The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-08

IMMERSION In MlDWINTER.
Neither the Clergyman Nor the Converts Take
COld-WOmen the Most Courageous.

READING, Pa, April THE Rev. J. B. Mus
selman, pastor of the Evangelical Mennonite
Brethren of this city, has achieved quite repu-
tation for baptizing converts in the icy waters of
the Schuylkill river in midwinter He was asked
to-day whether he ever took cold in wading waist
deep into the water and standing there until as
many as a dozen converts had been baptized. He
replied that he not only never took cold, but new
er experienced any symptoms of rheumatism or
other injurious effects therefrom. Mr.. Mussel-
man is handsome and intelligent young man,
nearly six feet TALL with rosy cheeks and long
brown hair, parted in the middle
"When I enter the water" he said, 81 have
no thought upon its condition. That is dis
missed from my mind because my entire atten-
ton is fixed upon the convert and our faith.
Our converts are not to think Of the icecold
water in the sense that it is icecold. They are
to think only of water and baptism. and the
form of immersion which our faith requires 1t
makes no difference whether the water is cold or
warm. All the penitent need know is that it is
water. Converts who postpone their baptism
until summer are not very strong in their faith.
and ask that their baptism be put off until the
water is warm, we have not much
faith in that conversion. Our soldiers
of the cross have got to face the
music, be it summer or winter. The women
folks are generally the most courageous. They
will come to the rlver-bank unmindful of the
floating icecakes, and clad in apparently thin
apparel, will confidently walk into the stream
waist deep and enter into the full spirit of the
baptismaf service unmindful of the cold. They
will walk out and and frequently remain on the
river bank until all have been baptized, and
then walk to the nearest house and change their
clothing. OF course, l am not superstitious, nor
do / claim for baptism anything unnatural, but
-z11 horv Md IN
circuit in Bucks county not long ago.
"a young lady professed conversion in mid
winter. She was i'll, and many believed she
would die from affection of the lungs. She
expressed desire to be baptized in neighbor-
ing stream along whose banks she had played in
childhood. The water was covered with ice six
inches thick and was some distance away. Her
friends protested, saying she would take cold
and surely die, possible before she could reach
home. She, however, insisted, and would listen
to nothing but our consent that she should be
baptized. She had her own way. The Sabbath
was piercing cold the ice was cut and passage
made into the stream She walked bravely into
the cold water and I immersed her back
ward three times, completely covering
the service herocally. She reached home
safely, experienced no Ill effects took no cold
but, on the contrary, she at once regained
strength, her lungs healed, her weight increased
and to day she is one of the healthiest and love
lest young women in that county Many sup
posed that such an ice-cold baptism as that in
the open air os winter would kill her; but it had
the opposite effect There are many who say
she'd have died had she not been baptized.
don't say so; but it is remarkable case, that's
all. showing that our baptism is not hurting any
one. I never knew of a single cold ever con
tracted in that way On very cold days put
on tall rubber boots, especially if have many
converts who compel me to remain in the water,
waist deep, for an hour or more. Our faith does
Aot require US to take unnecessary risks. But
where the ceremony is not too long do not use
any extra apparel"