Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-09-05
FROM the New York star.

Mr. Hfor.-L Listening with great ~intcrcst i
few evt ninSs ago 10 II discussion between two learn.
cd persons belonging to the baptist Church, on The
sul9ect OF Baptism, together With The long disputed
point q immersion ,n sprinkjiug. | was eur priEed 10
heat ono oftha disru,an,s ses TINT baptism was d
Jewish rite, Md that the dispute on sprinkiinx ar
immersion could only be satisfactorily settled W
he Jews. B9singa always been impressed with he
Conviction thal Baptism was The tubstitu,e Ior cir
cun4eisiun adopted BY our Saviour, aud never prao.
Used BY the lews, ! hase to beg IL you any infos ma
ton you may possess on The subject. c. p.
Certainly. Baptism is a Jewish rite, bui only
prnciised among The rroselytes. Chiidren born Of
jewish parents we're rirenncised; but the initia,ofy
rite fr The admission Of ehild,en into the established
religion, was by circumcision md baplism-thc one
by divine ~authoiity the other BY cusfsf m.
Mainonides, the highest authority amorg Jew.
ish writer's, says, isssre Riah Gap. 10; !" Israel
was admitted into the covenant by iiiree thinrs-by
circumcision, by baptism. ind by sacrifice. Cifcun
cifien was IN Egypt, as il II said mono unei,cumci.
sed shall ear the passover; Baptism was Ia The viii
det,sess befofe The giving of the law, as !, Ia ssid,
" Then sheh saaetlfy them to-day and tomorrow.
and wash their garments and sacrifice
All tho Healheis who became converts 10 tho
Jewish religion. were esrcurncised and bspiiscd
and this pfaclice continued until tho reign Of Solo
man, when the importance and commercial weaIft,
and character of The kingdom produced such a rusl,
81 emigrapt proselytcs that they we're received with
baptism and citations only, and 10 female converts
to Judaism, baptism Is p~sactieed 10 this very day.
We have always considered Baptism, in addition
70 circumcision, ns confined TO proselytes only. and
we trace Il 10 the very earliest age Of The Hebrew
nation. Jacob received into the Jewish church the
women Of Sirkem and other Heathens in hs con.
muni,y. The text renda, Gen. IS o." Jacob said
10 bis family and 10 al that were with him., pnt
away from you The strange Gods, and be 20 cleon
and change your garments"
EbeR Ezra, tho learned Jewish commentator
says TINT The wofds I" be ~ clean refess 10 Ban
,ism OF washing the body. A. Baptism ihetefofeis
. Jewish rite !, may be well 10 carry our The enqni.
" whether 1t was ~ immersion or sprinklinc.
When the p,oseiyte had wholly recovered from
circumcision, they brought him to " some gathering
of waters" which we take to have been 4 river or
bath, which was Of the proportion of = a cubit
square and three cubits deep When placed in
the water by the judicial cousissory of three, who
bad the solr power Of Bspiisine, they repeated 10
him some of The cardinal principles 81 the law, and
he plunged his tohoie 6ody In the eater After
this immersion he came outand offered up n PRAYER
shat he might be purified from his gentle pollu.
ton and become a sound member OF the Jewish
church" The practice Of Baptism vas general
among The jews. Maimonides says In adoadim.
Cap ., lf an Israelife takes up or finds D heather
infant and baptises him for a plcselyfc, be becomes
a member of The church."
We are pleased 70 sec q spirit OF enquiry has Aws-
kened relative TO The laws and ceremonies or the
8 chosen people, Christianity gropes in the dark
without flIly understanding the history Of this ex-
traordinary nation, 10 whom oil religions are 90
deeply indebted, and We are much mistaken If every
law or principle upon which Christianity now rests.
are not traced ~ their origin 20 the Jewish people.