The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-09

prevented another brooklyn preacnor from
keeping his pulpit and drawing audiences
Baptizing in the Ice-The Case of Mrs.
Bowman.
II n man, or party OF men, having cut a
largo hole through tho thick ice OF this win
ter, should seize II bcdriddcn old woman, and
dragging her To a river, proceed TO dip her
repeatedly In the bitterly cold water, the
whole noighborhood in which the outrage
occurred would be up In arms.
Yet We read that at Palmyra, in Pennsyl-
vania, on Sunday last, Mrs MARTIN Bow
MAN, q woman Of fifty-nve years, and an
invalid was carried in chair, being unable
to walk through extreme weakness, to n
stream called Spring Creek, and there three
times plunged into the icy water. When
she was brought out at last. OF course every
body thought she was dead and the report
says that even after she was conveyed to n
warm place, ait was some time before the
ice in her hair was thawed out"
II Is true that in the case OF Mrs. BOWMAN
physical violence was not used to make her
go through so terrible an ordeal, one which
might have caused the death OF strong
man. to say nothing OF an enfecblcd woman
of ility-livc. But spiritual violence was en-
ploycd. She was made TO believe by her
spiritual adviser that she would please GoD
and help to save her soul by submitting TO
the ley bath. Even her husband and chill
| drcn accompanied her to the water to wit
ness the cruel ceremony II is true they
"wept bitterly" when she en-, rgcd from the
ice looking as if dead; but they had con-
scented to let her undergo such inhuman
treatment agreeing with her, probably that
she must stand it in order to secure saliva
ton. 1t Is said that at last accounts Mrs.
BOWMAN was Improving rapidly but it
will be wonderful il she does not speedily
| have an opportunity to test the saving eff
cacy OF her frigid baptism.
| This barbarous religious ceremony took
| place according to the rites of the German
| Baptist Church, OF which she was made a
member at 50 great peril of her life; and
| other dimensions Of the same sort have
been reported as occurring at several places
during this cold winter.
or course, in charactcrizing IL as we do we
have no intention OF showing any disrespcct
to that large and active religious denomna-
tion. the Baptsts. Of which these German
Baptists may be peculiar branch, or of
which they hold as one OF their chief tencts
! Probably the great majority Of them will
agree with Us that II is mere humanity Ia
see to it that the water in which believers
! are immersed is above the freezing point
and they also will shuddcr at the torture
inflicted on the unhappy Mrs. BOWMAN in
the name Of religion. They may say that
the church ut Palmyra must be composed ~
very ignorant ana superstitious people,
and the Rev. Mr. IERTZLE. their pastor,
must Doe man Of n very depressed order OF
Intelligence. Baptist immersions a is well
known. usually occur inside churches in
baptisteries erected for the purpose, and in
water from which the chill has been taken.
Tho missionaries To the hcathcns have
always stirred up the faithful at home 70
zeal in behalf Of their conversion 10y thrill.
ling accounts of the torturcs which the idol
worshippers innict on themselves in order
to appeasc their angry divnities. Sunday
school books have contained pictures OF
Hindoo- swinging in the air suspended by
hooks stuck in their backs, and Of Others
throwing themselves under the ear Of jug
gcrnaut. Christian children have looked al
these pictures and marveled at the super
stitions Of hcathcndom. But here In Penn
sylvania, in the midst Of n Christian coun
try We see performed n religious ceremony
scarcely less harbarous and 1t goes on nc
one ohjcctng. Even the husband and chill
drcn of the victim stood by and sang and
prayed while the immolation proceeded II
is not surprising 10 learn from the report
however that several other persons who
were to be- baptized nave concluded 10 wall
/ for yyortuar weather.
Suppose the halt-iro2en Mrs. BOWMAN rc
covers from her dreadful shock, n she may
do. VIII tho recovery not boo accepted 10y
the ignorant German Bapti-tS OF Palmyra
a. "a proof that Con was we'll pleased Will
her act and stayed the operation Of natura
laws in her favor viii not their suporsti
ton thus be increased, so that the NOR,
Jealous Of the converts hereafter will ais,
seek baptism through the Ice
Perhaps the Baptist Conference Of thi'
city. which at its late weekly meetings has
handled many curious subjects, will at IT.
next Mondays session improve the oppor
tunity TO express its condemnation OF The
suffering 10 which Mrs. Bowman was sub
lected ia the name of religion.