Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-02-14

A Puzzled Dutchman.

A late Wisconsin paper contains the follow
ing good story:
One who does not believe in immersion fol
baptism was holding protracted meeting, ano
one night preached on the subject of baptism
In the course of his remarks he said some be.
lleve it necessary to go down into the water,
and come up out OF it, to be baptised. But
this he claimed to be fallacy, for the PROPOSE
ton into" of the Scriptures should be rem
dered differently, for it does not mean into at
all times. "Moses," he said, I'VE are told,
went up into the mountain, and the Saviour
was taken into high mountain, etc. Now,
mountain, but unto it. So with going down
into the water; it means simply going down
close by or near to the water, and being bap-
tlsed in the ordinary way by sprinkling or pour
ing
He carried this idea out fully, and in due
season and style closed his discourse when~an
invitation was given for any one so disposed to
arise and express his thoughts. Quite num-
Der OF his brethren arose and said they were
glad they had been present on this occasion !;
that they were well pleased with the sound SER
greatly blessed. Finally a corpulent gentle
man of Teutonic extraction, stranger to all,
arose and broke silence that was almost pain
full, as follows:
Mister Rreacher, I ish SO glad I wash here
tonight, Tor has had explained to my mint
some dings vat never could pellet pefore.- =
Oh, l is SO glad dat into does not mean into at
all, but shust close by or near to, for now can
pellet manish dings vot | could not pellet pc
fore. We reat, Mister Breacher, dat Taniel
was cast into the ten of lions and came out a.
life! Now [ neffer could pellet dat, for de
wilt peasts would shust eat him right off; put
nOy Ic form olo to- HI oh,,ct
close by or near to, and did not get into de ten
at all. Oh, ish SO glat vas here tonight
Again, we reat dat de Heprew children vas
cast ln de irish furnace, and dat air alwish look
like peag story too, for they would have peen
burnt up; put it ish all plain to my mint now,
tor they were shust cast near by or close to the
irish furnace. Oh, | vas so glat vas here to
night!
And den, Mister Breacher, it ish said dat
Jonah was cast into the sea and taken into the
whalesh pelley. Now never could pellet dat.
1t always seemed to me to pc peeg feesh story,
but it ish all plain to my mint now. He wash
shust shumpt onto bis pack and rode ashore -
y, wash so glat wash here tonight!
And now, Mister Breacher, it you will
shust explain two more passages of Scriptures
L shall be o, SO happy dat [ wash here to-
night One of them is we're it saish de wicked
shall pc cast into lake that purns NIT fire and
primstone always. Oh Mister Breacher, shall
pc cast into that lake if am wicked, or shust
close py or near to, shust near enough to pc
comfortable2 o. hopes you will tell me l
shall pc cast only shust py good way off, and
will be SO glad vas here tonight! The 9TH
er pashage is that vich saish, blessed are they
who do these commandments, that they may
have right to the dree of life and enter in
through the gates of the city. and not shust
close py or near to, shust near enough to see
vat have lost-and l shall be so glat I was
here to-night!'