The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1870-12-31
Gbe union gemofrat.
Baptism Explained.

A Wisconsin secular paper contains the FOL
lowing story:
One who does not believe in immersion for
baptism was holding protracted meeting.
and one night preached on the subject OF
baptism. In the course of his remarks be
said, sone believe it necessary to go down
iEto the water, and come up out of it, to be
baptized But this he claimed to be fall
acy, for the proposition ''inton of the Scrip
lures should be rendered differently, as it
does not mean into at all times. .Moses,"
he said, tive are told, went mp into the noun
tain, aud the Saviour was taken into O high
mountain, etc. Now we do not suppose that
either went into the mountain, but upon it.
So with going down into the water,-it means
simply going down close by or near to the
water, and being baptized in the ordinary
way, BY sprinkling."
lie carried this idea out fully, and in due
season end style closed his discourse, when
an invitation was given to all who felt so dis
posed, TO rise and express their thoughts.
Quite a number of the brethren arose and
said that they were glad they had been pre-
sent on this occasion that they were we'll
pleased with the sound sermon they had just
heard, and felt their souls greatly blessed.
Finally corpulent gentleman, of Teutoric
extraction, a stranger to oil, arose, and broke
q silence that was almost painful, as follows:
Mister preacher, l ish so gladt wash
here tonight, for has had explained to my
mindt some tings dat / never could pellet
before. Oh, l sh so gadt dat into does not
mean into at all, put shust close Ply or near
%, for now can peieve man;sh tings vot |
could not peleve before. We read, Mister
preacher, that Taniel vas cast into the ten
Of lions, and came out alife. Now | ne5er
could pclieve that, fer de wild peasts would
rhust cot him up right off; put now it ish
ferry clear to my mindt. lie wash shust
close by or near TO. and It'd not get into de
ten at all. Oh, ish so gladt vas here to-
night
Again we reat dat lie Hebrew children
vas cast into do trish furnace, and dat air
alwish lookt like peeg story too, for they
would have peen purnt up put it ish all
plain to my mindt now, for they were shusr
cast close ply or near to de frish furnace.
Oh. wash so gladt wash here tonight
"And den, Mister preacher, it ish said dat
Jonah vas cast into tho sea, md taken into de
whalesh pely. Now | ncber could pellet
dat. 1t alwayse seemed to me to pc q peeg
feesh story: put it ish all plain to my mindt
now he wash not taken into de whalesh pelly
rode ashore. Oh, wash 80 glad | wash here
tonight
And now, Mister Breecher, if you will
shust explain two more passages of Scrip
lures. shall pc, oh so happy dat wash
here tonight One of them is we're it saish
de wicked shall pc cast into lake that purns
With fire and primstone always. Oh, Mister
preacher! shall pc cast into that lake if
am wicked? or shust close by or near to-
shust near enough to pc comfortable? Oh,
l hope yon tell me / shall pc cast shust ply
good way OFF, and | will pc so gladt vas
here tonight! The other passage is that
which saish, blessed are they who do these
commandments, that they may have right to
the tree Of life, and enter in through the
gates into the city. Oh, tell me shall gets
into the city, and not shust close Pr or near
to,-shust near enough to see vat l have
lost,-and l shall pc so gladt vas here to-
night"
lie sat down, with the impression made,
on many minds present, that it would do to
take the Bible for only what it clearly says.