ADDRESSED TO

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, 4. M. 176144

IN WHICH

HIS VINDICATION OF PARTIAL WASHING
FOR CHRISTIAN BAPTISM,

CONTAINED IN

TEN LETTERS,

IS REVIEWED AND DISPROVED.

7765-1833

BY DANIEL MERRILL, A. M.

PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN SEDGWICE.

In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments

of men.

JESUS CHRIST.

Wo unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge:
ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hin-
dered.
JESUS CHRIST,

BOSTON:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY MANNING & LORING,

NO. 2. CORNHILL.1806.

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to wit.

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the eleventh day of April, in the

thirtieth year of the independence of the United States of America, MANNING & LORING, of the faid diftrict, have depofited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit:"Twelve Letters, addreffed to Rev. SAMUEL AUSTIN, A. M. in which his Vindication of Partial Washing for Chriftian Baptifm, contained in Ten Leners, is reviewed and difproved. By DANIEL MERRILL, A. M. Paftor of the Church Chrift in Sedgwick."

In conformity to the A&t of the Congrefs of the United States, entitled, "An A&t for the Encouragement of Learning, by fecuring the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of fuch Copies during the Times therein mentioned ;" and alfo to an Act, entitled, “Aŭ A&t fupplementary to an Act, entitled, 'An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by fecuring the Copies of Maps, Chafts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of fuch Copies, during the Times therein mentioned;' and extending the Benefits thereof to the Arts of Defigning, Engraving, and Etching Hiftorical and other Prints." N. GOODALE, Clerk of the District of Malachusetts.

A true Copy of Record. Atteft:

N. GOODALE, Clerk.

To the Christian Reader.

WHATEVER be

your

denomina

tion, your wifdom is, to feek the knowledge and practice of, the truth. In the following Letters you will find difcuffed fome of the most important articles of the Chriftian religion: fome of the great and leading points in which Jefus, as Captain of the Lord's hoft, afferts his kingly authority, are fet to view; as well as fome of thofe in which Antichrift afferts his authority, are expofed. The highly interefting contention, at the prefent, is, who fhall reign over us, and who fhall give us laws, Christ or Antichrift! The Pope and his clergy, and all who are in part or whole blinded by the fmoke, the errors, which came out of the bottomless pit, Rev. ix. 2. fay Antichrift's authority, in whole or part, is founded in the word of God. The author of thefe pages has endeavoured to fhow, that Antichrift hath, for his ordinances of sprinkling, &c. no fupport from the Revelation of Jefus Chrift; and that his temporifing, defiling, and abominable errors, fo far as they concern the pref

ent controversy, have not one paffage, from Genefis to Revelation, in their favour.

The reader will find a spirit of extermination manifested against the errors of Mr. Auftin but the reader is defired not to feel in his own breast, nor to fuppofe that the author poffeffed in his, the fame spirit towards Mr. Auftin's perfon or character, which is expreffed towards his errors. The author takes liberty to affure every person into whofe hands this pamphlet may fall, that he hath no contemptible idea of Mr. Auftin's character or talents; nor is he without ftrong hopes that Mr. Austin is, generally speaking, a cordial friend to truth, notwithstanding he hath embraced and laboured to vindicate several very hurtful and bewildering errors. All God's children have not as yet obeyed the heavenly command, to come out from the man of fin, from Antichrift, to touch not the unclean thing, and be separate.

Whilft Mr. Auftin, and many others, who have left the doctrines of the man of fin, are yet bewildered by fome of his ordinances, we are not to count them as enemies, but to admonish them as friends, and be ever ready to embrace them, the moment in which they will obey our King, and come out, and touch not the abominations of the mother of harlots.

There are many who will not enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, and those vho are entering in by Chrift's gospel ordi

they defile themselves, and are yet with the man of fin, who ftill hinders the full glory of the church.

Reader, if you will not be baptized yourfelf, and thus enter into the vifible church, the kingdom of heaven on earth, be careful how you hinder those who are entering in. Chrift's kingdom muft come, and it will come: be careful, left you be found even to. fight against God.

If the errors of fprinkling for baptifm, unbelievers for the subjects, and unbaptized perfons for church members, be not of Christ, but of the world, reject them as relicks of Antichrift. The following Letters, if read with a prayerful, teachable fpirit, will show that the above are errors, not being found in the gofpel of Christ, but being contrary from the word of the Son of God.

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Reader, are you a Christian, and yet unwilling to know the laws of your King! Do you find that within you there are strong prejudices, and the rifings of a corrupt mind, against hearing and practifing as the more noble Bereans did, when Paul was the preacher? For Zion's fake, for truth's fake, and for your own fake, remember that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Have courage and refolution enough to hear and know the truth, and practise it when known.

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