The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-11-10
The MorTistown Gazette.
Sunday Reading.
Published by Request
"REMISSION OF SINS.''
Acts 2: 50.
Baptist Reflector.
Here is another query :

"Please give your views u INC ~
lowing Scripture, Repent ana pc pap pap
tized every one Of you for the TeII MSS If
of sins, and ye shall receive the gllt %
the Holy Ghost" ii. r. COLLIER
REMARKS To begin, we know the
passage does not teach that men
are to be baptized for the remission
of sins. Because, 1. There are no
other passages in the New Tesla
ment, whose meaning is clear, that
SO teaches. 2. One passage is in.
sufficient in a case of transcendant
Importance, such as this, where the
interests of the whole world of man
kind are involved. Especially is
one single passage insufficient IN
less that one passage was perfectly
clear in its meaning and in perfect
harmony with every other part of
the word of God. 3. There are
great many other particular texts
that say as plainly as it is possible
for language to say anything that
something else and not baptism. is
the Instrumental cause of pardon.
4. The whole tenor OF the Christian
Scriptures is one continued, cumula-
tive argument that baptism is not
essential to salvation. 5. To rea.
son, the theory is repulsive and posi-
lively absurd. 6. The experience
of thousands and thousands of per
sons who have become Christians
without baptism is proof strong and
clear, that no performance, depeu-
dent on any human being save the
one concerned, is necessary to par
don and eternal life. These consid-
erations and others of the same kind,
ought to save any one from the error
of supposing that this passage
teaches baptismal regeneration.
What then. do these words of
Peter mean? They do not mean
anything out of harmony with what
he said on another OCCASION when
be explained that baptism was not a
putting away the filth of the flesh.
but the answer Of a good conscience
towards God It is q waste of
time and words to talk learnedIy
about the proposition for, (eiS in
Greek.) 1t is there; and has one
of its ordinary meanings. It has a
multitude of shades Of meaning, but
all of the same kind. It's funda.
mental original conception is into.
The meaning that stands out upon
the face of this passage is that els
for, stand for, a0jtb a Vieag to. They
asked what they must do; and it is
presumable they wanted to know
what they must do in order to be
saved. Peter 90 understood, as is
evident from the manner and words
Of his answer. He told them to re-
pent; and that is a very serious
thing, and always is in essential
connection with pardon. But to
repent is just what is necessary to
be saved.
Again, what particularly are we {
to understand from the words of this I
passage? Baptism seems to be con-
nected very closely with remission
of sins. So it does in this place, +
and this is exactly what the querist,
with many others, wants to see har- {
monized. This is easily done. But {
he who is studying this particular {
passage should,
l. Have the patience to remem. {
Der that John the Baptist, the Sa {
viour and the apostles had been [
teaching this very people three t
years that the important thing for '
the sinner to do, is to repent. Re.
pent, repent, had been the cry. e
John began it, the Saviour took it p
up and it continued to be he burden a
IF every sermon. We know that TO Il
)e forgiven, we must repent; and n
hat repentiug, we must be forgiven. ii
Peter told them 10 repent for, with o
view to, the remission of sins. 81
That is plain. a.
2. 1t must be remembered in the o.
ecOnd place, that the doctrine of a
hurch, or churches, societies, con- N
listing Of persons who had repent Ia
d, had heen taught from the begin Is
ing. That while repentance was ri
ssential to pardon under the Chris di
an system, the existence of organ 10
ed societies of converted meu and A
omen was essential to the perpet- w
ly of the Christian system. That lie
le idea that this great system was SCI
be crystallized into churches, that LOT
e church was built on the rock, pc
anted in human society on this Una
nth, was the light Of the world, the OF
1t of the earth. and to be perpetu- shs
ed among men on earth, till the the
d Of time, had been fully set del
tn, explained and enforced.
3. And again, enquirers must re.
.mber that the new system. or So -
ty, called church or churches, -
sL be separate and distinct from hen