The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-09
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
HANSON PLACE BAPTIST CHURCH.


Sprinkiing-Error and Not Truth Re-
sponsible for Divided Church-Ser-
mon by Rev. Justin u. Fulton.
The services at the Hanson place Baptist church,
Brooklyn, were well attended yesterday forenoon.
Rev. Justin ID. Fulton occupied the pulpit. He
spoke as follows :-''For l testify unto every man
that heareth the words OF the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things God
shall add unto him the plaques that written in
this book" These words reveal the peril which
threatens those who attempt to mutilate or alter
or substitute anything human for divine
mand. The Word of God is complete. 1t
"glven by inspiration OF God, and Is profitable for
doctrine, for reproOf Tor correction, instruc.
ton IN righteousness, that this man OF God may
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
! works." There is no place for tradition nor
! human suggestion or addition. God demands
| that find in His Word the SOULS chart, drawn
by one who knows the peris Of the passage, and
He pronounces terrible woe upon those who
shall tamper with 1t. Despite this solemn
warning millions are living in active dis.
obedience. The Church OF Rome boasts,
in her wicked pride, the right to add ira
dtion to Scripture. Her history is warning
Infant baptism Is the taproot OF Romanism Born
in and nursed in pride has no natural place
IN the Kingdom of Christ. Hence those who hold IN
other respects the truth as 1t is LII find here
an error which they compelled to defend,
| though 1t is Impossible to make 1t cOalesce with
the positive teachings of scripture. 1t is HIM
drance to Christian union, because 1t asks be.
levers to disobey GOD in permitting the Church of
Rome to add 10 the things of God with their con.
sent. This men ought not to do. Indeed, men
should love God 10 such an extent that they would
not do it. Yet this asked to do for the sake
Of Christian union. One has recently said, ''The
only difference between Baptlsts and Presbyte-
rians is, they have one baptisn-immersion-an
the Presby terians have two-lmmerson and
sprinkling. Presbyterians have business
with two baptisms God says there Is but
zone God, one faith and baptism.n If
error enrches then this man might have made
his boast seem greater; for, If Presbyterians have
Two baptisms, they have three-immersion pour
ing and sprinkling; and If they have q right to
have two, there is no law, human or divine, that
can keep them from having hundred. tri1ing
was not in the air, If men had not grown defiant
in disobedence, they would not dare thus stand
up IN the pulpit and make light of adding to the
things of God sprinkllng as a substitute for as
an addition to immersion. 1t is because of this in
fuence exerted by Rome that these things exist
The further one moves from the Papal Church the
more alarming does such a boast appear. would
as soon proiane GOD as sprinkle child and call it
baptism. would as soon violate any other COM
mand OF God sprinkle q man ana cali it bap.
tism. Sprinkling ID at home IN the PapaI
! Church. Everything agrees with 1t and seems to
! have grown out OF it, 1t contains the tincture or
error, which has corrupted every part of this sys
TEN. Its origin is noteworthy. 1t Is the child OF
paganism and was grown amid the barbarans OF
Africa where children were dedicated to
demons ana were cast into the fire to
propitlate the divnities; where Christians
had wandered far from God and were given up to
! r,Iaa Var
given by different writer's as to its introduction.
One declares that soldier was dying without
baptism; that Cypran, the bishop, advised that he
be sprinked instead Of immersed, with the under
standing at tae time that If he got well he should
be immersed Infant baptism Is the product OF
baptismal regeneration, while baptismal regenera-
ton Is pagan idea. Tertuian declares that the
heather, the mysteries OF Apollo and Ceres,
sprlnkled persons Tor their regeneration and for
rne pardon of their perJuries. Sprinkling, says
Justin Martyr, is an invention of demons In imi-
tation OF the true baptism. that their votaries
might also have their pretended inspirations by
water. Fides, q country minister in Africa, lived
among those who destroyed their children by
dedicatlng them to demons. He accepted the
pagan idea, but changed Its purpose, and so
dedicated by baptism their children to God.
He did this without Scriptural warrant, and, as
a matter of expediency, was sustained by Cyprian
and sixty-slx bishops. Had Cyprian regarded it
as Scriptural he would not have called the sixty
six bishops together to consult as to whether it
was wise or not to accept pagan into a Christian
baptism. At time infants were immersed as
were adults. Baptlsmal regeneration soon became
article OF faith Great anxiety was felt Tor
prisoners who desired baptism, Tor penitents. on
dying couches, who believed baptism essential to
their salvation. Such persons could only Oe helped
b, substituting pouring TOR Immersion, and alter
wards Its copartner, sprinkling, though the most
depraved Catholic owned 1t to be no baptism, md
cases are record OF those who could hold no
Office IN the Church until they had been immersed.
though they had received aispensaton in sickness.
III little time sprinkiing and pouring, used Tor
Tor unconscious infants; but Tor many years 1t
decreed "tnat those who had no testimonials,
whether old young and who do not remember
that they were baptized, shall be immersed" The
error OF infant baptism produced terrible results.
1t flied the churches with an un-
OF every form to receive a welcome.
Mosheime tells US that luxury, coveteousness and
adultery universally prevailed among the Catholic
clergy. Prelates, habiLed purple robes and gold,
converted their homes into places Of shame and
lived lives infamous that TO describe them
would outrage decency. The Importance attached
to infant baptism required the priest to attend
upon woman in such ways, that to detail faithfully
the conduct oil clergymen and the progress OF
INFANT Baptism would present the fthlest account
ever issued from the press
This Is the baptism instituted by man and chung TO
by men who know ITS origin and It's inamy.
In 4l6 the Council of Mela, in Numldia, Africa, en-
joined Christians to baptize their children Tor
forgiveness OF sins and pronounced curse upon
all who denied tue doctrine. At this time no one
thought OF a covenant by baptism; they believed
that salvation was secured by the act, and no mat
ter to what excess they might go, infant baptism
and infant communion, which for years went to-
gether, insured the devotee. In 7S7 Charles
the Great issued the first law In Europe for
paptizlng infants. The Baptist Churches declared
taat no one can be a member Of this communion
OF saints but by his own solemn VOW made In
presence OF this church. 1t was with this under
standing that the candidate for baptism was i'm
mersed In water and admitted as "a brother, upon
ms confession OF the Father the son and the Holy
Bunsen, "thcreiore ia the exact sense OF the First
Epstle oil Peter, III, III, not as being mere
bodily purlhcatIon but a vow made to God with
good conscience, through latin In Jesus Christ.
TINS vow was preceded by confession OF Christian
faith, made In the face OF the church, in which the
catechumen expressed that faith in Christ and IN
the sutfciency OF tue salvation offered by Him. 1t
was q vow 10 1--we Tor the time ia come to
God and for his neighbour, not TO the world,
Tor sell; a vow OF latin In his becoming
child OF God through this cOmmun-