Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-26
The QUESTION or IMMERSION.
The Discussion IN tn" Richmond
Conference Monday.

conference RtHEhN
Prom ne RjeRoon3 Dts5~rfc}.
The report OF the Committee on Hevsal'
recommending noE-concurvence III a re
quest that the phrase "shail immerse" bC
substituted IN the ruhgie by "may i'm
merse" was taken III. and the considera
ton pos poned unul ths minority report
should be heard,
The minority report tavors concurrence
IN the request ofthe petitioners that may
immense" be substituted for "shali i'm
merse.'
II was yaoved that the minority report
be substituted tor the majority report.
Or. Whitehead, Of Virginia said the
minority report did not accomplish the
object Of the movers. The legal meaning
of''may" is shall" and 10 say may I'M
merse" is equivalent TO saying sinai I'M
merse." DR.. W bteuead was opposed 10
the report OF the committee.
DIR. Bla~l WeE, of virginia, said the
mode Of baptism amounted to nothlng SO
that wafer was applied and that the per-
son WAS baptized in the name OF the
Father. Son, aud Holy Ghost.
DR.. Morrison, Of kentucky, suggested
that the words "at his discretion" be
added after may" so that the phrase
would be may a. bis discretion immense"
This the prOposers OF the minority report
accepted. DR.. Morrison thought it well
TO respect the cOnsciences Of those preach
srs who have scruples against admins
lering baptism by immersion.
DR.. Messick, OF Kentucky, said he
knew OF nothing that mad come before the
conference Of graver Importance TO Meth
odism. 1t was not question of may or
shall. but to strike at the very root OF
Methodist baptism. II proposed TO change
hot
the Methodist church is mountaineering
church, and to rule immersion out Of the
church. Personally he had no love for
immersion, but he did not want IL driven
out of the church. III person wants to
be immersed let him have it. No great
responsibility rests on the person who
immeTses, but only the person immersed.
We are not, hope, going to legislste on
baptism at this lac Gay. We are going
to stick TO the broad platform of our fore
fathers. The only trouble is that some of
the brethren are not in favor of INNER
sion, and the effect is that many persons
who are MethOdists in every other respect
are driven from our doors. II person
wants to be baptized by i'm mersiOn, i'm
merse him, and dip him down 100 fathOms
if he so desires, If he wants water
poured on him, why baptize him that
way. DR.. Messick was strongly opposed
to the report OF the committee, and
wanted to stand by the discipline as 1t is.
Rev. Mr.. HAYES, of Kentucky, said in
loyalty TO MethOdism and to thai wAich
is now to be decided as the law of the
church, he found himself compelled to
take the side Of the minority report on this
question. He said that his side mad been
1rraigned as reVOlptiOnsts wishing to
change the polity OF the church; that by
their practice they are keeping out of the
church those " DO wish to unite with the
church by refusing TO immense them.
peTnis" said he, sis not
question of this kind. The real ques-
ton is, has the church right to compel
minister to perform that which in a re-
ligious rite he believes is not taught in
the Word of Gods / have never refused
To baptize by immersion, but have never
immersed any one in all the years OF my
ministry. | am not in favor of compelling
administer who has made the scriptures a
lifelong study to subject his conduct to
the dictatiOn of an uniformed candidate
for baptism who has never made the mat
.er a subject of study for a single day. on
what authority, said be, do you say that
a minister shall immerse? Every work
OF recent date emanating from members
of our communion takes the ground that
afusi0n, and not immersion, is the scrip
tural mode Of baptism. By what author
ity, then, do YOU propose to adopt this
irOn-clad law that Will drive out Of our
ministry those preachers who do not be-
lieve that scrptural baptism is admins
cred bv immersion, but by atfusiOn?
DR.. McFerrin said he didn't expect the
doctrine OF close communion at this con-
ference. II immersion IS the only mode
Of baptism, WHY then YOU can't come into
the church, and if you can't come into the
church you can't commune. II wonder
how many OF this General Conference
knew when baptism was made a condi-
ton Of membership in the Methodist
church? ] wonder il you know yourself,
MIR. President? Well, 1t was fifty
years ago, exactly, in Cincinnati, when
memorial was introduced which had
this Tor its object. and before this there
never was a rule requiring people to be
baptized before being admitted into the
church. We take the ground that the
Bible doesn't prescribe the mode of hap.
tism. 1t only requires that a person
shall be baptized in the name OF the
Father, SON and Holy Ghost. It doesn't
make any difference il you only use a
Tablespoonful of water.
Bishop McryeIre stated. after DIR. Nc.
Ferrin sat down, that il would leave the
public in error in regard TO the church
historically II he did not cav something
about baptism previous to 1886. 1t bad
been asserted that previous 10 that time
UdDiitH " IS HOts W ruiz W NiNCiDtlUt. re-
quired in order to gain admiss into the
church. The Bishop said from the begin
nIng the disciplinary definition OF ''thC
church. which says the church is "a con
gregatiOn Of taithful men in which the
pure word of God is preached, and the
sacraments duly administered according
20 Christs ordinance covered the ques
ton. There are hut two sacraments-
the Lords supper and baptism.
Mr. Briggs, Of Texas, was tired OF hear
ing Methodist preachers sn Ger at INNER
sion. he, young man, did not believe
in that, or in any special mode Of baptism
but he did not like To hear sucp men al
DR.. McFerrin, whenever he spoke OF tn,
subject, say something which was no
calculated TO increase the sanctIty Of tina
mode OF baptism.
vote was taken and adopted the ma
jority report. which leaves the disciplin
as IL is at present.