Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-03-22
CALCUTTA, Sept. 10, 1896

have ust received your letter under date
Of the 14th MAY, and as there is vessel
advertised to sail for the United States in
a day or two, lose no time in replying
10 the query it contains.
Allow me then distinctly TO state, and
authorize you, if necessary, on my testi-
mony, to assure the Christian public of
America, that in every version of the
New Testament which DR.. Carey trans
lated or edited, he translated the Greek
word baptizo by word sigpifying 10
"dlp." He never merel y transferred it.
l believe, from his oft repeated declara-
tions, that he would have felt himself Grim
inal in doing so, with the views which he
entertained as to the meaning of the word,
founded on its Interpretation as given in
every Greek Lexicon Except in recent
ones, when natural desire to Justify the
present practice Of our Pedobaptist breth {.
rem has led to such interpretations on its
use by Josephust like the apostles Jeao
writing in the Greek language, and at the
same period in the translation ofthe word
in the early Asiatic versions, and in many
modern European ones, in the practice of
the Greek church from the earliest period,
and in the early practice too Of the church
Of England, and in other churches re-
formed from the church of Rome as
evidenced by large Fonts for immersing
infants, and BY the directions of the
rubrick, as still preserved in the book of
Common Prayer; and on the great cloud
of witnesses who, while they p;actised
sprinkling, have admitted that it was a
departure, though in their view an al
LoaoabLs one, from the apostolic mode. I
With views founded on these and other
reasons, he was firmly persuaded, that the
intention of the Spirit of God was to de-
scribe and direct immersion And if so,
why in this, any more than in the words,
church" congregation, " bishop"
"blshoprick," prcsbytery,' "deacon,"
"deaconess," &C., all equally affecting de-
nomInatlonal views, and about the proper
meaning of which there is far greater d.
versity ofopinion,3 should he smother the
convictions Of his own mind, and what he
believed to be the voice of the Spirit oil
God Mr. Chamberlain, our worthy
Baptist brother, who translated the New
Testament into the Beaj Bhasha dialect
entered into the same views and translated
he word in the same manner. Had Ell
Their ofthem nat done so feel persuaded
he would have felt himself exposed to tn,
curse denounced against any man whc
takes away" from the word Of God
prophecy, (Rev. %: 1917 and considc
2 himself an unfaithfu and a trai.orou
/ translator.
s The same conviction ofthe right, wnicI
J. In order to be quite certain as it regards tn
+, Bangalee version which was first executed an
y which DR. Carey made the model of all his othe
- TRANSACTIONS, have Just examined all the edition
; in my possession. Among these is the very frs
published IN 1904, before the formation Of tn
Calcutta Bible Society; the second, printed
1873, the first he pu lished after its ESTABLISH
ment; and the last edition, completed by hi
just hefnre his death, with two Intermediate one
b and find that in ALL the word is fully Translate
10 ~ the word dO0b or dip" II il the same
70 ElnduI and the Mshratta, the only other VERSO
l have BY NE for reference: and Mr.. Iate
whom have Just seen, unites with me in asser
r ing that it is the case in all.
he See Dr.. Rylsnd's E" Candid Statement.
ty Parson, late Professor Of Greek in the UI
versity Of Cambridge, and acknowledged by
,r competent judges to be the first Creek scholar
-, his age in England. when asked on the neanlI
=" Of the word bGptizo, replied though PedobaPt
1g that II would be absurd to imagine that it y
IS any either proper meaning than to dip entirely
re or plunge, or immese.-See BOWS Sermon
l., Baptism, p. II.
Ii 3 AZ was to be expected, since the Bible
u" eiefy mterfered about Baptism, the words abo
~, referred to are become the subject Of difficult
. and brethren in India instead Of traDslating
m original terms for all Of them, are al this momI
"a about to Introduce the Greek words into tie I
aiu tive languages Calling, /" !" Election, = =
- t6caton, " Redemption, = &c.s must IN q
he follow, and Inc Christian Church u giving
ect New Testament, win then present % : hc1tl
. work. although IN his opn IUC'14e. pcrlef
q unintelfgible % the bcsi iniorU@. - |is g
on tynen. 20