The New York herald., 1872-10-20
PenteCOst,s sin.

PentecOst's SIM
1t is decidedly amusing to notice with what
tremendous energy and wgor thcologians can
keep up quarrel and make one where there
is none and how savagely they can lay the
stripes on an erring brother. Some months
ago the Rev. George f. Pentecost, one Of the
most eloquent Baptist divines in Brooklyn,
following the indication of Providence, the
convictions of his own heart, and the plain
teachings of the Word of God, administered
the sacred emblems Of the Saviour's death to
dying believer a member Of his own church
There were present in the sick mans room,
by invitation and from friendship couple Of
Methodists and of Baptists, q Presbyterian and
two Friends, all believers in Jesus Christ
and all partook of the sacrament
together For this act Mr. Pentecost
has been pretty steadily abused ever
since by the big and the little Baptists, the D.
DIS and the other D. 8. But few weeks
ago he published full and unequivocal ex-
PLANTATION Of the whole transaction from it's in
ception to its completion, and it was supposed
that that would end the matter. Not So how
ever This defence simply increased the ire Of
his close-communion brethren, and fresh bat
teries were opened upon his defenceless head,
and such eminent ministers Of the gospel as
Rev. DR.. Fulton, of Boston, have engaged in
this crusade against brother minister From
the Importance which they attach to the event
one might almost think that the fate of nations
of +bo r.o JoI @1o
performance or nonperformance of that
act. And the whole question resolves
itself into this, that there was not water
enough used on the occasion or that all the
participants had not been immersed as con-
dition precedent to the communion Of the body
and blood of Christ. The Saviour command
to his disciples "this do in remembrance of
me- goes for little or nothing so long as it is
not done according to a particular standard.
And the APOSTLE declaration that as often as we
do this "we do show forth the Lord s death
till He come is Of no moment whatever unless
we have been immersed before we partake.
But remove the stumbling block Of immersion
from the Lords table and we have no doubt
thousands would be immersed where tens now
go under water No Methodist, Presbyterian
or Congregational minister will refuse to bap-
tize converts by immersion, SO that they need
not go to the Baptist Church for that rite.
And Notwithstanding all the outcry made
against Mr.. Pentecost, there is no evidence
connected with the original institution Of the
Lords Supper that it was or was to be depend
ent upon baptism in any mode whatever
But why are not Baptists as strenuous in
maintaining the original forms of the Lords
Supper as of the other sacrament. 1t is al-
most as certain rs a mathematical deduction
that Christ and His apostles did not eat bread
broken into little pieces off silver plates, nor
did they drink wine from silver cups, nor did
they eat at all in a church or o synagogue,
much less kneeling at an altar. And yet to be
consistent we should be at least rs particular
about the form and mode Of administering one
sacrament as we are about the other. Paul,
who has been quoted by some Of Mr.. Pente-
costs opponents, declares that the Lord sent
him not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel,
and he names few persons whom he had bap-
tized. And yet there can be no question that
he made converts by the hundred wherever he
went. And it is morally certain that he insti-
tuted the sacrament Of the Eucharist among
them also. If our Baptist brethren, as well as
others, would go in for the salvation Of sinful
men and women with the same earnestness
that they denounce Mr.. Pentecost and defend
immersion, they would be able to count q
much larger number of churches and Of con-
verts in this city to-day than they have 1t is
this kind OF hairsplitting over forms among
Christians themselves, while the substance is
allowed to perish, that gives the enemies of
Protestan, Christianity their sharpest weapon
to strike it with and their strongest arguments
against its divinity and perpetuity. And it is
high time that an end was put to these petty
chickering's in the Church.
Last week the Long Island Baptist Asso-
citation held its annual session at Babylon,
and as there was. a rumor ahoat beforehand
that DR.. Pentecost and Rev. J. Hyatt Smith
would be disciplined for heresy. because
they believe in, preach and practice
open communion, there was full attend
ance OF lay and clerical delegates present
The press Of this city and Of Brooklyn was