The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-10-01

'oe" 'ne e'noicibs VI tue Splrlt, on the day
ofPentecost, they descended upon the Dis.
cipIes, the Disciples were not dipped into
them. Water IS poured out in order to
immersion; but the Spirit was poured out
as baptism, and not in order to INNER.
sion. 1t Is easy to perceive what process
would have realized the Baptist view of
this solemn transaction. The embems Of
the Spirit must have first filled the apart,
ment, as the water is poured into the YES
SCI; and then the Disciples must have been
let down into this bap,izing element, us
the body is dipped into the poured out
water. Now, the day of Pentecost exhi
bits the descent, or the pouring, for both
terms arc applied to it, while we search
in vain for the immersion. The part Of
the operation which consists in 1,ouyjn7
presents itself to every eye; will our op-
poncn,s Lc good enough to produce the
part which consists in immersion God
te>iiticS To the descent Of the cmblcms of
the Spirit upon 'hc Disciples; but God has
not testified To the immersion of the Dis.
clpIcs into TIA" emhiems OF the SpiSit. The
iOrmcr, therefore, u Z receive as the tsstimo.
ny OF God the latter We rcpudiate as the
groundicss teaching of man. We believe
III ientecosta baptism, rs the fulfIiment
OF the prediction uttered 10y John, and re-
Iteraled 10y Jesus we reject Prntecostal
immersion, because there WAS "no dp-
ding" and nothing, in fact, winch can Lc
tortured into al ayi of immersion.
Othcr Scripture alusions to pouring or
atiuSlon, us the Spirits baptism, leave no
room for immersion. This baptism is in
roduced IN Acts ri {: 1917, MS the ful.
h.Iment OF the prediction by joel; "In
the last days, saith God, | will lour out
OF my Spirit upon all flesh :" john y: 33:
The same blessing is said to be sled forih.
or poured 24t, by the Savior, then exalted
At the night hand of God ; Chapter x: A5.
represents tie gift of the Itoiy Ghost as
"Pc9rcd oUt On the GeutiIcs :" and when
the Holy Ghost .tcN on the Gcntiles: ri
10. Peter remembered "the word of the
Lord, bow that he said, Ye shall be 6ap
h=Cd scjM the Holy Ghost"
Let us now ascertain whether the pour.
"3, mentioned in these testimonies, COZ.
responds with DIR. Carson's view of the
SP'r'ts baptism. Water" says he, us
poured into bath in order to i.amerse
the feet or lAe body" But what saith
the Scripture! Is the Spirit emLlcma,ical-
Iy poured mo some receptacle, in order
that the candidates for baptism may be
immersed in his influences? On the con
'rary, the baptizing element is uniformly
represented as poured out upon tie object
to he baptized. will pour on, of my
Spirit upon oil .feSh." " On tie GcnGcs
was pourod out the gift ftLe Holy Ghost"
lhe SPIRIT is not poured out in orGer TO i'm.
mcrsIon; but the Spirit is poured out di.
reclIy or The objects to be benefited Ly
his gracious influences. The pouring
takes place under circumstances which
leave no room for immcrsica. Or. Car.
son ImagIncs a process, for which the scrip
ture affords no warrant, when he distin.
guish"s the pouring from the Jdptisns.-
Here is not, and there cannot be, an I'M
mcr~i"m into the poured out embems Of
the SlHrit, simply because these emLlcms
are poured out upon the parties, who re.
ceire tho Spirits baptism. Here, there.
fore, Is baptism administered by pour.
lug, IN such circumstances rs utterly pre-.
ciude The possibility of dipping.
Our reasoning is not disturbed by the
fact, that the agency Of the Spiri, is repre-.
semIcd under variety oi emblems. As
dove, lie is said TO aIght; as dew, he
is said 10 distl as water, he is said 10 be
poured out or sprink!ed, and SO on. Now,
We are challenged TO produce reason for
applying to baptism, any one of these
modes III preference 10 another. WHY
not baptze 10y some process resembling
the gcntIo dislllIa;ion Of the dew, or the
flight Of the dove, aud is alighting on its
chosen perchi Our answer is at hand.
We reject the mode Of gentle distillation,
because the appointed element in baptism
is not dew; we adopt the mode of pouring
or sPrinking, because the sppolnted ele-
meDt is water. This mode, However. we
do not advocate on the principle that it
symboIizes the oLtpouring of the Spirit;
for We entirely agree with DIR. Carson,
that an emblem Of an emblem is opposed
to the laws Of language. Our view is
simple, and We apprehend it will not be
easily oIerthrown. The embematical
outpouring Of the Spirit upon the subject,
is the Spirits baptism; Why not, on the
same principle, recognize the outpouring of
water upon the subject, as water baptismi
The Spirit, we nay be told, accommodates
himself to the emblem; but this does not
effect the reality Of baptism 10y pouring;
and indeed VIC arc aware OF no Baptist
argument powerful enough 10, diAodge u.
from our position,
. DIR. Carson afiTms that the Spirit was
poured ogL in order that the Disciples
might be immersed but the Scripture in
forms us that the Spirit was poured on,
upon NE Disciples ihus holding forth to
all ages the solemn act VI baptism with.
out immersion.
Pen,ecostal baptism teaches authorita
lively the great lesson that immersion ],
not the essence Of the ordinance. On the
day Of Pentecost, God exempIified a "reaI
BAPTISM" but there WAS "no dipping This
baptism, most dignified in itself and mos,
mowcbtous to the interests Of the church,