The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-11-28
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.
BY REV. H. H. HALVES.
No. 4.

1t is not to be wondered at, that Inner
siOnists violently oppose the doctrine Of
CRrst's Priestly conservation. For this doc
trine being established, is death blow to
their " "distinctive views" But this, like
every other doctrine of the Bible, stands,
whether men accept it or not. All the In
mersionist opposition does not affect the truth
before us at all. 1t stands out as clearly as
ever to the eyes of every careful reader of
the Bible. And when We see it there, We
know that no matter how we'll it sounds to
talk about following Jesus in baptism; ;" or
what appearance of supreme piety there may
be in that other talk about being " buried in
the liquid grsve"--yet it is all talk; and
talk of most vain imsginatiOns. For there
is no Bible-wsrrant for one word of it, One
writer bedecks himself with a very high
plume, because he discovered that Christ
could not be initiated as Priest. He calls
our view absurd ;" and asks "s few ques-
TONS" thus: Was not Messiah made a
Priest after the order of Melchisedec, and
not after the order of Aaron? How could
he be Priest, according 10 the law of Moses,
when he belonged to the tribe of Judah P
Was not the priestly office confined to the
tribe of Levi, and to the family of Aaron in
that tribe? Did not the law say The
stranger that cometb nigh shall be put to
death?"' And then he accuses US of wishing
"tO evade the moral power of his (Christ's)
example" Truly We would hs~tndeserYing
of name or plaee on earth, if this were our
purpose. BUTT is comfort to know that we
are both honest and sincere in seeking Scrip
tural truth, whether men think US so or not.
We do not charge others with Intentionally
seeking to evade" the force of any truth.
But we demand Scriptaral proof for every
doctrine. This We are able to give for all
that we hold. And wherein others cannot
give it, we do not hesitate to proclaim them
wrong,-Wrong often, because they do not
search the Scriptures and rest in them
only. As to the aforementioned objections,
they seem to be made rather wildly.
l. Messiah was "a Priest forever, after
the order of Melchisedec." Heb. vii II.
And if Priest, where is His conservation
Let the objectOr put his finger upon it, if ii
be not in that baptism at Jordan. That
Christ Oas appointed a Priest, cannot be de-
MED. There is the Scripture for it. Is He
to have no conservation q?
2. He was not priest after the order Of
Aaron, nor of the tribe of Levi. Yet He
was made q Priest, notwithstanding. And
the Scripture Heb. vii; 1929 plainly tells
US why Christ's priesthood was substituted
for that of Aaron. No matter how long the
tribe of Levi served, or what the priests
thereof did, all was but form-a continual
never. ceasing round-which brought US in
reality no nearer to God. "For the Law
made nothing perfect; but it was the bring
ing in of better hope; by which we draw
nigh to God" Christ is the end of the law
AS, like Melchisedec, He had no ancestors
nor line Of descent in the priesthood, SO HI
has no successors. The Aaronic priests were
''not suffered to continue by reason of death
But this man, because he cOntiuueth ever
3 hath an unchangeable priesthood 81
, priesthood ,0hich passeth not from one to an
Q other" Now since it pleased God to Civ
g such Priest in the stead of the Aaroni
priesthood, this is no matter to csvil about
= There He is And though He came iron
Q the tribe of judah, instead of Levi, to Obiec