The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-07-05
NO. 80
Sunday Reading Again.

precise words, "buried with hIm il
BAPTISM" quoted in your synopsis o
the sermon, do occur, he seized hi
pen and wrote the preacher down a
wanting in capacity or inclination Q,
quote correctly. He did not question
the preachers proposition that Pau
compared baptism To bunal, but hi
mlRd was quite entangled with tn,
mysterious meaning of the word Sy a,
contradistinguished from the word IN
What pity that he did not look Into
he second passage and discover thai
there was room for both these words
But DIR. Chaplin was not the only
subject OF his unfavorable reflections.
He was for cutting either right or left.
II seemed to matter little which. He
said II the statements Of DR.. Chaplin
be true, referring to yUur synopsis oil
his sermon, then the ''greater part OF
the Christian world are inexcusably
ignorant or they are wicked and per
verse beyond measure, for refusing to
tnrouHuuut. ~as sadly wautftfs.,--s..
that kindly temper whlc,r~ever repels
reader. A man not schoOled in re
ligious matters ought 10 have been
more circumspect. Had lie
counseled with some man 4
piety and learning, before taking
up his pen, it would have been well
A respectful inquiry of DR.. Philpott, ior
instance, would have relieved INN of .
sad misapprehension of the position o.
those who believe that the ancient
baptism was immersion, an yet prac
tice spriHkling.
DR.. Philpatt, to make the matt l
plain to him, might have turned l.
the notes of Wesley on one Of the pa =
sages referred to by DIR. c., Rom. ",
{: Buried with him by baptism,
and read him the comment of Wesley.
"alluding to the ancient manner o,
baptizlng by immersion" or from til,
sermon of the eloquent Whitfield ol
Rom. vi, 4, he might have shown hin
that the eloqueIce of the latter Wen
hand and hand with the learning OF thu
former, or turning to the commentary
OF Adam Clarke, the profound Mctho
dist theologIal, on the same passage
| he might have shown how he says d
9 bap'iz~d person. "when he came W
out of the water, he seemed to have /
resurrection uI he;" or looking to The
works of the reformcrs and the Learned
| fathers of the Church Of England from
which sprung the Methodist Church
he might have taken down the work
df Luther, and shown him how b,
aught that ito baptize in Greek is t.
lip, and baptizing is dipping. Bap
ism is a sign both of death and resur
r,ction. Being moved 10y this reason
[ would have those who are to be bap
Jized to he altogether dipped into th
water, as the word doth express anC
he mystery doth signify" Opera ton
2, page 70; Wittenberg, 1582.) AnC
t. fully satisfy him of the forme
status OF the Methodists on this sub
ject. he might perhaps have reminded
him of the well known incident tina
Mr.. Wesley once refused to sprinkl
an infant, because the law of hi
church then required that the babe b
immersed, unless the minister shoul,
be certified that the babe coul,
not well bear it. II nnr frien
had been patient enough, DOcto
PhIlpOtt might then have proc eeded t
explain the change from the ancien
r te, and read to him, as the basis O
i. with Methodists, from the twenty
second article Of religion: ''Every par
ticular church may oriain, change I
abolish rites and ceremonies, SO that al
things may be done TO edilicatiOn.
(Methodist Discipline; published b.
bedford for NJ. f. Church South, p
2S.) Our friend might have obtaine'
light with equal facility from DIR
Wright, of the Presbyterian Church
who could have shown him from tn
en- of Calyin, how, commenting U
Acts viii, So, and John iii, 23, he said
From these words John iii, 23)
may be inferred that baptism was ad
ministered by John and Christ b.
plunging the whole body under water
Here we perceive how baptism was ad
ministered among the ancients, fo
they immersed the whole body i
water" (Calvin's Com. on Acts vim
and how elsewhere he wrote that 9Th
very word baptize, however, signilie
70 immerse, and it is certain that in
mersion was the practice of the al
/
iv, C. 15.) Or the Doctor might hav
read to him from DIR. George CamI
bell, the eminent Scotch Presbyterian
that Baptism, both In sacred author
and classical, signifies to dip, I
plunge, immerse. II is always cor
strued suitably to this meaning" (Ar
dover ed vol. ii, p. 20 } Or he migh
have read from Plc.et's Theology, q
published by the Presbyterian Boar
of Publication, Philadelphia, p. All
that This baptism it was lawful t
perform in rivers, lakes or fountains
Jr n other receptscles of water, bu
nowhere else. And they immersed tn
whole body Now, job
the Baptist administered this rit
among the Jews in the manner abov
described" Or he might have assure
him in the language of Prof. Stuart
Of Andover Seminary, speaking Of th
ancient practice OF immersion: "1
is says August, "a thing made out
So indeed all the writers VIII
have thoroughly investigated this sub
|, iect conclude. know OF no usage c
ancient times which seems t. be NOR
clearly made out" (Stuart on Bap
p. 143.) Having heard thus much, be
J fore consigniug the greater part Of th
Christian world TO perditiou, as bcin
wicked and perverse beyond measure
u refusing TO obey the light, had OF
friend without show Of asperity
though ever 50 much astoDished) aske
the Doctor to explain the present pra'
tice OF his church, so different from th
ancient practice, there would has
been no embarrassment.
The Doctor would, perhaps, hay
turned agaip 10 the works Of John Ca
win, Of Geneva, and read: but 8
trifing q difference in q ceremon
ought not to be esteemed Of such in
portauce.
Wherefore from the beginning th
Church has freely allowed herself be
yond this substance TO have rites Ii
. lie dissimilar." (Calvin's Com. o
Acts viii, 36.) Or churches ought
be left at liberty In this respeC
whether 10 immerse, pour or sprinkle
TO oct according to the difference {
countries. The word bsptlze, hov
ever, signifies 70 immerse, and it is ce
tain that immersion was the practiC
! Of thelancient church. ''(Cslvin's Inst
/ book igcxv, sec. xix.
So presume our friend might ha'
, obtained Of Father Spillard, OF II
Catholic Church, such information
is given by Bishop BOssuet in b
Variations des Protestantisme, vol. ii
p. 4i4. Showing how the churs
changed baptism from immersion
| nrncficed hI Chriaf and "A nnderafof