Germany Into Switzerland, and Italy, had translated George Barnresided for a considerable time in well, which was represented there the delightful neighbourhood of with applause. He was one Lausanne. Crossing the Alps, Mr. K. was a decided Unitarian, they took up their residence at Tu- at a time when that obnoxious rin, and were frequently at the name belonged to few, and was court, then not a little celebrated owned by still fewer. for the politeness and affability of of the first members of the Western the royal family. From this city Unitarian Society, instituted by. they went to Florence, and thence his nephew, the late Rev. T. KenHis early emancipation to Venice, wi.cre Mr. Milliken rick. died in April, 1763, and Mr. K. from Calvinism he owed to the soon after returned to Scotland, rational principles of sacred critiHe had soon occasion to visit the cism which he learnt from Dr. Continent again with the second Lecchman. He always delighted and only surviving son, to whom in the study of the scriptures, and the air of the South of France was frequently employed himself in recommended by the physicians. comparing the original of the N. He conducted him to Montpelier, T. with different Latin translations where he staid a long time and and the principal English and Fo His manners afterwards visited with him several, reign Versions. of the principal cities in France were marked with that dignified and Germany. politeness, which naturally flowed Soon after his second return to from a benevolent, liberal and culthis country, he settled at Bewd- tivated mind, guided by experience Though his ley, and conducted a banking of the best society. establishment there between thirty disposition was tinctured with reand forty years. The active ma- serve, it was wholly free from nagement of its laborious and often moroseness: towards his family he anxious concerns, devolved on him was most affectionate and kind; till within a twelvemonth of his and the author of this tribute to death. Though his early habits his memory, can testify the lively. had not been those of a man of interest which he took in the wel. business, his industry and inviola- fare of remoter relatives. He was bie integrity, gave the concern universally respected and beloved which he superintended an unusu- in the neighbourhood in which he at respectability and permanency, lived; and the strong sympathy and obtained for himself an honour and deep regret, which were exable competence. Though much pressed during his painful illness occupied by this employment, and on the event of his death, noching.co.ld check that ardent proved the estimation in which he love of mental cultivation which was held by those to whom he had he derived from the studies of his been long and intimately known; youth. Whatever time could be To the grief which his numerous spared from business and from the relatives have felt at the removal cans of duty, he eagerly devoted of one whom they loved and ho❤. to ancient and modern literature. noured, is united the recollection He was master of the French and that he was the last survivor of a Italian languages, and when in generation of their. ancestors, who were eminent for piety and worth: possession o. Mr. Sharp, of this when they too shall be gathered town, son of the late Mr, Clement to their fathers, may those who Sharp. Your insertion of these come after them, be able to bear letters, in the Monthly Repository, testimony to their characters, in as soon as your limits will permit, the same spirit of truth which has will oblige, dictated this imperfect memorial! Onginal Letters of Dr. Priest ley's, on Baptism: communicated by the Rev. R. Scott. Portsmouth, them. Your faithful friend, SIR, RUSSELL SCOTT, LETTER I. Leeds, Feb. 4, 1770. It appears to me, that few persons in this western part of the world, enter sufficiently into the ideas and notions of the Jews and other people of the East; and that your objections to infant-baptism, cannot be satisfactorily answered, without laying aside some of the ideas peculiar to this part of Furope, and especially in modern times, As your letter seems to bear SIR, August 17th, 1811. I do not approve the practice the marks of a sincere desire of of the posthumous publication of information, and not to have been all the letters and fragments that written for any captious purpose, may be met with, which have my thoughts on the subject of been written by learned men. It baptism are at your service, or that of any of your friends to whom is oftentimes nothing less than a violation of trust. When, how. you may chuse to communicate ever, the writer himself did not wish his communications to be confined to the person to whom they were addressed, but gave him permission to shew them to any of his friends, to whom he might think they would be useful, as in the present instance, it appears to me we may, without any breach of that confidence which private correspondence demands, give such communications to the pub. Nothing was, or indeed is, more ' lic, and, particularly, when they are illustrative of the scriptures, common in the East, than to exUnder this impression, I send you press sentiments and purposes by two letters from Dr. Priestley to actions; and so natural was it to the Jews, to denote purity of neart Mr. Clement Sharp, of Romsey, in this county, and the answer of by outward washing, that we find Vigilius to some queries proposed by the success of John's preaching, by Mr. Sharp, in one of his let that, though he did not pretend to ters to Dr. Priestley. As the teach a new religion, but only insisted Dr. does not disclose the name upon repentance and of his friend Vigilius, I shall only greater regularity and strictness add that this excellent critic wrote, of manners then was common aalso, in the Theological Reposi. mong the Jews; yet that few of tory, under the signature of Euse- them made any difficulty of being biu. The originals are in the baptized, considering it nothing more than a profession of repen- common practice of the Jews, our tance and a new life, and there- Lord had no occasion to give any fore it is called the baptism of particular instruction, as to the repentance. With respect to the proper subjects of baptism. When subjects of baptism, we should con- a head of a family was converted sider, more than we do, the great to Christianity, he and all his power of a master of a family in house, i. e. his children and slaves, the East, and how far his own acts were baptized; not as a mark of affected his wife, children and ser- their being Christians, but of their vants, and indeed every thing be- master being one, and of the oblonging to him: thus, though cir- ligation he was under to educate cumcision was a religious cere- them in that religion, and inculmony, expressive of a covenant cate upon them the maxims of it; between God and Abraham, it this is an obligation that is pecuwas applied, not only to the child- liarly sacred, and hardly ever ren of Abraham, but also to all fails of success all over the East. that were born in his house, or There is nothing that a Mahome. bought with money, i. e. his slaves, tan is more intent upon, than to who were not in the least interested make his servants good Mussulin the covenant. In fact, it only men. When the children were concerned Isaac; Ishmael who, grown up, or the slaves changed however, was circumcised, had their service, they might adhere no interest in it at all. See Gen- to the religion they had been xvii. 12, 23. The circumcision of brought up in, or not, as they Ishmael, of the children of Abra. pleased. Infant-baptism appears ham in general, and of his slaves, to me to have been the uniform was not considered as any act of practice of Christians, as far as I their's, but only of their master, can collect from the primitive fa and therefore, their consent was thers, till an idea was introduced, not in the least necessary. When the Ninevites repented, at the preaching of Jonah, the cat. tle were made to fast, as expres. sive of the contrition of their masters. of the peculiar efficacy of baptism, as such, to wash away sins, and the safety of dying soon after baptism, before a person had contracted fresh guilt:- -on this ac. count, Constantine the Great, and I have no doubt but that the many others, deferred baptism till Jews admitted proselytes to their the hour of death. Afterwards, religion, by solemn washing or slaves being generally infranchised baptism as well as by circum- and considered as acting for them. cision; indeed, considering their selves, and the power of fathers ideas and practices in other re- over their children having never spects, I should have wondered if been so great in the northern nathey had not done it, and I have tions, Christianity and all the as little doubt, but that when a badges of it, came to be considered, master of a family embraced their in all respects, a personal thing; religion, their children, if not their and hence the conclusion, that no slaves also, were baptized and persons could be the subject of any circumcised. This then being the of its institutions, but with their were arrived at years of understanding. own consent, expressed when they your conceptions be. The censure of the world is not to be regarded, where the least punctilio of religion For my own part, I endeavour is concerned; but let us not for to adhere to the primitive ideas, get, that there are things of more and consider the baptising of my importance than positive instituchildren, as nothing more than tions. Wishing you all the cona declaration of my being a Chris. solation of our most excellent retian myself and, consequently, of ligion, in the decline of life; and my obligation to educate them in and that you and I may have a the principles of the Christian happy meeting, in that world with religion. which it brings us acquainted, I am, Sir, Your very humble servant, SIR, LETTER II. Leeds, 12 Sep. 1770, I received yours of the 29th of May, only a few days ago. It was not found in the pack of wool, till the manufacturer had occasion I have no doubt, but that the only antient mode of baptism was immersion, and I should rather approve of it at present; but since it is the application of water, that expresses the purity of heart and life, peculiar to Christians, and not any certain quantity of it; and since the meaning of the rite is as well understood in whatever manner it be administered; and, also, since dipping is sometimes to make use of it. Being yery imagined at least to be dangerous busy myself, I sent your queries to for the health of children, I think an ingenious friend of mine, who a scrupulosity in this punctilio un- signs Vigilius in the Repository, necessary; and therefore, in this and I enclose you his answer, respect, I do not think it worth which I much approve, in his while to make any alteration in own hand writing. I wish it may the common practice. If I thought give you the satisfaction you want; immersion the only proper bap but, in this imperfect state, we tism, I should certainly submit to are not to expect a perfect solu it without delay.—I do think that tion of all our doubts and diffibaptism was intended to be alculties. We must be content ways observed in the Christian with as much light as is sufficient church, though I should readily to guide our conduct, and, in admit to communion one who lesser things, we must often be dethought otherwise, and had not termined by probabilities only, been baptised. certainty not being to be had; I have not sufficiently considered the passage in St. Paul, you mention. I shall be glad if these few thoughts shall prove to be of any service to you; but I doubt not but you will think for yourself, and act with freedom and spirit, becoming a Christian, whatever I am sorry for the loss you have sustained, but it is happy that you do not grieve as one with out hope. I am, with every good wish, THE ANSWER OF VIGILIUS TO Tepoale, Matt. xxviii. 19. should, have been translated disciple, all nations) and taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded. Invaluable privileges! Quest. II. Who are the proper subjects of baptism? Answer. Those who want the privileges. Roin. vii. 14. We know that As to children; in many cases of the law is spiritual: its com common life' and affairs, parents mands extend their obligations to not only may, but are obliged to the passions and affections of the introduce their children to privispirit, and are calculated to form leges without their expressed and establish in it all holy dispo. consent, nay, even before they sitions and good habits: but I (a are capable of giving consent, and sinner under the law) am carnal: are justly blamed if they neglect feel myself strongly inclined to the opportunities to do it: sucle indulge the passions and lusts of as making them members of an the flesh : sold under sin being advantageous corporation, or soin the condition of a miserable ciety. Parents also, not only slave, who having sold himself to have a right, but are obliged to a master, is no longer at liberty to instruct their children in every act according to his own better thing that they apprekend will be Sentiments, but must obey his useful and ornamental to them master's dictates. St. Paul bor- hereafter, and have a right to deTows the thought and expression and their attention to such infrom the Old Testament: parti- structions, and to initiate and accularly it is said of Ahab, 1. Kings custom them to practice those xxi. 20, Because thou hast sold things they have instructed them thyself to work evil in the sight of in, so long as they remain under the Lord. See also v. 25, and on, their care and tuftion: afterwards in what follows of Ahab's story, they are to choose for themselves, the condition of a slave sold under whether they will continue to obsin': when he heard this message serve them. Under the above de from God, he humbled himself, scription, must be ranked all things no doubt, begging forgiveness, and whatsoever Christ hath commandpurposing amendment: but the ed. By baptism, we do not lay tyrant in him prevailed; he re- our children under obligations to. turned to wickedness and perished observe or to do what otherwise in it. See also a like expression, they would not have been obliged 1 Maccabees i. 15, and were to. All persons to whom the gos sold to do mischief. But in all these cases it is the sinner's own doing. See also 2 Kings, xvii. 17. pel is, or shall be preached, are, and will be obliged to observe all things, whatsoever God hath comQuest. I. What privileges are manded by his son Jesus; we annexed to Baptism? Answer. only procure for them certain From the words of the institution, privileges that will hereafter be to be discipled, or received among very advantageous to assist them Christ's disciples, (the word pain- to fulfil that duty to which they |