Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-08-12

nau Iost us pristine purity from the
fact that miracles had ceased to exist.
He quoted Mark XVI, IL: "And
these signs shall follow them that
believe: In my name shall they cast
out devils; they shall speak with
new tongues" He then declared
some of the principles of the gospel,
as he understood them.
Mr.. Bowman replied to his Nor
mon vagaries, which he had termed
the principles of the gospel, i'm a
very able manner. He showed that
miracles must cease or loose their
character as such. Quoting Cor.
XIII, 8: Charity never faileth !;
but whether there be prophecies they
shall fail whether theresbe tongues
they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge 1t shall vanish away"
Mr.. Bennett took the floor upon
the last question, that of salvation
by baptism. His great stronghold
was Acts III, %: "Then Peter said
unto them Repent and be baptised,
every one Of you, i'm the name of
Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost" He also quoted
John III, 8: Except man be born
of water and the Spirit he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God"
The gentleman claimed that the gift
of the Holy Ghost was dependent
upon baptism, hence IL was q saving
ordinance.
Mr.. Bowman called attention to
the case of Cornelius and those with
him, who received the Holy Ghost
and were afterwards baptized. In
regard to the text, Except a man he
born of water and of the Spirit"
the Elder claimed that it had no ref
erence to baptism but was used as an
emblem of purity, like the case OF
John the Baptist when he said HE
that eometh after me shall baptize
you with the Holy Ghost and with
fire" The gentleman proceeded to
say an the remainder of the chap
ter the Savior abandons the figure OF
water and declares, That which Is
born of flesh 10 flesh, and that which
is born Of spirit is spirit,' and now'
said Mr.. Bowman with telling effect.
following the analogy, we have,
that chich is born of todter is pater. :"
In reference to the passage his oppo-
nent had referred to, "Be baptized,
every one of you, for the remission OF
sins" Mr.. Bowman said that the
proposition "for" meant, In many
instances, "in consideration Of" and
inserting this definition of Web.
ster's for the word itself, we have,
"Be baptized, every one of you, in
consideration Of the remission OF
your sins" and this passage proves
that the remission of sins is q pre-.
requisite to baptism. He cited the
case of the thief upon the cross who
was pardoned i'm his dying hour
when baptism was impossible.
Mr.. Bowman made a powerful inn
preston upon the audience by offer,
ing to the union soldiers incarcera.
ted in Andersonville and Libby, and
demanded Of his opponent whether,
If sinner among these brave de-
Tenders Of our liberties had, with
his dying breath, called upon God,
he would have been rejected, because
perishing with thirst, water enough,
could not be found for baptism by
immersion. He characterized the
system as one conceived in sin, born
in iniguity and calculated to destroy
confidence i'm the wisdom and power
of the infinite.
| Mr.. Bennett attempted to review
the question i'm the closing speech o.
the discussion. He claimed that the
text, Except a man be born Of water
and of the spirit he cannot enter the
kingdom of God" did refer to bap.
tism aud could not be satisfactorily
explained I'm any other way. He
thought the prisoners i'm southern
bells had been possessed of an oppor,
tunity to be baptized prior to their
capture, and If they were not bap-
TIED they were the only party to
blame, and further, if God had
wanted them baptized He would
have found way.
The debate lasted five days. Dur
ing the entire discussion there was q
large and attentive audience. Much
praise is due DIR. Hastings for the
able and impartial manner in which
he presided over the deliberation.-
1t was the universal opinion of those
who heard the debate, that Mr.
Bowman was by far the superior Of
his opponent in mental caliber, and
the discussion is every where consid'
cred a triumph of the doctrine o.
Professionalism over the Mormonism
of Joe Smith. An elaborate argu'
ment was presented in defence o.
Mr.. Bowman's views of Christian
Baptism, unanswered and unans
werable. Yours,
PobYDoRus.