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SEAM:
vII.]
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
mean,
except
they were
dipped
:
And
if
this
should
be
restrained
to signify
washing
their hands
only,
yet
it
does
not. necessarily
signify
dipping
them
;,
for the
manner of
washing
their hands
of
old
was by
pouring water on
them;
as
"
Elisha
poured
water
on
the hands
of Elijah;"
2
Kings
iii.
11.
Yet
further, they practised the
wash-
ing
of
tables, in
Greek, of
beds, as
well
as
cups
and
vessels.
Now
beds
could
not
usually
be
washed
by
dipping.
lieb.
ix.
10.
The Jews
had divers washings
prescribed
by
Moses, in
Greek
baptisms, which
were
sprinkling and pouring water
on things, as
well
as
plung-
ing them
all
over
in
water.
1
Cor.
x.
2.
The children
of
Israel
were
baptized
unto
Moses
in
the cloud
and the
sea,'
in
their
passage
through the Red
Sea
at their
march
from
Egypt;
not that
they were
dipped
in
the water,
but
they
were
sprinkled
by
the clouds
over their
heads,
and
perhaps
by
the water
which
stood
up
in
heaps
as
They
passed
by.
.Besides, it
is
said
farther
on
this head,
that pouring or
sprinkling more naturally represents
most of
the
spiritual
blessings signified
by
baptism,
viz.
the sprinkling
of
the
blood of Christ
on
the conscience,
or
the
pouring out the
Spirit
on
the person baptized, or
sprinkling
him with
clean
water, as an emblem
of the
influence
of
the
Spirit;
all
which are; the things signified
in
baptism,
as
different
re-
presentations
of
the cleansing
away
of
the
guilt or
defile-
ment
of
sin
thereby.
But this
shall
suffice
for
a
hint
of
this
controversy,
which has
filled ,large
volumes
in
the
world,
made a huge
noise
in
the church,
Äand
destroyed the charity
of
a
mul-
titude ofchristians.
Since
I do
not
here profess to
enter
into
the argument,
but
only to
give
a
few
short
notices
or
rehearsals
of
what
is
said
in
our
vindication,
who
practise the
baptism
of
infants
by
sprinkling
'water on
them,
I
do
the
rather
ask leave to speak one
charitable
word on this subject,
viz.
that
since this
controversy has
considerable
difficulties
attending
it,
persons
of
an
honest
and sincere soul
in
searching out the truth,
may
happen
to
run into diflèrent
opinions
:
And the things wherein
we .agree
are
so
important,
as
should
not
suffer
us
to
quarrel about
the lesser
things wherein
we
differ.
Our
brethren
who
reject infant
baptism,
as
well
as
we
who
practise
it, all
agree
i'm
a belief
of
the sacred
institution