Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-06-17
rnR THE AMERICAN.
REVIEW OF REV. HALLS C0MMuNlC ALTON
on THE
Mode Of Baptism.

s'iould be answered through the same medium
which made public his communications. llav-
| ing waited, in vain, a reasonable time for re-
ply from L. d. L., and for the conclusion of Mr..
Halls remarks, proceed to fulfil my condition
al pledge to furnish an answer.
Il would be much more agreeable to me, and
better calculated to give full view of our side
of the question, to exhibit the subject in the
form Of an essay, But, as it has assumed
controversial shape, i, seems proper to meet it
in that aspect Finding it impossible to classify
| Mr.. Halls thoughts, or reduce them to any To-
| gical order, the necessity is imposed on me of
following him in his wanderngs from Dan to
Bcetsheba I, is not at all necessary to pro-
per view Of the main subject TO reply to every
thing that he has written 4; but it is expedient
TO do so, because there are many whose minds
are perplexed by the merest trifles, especially
when uttered with that air Of sef-confdence
which so preeminently distinguishes the pieces
cf Mr.. Hall. The weakest assertion often con-
vinces such minds, when the strongest argu-
ment fails to make any impression.
As must have some kind of method, ] will
notice, in this number the remarks Of Mr.. Hall
which have an appearance ofconncction with
his arguments, and which he probably thought
were arguments strong enough for ignorant
minds afterwards examine and dispose of his
strong points and, lastly, take my farewell Of
the Rev. gentleman and his lebors. by pro-
per reference to various grntuitous and irrele-
want assertions scattered through his communi-
cations.
As it regards the piece of l.. d. L., to which
Mr.. Hall has replied, have to state, that do
not approve it entirely, though most of its ar
gumen,s are sound. Unfortunately, its merit
is much greater than its adaptation TO common
minds-it contains more learning than even
Mr. Halls mind seems able to comprehend.
My readers need only to be reminded, that
any piece, relating to baptism, written by n
Baptist, will be most dogma,ical, and have very
weak points--for, however enlarged nny he his
understanding, and however much he may be
like other christians in all other matters, yet
on this subject, his mind contracts to the small
est possible point, and he can see nothing but
(; much water, even in a sandy desert where n,
mirage in the distance creates the deusion.
y Mr. Hall censures and ridicules l.. d. l.. io
referring to the Old Testament in support o
q; sprinkling and pouring, and says, that in thu
passages 10 which l.. refers, the word baptz'
does not occur. This is disingenuous, inas
much as l.. does not say that they contain th
word The argument of l.. from the passage
is OF the analogical kind, and is perfectly sound
1t is t;lis That, as the influences ofthe spiri
are represented in the Old Testament by sprinS
ling and pouring, therefore, baptism, which
nm emblem of publication, is ftly administers
by the corresponding mode o: applying tn
IN water, viz by sprinkling or pouring. l.. the
confirms his argument by the assertion of Johr
IT, that Christ would baptize with the Holy Gho.
and fire, which assertion he shows was vcrifie
on the day o: Penticost, when the prophecy {
= Joel was fulfilled, that the spirit should be pou
u ed out. The baptism of the Holy Ghost, an
the pouring out of the spirit then ure eQuiv'
I' lent expressions, and, Of course, the pouring
u water on the subject is baptism.
!" Mr.. Hall, nettlcd by the force which Il
- knows this kind of argument will exert @
" candid minds, though he attempts TO despisc
- Goliah like. dcfes l.. TO prove that sprinkle an
'' pour are of the same signlication with IN
'' word, baptize. Golsh can defy, but David ca
~ silence in death the boasting champion.
have inst proved that to baptize signifies
pour and, here assert, that TO baptlze mear
&c To apply water with the view cf cleansing, or
therefore it is proper to use any mode, but tn
sprinkling or pouring is more significant tia
any other method
"s Mr.. Hall then asks, with no little rreve
ence, il l.. supposcs that the immortal God Ul
~ Sprit) was "pourcd out or sprinked about
w. particles" | reply, that in the language
W scripture the Spirit is said TO he poured ct
"e This is a sufficient answer 10 every teachab
and humble mind Then he refers his rea
" ers to Acts ii. ., 3, 4, for a rule, as he says,
VI which he measures the baptism OF the SPlr
"" lie asserts that the "Spirit filled all the hon
where they were sitting. II he had looked
ther at the construction of the sentence, or
We the original, he would have found that "
' the sound. and not the spirit, that filled all I
house But he says, in the fourth verse, Il
''" they were filled with the Holy Chest aud tll
therefore, the baptism otthe Holy Ghost agre
'' with immersion, and not with sprnking