sect, called Baptists, have caused the learned world more perplexity and research to decypher their origin, than any other fect of Christians, or, perhaps, than all others. Yes, this research hath baffled all their erudition in ancient story. It is not difficult to fix the period when one fect of this denomination was first called Petrobrufians, when another was known by the name of Waterlandians, when a third was denominated Mennonites, &c. But the difficulty is this, to afcertain the time, place and medium, by which Christ's disciples were led to adopt the peculiar sentiment, which is now held by those called Baptists, and which distinguishes them from all other denominations. It may be farther observed, that if no one, however learned and wife, be able to trace this sect to any beginning short of the days of the apostles, or of Christ, it is possible that it then arose. Besides, if all other religious denominations, or the Pædobaptifts, who include all which are not Baptists, can be traced to a probable origin short fhort of the apostles, and the Baptists cannot be, it af. fords ftill more probability, that they might have arifen then. I wish my readers to indulge me one question, and to give me an explicit answer. Are you willing to have the origin of the Baptists fairly explored, and to open your eyes to the light, should light be afforded? You cannot, my Christian readers, unless your minds be unduly swayed by prejudice, do otherwise than fay Yes. For, though you be not very friendly to the Baptists, you will not deny them what you grant to your worst enemy, liberty to speak the truth, and that truth its weight, at least in measure. It ought to be particularly noted, that my object is not to give the history of a name, but of a principle. I shall not contend who were first called Baptists, Anabaptists, Mennonites, or the like; but who have held the peculiar fentiment which is adopted by those who are called Baptifts. Wherever we find this principle, there we find the men, the Christians, who, had they lived in our day, would be styled Baptists. Nor is the prefent controverfy this, whence came that mode of baptifm, which is practifed by all, who are known by the name Baptifts. For this mode is granted, generally, if not universally, by all learned and honeft men, to be as ancient as John the Baptist and the apostles. This mode is, indeed, not peculiar to the Baptists, for the Pædobaptists, for many centuries, practised this mode; and many of them do, to this day, practise immersion. The peculiar characteristic of the Baptists is this: They hold, that the ordinance of baptifm is to be administered to adults, or to visible believers only. One natural consequence of this principle is, when any one one who was baptized, or sprinkled, in his infancy, comes over to the Baptists' sentiment, they require him to be baptized. Hence they are called Anabaptifts. Another very natural consequence is, this sentiment constrains the Baptifts to oppose the baptifm of infants. Hence they are diftinguished by the name of Antipædobaptifts. I shall add one observation more, and then proceed to give you a fuccinct history of the Baptists. The obfervation is this: Whenever and wherever I find perfons, who hold the peculiar, characteristic, fentiment of the Baptifts, I shall call them by that name. Their history now follows. I. The origin of the Baptists can be found no where, unless it be conceded, that it was at Jordan, or Enon. Dr. Mosheim, in his history of the Baptifts, says, "The true origin of that sect, which acquired the denomination. of the Anabaptists by their administering anew the rite: of baptifm to those who come over to their communion, and derived that of Mennonites from the famous man to whom they owe the greatest part of their present felicity, is hid in the remote depths of antiquity, and is of confequence extremely difficult to be ascertained." Here, Dr. Mosheim, as learned an historian, though: not fo candid a one, as the science of letters can boast, bears positive testimony, that the origin of the Baptifts is hidden in the remote depths of antiquity. Nothing is more evident than this; the Dr. either knew not their origin, or was not candid enough to confefs it. At least, we have this conclufion, that he could find their origin no where short of the apostles. II. A large number of the Baptifls were scattered, oppressed, and perfecuted, through many, if not through all, the nations of Europe, before the dawn of the reformation L こ mation under Luther and Calvin. When Luther, seconded by several princes of the petty states of Germany, arose in opposition to the overgrown ufurpations of the church of Rome, the Baptists also arose from their hiding places. They hoped that what they had been long expecting and praying for was now at the door: the time in which the fufferings of God's people fhould be greatly terminated: but God had not raised Luther's views of reformation to nigh the height the Baptists were expecting. Their detestation of the Mother of Harlots, owing to their bitter experience of her cruelties, and the clear gospel light with which they had been favoured above Luther, and their ardent defire to be utterly delivered from her cruel oppreffions, made them wish to carry the reformation farther than God had appointed Luther to accomplish. They were foon disappointed in Luther, and probably did not duly appreciate the reformation which he was instrumentally ef fecting. It was as might have been expected; the Lutherans and the Baptists fell out by the way; and Calvin, if not Luther, warmly opposed them. See Mosheim, Cent. XVI. Chap. iii. Sect. 3, Part 2. Mosheim, vol. IV. page 427, speaking of the Baptifts,. says, "This fect started up all of a sudden, in several countries, at the fame point of time, and at the very period when the first contests of the reformers with the Roman Pontiffs drew the attention of the world."" From this we have one plain and fair deduction; that the Baptifts were before the reformation under Luther and. Calvin, and therefore did not take their rise frora the Enthusiasts under Munzer and Storck, or at that time; or at Munster. III.. The Huflites, in the fifteenth century, the Wicliffites, |