The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-06-21
Sunday lteadInS.

ANOe' III. Shapllh, Vi bhC A)apblSl
Church, has been preaching for some
days to large congregations. That the
people may have an idea of his views
and purposes it is proper to say that he
discussed "The scholarship of the world
on BAPTISM" taking as text Eph.
iv., 3. "One baptism" He intro
duccd his sermon by disclaiming any
intention to impugn the honesty of
those who differ from him on this sub
ject. He spoke kindly of all. Christ,
he said, in commanding baptism in
variably used the word bdptizo, or one
of its de-iva ives. This word, in our
Bible Is not always translated, but
when it is the idea of immersion is
clearly expressed, us when Naaman, it
is said, dipped himself in the Jordan
but in most places the word Is trans
ferred and merely given an English
termination. The Greek language is
remarkable for the fullness of its
vocabulary. There is no act to be done
in or with water which it has not a
word to describe. There is cleo, to
POUR; dunO, to sink; nipto, to wash,
as to the hands; lOuo, to wash the
body; plano, to wash clothes; rainO
and rantizO, to sprinkle; baptO, to dip,
to color; baptizo, to dip, plunge, i'm
merse. This last and its derivatives
are the words always used 10y the
Savior in relation to the ordinance of
bIptism. In our Bible, the words
sprinkle, pour, wash, with their COM
pounds are used 2S4 times, and except
five times in which wash, as the result
of immersion, is the translation of
bdptisO or its derivative, none of the Gss
words are given as the rendering of
6aptizO, or its derivatives. The word
dip aad its compounds occur some tif-
teen times-once as a translation Of
m0L,tnO, 20 stain; fourteen times of
6aptO and baptizo; but never of cheO
rain0, rantizO, pluno, or lOuo, 6rechO, or
any of their derivatives. Truly the
forty-seven translators of our Bible did
not believe that Japtiz0 meant to
sprinkle or to pour. The Christian
world for several hundred years has
been investigating in reference to this
word bdptiso. 1t is supposed that every
instance of its use by Greek authors
has been brought to light, 1876 such in,
stances having been discovered. One
hundred and seventy five in the clas-
sizes, forty-seven in the writings of the
Greek Fathers, fourteen in those of the
early Latin Fathers. In none of these
instances has it been translated by
sprinkling or pouring; but in every in
stance it involves the idea of INNER
sion. Among investigators on this
point, were mentioned Piof. Stuart, of
Andover Seminary, q Presby tcrian /;
Liddell and scott, Episcopalians and
DIR. Conant, Baptist. The speaker
said, himself and others had examined
sixty-three lexicons with regard to tins
word, all of which define baptizo to
mean immerse, not one to sprinkle
or pour. Liddell and Scott, in
the first American edition of their
Greek Lexicon, gave 'sprinkle" as
one of the definitions of JdptizO, but in
every subsequent edition that meaning
has been erpunged. Thus emphatically
do they say that sprinkle is not q
definition of that word. Grammarians
concur with the photographers, con-
cordances fall into line with these, and
of fifty different versions of the Bible,
ten transfer the word as in our Bible !;
the seven SclavonIc or Russian render
it to cross, but the Russian or Greek
Church practice trine immersion; four
of them render 1t to wash, bathe or
cleanse. Each of the remaining
twenty-nine render it by a word signi-
flying to dip or immerse. There is not,
said the speaker, so far as he could
ind, translation of the Bible in
which 6aptiz0 is rendered by "sprinkle"
or "pour." The Reviews, such as the
Edinburgh, London Quarterly. etc., and
encyclopedias, such as the Americana,
Eccles'a' tlcii, Edinburgh, KittO, etc,
each and all held that primitive bap-
tIsm was immersion. He named alpha
betIcally $50 authors of distinction,
not a single Baptist among them, all
of whom say that Joptiz0 involves Pm :
marily the idea OF immersion. Con
spIcuous in the list stood Afford, Cal
win, Dupin, Grotius, Hammond,
Luther, Mcknight, Olshsusen, Passon,
Schliermacher, Turretine, WhItby and
Zuingle. To this immense mass OF
testimony might be added that Of the
Greeks themselves. Among modern
.ireeks, Christophulus, Zauchius,
Stouraza, State councillor, take rank
as scholars. They assert, you had as
well speak Of immersion by aspersion
as TO say baptism by aspersion." The
whole Greek Church, numbering per-
haps 100, 900, 900 communicates, prac-
tice trine immersion.
As TO Christ's baptism, we have the
opinion Of such men as Spencer, Wit
sfus, Mcknight DOddridge, George
Campbell, Mr.. PolhilI, and many
others, all Pedo-Baptists, that it was
an immersion. The Apostle Paul, in
two places, Rome vi, 3-5 and Col. ii,
12, declares baptism to be burial. He
says: "We are buried with him
Christ in baptism" This phrase Is
unmeaning, IL baptism be not an i'm
mersion. CHAT il refers TO water
baptism was the opinion OF the West
minister assembly Of diSines, consisting
Of fifty eminent Presbyterian ministers.
In annotations on this phrase they
say: "Buried with him, etc. In this
phrase the apostle seemeth to allude 70
the ancient manner Of baptism, which
was TO dip the parties baptized, and,
a. -