The Placer herald., 1871-01-07
PUZZLED DUTCHMAN'

A Wisconsin secular paper contains the
following good story:
One who does not believe in immersion for
baptism, was holding protracted meeting,
and one Night preached on the subject of bap-
tsm. In the course of his remarks he said
some believed it necessary to 20 down into
the water and come out of the water to be
baptsed But this he claimed to be a fall
lacy, for the proposition 'into" of the scrip
lures should be rendered differently, as it
does not mean "into" at all times. "Moses,
he said, "we are told, went up into the
mountain and our Savior was taken into
high mountain, etc. Now we do not sup
pore that either went into the mountain but
upon it, So with going down into the water,
it means simply going down by or near the
water, and being baptised, in the ordinary
way, by sprnklmg.
He carried this idea out fully, and due rea
son and style closed his discourse, when an
invitation was given to any one who felt dis
posed TO rise and express their thoughts.
Quite a number of the brethren arose and
said that they were glad that they had been
present on this occasion, that they were well
pleased with the sound sermon they had
just heard and felt their souls greatly blessed.
Finally corpulent gentleman of teutonic ex
traction, q stranger to all, arose and broke
silence that was almost painful, as follows:
Mister Breacher, | ish so glad l wash here
tonight, for has had explained to my mint
sometng could never pellet before O, is
30 glad dat into does not mean into at all,
but shust close by or near to, for can pellet
manish dngs vot could not pellet peforc.
We reat, Mister Breacher, dat Tanie vas
cast into a ten of lions, and came out aife.
Now | could never pellet dat, for de wilt
pea,ts would shust eat him right away off;
but now it sh ferry clear to my mint. lie
vas shust close by or near TO, and did not
get into te ten at all. @, | wash so glad |
wash here tonight!
Again, we reat dat dc Hebrew children
vas cast INTO de irish furnace, and dat al
walsh lookt like peeg story, too, for they
would hab peen burnt up; but it sh all blain
to my mint now, for they were cast .hust
close bv or near too the frish furnace. q,
wash so glat dat wash here tonight
And den, Mister Breacher, it is said dat
Jonah vas cast into de sea and into the
whaleish pelly. Now | never could pellet
tat. 1t always seemed to be peeg feesh
story, but it is all ban to my mint now, he
vas not taken into the whaleish pelly at al, ,
but shust schumped onto his back and rode
s-hor,. O, wash so glat wash here to-
night!
And now, Mister preacher, if you will
shust exblain two more passages Of Scriptures
shall be, o, happy dat | vas here tonight.
One of them sh we're it sash de wicked shall
be cast into lake dat burns NIT fire and
rim,hstonc always. O, Mister Breacher,
shall be cast into de lake if | am wicked, or
shust close py near to, shust near enough to
pc comfortable? 0, hopes You to tell me
shall pc cast by good way off, and will
pc SO glad as vas here tonight.
The other bassage is that which sash
plessed are they who do these commandments
that they may have {. right to the tree of
life and enter in through the gates of the city.
O, tell me shall get into the city and not
shus. close by or near to, shust near enough
to see what have lost, and shall pc so glad
| wash here tonight"
He sat down with the impression made on
many minds present, that it would not do to
take the Bible for only what it clearly reads.
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