Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-15
@eadinq fur the. $abbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
rOrlginal.]
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST.

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
rorlginal.]
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST.
The Church of the living God has existed
since the days of Adam to the present time
From Adam to Christ, is properly called the
former dispensation. From the cruci6xion
of Jesus Christ to the present, it is called the
New Testament Church. Under both dis.
pensations the church was the same. In Old
Testament times believers looked forward to
a Saviour to come; in New Testament times
they look back to Saviour who has already
come. The Saviour of both dispensations;is
the same Jesus. In the beginning, revelations
from God were few in number and difficult to
be understood. The first promise given to our
fallen raceis couched in the threatening which
God pronounced upon the tempter of the first
human pair. 1t is in these words: "The Lord
God said unto the serpent, will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head and thou shalt bruise his heel" Gen.
3:15. As time rolled on, God was pleased
to deal more graciously. In the time OF
Abraham, the wise dispenser and controller
of all things was pleased to restrict the priv.
ieges of the Church to single individual
and his seed. This individual was Abram,
afterwards called Abraham. To Abraham,
God gave the peculiar rite, circumcision.
Paul says concerning this rite or ordinance,
that it was "sign and SEAL" 1t was a sign
to the Old Testament Church, that mans
heart must be changed by Gods Holy Spirit,
and it was seal, pledge or assurance to Old
Testament saints, that God would graciously
pardon all who would accept of the right.
eousness of the promised Messiah. The rite
of circumcision was to be Of perpetual con-
tinuapce through Old Testament times. Il
In the days of Moses, on the night prece'
ding the departure of the children of Israel
out of Egypt, God gave the ancient church
the passover. Both the passover and circum.
cision were of divine appointment, and con-
tinued in full binding force from the time that
they were given to the church, to the cruci6x'
ion of Christ. When the babe of Bethlehem
was eight days old, he was circumcised, and
his name was called Jesus. Luke, 2:21.
This was in strict conformity with the law on
the subject as prescribed to Abraham. Gen.,
1912. Jesus Christ was circumcised when
eight days old, because it became him to full
6ll all Righteousness in complying with all the
rules and regulations of the Old Testament
Church, until he, by his own death, had ,es.
tablished the New Testament Church. For
the same reason, he kept the passover with
his parents, (Luke, 2 :4S) and afterward as a
master in Israel with his disciples. Luke
22:15. y....
The New Testament Church was not orga.
nized, or rather could not he organized, until
the Old Testament organization passed away
This could not take place until Christ had
made complete atonement. This be did by
dying on the cross. Jesus offered up no sac
rifices for himself, because he, had no sin; but
he commanded others Ito show themselves, to
the priest and offer the gift that Moses COM
manded." Luke, 8: IA. See also, Lew, a.: L.
10. Clearly, during the whole of his taber.
nacling in the flesh here on earth, Jesus Christ
recognized the rules and regulations which
God had appointed for conducting his wor'
ship, under Old Testament dispensation, as
binding, and that it was sin to despise these
appointments and to observe them in the way
appointed, and with the proper spirit was to
fulfill all Righteousness, or to do right.
Now is it asked, "Did Jesus Christ receive
Christian baptism at the hands of John, the
Baptist?" We answer confidently, but res
pectfully, no. First, because Christian bap'
tism is New Testament sacrament and not
an Old Testament rite. There is no rite, GER
emony, ordinance or sacrament mentioned in
the Old Testament which, from its form OF
mode of administration, can possibly be
thought to be Christian baptism. The fact
is, with the exception of divers ceremonial
washings, there is net, in the Old Testa'
ment, from the beginning Of Genesis to the
last verse of the prophecies Of Malachai, one
single syllable about baptism at all. This
may appear to be a bold and, to some, reck
less declaration bat it is true beyond the
shadow of doubt, as any one may discover
by a careful examination of the Old Testa.
ment Scriptures. In the nature of things,
baptism could have no existence until all
atonement for sin was made. Not an atone.
ment prospectvely, but an atonement in fact.
This was not effected until Jesus died upon
the cross Hence, by examining the New
Testament, we find that no Christian baptism,
was instituted until after the resurrection of
Jesus There is not, in the New Testament,
one single place where Jesus Christ, before
his resurrection, either plainly, or implicitly,
commanded or directed any one to be bap.
tized. This may seem to be another bold dec
laration. If it is not true, surely somebody
can quote the passage in the Scriptures which
contradicts it and tell US where to find it. The
first time that Jesus gave the command to
baptize, was after he had risen from the dead,
and only few hours before his glorious as.
cension. The command will be found in
Matthew, %: 10; Mark, 14:15. If any
one calls this declaration in question, let him
prove, from the Scriptures, its falsehood
Second. We say that Jesus Christ did not
receive Christian baptism at the hands of
John the Baptist, because whatever was the
nature aud design of Johns baptism, it was
not Christian baptism. 1t is admitted by the
church of God-by Christians everywhere
that whatever be the mode of Christian bap-
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