The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-12
More or Less Water.

It is not little remarkable that there is very
nearly as much human nature among religious
as among profane folk. The verbal phrase Ito
quarrel is the golden heritage of all ages, and
it has been corrugated in every mood and
tense-on week days by politics and business,
and every Sunday by religion. We have jails
for rogues and accommodation and ostra-
cism for heresy. We have detectives for
crime who are well paid for the work they
do; but the clergy get on the trail of heresy
and follow the clew, for no other recompense,
apparently, save the satisfaction of impaling
the victim.
Our Baptist friends have entered upon q
crusade of late which naturally comes under
the general head of the temperance movement,
since it wholly favors water. Its only peculi-
arity is that it insists upon all the various
degrees OF temperature to which that brave
old element is subject. 1t wants cold water in
August, tepid water in May and October and
warm water during the winter solstice. The
Baptist denomination separates itself from
the rest Of the Christian world on the question
Of how much water is necessary to insure
thorough spiritual ablution. This matter Is
deemed of such vast importance that, unless
the churches OF the land agree with it and
adopt it's methods, it will have no fellow
ship with them. Sprinkling, as symbol. is
held to be a farce. and nothing less than
sixty gallons is regarded as a sure guarantee
against the fire Of the next world.
This matter does not come within the prov
ince of our criticism as question, but only
as one of practical social order. The gen.
eral tendency Of progress is to bring the
churches together. The Roman Catholic
Church has torn down its Inquistion, and the
Protestant Church has split up its witch stakes
for firewood of another kind than that origi-
nally had in view. Denominations are begin
ming to bury the Ratchet of controversy and
contention and to shake hands over the bloody
chasm The religious body that stands in the
way of this approaching union, which means
more work and less talk, does injustice to
itself and proves it's own unworthiness. The
hot fire of the war did much to fuse all these
various metals into solid bar. The common
interests of religion and the fragrant crimes
Of society make it incumbent upon all
churches to sheathe the sword of theological
warfare and to use the pruning hook vigor-
ously. One missionary society Is better than
two controversies, and settles more vexed
questions. Anathemas are out Of date, and
the bed of Procrustes is invaluable only to .
museum of ancient curiosities.
The Baptists, however, still have the ram
pant instinct Of war. They seem half inclined
not to make any man Christian unless they
can make him one Of their own kind. Con-
version of soul is good thing to their minds,
but immersion is still more important inc
baptism Of the Holy Spirit Is necessary QUO
even that is not quite complete until one has
donned a bathing suit and been suomerged.
Lest these grave facts should be disregarded
a special pleader was imported from boston,
whose business is, as he himself boasts to
keep all men out OF the pulpit who refuse 20
subscribe to his personal beliefs. he mas set
himself no less task than to bring back the
errno denomination to the proper standard
Of lust sixty gallons of water. He will not
condescend TO sit at the table OF the Lord, but
prefers that of J. D. Fulton. DIR. Adams.
with his long life Of eloquent usefulness John
Hall. with his sturdy simplicity, and the rest
Of the long list of laborers whose best recon-
mendation to the love Of the people is to be
found in their sanity lives are not deemed
worthy to break his bread or to enter his
church. Unless the amount of water used in
their conservation touches the mark Of high
tide, while they may be treated by our Boaner-
ges with some degree of condescension, they
can never be regarded as equals.
Now, to the looker-on all this seems like
the merest nonsense. Religion with its grand
essentials Of brotherly love-. Of charity, OF
prayer, becomes. in the hands Of these ground