The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-11-10

Odl uCuSC'
Although our Lord submitted to water
baptism. as he did TO all the other rites of
that typical dispensation, which he came TO
fulfil, It does not appear that he ever ad
mInistered it. tits stated John Sc. 22v.:
..After these things came Jesus and his dis
ciples into the land of Judea and there he
tarried with them and baptized" If the
Evangelist bad left the matter here, the tes-
timony would have appeared conclusive; but
he directly recurs to it as if anxious to cor
rect any misaprehension which might have
taken place, and says, "that Jesus himself
baptized not but his disciples '-John 4, 2v.
but if our Savior had designed water bap
tism to be the true mode of initiation into
his church, we might reasonably suppose
that he would have administered it when
he set apart the twelve Apostles. but the
Apostle says, Jesus baptized not" Wa
ter baptism being an essential part of John'~
commission, he properly admitted his disci-
piles by it; but when the great administra-
tor of spiritual baptism, called upon any
saying, follow me, those who obeyed became
hi- disciples without any ceremonial. Thus
We find that he accepted Peter, Andrew,
John, James. Levi. Phillip, Nathaniel and
Zacheus. without either baplizing them
with water or directing them to be so bap-
tized. No one will assent that the apostles
and imme diate followers of our Lord, were
not properly initiated as members OF his
church. Indeed, the choice of the Apostles
appears to have been made with great So
Iemnity. ''And it came to pass, in those
DAYS, that he went out into mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to
God, and when it was day. he called unto
him his disciples, and of them he chose
twelve, whom also he named Apostles. y
Luke &C.. 12, I3v. When our Savior sent
forth the twelve apostles, to preach the gos-
pei and to heal the sick and the diseased,
and again when he sent forth the seventy
upon the same errand, he gave them minute
directions with regard to the course they
should pursue: not word however was
SAID with regard TO baptism. Now if 1t had
been necessary that the Apostles should
have received water baptism from the hands
of their divine master, or if it were essential
In the introduction of converts into his
church, we should surely have found some
allusion to the right on the solemn occasion
here referred to. The Apostles were not
purified and prepared for their service by
water baptism, or by sprinkling, or by wash
ing the flesh in water, and their sole mes
sage to, and the only obligation laid upon
their hearte, seems to have been repent and
believe the gospel. In our consideration OF
this subject. we have found the testimony
Of John the Baptist, confirmed and corrob-
GRATED by the precept and example of our
blessed Lord Let US now Investigate the
views OF the Apostles, as they are set forth
10 the sacred writings. In the day when
Peter. and James, and John, on the mount
of ansfgura'ion, were favored with the
presence of their divine master, and Moses
ana Elias representing the dispensation of
the ., spell. the law and John, they were for
building three Iabernacles; one for Jesus.
one for Moses and one for Elias; but imme-
diately the voice from heaven turned their
attention to the alone head and teacher OF
his church in these remarkable words: This
is my beloved son, hear We him. There is
abundant evidence that the Apostles long
continued to observe the outward ceremo-
MES in which they had been educated
Their offering in the temple; their submis-
sion to legal rights, do indeed seem to show
that for a time they were still building TO
Moses and Elias, as well as to Christ, As
they observe the whole ceremonial of the
law, which all admit was abrogated by the
gospel We shall not find in :heir occa
sional use of water baptism, any argument
|
christian ordinance. Those who quot
the practice of the Apostles as conclusive
argument in favor of the permanent insti
ZION of this, do not sufficiently consider how
difficult il was for them to overcome the in
! fuence of early education, and Jewish pre-
| iudices To those who make a proper es-
innate of the human mind, it certainly can
be no matter of establishment, that they still
! IL MI nI, Shoxv
had been taught to venerate as having been
established by God. even after they were
baptized with the holy spirit, they were gem
orally jealous of the law, so that it became
a matter of grave deliheration amongst the
Apostles themselves, whether the gentiles
should not be required to submit to the
right of circumcision. Peter had his Jew :
/ ish preiudices in soma measure removed, BY
the vision which instructed him that God
was no Iespecter of persons; he appears to
have been convinced by the baptising pow
er which accompanied his own ministry. of
the true nature of christian baptism. Ia
describing to the brethren at Jerusalem. his
visit TO Cornelius, he says: LAS l began to
sp-ak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on US
at the beginning, then remembered I the
| word OF the Lord, how that he said, John
indeed baptized with water. but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost, Acts lie.
10. lev. Here we see the command to
t<@cH --f,.,A'ns .~inmou, anu tnls baptism
of the spirit appears to have been usual
accompaniment of their ministry, since we
Il find Peter in after life. testifying that they
preached the gospel. with the Hely Ghost
sent down from heaven. This same Apos-
tie whose eyes were opened to see the inu-
tility of the outward rite, makes use of the
following remarkable words in his Epistle
to the strangers, scattered throughout Pom
tus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithy-
MIA: The like figure antitype whereunto
& even baptism doth also now save US. (not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh but
the answer of a good conscience toward
G ,1 by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
II LIST Peter Sc, Civ. No one deny
! that the commission of the great Apostie
80 the Gsntles, was as full as that o. any
# his fellow laborers; he says be wac not
a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles.
yet wh-n speaking with reference to water
baptism. he expressly says he not SEM