South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-03-17
A Puzzled Dutchman.

Wisconsin paper contains the following
story: One who does not believe in i'm
mersion for baptism was holding protrac-
ted meeting and one night preached on the
subject of baptism. In the course of his
remarks be said some believe it necessary
TO go down into the water aud come up out
Of 1t to be baptized. But this he claimed
to be fallacy, for the proposition 'iuto' Of
the Scriptures should be rendered different
~, for 1t does not mean into at all times
Moses he said, Eve are told, went up into
the mountain, and the Savior was taken in
to high mountain etc Now we do not
suppose that either went into a mountain,
but unto it, SO with going down into the
water; it means simply going down close
by or near to the water, aud being bapised
in the ordinary way by spriuking or pouring
He carried this idea out fully, and in due
season and style closed his discourse, when
an invitation was given for any one 50 dis
posed to arise and express his thoughts -
Quite a number Of his brethren arose and
said they were glad they had been present
on this occasion, that they were pleased
with the sound sermon they had just heard
and eaIt their souls greatly blessed
Finally, corpulent gentleman of Teuto-
ME extraction, stranger to all, arose and
broke a silence that was almost painful, as
follows:
Mister PREACHER, / ish so glad wash
here night, for has explained to my
mint some dings dat l never could believe
before. Oh is so gIat dat into does not
mean into ALL but shuts close by or near to,
for now | can belief mansh dings vot |
could not belief before We read, Mister
Brcacher, dat Tauicl was cast into de ten of
lions and came out alfe Now | could
never belief dat, for de wilt peasts would
shust eat hm right off put now it Is fiery
clear to my mint. He was shust close by
or near to and It'd not get into tie ten at al,
., ish so elat wash here to night.
Again. we reat dat de Hebrew children
vas cast into de irish furnace, and dat air
nlwish look like peag story, too for they
would have been purnt up put ish all plain
to my mint now, for they were shust cast
near by or close to the irish furnace. o, Il
ish so gat | wash here tonight
And den Mister Brcachcr, it is said dat
Jonah was cast in the sen and taken into
the wales pclly Now, never could pc
lieve dat 1t alwaysh seemed to me to be
peae fecsh story, but sh all plain to my
mint now. He wash not taken into the
wales polly at all, put shust shumped unto
his pack and rode ashore. Oh, | wash so
elat / wash here tonight
and now, Mister preacher, if You will
shust explain two more passages Of Scrip
lures / shall be, O, so happy dat | wash
here tonight One Of them is we're it saish
de wicked shall be cast into lake that purn,
nit fire and Primstone always . Mister
Breacher shall | pc cast into the lake if I
am wicked, or shust close py or near to,
shust near enough to be com Portable. Oh
hopes you tell me | shall pc cast only shu,t
py good way off, and | viii pc so pllt
vas here tonight! The other bassagc is
that vich sai-b, Blessed are they who DO
these commandments, that they may have
right 20 De drec # lif' and onfer in through
ne gates Of de- city, aud not shust close ~
or near e., shust near enough o. soe vat /
have lost, aud ! shall be 90 ellt vas hear
TO night