he may however very well think there are some of that same disposition still, who would never suffer us to be quiet.

But had Mr. Wall been serious, he should have made a proposal more fair and equal on both sides, and proper to establish unity and concord on the principles of the first churches of Christians. In order to this, it would be requisite, and I think none can except against it, that some fit persons were chosen on both sides, to examine the Scriptures impartially, and the Fathers of the first three centuries, who followed their great Master through sufferings, and whose writings are undoubtedly by far the best commentary on the sacred books; and with these helps to collect from the word of God the true doctrine and discipline of the primitive catholic church: and to what should be thus sincerely deduced, every one should resolve to conform, without reserve. And I doubt not, if an union were endeavoured on this expedient, it would be accomplished much more easily than is imagined.

I just hint at this, to shew Mr. Wall might have chosen a more reasonable method than he did. But it is not likely he should come into it, because he seems of an imperious temper, and positive in his opinions, which he would force upon others, and not bend himself. And for this I appeal, among other things, to the several places where he complains of the mischiefs of the magistrates granting tolerations. Why did not he embellish his paragraphs with the famous examples of Judas, and Pilate, and the high priest, who as wisely cut off the ringleader of that sect which endeavoured to abolish the traditions of the elders? For these things will

be found to be of just the same kind, if the words of the king in the parable be true, Matt. xxv. 40. that what is done to his brethren he accounts as done to himself. But had not our author forgot that it is as indecent as it is unjust to talk thus? For this is to reflect on the wisdom and lenity of the British government, and in effect to magnify the French fashion of dragooning people, only for endeavouring to preserve a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man. But sure our poor protestant brethren in France deserve rather to be pitied and relieved, than thus slily insulted and condemned: and God be thanked, they are, and will be kindly entertained with us, to the immortal honour of our gracious Queen, by whose pious liberality so many afflicted families are comfortably subsisted. And she has most kindly endeavoured to have the like toleration settled by other princes, her allies, abroad, which she has confirmed at home. So extensive is her goodness! But it touches me very close, to see a man, whose function is to serve at the altar, and minister in the holy things of the gospel, of a complexion so repugnant to the meekness, love, and charitable forbearance which Christ so often, so strictly enjoined; and I am concerned that some of the leaders of the church do not know what manner of spirit they are of.

Now, to conclude; I hope I have made out, sir, what I took upon me to prove; which was, that Mr. Wall is not a writer to repose a full confidence in; but has committed several mistakes, and must be read warily, and with suspicion.

I am, &c.

LETTER III.

ANOTHER instance of Mr. Wall's unfairness-The dispute between the English pædobaptists and us cast under two headsIt is strange, things so clear should be capable of so much dispute So far as the Scriptures are clear, our practice is allowed to be exactly agreeable therewith-Therefore if we err, we are, however, on the safer side-GoD has revealed his will with sufficient clearness, in all material points-And he has not left it doubtful in what manner, or to what subjects, baptism should be administered-A trifling remark of Mr. Wall's noted-It is better not to pretend to baptize persons, than not to do it as CHRIST requires it should be done-The Greek word for baptize always signifies to dip only in any manner of thing-So Lycophron-And Sophocles-But more commonly it is used for dipping into liquids-So HomerMetaphors include and borrow their beauties from the thing from whence they are taken-Pindar and his scholiast-Euripides and his scholiasts-Aristophanes in many places-The words in dispute frequently applied to the dyer's art and they colour things by dipping them-Several passages wherein the word alludes to the art of dying, considered-The improper use of words in metaphorical passages cannot be supposed to alter their signification-Figurative forms of speech are only abbreviated similes-It is no objection to say, if words are always literally understood, authors will be made to speak nonsense-Figurative sentences not literally true, as they stand; but being defective, the sense must be supplied-We should distinguish between the sense of a phrase, as it includes some words not expressed; and the sense of the particular words singly considered, just as they stand-Words have no more than one signification-Words are always to be taken in their literal sense- -The use of these observations in the present dispute-More instances from Aristophanes― úvo is to wash by dipping-More instances from Aristotle— from Heraclides Ponticus-from Herodotus Halicarnassæusfrom Theocritus-from Moschus-from Aratus-from Callimachus-from Dionysius Halicarnassæus-from Strabofrom Plutarch-from Lucian-from the emperor Marcus

Antoninus-The metaphorical use of the word in dispute, when applied to the mind, considered and explained-Other instances from Pollux-From Themistius-That lexicographers and critics render the word by lavo is no argument they ever understood it to mean less than to dip.

SIR,

By Mr. Wall's character, which I have given you at large in my former, you may judge of his temper and design: but there is one remarkable instance of his disingenuity not yet taken notice of, which must by no means be omitted: I mean his unfair pretences, and false assertions, concerning the word BaTTiw. I designed to have mentioned this βαπτίζω. before, but considering it is a branch of our main dispute, and requires a particular examination, I deferred it, and will enter on it now.

As the controversy stands between us and the English pædobaptists, it may be cast under two heads one relating to the mode of baptism, whether it is to be administered only by dipping; and the other, (which must be handled more fully,) is, who are the true subjects of it, whether adult persons alone, or infants also.

One would wonder a thing of this nature should be capable of so much dispute: for if it is not instituted, it ought not to be practised; and if it be instituted, it should seem impossible for any not to see it. But if there is indeed reasonable ground for these doubts, and a matter of such importance is involved in such inextricable difficulties, as some pretend; I think it reflects highly on the legislator's conduct, who has ordained laws, on the performance of

which our eternal salvation depends, and yet left the sense and construction of them so perplexed and hard to be known. But we are well assured it is not so; and are more concerned for the honour and goodness of God, than to imagine, with our author and his party, that our blessed SAVIOUR has not plainly enough told us what he expects from us: no, we are confident he has declared his will to us, in this and all other articles of like consequence, with all necessary evidence; and what he has not taught us with a sufficient clearness, he never designed for the object of obedience.

Our enemies allow, that as far as the Scriptures are clear in the present case, our practice exactly agrees with them; and they must confess too their own is very different from what the text declares to have been done in the ancient times. Thus they allow, nothing is more clearly set down in Holy Writ, than that those who believed were to be, and actually were baptized, by being immersed or dipped into the water on the profession of their faith: and that our practice thus far punctually answers, is beyond contradiction: whence it follows, that the practice of the pædobaptists, where it differs from ours, is not conformable to something delivered in Scripture and therefore on the whole, we do what the Scriptures expressly teach; while they, at best, do but what is very obscurely, and perhaps not at all taught in them. That the apostles and the primitive church did dip when they baptized, is plain; but that they used sprinkling or affusion likewise, is not and that they baptized adult persons who declared their faith in our REDEEMER, is clear; but