Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-01
PoR THx AMEhfcAN.
ID A r T. L 8 NJ
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sand of,hs wilderness 7" Why, no, Mr. L., cer.
,anly not. Neither did he sprinhh them at the
sand, or neur the sand. But IL you will look to
the 6h verse, you will 6nd ,hst there was river
in which John baptized, "snd were all bsptiiel Of
him in The riper Of Jordan" How absurd !, |
would be to render the passage, ",oifh the river Of
Jordan"
A question ofvery srea, importance here come,
up, Wig: What 10 the scrip,ural mode or action
10 be observed in this ordinance! The reader 10
no doub, aware, that among christians, there is
difference of opinion upon this subject. Some con.
tend for dipping, others for sprinkhng and pour.
ing is very certain that they cannot all be right
If dipping is right, then sprinklins and pouring
nous, be wrong and il sprinkling and pouring be
.he right action, then dipping mus, be wrong be-
cause they are altogether different actions When
the Blessed Jesus commanded his disciples to bap'
,ze, he did not intend that they should sprinkle
some. pour some, and dip others. There can he
bu, one mode that has his sanction {; a deviation
from this, 10 a deviation from Divine authority,
ard must be mere human invention. Wha, is
this, one authorised action Can this question be
settled to the satisfaction Of some, and to the con.
vction of all who are open TO conviction! think
i, can, and settled too, without much difficulty. Let
u. now sy aside all our preconcei,ed opinions and
preiudices, and enter upon ,he investigation in The
fear Of God. with an humble and ardent desire 10
know ,vhot is truth on this subject If our Lord
had designed sprinkng to have been the action, he
would have settled it, by selecting word which
definitely signifies the action, and thus for ever
have excluded the idea Of dipping. He would
have selected the word Rantiso. which definitely
signifies to sprinkle, and is so rendered by our
translators. But the Great Redeemer did not So
lee, the word Rantizo, therefore he did not com.
msnd sprinkling as the action.
If the Saviour had intended pouring to have been
the action, he would have settled il, beyond the
shadow Of q reasonable doubt, by choosing word
which definitely signifies that action, to the eIclu-
sion Of dipping. He would have used the word
cheo, which definitely means TO pour. But Jesus
did not use eLeo, therefore he did not commant
pouring as the action.
What word did our Lord use, To express h
action by which this ordinance isio be administered
the word chosen is Baptizo, which our translator
have not rendered into English by verb of o.
own language expressive Of the same action, bu
adapted the original Greek word, which with US
20 5ab,ise. What does the word bnpti,e, employ
ed by the spirit Of God to express this ordinance
signify, So impassablei is the gulPh between 'h
word and sprinkle or pour, that il is not once in
the Bible rendered into either Of them. l shn
contend ,ha, the primary, literal and obvious mea
ing Of the word Is dip, plunge. immerse, bury, ore
,oaelm-to ,cash as the result Of dipping.
NV LIST argument for dipping as the mode
baptism is taken from the proper and primd
sense of,he word baptize. To obtain Tie sense
this word, let US turn to few Greek Lexicon
where the word is explained. We will begin wi
DR.. John Jonsss Baptzo ~ plunge, I plum
In water, dip, baptize, bury, over,ohelm."
Dr. Groves's Bapiizo ITO dip, mmerse, Il
merge, plunge, to wash"
DR.. Ewing's Bsp,iro "in its primary and "a
cal sense I cover with water. !, is used 10 demo
ls,, plunge, or sink completely ia water
DR.. Donnegsn'. Bsp,izo; "To immerse int
LIQUID TO submerge."
DR.. Greenfeld's Buptzo "To immerse,
merge, submerge, sink"
We might call TO our aid, If it was necessary
vast number more, bat let it suffice that sll IL
cographers and critics OF any note agree with
in our sense Of the primary meaning OF the WI
and in citing the above we give you the opinion
every ether competen, authority. In the class
use of the word, good Greek writer's never use
word in a sense inconsistent with the one
civ, H. and in the sep,usgint ofthe Old Testsm
and in the Apocraphs, the word is used to sign
to plunge, immrrse, dip in, to overwhelm, to "
or cleanse by bathing the person in water.
A End argument is taken from the conf ssion
some Of the mos, pous and learned pedobsp
III, msslves, as to the meaning Of the word.
wi,hstanding their diversified and often var
practice, y,t they speak out upon this subject
US hear Calvin, the founder Of tie Presbyi'
church. upon this subject: The word Dap
signifies to immerse, and the rite Of immersion
observed by the ancient church"
Mr. Leigh: The native and proper ssnihc
Oft [baptizeli is, to dip into wster or to Pl
under water."
Bcvs.set, bishop Of MeauI: ITO baptirs =
hss TO plungs. ss is granted by all the world"
lie, Us also hear the candid and correct tes
ofUr. Georgs Campbell, Professor of Greek, !
College of Aberdeen, who 10 the boss, OF T.,
and Q most Distinguished luminsry in the II
ID,