Christ s command is, Disciple or convert the nations, immersing and teaching them. And without instructing and immersing, the command cannot be obeyed . It never was obeyed in any other way. Hence, the apostles first preached, than immersed those who believed, and taught them the christian institution. Notwithstanding our friend Christianos has given us a new datum for understanding participles, we, must with additional earnestness, and with more force, press upon our readers the corollary as a most legitimate one, viz.
Mental converts are only speculative converts.
Philosophical converts they may be, but christian converts are persons whose lives are changed who are turned from the practice of sin to the practice of the doctrine of Christ. Many of these mental converts need to be converted in the scriptural sense of that word. And if Christianos has discovered any other or better way, it is his own, and I have no right to it. I trust the learned will either refute, or cordially adopt my remarks upon this participle. As I have now republished Christianos in these pages, I hope he will make interest with the Religious Herald to let my remarks in reply to his criticism, go in the same columns to his readers.