The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-11-25
WRITE N FOR THE PRESS.
JOHNS baptism. .
NO. l.


| ceived from an esteemed Pedo- Baptist friend I
purpose answering with your permission, thro'
the columns of your paper. For the sake OF
convenience have numbered the Queries in
the order in which they were written. Will
you be kind enough to keep them at the head
Of each number.
l. by what fermue did JOHN administer
Baptism
q Was Johns Baptism Christian Baptismi
why were the peopic ~ko s~Jnstte9 to it Japtiz-
edf
4. Why was our Lord Jesus Christ baptizedf
8. A"d, apo" Dha: profession of Faith2
6. What does baptism representa-
z. If it represents tho barial and resurrection
OF Christ, what represents the descension Of the
Holy Ghost, or, the baptism of the Holy Ghost
8. BY what mode was baptism administered
9. If by immersion, show how {" into means
underf"
Aiy reason in asking the use Of your columns
for my reply is because those Immediately con.
cernel are subscribers TO your paper. / writo
in no unknd spirit but only design to vindi-
cate what | conceive to be divine truth. I re-
guest those who differ from me, calmly to con.
slider my arguments before they endeuvor to
search for others TO prove the contrary. So
much hns been said and written upon the sub-
ject' that 1T would be presumptuous to claim
originality for my Thoughts. My opinions are
based upon the Scriptures, but have been con.
hrmed by various arguments used by others,
and. drawn from a variety of sources Having
made these preliminary remarks, proceed to
reconsideration Of the Queries.
AS the discussion of the second Query seems
to involve the 1s', 3rd, 4,l, and 9th, ( shall
examine that first.
lst. Johns baptism was Christian haptism.-
shall sustain this proposition by the follow
ing considerations:
J. The baptism Of John ,oas instituted By Christ
Christ has from the beginning reigned in the
Kingdom of Grace, and he has been the author
OF "rd.iner Of all institutions and ordinances
given to his people from the days of Adam to
the present time. John ALSO speaks Of the Sa.
Stof rs " he THAT eeat me to baptzc." John
49,
2 The Scriptures Provrs Johns Japtism TO be
CAristia" dastism. Mark says l.: l. John was
baptizing in the Wilderness in the beginning
Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" Mr.. Barnes II
Pedo'D baptist, ssysin his notes, that this verse
refers ito the preaching of John. IN account
OF which Immediately follows" Now shall we
say that the beginning of the Gospel is no part
OF the Gospcll Is The beginning of day no
part of The dnyi When the e4Scriptures say,
" oil these are the begnning5of sorrow" does
it mean, that the calnmities spoken of are not
sorrowfuls Was this beginning of Miracles
(John .: ll.) no mrace7 Mark, in the firs.
verso goes back to give the very beginning of
this new disPensaton, or religion. and the
words this is may justly be understood ut the
beginning OF the verse. After this lie goes on
10 speak of Johns preaching, and baptism. If
h's baptism therefore did not belong to the new
dispensation, that dispensation had no Begin
ing for if you cut off John 5 baptism you cut
off what Mark sty les the beginning of the Cos
pei. But there are other proofs of this. The
Snvior said: Matthew ii, l2, 49, "Apd from
The. days of John the Baptist until now, the
hngoom OF heaven saifereth violence, and
tue violent take it by force" Here from the
days., means from the beginning of Johns
Then his baptism was after the be-
ginning of the Kingdom of Heaven, or under
that disPensation. Luke l6: 18.e"The law
ana the prophets were untl John, since Mat
''me the Kingdom of God is preached, and ey-
cry nun presseth iuto it." Surely no other con.
s'Fuct'on caa be put upon this, than that as
soon as jobs began to preach. the Kingdom of
Heaven was preached. ~
That johns baptism was not Christian Bap.
t'sm Is nowhere taught in the Scriptures. It
's doctrine the commandments offmen: and
to say that it is taught is adding to the Word
ofGod. And to soy that it does not teach the
opposite is taking the Word $of Cd
We are responsfble to God for our belief, and
it is dangerous to believe that to be tie teach.
ing of God, which has no authority In his
W ord
But admitting that Johns baptism was not
Christian what could pedo.Baptists gain by iti
in respect 10 the baptismal con-
sroversy: Whatever baptism was, as,adpninis.
erediby John, the same was the baptism of
The commission and the same that was practis-
ID by the Discipls afterthe savior's ascension.
Il: the Greek repositions ey, eis and apo, werel
'sed in tho account@of' The SavioEs baptism |
hey are asiappl plieabIa'in ,sp account Of the Or
finance now, asthep, for the act of baptism
sthe same, andah John' 70 :ba aptism s,xas not
Christian the diAieu!tysof harnopizing the ex-
'resstons esq "irto" and Gso.a Of" with spriuk.
Ing or pouring as generally praetised, would
,efnone the less. = ~. r. - T
'hall notice the Bird Query 10 the next mum.
er. ... - r Fc
Ninety.Six, South Carolina.
a laughabls story is told oian old niser,
sho, being st she point Of death, resolved
. gigeSall bis money to anepbew, at whose
ends he experienced some little kindness.
'am,' said shs ,for tbatwas hisnephsses
4 ai',ess ADJ sstohs .ieasssbe World,
nd to 1ea9s oa s55i n1Y faaf,ey. s You. Sfi}8,@lS