The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-03-23
The Puzzled Dutohman.

y Wisconsin paper gives the following
which though an extreme case, may be
needed to pat both pulpit and pew on
better guard
One who does not believe in immersion
for baptism was holding protracted
subject of baptism. In the course of his
remarks he said, some believed it neces-
sary to 90 down into the water, and come
up out of it to be baptised. But this he
claimed to be a fallacy, for the proposition
''into' of the Scriptures, should be rend-
cred differently, as it does not mean into
at all times. Moses, he said, we are told
went up into the mountain-and the
Saviour was taken into 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 baptised in the orttf-
nary way, by sprinkling.
He carried this idea out fully, and in
due season and style closed his discourse,
when an invitation was given to any one
who felt SO disposed to rise and express
their thoughts. Quite Il number of the
brethren arose and said they We're glad
| they had been present on this occasion,
that they were we'll pleased with the
sound sermon they had just heard, and
felt their souls greatly blessed. Finally
a corpulent gentleman OF Tcutonic eXtrac
ton, i stranger to all, arose and broke a
silence, that was almost painful, as follows ::
Mister Breacher, ish so glad | wash
here tonight, for has had explained to
my mint some tings dat | never could
pellet pefore
Oh, ish so glad dat into doesn't mean
into at all, but shust close py or near to,
for now | can pelieve manish tings vot
could not pelieve pefore. We reat. Mister
Breacher, that Taniel vas cast into the ten
of lions, and came out alive. Now |
neber could pelieve that, for de wilt beasts
would shust eat him up rite off; put it ish
ferry clear to my mind. He wash shust
close py or near to, and It'd not get into
the ten ut all. Oh, ish so glad I vas
here tonight.
+ Again we reat dat de Hebrew children
wash cast into de firish furnace, and dat
sir alwish look't like peeg story, too
for they would have been purnt up; put it
ish all plain to my mint now, for they
were shust cast close py or near to the
tirish furnace o, | ish so glat | wash
here tonight!
And den, Mister Breacher, it ish said
dat Jonah vas cast into de sea and take
into the whalesh pelly. Now l neber
could pelieve dat. 1t alwaysh seemed to
me to pc peeg feesh story, put it ish all
plain to my mint now he wash not taken
into the whalesh pelly at all, put shust
shumped on to his pack and rode ashore
0, | ish so glad wash here tonight.
And now, Mr.. Breacher, if you will
shust explain two more passages of Script
ure, shall be, Q, 50 happy dat wash
here tonight! One of them is ware it
saish the wicked shall be cast into lake
that purns with fire and birthstone always.
o, Mister Breacher, shall l pc east into
that lake it | am wicked? or shust close
py or near to, shust near enough to pc
comfortable? o, l hopes you tell me
shall pc cast shust py good way off, and
l will pc so glat l wash here tonight {!
The other bashage ish that which saish,
plessed are they who do these command
ments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and enter in through the gates
into the city. o, tell me shall gets into
the city, and not shust close py or near
to, shust near enough to see vat | have
lost, and | shall pc SO glad wash here to-
night"
He sat down. with the impression made
on many present that it would do take the
Bible for only what it clearly says.