Baptists, Take Notice by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 6, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 10.

Baptists, Take Notice.

By Editor

THE special attention of the Baptists is called to an expression of Dr. Tombes, as found in the Herald of Truth, in regard to circumcision on the eighth day, and our comment upon it in our paper of January 17. The Baptists have uniformly and strongly opposed the idea of drawing any inference from circumcision in favor of a New Testament institution. But now, as all Sunday props are failing them, they turn round and argue from circumcision to Sunday keeping! The following shows how it is done:—

"God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision; but by a positive ordinance it was to be performed on the eighth day."

"True; but the eighth day of what? Was it the 'eighth day in a circular week' also? Let us see. The ordinance was given in Gen. 17, and verse 12 says: 'And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you.' Accordingly, when Isaac was born, we read in Gen. 21:4, 'And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.' And this was the order respecting all the children who were circumcised. Luke 2:21. We are ready to admit that this ordinance stood related to Sunday, just as soon as it is proved that all Jewish male children were born on Sunday! But in all seriousness we say to our Baptist brethren, If you can draw a Sunday argument from the ordinance of circumcision, never again wonder at your neighbors for their drawing an argument from the same ordinance in favor of infant baptism. Their inference is a thousand-fold more plausible than yours."

We are ready to give the pedobaptists some credit for consistency, in their inference, though it be erroneous. But the Baptists are wholly inconsistent in theirs. There is some show of analogy between circumcising and baptizing a child of days; but none whatever between circumcising an infant eight days old, and keeping the first day of the week. What does the Herald of Truth think of that method of reasoning? Will it indorse Dr. Tombes, and go back on the well-known Baptist principle? or will it maintain its Baptist ground, and repudiate that of its correspondent? "No man can serve two masters."