Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-02-23
4 Puzzled DutrEililNN.

"A l. uLfiNN
A Wisconsin paper contains the fol
lowing good story: One who does
not believe in immersion for baptism
was holding a protracted meeting, and
one night preached on the subject OF
baptism. In the course Of his remarks,
he said that some believe it necessary
to 90 down into the water, and come
up out of it, to be haptscd. But this
he claimed to be tallacy, for the prep
osition 'into" of the Scriptures should
be rendered differently, rs it does not
mean into at all times. Moses he
said, ''we are toll went up into the
mountain; and the Saviour was taken
up into high mountain, etc Now,
we don't suppose either went into Il
a mountain, but unto it. SO with 90
inc down into the water; it means
simply going down close by or near to
the water, and being baptized in the
usual way, by sprinkling or polling,
He carried this idea out funny. and i'll
due season closed his discourse, when
an invitation was given for any one so
disposed, to rise and express bis mind,
Quite number Of his brethren arose
and said they were Glad they were pres
ent on this occasion, that they were
well pleased with the sound sermon
they had just heard, and felt thcir souls
greatly blessed Finally, Il corpulent
gentleman Of Teutonic extraction, a
stranger to all, arose and broke the 81.
lence that was almost painful, as fol-
lows:
" Mr.. PREACHER, I is so glat I wash
here tonight, for | has had exclaimed
! to my mint some dings dat ! never
could pellet pcfore. Oh, | ish so GLAD
dat into does not mean into at all, but
shust close py, or near to, for DOW | car
pellet many ting5 vot could not pcljcI
pelore We reat, Mr.. preacher, dat
\ Tmicl vos cast into de ten of lions. an(
, came out alifc Now never could pc
lief dat, for de wilt peasts would shus
eat him right off; but now it is ferry
clear to my mint. He wash shuSt clost
py or near to, and It'd not get into d,
ten at all. Oh, ish 50 glat ish her,
TO night. Again, we reat dat dc lie
prev children wash cast into de irsh fur
mace, and dat alwish look like Il bec@ sto
~, to me, for dev would have pcen purn
up; but it ish all blain to my mint now
for dey was shust cast Ply or close to d
frish furnace. Oh, / wash 50 glat
wash here tonight. And den, NIistc
PREACHER, it ish said dat Jonah vas cas-
into de sea, and taken into de whalesI
pelly. Now neifer could pellet DIT
1t alwish seemed to me to pc pecg fisI
story, but it ish all blain to my min
now. He wash not into de whalesI
pcly at all, but shust slump onto hi
his pack and rode ashore. Oh, I yas1
50 glat | wash here to night.
"And now, Mister PREACHER, if yo
will shust exblain two more passages q
Scripture, / shall pc, oh, so happy vas1
here tonight! One of dem ish whcr
it saish de wicked shall pc cast into
lake dat burns NIT fire and brimston
alwish. Oh, Mister Breachar, shall
pc cast into dat lake if I am wicked, 0
shust close py, or near to--shust nea
enough to pc comfortable? Oh, / hop
you tell me | shall pc cast only shus
py good Ways off, and will pc so gla'
| wash here tonight. De other bas
sage is dat vich says blessed arc de,
who do desc commandments, dat de-
may have right to de drcc Of life, an,
enter in troo de gates of de city, an,
not shust close Ply or near to-shus