Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-10-11

b. Mr. LAGnau says: CuTlsIl6u uop opIlsu
was not instituted until after the death ant
resurrection of Jesus" and quotes the com
mission. To this will reply in the Language
Of George W. Clsrk's commentary on Mat
thew xviii: 10. "The language of this las
commission implies that this was not the in
stitution of the ordinance. It was the ex
tending to all nations the preaching of th'
gospel, baptism and the observances o
Christ's commands. As we'll might it be sale
that here began gospel preaching, as tha
gospel baptism here had its beginning" Tha
the gospel dispensation began before the deatt
of Jesus is clearly taught in the Word o.
God. Mark calls his account of the baptism
of John, "the beginning of the gospel of Je
sus Christ" If the gospel dispensation had
not already begun, how could Jesus say
"Fron the days Of John the Baptist, until nov
the Kingdom of Heaven suaereth violence
and the violent take itby force" How could
he say again "The law and the prophets
were until John; since that time the King
dom of God is preached, and every mar
presseth into it." Not only did the gospel
dispensation begin with the baptism Of John
but the act of baptism was the same, both be-
fore and after the death Of Christ. What
John did to Jesus and the multitudes in the
wilderness, that Jesus commanded in the last
commission, and the same act was performed
on the believing thousands on the day Of
Pentecost, on the believing jailer,. the believ'
ing eunuch, and all other believers; for the
same word, baptizo, expresses what was done
in every case, and that word, as we have
shown, means only to dip or to immerse.
7. Mr.. Latham says: John baptized-that
is, washed-Jesus in or with water, prepara-
tory to his entering upon the public functions
of his Office as priest" But the Bible says no
such thing. 1t does say that he is prophet,
priest and king; but nothing is said about
his induction into either of these Offices. For
the conservation of the priests, see Lev. viii :
LA. It was done at the door Of the taber-
nacle. Christ was baptized in Jordan. Be-
sides, nothing can be found in the so.called
induction of Jesus into the priests office cor
responding to the garments, the crown, the
breast plate, the mitre, the golden plate, etc.
Christ's baptism was not an induction into
the priests Office for it is said of him: "Thou
art a priest forever, after the order Of Mel
chisedec." With all due respect, I would
ask, Are not all these efforts to find differ
euce between Johns baptism and Christian
baptism, So. many efforts 10 avoid the plain
truth that baptism and immersion are identi-
calf And might it not much more reasena.
bly, be expected that infdeh would place these
imaginary differences among their evidences
that the Bible is not of divine origin, than
that Christians should use them as they do3
Mr.. Latham defines baptism thus: "Bap-
tism has been Scripturally defined to be "a
sacrament of the New Testament, wherein
Christ has ordained the washing with water
in the name of the Father and Of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost to be sign and seal Of
engrafting into himself, of remission of sins
by His blood, and regeneration by His spir-
it," He continues IF this definition be
correct, it is clear that Jesus was not baptized
by John" This definition is clearly unscrip.
tural and incorrect The very fact that &C.
cording to it, Jesus was not baptized by John,
is positive proof that it is incorrect.
It is an article of the faith of Mr.. Lathan's
denomination, as we'll of Presbyterians and
Baptists, that if a person is "once in Christ
he is in Christ forever" There is no such
thing as falling from grace and being finally
lost. When Mr.. Latham baptizes child, 1t
has sign and seal that it is engrafted into
Christ; that its sins are remitted BY His
blood, and that it has been regenerated by
His spirit This favored child grows up and
becomes desperately wicked-a drunkard and
murderer. He is justly condemned to be
hanged for his crimes Mr.. Latham is called
to visit the prisoner, and to be consistent with
his definition, and with the doctrine of the
perseverance, of the Saints, he needs only to
say to the wretched criminal: "Be of good
cheer; you are child of the covenant, and
as such 1 baptized you in your infancy. Your
engrafting into Christ, the remission of your
sins, and your regeneration are sealed. Fear
not; you are safe."
We conclude that Jesus was baptized, and
that in his baptism he received both Johns
and Christian baptism, which are identical /;
that his baptism was not initiatory to the
priests Office; that the whole scheme of ma
king difference between Johns baptism and
Christian baptism is an effort to avoid the
truth that Baptists alone baptize, and that
Mr.. Lathan's definition of baptism is fearful
ly unscriptural and incorrect.
B. G.. CovINGToN.
unW II ATHuEC ABE MADE