APPENDIX A

Excerpts from Addresses by Rev. David Badger

1. ADDRESS TO FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF SA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION November 1864
'The duty of all believers convinced of the Scripturalness of our views on the subject of baptism, openly to follow Christ in the ordinance.'
Perhaps some of our good f,iends present, upon hearing this announced, are ready to say, 'There they are back again at the old story. These Baptists are eternally harping on the doctrine of baptism; surely to them it forms the very essence of the Gospel of Christ.' That we make too much of the doctrine in question is the common outcry of the Paedo-Baptist denominations. Yet we cannot help saying that 1he charge comes with remarkably bad grace from Paedo-Baptists, for after all, on examination, it will be evident that they make a great deal more of baptism than we do. The Episcopalians are Paedo-Baptists. Do they make little of the doctrine? Go and look at them performing the ceremony. Hear the solemn vows of the godfathers and godmothers -see the sacred symbol of the cross drawn upon the infant's forehead- mark what is implied in the supplications offered. Or just open the book of Common Prayer and see what that says on the subject of baptism. Read then of its amazing results upon the present character and eternal destiny of the baptised! Now the people who believe that, teach that, practice that, charge Baptists with making too much of baptism! The Presbyterians are Paedo-Baptists. Do they make little of the doctrine? They will not baptise a child unless one at least of the parents be a Christian for without this the child would be 'unclean' or unfit to be offered to God in this holy ordinance. Listen to the questions the officiating minister puts to the parents -listen to the prayers he offers upon the occasion, calling upon God to ratify in heaven what they have done on earth -and it looks as if they made a good deal of baptism. And is it not true that many mothers holding Paedo-Baptist views, have been known to carry their dying children many weary miles to a minister to have them 'christened' 'lest dying without it, their souls should be in eternal darkness'? This maternal solicitude is not to be wondered at, when we remember that not only does the Episcopal Church forbid the Burial Service to the unbaptised dead, but that some of the most judicious Paedo-Baptist theologians represent baptism as having a mighty influence both upon the children that live and the destiny of those that die.
Now there are some who really seem to think that the question of baptism is one of no importance, but these are neither good Baptists nor good Paedo-Baptists. We often hear these brethren use this objection. 'Well, it is not essential, it is only a ceremony, it is not important.' Now it appears to us that this word 'essential' often covers a fallacy. Essential to what? Do you mean that baptism is not essential to your being a Christian? Then, we say, of course not, the ordinance is only for
Christians, it takes your faith in Christ and union with Christ for granted. But if you mean that it is not essential to your complete obedience to the Saviour, not necessary to your growth in piety, not necessary to you as a means of moral and spiritual improvement, then here we are at issue with you. You admit that Christ has instituted the ordinance; does it not irresistibly follow that He thought it necessary? Are you not wilfully neglecting an ordinance of religion placing your private ju~gement above the wisdom of the Saviour?
We pass on to notice another objection. It is often expressed thus -'I do not see any use in my being baptised now; it would not be appropriate, for I have openly confessed Christ for a long time.' Well, perhaps it might have been more appropriate at the beginning of your Christian course, but the question is not one of appropriateness, it is one of duty. You may have long professed Christ, but you have never yet professed him
in this ordinance. You acknowledge that to be baptised is ihecommand of Christ, then surely your neglect of that command, however 19n9 continued, does not relieve you from the obligation to obey. The simple rite will form upon your part an impressive declaration of your belief in the glorious fact that you are dead with Christ and raised with Christ. Death with Him in His death, life with Him in His resurrection. Baptism has proved itself to many a rich means of grace: humbly and prayerfully observe it and it will become such to you, comforting your heart and bringing home to your soul with all the power of sensible impression some of the most delightful truths of religion.

Condensed from First Annual Report of the SA Baptist Association November 1864 pp 13-16

2. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS TO SA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION October 1871
My object is to bring before you, as subjects for thought and discussion, some things I believe to be needed in order to our increased power and efficiency in the Work of God.
1. We need to set in order things that are wanting in our own organisation. I do not think that as Churches we need any change of policy. We believe that the first companies of Christ were independent congregations: that they assumed and exercised no authority over each other in the way of imposing officers, dictating articles of belief or prescribing rules of discipline. Probably we are all satisfied that the 'congregational form of Church government' is scriptural and consequently unimprovable by human wisdom and experience. However, we may fail in carrying our theory into execution. With some exceptions I think we do fail in the non-appointment of 'elders'. The oversight of the early Churches was committed to a body of 'elders' chosen for that purpose. But, generally speaking, our Churches delegate to one man, called the pastor, the spiritual oversight of an entire Church. Is it possible for the pastor of an ordinary sized congregation to attend to study and his public engagements and yet find time to visit the sick, to go in quest of the back-sliding and to attend to the numberless cases of individuals needing peculiar counsel, warning or exhortation? Let the pastor, then, be surrounded by a body of elders, who will share the responsibility and divide the labour connected with spiritual superintendence. I plead that this thing wanting may be set in order. I would also call attention to the office of 'deaconess' which unfortunately to a large extent has lapsed in Baptist Churches. The New Testament abounds with references to the special and effective services rendered by Christian sisters in the work of God. Our minds are familiar with the names of Dorcas, Priscilla, Chloe, Mary, Persis, Junia and others whose self-denying efforts find a place in the permanent records of Christ's Kingdom. But I wish especially to direct attention to the fact that women not only laboured in the early Churches, but that they held office in them. History is unanimous as to the existence of deaconesses. These female ministers were probably employed in attending to their own sex in the same duties as deacons and elders performed to their brethren. Making all due allowance for the different habits of society in the present day, is it not still true that there is a great deal to be done in our Churches in the way of spiritual supervision, advice and help, which cannot be done effectively by deacons or elders? And this is the very work which an experienced Christian woman, by her love, tenderness and tact, is preeminently fitted to accomplish. For the revival of the office of deaconess, there seems to me to be special necessity in this day and in this colony.

2. We need the regular and systematic visitation of our congregations by those who labour in word and doctrine. Were elders and deaconesses appointed in every Church, visiting the congregations would be easier and the work would be more efficiently done. But I refer here specifically to the visitation of the people by the men who preach the Gospel to them.
It seems to me that a person preaching the Word constantly to the same people should be acquainted with their individual trials, and their thoughts and opinions on spiritual subjects. How otherwise can he bring the great truths of the Gospel to bear upon the actualities of their Christian life and experience?

3. We need a more perfect adherence to scriptural diction. I cannot but believe that the determined adherence to the use of Bible names to represent the things of Scripture will tend greatly to destroy tbose injurious errors which still lurk in our Churches. I plead with our friends to give up the use of such unscriptural expressions as 'The sacramf!nt of the Lord's Supper', 'The Holy eucharist', 'The Lord's Supper will be administered', , A meeting will be held in the Church'. The attempts which are now being made to supply more correct translations of God's Word in our own tongue are of immense importance viewed in connection with the question of scriptural phraseology.

4. We need the members of our Churches, but especially our office bearers, to be on the right side of the great moral questions of the day. I refer particularly to such questions as the use of tobacco and the use of intoxicating drinks as beverages. By the right side, I mean the side taken by the reformers who are pledged against the ordinary use of these things. I will not say much about the first of these mainly because it is a minor one. But, in urging my brethren to discountenance the use of tobacco, I offer the following considerations:- No sensible man will maintain that its use does him any good. High medical authorities show that to say it does is to 'call evil good'. The smoking pastor in the Church presents to the young an example which greatly pains the hearts of many godly parents. The use of tobacco never tended to endear a pastor to his flock. The nasty odour of it on his breath or in his garments never made him a more welcome visitor at the bedside of the sick or the dying. But I pass to something about which I am far more anxious -that is, that the members of our Churches, but more especially the deacons and elders, be on the right side of 'the total abstinence question'. No observant man will attempt to deny that drunkenness is the prevailing sin of our day and country. Speaking of South Australia, more ministers of religion have heen disgraced through strong drink than from all other causes put together - more members cut off from Church fellowship, more hindrances presented to the usefulness of God's servants and the spread of truth. Alcohol is causing a tide of crime and misery to flow over society. It is filling our streets with prostitutes, our gaols with prisoners and the stockade with convicts. It is filling untimely graves with rotting bodies and a dark hell with ruined souls. Surely it is time that the members of our Churches, more
especially those set over them in the Lord, began earnestly to enquire whether it be not a duty to discountenance altogether the use of intoxicating drinks and to take sides with those moral reformers who are manfully battling this monster evil. Before leaving this part of my subject, to save misunderstanding, allow me
to make two remarks. I do not wish to make any unkind reflections upon those who make, sell or use intoxicating drinks. I conscientiously believe that they are all wrong. But I can perfectly believe that they are just as conscientious in supposing that they are right. My other remark is that none would deprecate more than I do any attempt on the part of our Churches to make total abstinence from intoxicating drinks a condition of membership as some other bodies have essentially done. 5. We need in all, whether office bearers or private members, increased holiness. By increased holiness, I mean more of that sanctity of heart and life which has its root in faith and that more perfect likeness to the example of Christ which Paul desired for the Ephesians when he prayed that they be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him. This holiness is comprehensive, touching the entire being of its possessor and entering into all the relationships of his Christian life. It has relation to the Father and implies love to His name, delight in His perfections and obedience to His will. It has relation to the Son and implies trust in His atonement and work, imbibing His Spirit and imitating His example. It has relation to the Spirit and implies yielding to His influence, submission to His teaching. It has reference to the Church and includes love to the brotherhood. It includes the world and includes honouring all, praying for all, doing good to all. It is clear that to be powerful we must be consistent. We must live religion to recommend it -we must obey the Gospel to spread it -we must be like Jesus to bring men to Him.

Condensed from Truth and Progress November 1871 pp 101-5

3. ADDRESS TO SA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION October 1873
The topic on which I have been requested to address the meeting is:- 'That notwithstanding the activity and success of other religious bodies in the "Northern Areas" there is still ample room for the operations of the Baptist Association'. I believe that by a wonderful combination of influences, both physical and political, God has in His own good time secured the permanent settlement of an agricultural population upon these glorious plains lying to the north of Kooringa and Clare. The people who have settled upon these areas are favourable to religion.

The attention of the various denominations has naturally been directed to these new fields of Christian labour and you will notice that my iopic acknowledges both activity and success of some. Denominationally speaking, however, the activity and consequently the success chiefly, if not altogether, belongs to the Methodists. While some of us stand to defend and glorify our principles, the Methodists run to extend and work theirs. God bless them and make them a blessing. In the areas I have been visiting once a month (Broughton, Narridy, Gulnare and Booyoolee) there are resident four itinerant Methodist ministers with a host of lay preachers.
While acknowledging willingly and gratefully the activity and success of others' labours, it is our firm conviction that there is in these areas ample scope for the efforts of people representing this Association, The fields are large and, in many respects, are 'white already to the harvest'. Small centres of population are rapidly springing into existence, and in nearly everyone the Devil has a large chapel where he is worshipped under the form of Bacchus,
I believe that God is not only calling us to share with others in the battle with evil and the winning of souls in these areas, but we are summoned io seize this golden opportunity of extending our principles. Do we not value the great doctrines for which we denominationally exist? Do we not find in the Bible principles to teach about which these other labourers are silent? I am persuaded that we, as Christians, have not only a work to do as soul gatherers in these newly-settled districts, but that necessity is laid upon us to give special prominence to some of these great scriptural pri~ciples which are held only by us and a few others and which it seems our heritage to maintain. Let me direct attention to some of these:-
1. That the Bible, the Bible only, but all the Bible, is the authoritative rule of faith and practice. We are not called upon to give our testimony to the 'Confessions of Faith', 'The Thirty Nine Articles', 'Wesley's Sermons', or what is called 'The teachings of our Church', but God summons us to teach the habit of studying the Word and demanding a 'Thus saith the Lord' for every doctrine believed and every ordinance observed.

2. The scriptural independence of the churches and the right of the individual members to share in the administration of the affairs of the church to which they belong. This is one of our principles as Congregational Baptists. We believe that the first Churches of Christ were constitutionally complete in themselves and were not considered branches of some larger organisation. The members of these early churches were not viewed as the members of some modern connections are viewed, that is as adherents or worshippers, while 1he entire functions of edification and government are monopolised by the ministers or those nominated by them. The New Testament, we maintain, puts responsibility upon the entire body of the saints.

3. The necessity of piety to membership. This is an important principle of the New Testament but one sadly overlooked in the present day. Some churches who
inform us that they hold this principle do not seem to act upon it. But there are others who do not acknowledge the principle at all. A little while ago in Kapunda I saw the door of a large chapel open; I went in and facing me was a placard which read to this effect :-
'First -Conditions of Membership in this Church -~A desire to flee from the wrath to come.
Second -How this desire will be manifested -By obedience to the laws of the Church. John Wesley.'
We maintain that this principle of admission is wrong. The Bible makes piety absolutely essential to membership in the church. In the letters written by the Apostles to the early churches the members are never addressed as those desiring to flee from the wrath to come, but they are acknowledged as 'baptised into Christ's death', 'saved', 'saints', 'children of God by faith', 'complete in Christ'.
We are called upon by the providence of God to bear frank but firm testimony against ritualistic additions to the simple ordinances of Christ. It is generally by slow and almost imperceptible degrees that human additions are made to the simple rites of the New Testament, additions however which hide their significance and weaken their power. Take the Lord's Supper as an example. One pastor has the elements spread upon a table which stands upon an exalted platform. From this position the deacons descend with the bread and wine to the people. Another pastor has the table on the platform and he and the deacons partake of the ordinance together first and then [what is called) dispense it to the people. Another pastor gets behind a thing called a communion rail and he dispenses the ordinance to the communicants, individually, as they kneel around the rail. There is no ritualism in this, I suppose? Nothing that hides the meaning of the Lord's feast? Nothing that destroys the believer's realisation of the church's unity? Nothing that exalts the man who 'dispenses' the ordinance? Nothing that makes a man called a 'minister' necessary? Oh, no.

These, Mr. Chairman, are some of the great principles for which our stern but brave and patient Puritan forefathers suffered. These are principles of God's word, not generally understood and acted upon. God in His provid~nce is opening to us new fields, where we may make them known and extend them, work them, see them triumph. Have we the zeal, the liberality, the Christian enterprise, to follow the finger of Providence and reap the harvest?

Condensed from Truth and Progress October 1873 pp 117-9

4. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS TO SA BAPTIST ASSOCIA TION September 1884
'Our Position as Baptists'
In this age of denominationalism we might truly say with the demoniac, 'My name is legion, for we are many.' We fail to discover the slightest advantage springing from these divisions. The results are disastrous. The narrowness of view, the sectarian bitterness, the unhallowed rivalry engendered by the spirit of denominationalism, lead us to view it as an abomination. In stating as clearly as we are able the ground we take as Baptists we are very apt to give offence to the members of other denominations, although nothing can be further from our intention. We hold in loving esteem good and true Christians of all churches. They have all a noble roll-call of consecrated lives -lives illustrative of the power of their principles. It is onl'y our poor brothers who have wandered into the barren, dreary Tegion of unbelief, that have no bond of union -no stimulating history. We trust that our brethren who in some things follow not with us will not misinterpret our motives while we deal with those things which separate us denominationally. However desirable union may be we will get no nearer to each other by adopting each other's errors or by copying each other's defects.
1, Our position is that the Word of God in those forms in which God has given it, is the only authoritative and infallible rule of faith and practice. In common with some others, we encourage the people with the open Bible in their hands to scrutinise every doctrine they hear preached, every ordinance they observe and every principle of church policy they carry out. As Baptists we appeal to the Bible alone and to the Bible in those forms in which God's wisdom has supplied it. As Baptists we do not urge the people to be true 10 our principles or to test what they hear by the standards of our church.But we do urge them to keeprthe Bible open and 'Take heed how ye hear'. 'Prove all things, hold fast that which is good', not that which is denominational.
2. Our position is that an assembly of converted persons, whether large or small, meeting in the name of Christ, and having his presence, is sufficient in itself for all purposes of government and edification. On the authority of God's word we maintain that it is not necessary to the existence and work of a church or to give validity to its acts that it should belong to an association, conference or presbytery. The churches of the New Testament were not mere parts of a provincial church or sections of a large organisation bearing a man's name and rendering obedience to his rules, but they were separate, independent congregations, every member sharing in the common responsibility, rule and work.
3. Our position is that baptism is 'The immersion in water into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; persons making a credible profession of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.'
This baptism we uphold as a permanent ordinance of the Christian faith, resting entirely on the expressed will of the Christ who said, 'all authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And 10, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the age.' Far be it from us to charge those who differ from us with insincerity. We can acknowledge their scholarly attainments, their moral worth, and yet believe them to be in error -mischievous error. Surely it is time we should be able to demonstrate the compatibility of cherishing brotherly love toward those from whom we differ with uncompromising adherence to truth and the faithful exposure of the evils resulting from departures from truth.
Take away immersion and substitute sprinkling and what is the result? The design of the ordinance is largely obscured -its moral significance partially lost. Do what ChrIst commands and we at once see the beauty, force and aptitude of the rite. In symbol we behold the end of the old life of guilt and sin -in the believer's burial with his Lord. In symbol we behold the beginning of the new life of holiness -in the believer's resurrection with Christ. 'Therefore, we are buried with Christ by immersion into His death, that like as Christ was raised up with the glory of God the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life'.
Again, let men close their eyes to the terms of Christ's commission, which says, 'He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved', and let them substitute for the penitent believer the innocent unconscious infant, and what must be the results? The language which the Bible applies to the believer who has put on Christ in this ordinance, is applied to the infant in whose case repentance is unnecessary and faith impossible. Even those who repudiate the dogma of baptismal regeneration have been led in some indistinct way to attach saving efficacy to baptism, apart from repentance and faith, the divinely ordained pre-requisites of the ordinance.
Another evil which we think results from the practice of infant sprinkling is 'The vague and indefinite views some in the Church have with reference to their individual relationship to the Christ'. Could this be the uncertain unhappy condition of one received into the church on the Divine plan, being baptised on the profession of his repentance toward God and faith in the Lord J esus Christ? To ask the question is to answer it.
Condensed from Truth and Progress October 1884 pp 109-111