Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-04-27
a PUZZLED DUTCHMAN.

The following amusing and instructive
story has been going the rounds of our ex
changes for two or three years. We pre-
sume that it is now our time to give it,
So here il is (:
One who did not believe in immersion
for baptism, was holding a protracted
meeting, and one night preached on the
subject of baptism. In the course of his
remarks he said that some believed it ne
cessary to go down into the water. and
come up out of it, TO be baptized. But
this he claimed to be falacy, for the
proposition Into" ofthe Scriptures should
be rendered differently, rs it does not mean
:nto at all times. "Moses," he said, 1--WE
are told went up into the mountain and
the Saviour was taken into high noun
tain, etc. Now, we do not suppose either
went into n mountain, but unto it. SO
with going down into the water; it means
simply going down close by or near to the
water, and being baptized in the ordinary
way, by sprinkling or pouring" lie
carried this idea out fully, and in due
season closed his discourse, and when an
invitation was given for any one present
10 rise and express his thoughts, quite
number of his brethren arose and said
they were glad they had been presen. on
this occasion that they were all pleased
with the sound sermon they had just list
ened to, and felt their souls greatly bless
ed. Finally a corpulent gentleman of
Teutonc extraction, a stranger to all,
arose and broke the silence that was al
most painful, Ms follows
"Mr. preacher, / sh so glat ! wash
here to night, for ! has had exbaned to
my mint som dings dat never could pc
lieve pefore. Oh, ish so glad dat into
does not mean into at all, put shust close
py, or near to :; for now ! can believe
many dings vot could not peleve pefore.
We reat, Mr.. Breacher, dat Tannie voss
cast into de den of lions, and came out
alife. Now / nefer could peieve dat, for
de wilt peasts would shust eat him right
off ; but nowait is clear to my mint. He
wash shust close py, or near to, and It'd not
get into the ten at all. Oh, / ish SO glet
wash here to night. Again we reat dat
de Hebrew children wash cast into DO
firish furnace, and dat alwsh look like n
beeg story, too, for dey would have been
purnt up but it ish all plain to my mint
now, for dsy wash shust castpy, or close
TO the frish furnace. Oh, | wash go glat
wash here tonight. And den, Mr.
Breacher, it i.h said dat Jonah wash
cast into de sea, and daken into de
whaish pelly. Now, neffer could Pc
lieve dat. 1t alwish seemed to pc
peeg feesh story but it ish all blain to
my mint now. lie wash not into the
whales pelly at all, but shust shumpt
into his pack and rode ashore. Oh,
wash glat | vas here tonight.
"And now, Mr.. Breacher, if you will
.hust explain two more passages of
SCRIPTURE i shall Pc, oh, so happy dat
wash here tonight ! One Of dem izh
we're it saish the wicked shall pc cast into
a lake dat burns NIT fire and primstone
alw.sh. Oh, Mr.. Breacher, shall ! pc
cast into dat lake il | am wicked, or
Shust close py, or near-shust near enough
TO be comfortable? Oh, / hope you dell
me l shall pc cast only shust close py
a good ways off, and / shall be so glad
/ wash here tonight. De other passage
is dat vich saish plessed are dey who do
desc commandment, dat dey may have
right TO de dree of life, and ender in troo
de gates into city, and not shust close
by, or near to-sbust near enough to see
vat have lost-and l thall pc so glad
/ wash here tonight"