Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-05-07
ACTION, OF BAPTISM.

baptlZO ana OF course 1t will be |
that we will find the mean
ing of the word, if possible, and if
we cannot we never can know wheth-
er We have been baptized or not.
Again, be it understood that baptizo
is Greek word and that we may OBJ
tain the sense of this word we will
turn to the Lexicons where the word
in question is explained. The fol-
lowing is from the Greek and English
Lexicon of DIR. Jones: "Bapto, l
dip, 1 dye, stain; "Baptizo, L
plunge, 1 plunge in water, dip, bap-
tize, bury, overwhelm." We will
next hear MIR. Donegan, distinguished
and popular in England and America.
He says: "Baptizo'' to immerse
into liquid, to submerge, to sink
thoroughly, to saturate. Baptismos,
immersion, submersion, the act of
washing or bathing. Parkhurst's
Lexicon for the New Testament de-
poses that "Baptizo first and prima-
rily means ''to dip, to plunge in
water.' We will next hear Green
field, editor of the Comprehensive
Bible. He says: ''Baptizo means to
immerse, immerge, submerge, sink"
We will next hear two Germans of
distinction, Professors Rost and
Bretshchneider. Rost says in his
German Greek Lexicon that "Bapto
means to plunge, to immerse, to
submerge." Bretshchneider says,
"For in baptism is contained the idea
of complete immersion under
water" Bass, an English lexicog-
rapher, for the New Testament, gives
Baptizo "to dip, immerse, plunge in
water, to bathe ones self, to be i'm
mersed ID sufferings and Affections" :"
Pickering gives Baptisma "immer-
sion, dipping, plunging.' Stuart,
professor Of the Andover theological
school, says ''Bapto Baptizo" means
to "dip, plunge Or immerse into any
liquid, and then says all legicogra-
pliers and critics of any note are
agreed in this" Luther says baptism
is Greek word and may be trans
lated immersion" Calvin: "The
word Baptizo signifies to lmmerse
and it is certain that immersion was
the practice Of the primitive church. ~
Mr.. Rice, in his debate with Mr..
Campbell, on page 6s, says CATER
quoting largely from the lexicons)
'The Lexicons, you will observe, not
only define the word Bapto to dip,
plunge, dye, but also to wash" All
the authorities he quotes On this page
define the word Bapto 'to dip,
plunge, immerse," and Mr.. Rice
agrees with them, admitting that the
word means to 'dip, plunge, i'm
merse.' Let me quote the words Of
Mr.. Rice on page Il; he says: 'Tht
words Bapto and Baptizo have sew
eral meanings, that they are useG
lsometimes in the sense of dipping
plunglng, sinking. Thus we see tina
DR.. Rice admits that the word "Bap
tizo" means to immerse, but he says
lit also means to ''wash, dye, stain,
&c. I admit it, but only as conse
quence. No scholar has ever daret
to translate "Baptizo" to mean pri
marily wash, pour or sprinkle, bu
always first ''immerse, plunge, Dip
and as a second or third meaning
"wash, stain," &c, &C., as a eonse
quential meaning, but never as tn
first and native meaning of the WORD
We will now give a few example
from the classics. First we quote fror
DR.. Conant's Baptizerie, page 29
example 81, speaking of the lax
Talta which he calls "a salt pit,
says "the water solidifies so readil
around everything that is immerse
(baptized) into it that they draw u
salt crowns when they let down
circle of rushes.''
Example second: "You dippe
me in plays but in waves of the sea
immersing (baptizing) will destro
you with streams more bitter,' c.
nant, page 20, example 60. One MOI
example must suffice. Josephu
'Jewish war book" describing tt
death of Simon by his own hant
Lsays: "And stretching out the rigl
hand so as to be unseen by none, |
plunged (baptized) the whole swor
J into his own neck"
1 hope the examples given will |
satisfactory. We could give mar
more if necessary. We will now n
tice what the Doctor says about Il
dry city of Jerusalem. Why IS
the Doctor comes to the conclusic
that there was not a sufficient amou
of water to immerse IN the city
Jerusalem? Why will any one con
to such conclusion? His case mu
be desperate. But now for the fact
: There we're public pools. five in nur