Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-08-26

uniformly practised, at that day and if W
take single feat Of baptism performed, it i
self-evident that the mode by immersion wa
physically impossible; allude to the baptism
OF the three thousand by eleven of the disci
pies In space of time that could not have ex
ceeded from four to six hours. Ie we tax,
the two strongest cases, perhaps. in favor o
the creed of the anabaptists- baptism O
Christ and the eunuch, still adhering to the En-
gilsh version, to the most superficial and unin
curing observer the evidence might seem tt
be positive and unequivoca In favor of INNER
sion; yet to the rational and unprejudiced In
vestlgator there might be very reasonable de-
gree OF doubt; for whilst the translation en-
phatlcaliy declares that Christ was baptized III
the river Jordan, and that Philip and the eu
nuch went down into the water yet it is prob
lematical whether our Savior was baptized In
the river Jordan, or at or near it, (see vocabu
lary) and at another place we are told thai
Christ went up into mountain, land came
down out OF the mountain" yet we know tha,
lie did no such thing, that He simply ascend.
ed to, or upon the mountain, and that He did
not enter cave or fssure in the mountain. -
And it is not at all likely that both the bap-
tlzed and baptizer went into or under the water
and came up out of the water, the one with
his dripping garments to re-enter his chariot
and pursue his journey, and the other to van
lsh we know not where; still, they went to-
gether, for where the eunuch went, there like
wise Philip went ALSO
Let us return to the original Greek-the on
ly trustworthy source of information. One oil
the strongest proofs that no particular mode OF
baptism was prescribed is the fact that wherev-
er the word baptize is used, we have the Greek
verb 6dptldzo or Its participles, which means to
sprinkle, to pour, to immerse, to wash, &c.,
(Ulde Vocab. whereas the writers had at their
command the verb apobdpto, which means to
lmmerse, to dip, and nothing else according to
one Greek photographer at my service. In
fact, In the face of the divine and ott-repeated
Injunction to observe the ordinance of baptism,
to have neglected to express in positive terms
the mode if indeed !, any particular mode were
essential, IS seeming travesty on the divine
origin and authenticity of the New Testament.
But let us examine the Greek of this subject
still further. The verb katobaino, which is
rendered to go doaon, really signifies to descend
from higher to lower position, or from a
country which is high to one that is lower; an
abdinO, which is rendered to 90 up, being its
exact counterpart; and the identical Greek
words are employed both in the case of Philip
and the eunuch, and in Christ's ascent to, and
descent from the mountain; and still further,
as the anatomist makes his post naortem dissec-
tions, as well as his vivisections In order that
truth and light may prevail; so we will resort
to togotomy and apply the scalpel to this dead
language. On analysis we know that it is
truth confirmed by the best Greek scholars, that
when verb OF motion has a proposition In
composition to denote the direction of the move
ment, as we'll as separate proposition to limit
the extent OF that motion, why then the mean
log of the latter proposition is exactly estab-
ilshed, for instance: the verb Eatoboino is
of the verb baino to proceed-and
the proposition kata-dowu. This establishes
the meaning of the proposition eis to be at or
near, and not anto as rendered in the English
text. Hence, this passage should have been
and after the baptism, they assembled from the
aoater;;" but how the baptism was administer
ed no man knows, any more than the eunuch
knew whittier Philip vanished.
These lines are intended only for the laity
who have not had the advantages of classical
education, for L take it for granted that at this
day no educated Baptist divine will contend
that any particular time or mode Of baptism is
either prescribed or essential and review this
subject as linguist and philologst, disclaim-
ing.any intention Of acting the part of theo-
logan or commentator. Although this ques-
ton has been discussed many times through the
press, the pulpit, and by cooquy, yet there are
thousands ofthe laity who are at times in doubt,
trouble and perpleXlty at the meaning of these
very passages | have been discussing. | am
just now reminded of the instance of young
woman whose case came under my observation
less than two years ago. She had been bap-
tized by sprinkllng in infancy and been MEM
Der of an orthodox denomination for more than
a decade, and her moral worth and intelligence
lu InH hV hor hou -
ty and of late she had been incidentally thrown
a great deal in the company of some staunch
and enthusiastic Baptist friends, and although
no direct appeal had been made to her on the
subject of baptism, yet by some strange mes
meric induction she imbibed just enough of
their casuistry to make her discontented and
troubled about the proper mode of baptism
caused her to read III the English testament,
and | construed these ambiguous passages In
the Greek, and to my surprise and delight 10
less than half day she was perfectly convinc-
ed that her baptism had been genuine, aud she
has been happy and contented Christian to
this day.
Another case 10 point has just occurred scarce
ly two leagues from my threshold. Quite a
young miss was converted at Methodist revi-
val, and for two years she had had for gov
erness young lady of the Baptist persuasion,
and by that same catalytic infuence.she became
troubled and wished to be baptized just as her
Savior was At this juncture she chanced to
to fall into the hands of lady of matchless in
teigence, influence and piety, but a member
of the much-abused Presbyterian church this
lady advised her that she must just wait until
she was thirty years of age, about the age at
which Christ was baptized. The ruse succeed
ed, and the young lady has doubtless entered
very contentedly on her probation of score,
pearly, of years; aud, doubtless, before half
that period shall have transpired, she will have
sufficiently grown in grace to realize that the
Christian religion is exemplary, not initiative !;
and that although lone drop of water" might
not be sufficient to cool parched tongue, yet
it will be quite sufficient to baptize unto re-
pentance;;" yet if any number are disposed to
regard Christianity as initiative and not exem-
plary, and insist upon constituting the story of
Philip and the eunuch as being literally true
according to the English version, why, there
can be no objection to these emasculated gentry
following the example of their renowned pre-
decessor, and securing the services of some
aquatic Philip to plunge them beneath the
food. EsCULApIUs.
Burning Of an Oil Train.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 14.-Early this morn.
ing the engine Of a coal oil train on the Penn
sylvania railroad ran off the track near this city
setting fire to the cars, eleven of which we're de.
stroyed. The engineis bottom upwards in pond