INFANT BAPTISM.-Treating expressly " Of the Baptism of Infants," Robinson meets his opposite on the question of the "old and new covenants," their nature and applicability; and having prepared his way, he maintains the proposition "That the Infants of the Faithful are within the compass of the New Covenant here spoken of." He begins by placing the opponents in this dilemma: "Since all children coming naturally from Adam are conceived and born in sin,'* and' by nature the children of wrath ;' if these men believe, as they do of all, that their children so dying shall be saved by Christ, then must they have a part in His Testament, or in this new covenant. There are not two new covenants or testaments established in the blood of Christ, but one. And since Christ is propounded unto us as 'the Saviour' of the 'body,' which is his church,'‡ it is more than strange that these men will have all Infants to be saved, and yet none of them to be of His body,' or 'church!'

"We require of them proof, How children are cast out of the church and baptism thereof; and, how the grace of God is so shortened by Christ's coming in the flesh, as to cast out of the church the greatest part of the church before, the Infants of believers? The Lord Jesus sent out his apostles to teach' or make disciples' all nations,' and to' baptize them ;'§ opposing all nations' to that one nation of the Jews. As if he should have said thus,-I have formerly declared my will to that one nation, and circumcised it; 'go' you now, and teach all nations' and baptize them. Now, if Christ's meaning had been, that they should not with the parents,-being made disciples, and baptized-baptize the children; as before they had with. the parents,-being made disciples, and circumcised,

* Psal. 51: 5. Eph. 2: 3. Eph. 5: 23. Col, 1: 18. § Matt. 28: 19.

circumcised the children; it had been needful he had given them a caveat, to leave the children of the Faithful out in the world, though they had formerly been in the church! If it be objected, that they who were taught, and believed, were to be baptized, therefore not Infants; I deny the consequence. Which should be, if it were true,— and therefore not Infidels, and such as refuse the gospel. And this is the opposition which the Scriptures make; setting impenitent and unbelieving persons against the penitent and believing, and not children against their parents; which is childish to imagine !"

Plea for Prophesying.

The next work of Mr. Robinson's prolific pen bears date 1618; and is entitled: "The People's Plea for the Exercise of Prophecy against Mr. John Yates, his Monopoly. By John Robinson.-1 Cor. 14: 1.-Printed in the year 1618." 16mo. pp. 77.

The object of this little work was to defend the practice of the Separatists, in allowing the brethren of the church to express their views in public after the preacher had finished his discourse. This practice was retained many years by the Leyden and Plymouth church; and, probably, laid the foundation for the religious conference meetings, now so common among Congregationalists.

Robinson's "Apology."

The next year came out Mr. Robinson's celebrated "Apology." It was originally published in Latin, under the following title: "Apologia justa et necessaria quorundam Christianorum, aeque contumeliose ac communiter dictorum Brownistarum' ac 'Barrowistarum.' 1619." 12mo. pp. 96.

This was afterwards translated and published in English, under the following title: "A just and necessary Apology of certain Christians, no less contumeliously than commonly called 'Brownists' or 'Barrowists.' By Mr. John Robinson, Pastor of the English Church at Leyden. First published in Latin, in his and the church's name over which he was set; after, translated into English by himself; and now, republished for the special and common good of our own Countrymen. Psal. 41: 1. O blessed is he that prudently attendeth to the poor weakling.'-Printed in the year of our Lord 1625." 4to. pp. 72.

The same general characteristics in style, and spirit, and sentiment, which have already been remarked upon and exhibited in Mr. Robinson's other productions are found in this "Apology." To enable the reader to judge of the sentiments and style of the work a few extracts will be given.

VISIBLE CHURCH.-"There is then had the most full and perfect communion of the Body in the holy things of God, which is the next and immediate end of the visible church,' when all the Members thereof do convene in some one place. And if Nature, as philosophers teach, ever intend that which is most perfect, much more, Grace. Now that the Church, commonly called visible,' is then most truly visible indeed, when it is assembled in one place; and the communion thereof then most full and intire, when all its members, inspired, as it were, with the same presence of the Holy Ghost, do, from the same Pastor, receive the same provocations of Grace at the same time and in the same place;-when they all, by the same voice, banding, as it were, together,' do with one accord, pour out their prayers unto God;-when they all' partici

*Acts 2: 42. Heb. 10: 25.

pate' of one and the same holy bread ;*-and, lastly, when they all together consent unanimously, either in the choice of the same officer, or censuring of the same offender;—no man, admitting a due thought of things, can make doubt of!..

"In huge and vast flocks, the governors cannot take knowledge of the manners of the people, private or public; no, not so much as of their presence at or absence from the church assemblies: whereby, what damage cometh unto true piety, any man may easily conjecture, and miserable experience makes too, too manifest in the Reformed Churches. . .

"There is, indeed, one church, and, as the apostle speaketh, one body,' as one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one faith, one baptism ;'t that is, of one kind and nature; not one in number, as one ocean. Neither was the church at Rome, in the apostle's days, more one with the church of Corinth, than was the baptism of Peter one with Paul's baptism, or than Peter and Paul were one. Neither was

Peter or Paul more one whole, intire, and perfect man,— consisting of the parts essential and integral,-without relation unto other men, than is a particular congregation, rightly instituted and ordered, a whole, intire, and perfect Church, immediately, and independently, in respect of other churches, under Christ!..

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Any citizen of Leyden may enjoy certain privileges in the city of Delph, by virtue of the politic combination of the United Provinces and cities, under the supreme heads thereof, the States General; which he is bound also to help and assist with all his power, if necessity require; but that the ordinary magistrate of Leyden should presume to execute his public office in the city of Delph, were an insolent and unheard-of usurpation. The very same, and not + Eph. 4: 4, 5.

* 1 Cor. 10: 17.

otherwise, is to be said of Pastors, and particular churches, in respect of that spiritual combination mutual, under their chief and sole Lord, Jesus Christ."

CHURCH OFFICERS." Let us descend unto some such particulars as in which the Elders' office seemeth specially to consist. And they are, The admitting of Members into the church, upon profession of faith made; and, The reproving and censuring of obstinate offenders, whether sinning publicly, or privately with scandal. As we willingly leave the execution and administration of these things to the Elders alone, in the settled and well-ordered state of the church, so do we deny plainly that they are or can be rightly and orderly done but with the People's privity and consent!.. If Baptism, the consequence of confession of faith in them baptized, and the badge of our consociation with Christ and his church, be to be celebrated publicly; why is not the profession of faith proportionably,-although by the formerly baptized through a kind of unorderly anticipation,— to be made publicly also, and therewithal the consociation ecclesiastical, as the former? The covenant privately made, and the seal publicly annexed, are disproportionate."

·

THE CHURCH." The word 'Ecclesia,' church, originally Greek, answering to the Hebrew Kahal,' doth primarily and properly signify a convention of citizens called from their houses by the public crier, either to hear some public sentence, or charge, given: but translated to religious use, [it] denoteth an assembly of persons called out of the state of corrupt nature into that of supernatural grace, by the publishing of the Gospel. Now the Elders or Presbyters, as such, are, and so are said to be, called, to wit, to their office of Eldership, but called out they are not; being themselves to call out the church, and unto it to perform the crier's office. Neither do I think that the