The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-03-24

efficient agency, the water and the Hol-
Spirit. Accepting the common meaning
as to physical matters, of buried, or other
wise destroyed, then as to any subjects,
controlling influence, they also accepted th'
word in the same meaning, in an absolute
use, unaffected by mention of agency or eIe
ment. Hence to them the true Baptism and
spiritual regeneration were the same
There is no necessity for discussing here
those passages which have generally been
relied on to sustain the views of INNER
siOnists. But it may be remarked that the
mOmentary covering the subject CT Baptism
with water, was a custom which may have
had an origin in the desire to symbolic the
condition of the Regeneration with special
allusion to the scriptural representation OF a
burial sVith Christ. The SINS of the Chris
tian were thus represented as drOUned or
destroyed. As sin thus buried had no emer-
gsncs,. this enaetmensOf The figure used BY
the Apostle was Baptism in the sense of
change of condition, not of the subject but
of sin, once alive and active, thenceforth
dead.
While DIR. Dales careful examination OF
passages of Patristic writer's and his critl-
cism, leave no just ground for proper re-
presentation of their practice, teaching an
example favoring the views of immersionists,
it is proper to say, that even could such con-
clusiOn be established it would be found that
the practices, teachings and examples rather
owed their existence to the use of customs
which had no Scriptural authority. Against
their clear views Of the real Christian Bap-
tism, apart from some tendencies to favor
Regeneration, the cases referred
to have no weight.
CONCLUSION.
1. The Bible scholar and reader and the
Christian theologian are alike indebted to
DR.. Dale for the masterly exempliGcation of
the sound principles of exegesis, presented
in these books: and for the indubitable evi-
deuce he has furnished, of the distinct sig
of the phraze to 6aptize to mean
6 tOplaee IN a changed condition" irrespec-
tive of any special form or agency as op-
posed to its meaning "to dip and nothing
but to Dip"
2. The snti-immersionists have been placed,
by this discussion, on great vantage ground
as to their opponents. The clear distinction
in the use of the Greek propositions trans
lated sin" and "into," leaves no case in
the New Testament which can favor INNER.
sion. The baptism is nowhere taught, even
when ritual, to have had any relation to
water, except as the means or instrument,
ARd that only symbolicai. Baptism into
water would be an immersion without enaer-
sion, and physically ruinous, since the con-
trolling influence of water is to drosOn. But
Baptism "into Repentance" into remis
ZION of sins, into Christ expresses the
sfecting of a spiritual change, induced by
he influences suggested by the nature of
he ideal element mentioned, in perfect &C
,Ord with the secondary sense of the word
osptidzo.
3. Instead of allowing Baptism by i'm
mersiOn, to be valid baptism, as effected by
IN allowed mode, it is more correct to say,
It's validity is solely due to the use of the
formula, accepted by the recipient, as an
bouncing his changed condition into saving
relation to Christ, and to the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, relation of subsection,
and assimilation. Of all modes,
that of immersion has no authority, except
in so far as it is an application of scater.
Such mode represents none of the modes
by which spiritual Baptism is represented;
and hence, instead of being the only right
mode, and so alone acceptable as symbolical,
it is to be rejected as unscriptual, and in the
assigned it by its yotaries, to be
condemned, as being substituted, in the
minds of many, for the true Baptism, the
blessings and privileges of which, are taught
in the Holy Scriptures.