At a Clerical Meeting in the country this Question was lately proposed for discussion;—“What may be deduced from Holy Scripture concerning Baptism, as a Sacrament of the Christian Church?”

In order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, it appeared to one of the members present to be necessary, that every passage of Scripture bearing upon the subject should be considered, and its true meaning sought; and that care should of course be taken, that no text be so expounded as to make it repugnant to another. This course was consequently pursued by him. Each passage was examined in succession; and though the inquiry extended much beyond his expectation, and was not carried through without pains, yet the interest of the research more than compensated for the labour of it.

The subject being of great importance, and more especially at the present time, it was thought that the cause of truth would be served by the publication of what had been written; and a request was made to that effect. In the hope, and with the earnest desire and prayer, that such may be the result, the writer has consented to its publication: and as the Church, to which it is his privilege to belong, has declared concerning Holy Scripture, “that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of the faith,” (Art. vi.)—he feels himself fully justified, as a Minister of the Church, in having endeavoured simply to ascertain the sense of Scripture, in the several texts which have come before him.

January, 1850.