Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-01-29

! N@ VI we apostles, lnefes is no evidence
mat any communed who had not been
previously baptized We learn also, tha,
baptism preceded the communion with
Tue primitive Christians; because ban
t'sm was the first external act of ohed,.
ence which they performed When the
oamarlans believed Philip, preaching the
ln'ngs concerning the kingdom of God,
they were baptized, both men and wom-
en-. As soon as Anlnias was satisfied
mat Saul of Tafsus was Christian. he
SAID And now why tarriest thou: arise
and be baptized And he arose and was
olptlzed. When the Jailor and his
household believed, the same hour of the
night they Wee baptized Thus in pu-
merous Instances in the scriptures we
ind that In primitive times the first pub
lie act in believer was to be ban,ized -
Ana why should the writers of the s,r;n.
lures be so particular in stating this CIR
cumstance, if it be not to teach Us tha,
baptism IS the first public act of duty re.
CURED IN making profession of religion !?
Hence baptism precedes the communion
and all other privileges Of the church.
ana 1t Is prerequisite qualification for
the Lords Supper The evidence of this
truth IS interviewer through all the acts of
apostolic example Now in order to sat-
'sfy ourselves that this evidence is suffi-
Client for all practical purposes, let US
compare it with the evidence which NAV
be derived from the scriptures, that faiih
as a prerequisite 10 baptism. The evil
drnce OF this proposition. like that which
shows that baptism is a prerequisite to
/ communion, is derived from the example
l9l lhe apostles and primitive Christians.
we maintain that faith is q prerequisite
10 baptism, because it was evidently the
uniform practice of the apostles to require
profession Of faith before BAPTISM
Hence when the Eunuch said to Philip.
See here is water, what doth hinder me
!! to be baptlzed2 Philip said. If thou be-
I'evest with all thy heart, thou mayest.-
And he said, | believe that Jesus Christ
is the son of God We may safely deem
this profession fair specimen of what
the apostles required Of all persons whom
they baptized. Thus it is said that many
OF the Corinthians believing, Qhat is man
ltes!ing their helief) were baptized. It
was SO with the Phiiippian Jailor, Saul of
TarsuS, and the Samaritans, who all ex-
pressed their faith before baptism. In
like manner. when the baptism Of any
other individuals, or any number of per-
sons, is mentioned in the time of the apos
ties, their faith in Christ is usually ex-
pressed or implied. And from these
Scriptural facts, we derive the principal
evidence that faith IS a prerequisite to
| baptism. All Bantists deem this evidence
amp v sufficient to sustain them in the
practice of requiring the evidence of faith
as an indispensable qualification for this
ordinance. And we have precisely the
same evidence to sustain US in the opinion
that baptism is prerequisite to the COM
munion. Both practices are in accord
ance with the uniform example of the
apostles, and both are founded upon the
same nature Of evidence. If we be ask
| ed Why we baplize none but believers, we
confidently reply, because the apostles
baptized believers, and there is no evil
dence In the scriptures that they ever bap
. tiZed any except believers. And if we. be
asked, why we ought to admit to the com
, munion, none bat baptized persons, we as
, confidently reply, because the apostle:
> communed with blptized persons. and
! there is no evidence from the scripture,
that they ever communed with any whc
, were not baptized Here we may safely
: rest the whole controversy. If it can b,
shown that the apostles and primitive
; Christians ever admitted one single indi
: vdua to the institution of the Lord
! supper previous to his baptism; then W
f will admit that we ought to commune to
/ gether without any reference to the ordi
: nance OF baptism. But until this is done
and as long as the example Of the apo;
y tiles is deemed sufficient to authorize US I
e require a profession OF faith as a pre-re
S qulsite to baptism, we must also deem tn
e example of the apostles sufficient to at
J. Iihorze us to require baptism as pre-re
lquiSite to communion.
|, The evidence we have alducel frot
/ the example of the apostles to prove tn;
81 baptism is prerequisite to communion
/ fully confirmed by comparison with tn
e evidence that may be derived from tt
e scriptures, that baptism IS a pre-req4isi
$ 10 church membership. We have no be
re Ter evidence from the scriptures. tn
z tnone should be admitted into the churc
re who are not baptized, than we have tn
IL none should be admitted TO the comlnu
I'd ion before they are baptized The on
n evidence we have that baptism is pre-r
err quisite to church membership, issthe e
tt ample of the apostles in the constitution
81, the primitive churches. We learn fro
ed the seizures, that The church at Jefus
re lem was composed ofsush persons as b