The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-12-21

performed by effusion and not by INNER
sion. 1t is remarkable that Dean Stan
ley, with all his learning does not bring
forward the testimony of a single witness
of the first century or the second century
or the early part of the third century,
after the death of the apostles, to testify
to the prevalence of immersion in the
primitive Church. All he does is to refer
to the now well-known facts of abuse and
superstition in the practice of the rite of
baptism testified to by Tertullian, and
writer's either contemporary with him or
living after him-not one of whom was
born earlier than A. D. 16O, and most OF
them long after that date. The practice
proved by these writer's was that the per-
son to be baptized, whether male or fe-
male, adult or infant, was stripped en-
tirely nude, and was then plunged into
the water of the baptistery three success
size times, accompanied by divers forms
and symbols without trace of scriptural
autho. ity, and pregnant with the dark
superstitions of the coming middle ages.
Surely, such usages do not commend i'm
mersion to the favorable regard of any
rejecting person. In fact, Dean Stanley,
in the very book referred to, has pub
lished some of the most caustic censures
upon the views of exclusive immersionists
that ever appeared in print. His opin-
ions are evidently shaped by his Church
theory, which is so broad and all-embrac-
ing that, on the subject of ordinances and
institutions, he lays aside, in substance,
the authority of Scripture, and holds that
the visible Church has power and author
ity to change, modify, or establish them
as, to her, may seem good. 1t is strange
indeed that such book should be relied
on by any who pretend to stand on the
authority of inspired Scripture.
Thus 1 have shown you that there is
no sound reason FOR believing that John
the Baptist baptized by immersion, but
every reason from the established Jewish
usage in his day to believe that he bap-
tized by efusion, sprinkling, or pouring
of water, and that Christ our Saviour
was so baptized, and that such was the
testimony and the belief of early Chris
tians. Let us now look farther into the
New Testament history beyond the time
of John the Baptist 1t is strong argu-
ment against the immersion theory, that
we never read in the New Testament
that the apostles or evangelists, when
people professed faith in Christ, delayed
their baptism, or changed their location
to go to river or a pool or lake or a
reservoir in order to immerse them. On
the contrary it appears from the nara
tives that they baptized them Immediate
ly, and Just where they were and Just as
they were, in town or country, in sick
ness or health, in Jail or on journey, by
night or by day-facts which we can
easily understand if the baptism was by
effusion or sprinkling, but which are per-
fectly inexplicable if it was by INNER
sion. When on the day of Pentecost,
three thousand people professed CONVEX
sion, we read in the inspired narrative:
"Then they that gladly received his
word were baptized, and the same day
there were added unto them about three
thousand souls" Not one word is said
about immersion, or about going out to
the river Jordan, or going to any pool or
reservoir. These fctions are added to
the Scripture narrative by the fancies of
exclusive immersionists. And not one
word is said about change of clothing or
about the time necessary to immense so
many; both Of which points are material
to the question. For we know, from the
express words of Tertullian, herein pre-
viously referred to, that when immersion
became common in the third century,
the subjects, both male and female, were
denuded entirely of their clothing, and
were three times plunged under the
water and raised up again. Hence it
was called Urine baptism. But this as
suredly was not the practice sanctioned
by the New Testament. Take the case
of the Eunuch baptized by Philip the
evangelist 1t is remarkable that this
Eunuch had been reading the prophecy
of Isaiah, and just as Philip joined him
he had reached what is now known as
the ffty-third chapter but there were
no divisions into chapters then, and there
fore we have right to believe that his
reading had included those strong words
in the close of what is now the fifty
second chapter-words which apply to
Christ our Saviour: $50 shall he sprin-
kle many nations" And thus after
Philip had instructed him in the gospel
Of Christ and the Eunuch believed, his
mind was already prepared for Christian
baptism by the inspired mode indicated
by the prophet Isaiah-that is by sprink-
ling. And then they came unto a GER
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