Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1886-04-29
MEXICO. MISSOURI THURSDAY, APRIL %. 1886
DuNcaN's GOSPEL LESSONS.
REPLY No. IL.

REPLY No. Is.
In my No. IL I quoted Math.
ss'is, 90, as the only law of baptism
now in existenees and, OF eourse, the |
law under which We now administer
the ordinance. / then called upon the |
reader to consider how we are to
interpret that law In order that we
understand the meaning of any law,
we must know something of the eir-
eumstances surrounding its promui-
cation. ! called the readers atten-
ton to the fact that in order that we
may know what the Savior
meant when he said, go ye, there
fore, make Disciples of all the Cen
tiles, bsptizing them into the name
OF the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
&c, we must know aud consider
number Of facts existant at that time.
l pointed out the fact that at that
time the Savior had already been
making Disciples of the Jews for
8 1-2 years, and his manner of MAX
ing Disciples among the people of
Israel would throw light on what he
intended by making Disciples of
the Gentiles. / called attention to
the fact that we could learn what the
Savior meant by the way the Apos-
ties understood that law and carried
out its terms into practice. I then
showed that when Paul went among
the Gentiles to make Disciples that
he baptized believers and their fam
ilies-and that according to the re-
cord these families were baptized up
ON the faith of the parents. or alb
solutely without faith. (See record
in Acts 16.)
/ showed also the fact that ages
before the commission was given to
snake Disciples of, and baptize the
Gentiles," (and at that very time)
the Lord Jesus had in existence a
real, true, visible, spiritual church,
with the infant children of his people
as component part Of its member
ship. 1 called attention to the fact
that the Lord Jesus, during his hv-
ling ministry, did not organize new
church, with new terms of member.
ship, and he did not authorize any
one else to do such a thing. /
demonstrated from the word of God
that that church of "Christ in the
Wilderness" with it's infant church
membership, possessed all the diff
| ferentia and characteristics of his
church of any age. Christ put the
infants of his people into his visible
church, and, by express command
had them recognized as members and
under obligation to be the Lords il
heart and life. Christ, in the com
mission, (the only law of baptism il
existence) did not expressly exclude
them, therefore they are, by the au
thority of the Lord, in the visibl,
church and have right to be re
cognized as belonging to the Lore
and to be trained and raised for hi
service here and hereafter.
And now, because I have establish
ed the existence of visible, spiritua
church of Christ, at the time of tn
giving of the law for the baptism O
the Gentiles, and long before, MI
Duncan (April 8th) says I hav
abandoned the New Testament an
/ fed away into the wilderpess,' &t
Mr.. Duncan knew better than that a
the time he wrote those words, if b
knows one half Of what I think b
does. That was his only chance fo
a reply. He must say something
! and he does not attack my argumen
for the existence Of pure, spirtus
church under former dispensatior
' "But them" says Mr.. D., cit was onl
) a type of New Testament times" g.
But in this Mr.. D. is sadly in erro
u Circumcision in the flesh in ti
church of Christ. under former di
Ii pensation was not typical of SOM
, thing in the New Testament tim
3 1t was a symbol Of heart circumcisio
i the real, true circumcision. This
IL proven by Paul's words in Rom. 2:2
'e 20, "For he is not jew, which
III one outwardly; neither is that ci
u cumcision which is outward in Il
% flesh: But he is jew, which is OF
lie inwardly; and circumcision is tn
of the heart, in the spirit, aud nj
At in the letter; whose praise is not
E. men, but of God" Here the Apost
g teaches that the real circumcisi'
'i was in the heart and that the euttiI
J. off of small bit of flesh was only
70 type and symbol of that inwai
Q. s.circumcision, made without hands
es (Col. 2:11) So the Paschar fea
III was not typical of any ordinance
I'll the New Testament era. 1t was
'p type and symbol of the sacrifice
re Christ to the pious intelligent
raelite, just a. the Lords supper is
type and symbol of that sacrifice
ne the pious intelligent Disciple
IT. modern time. Christ is called &c
We Passover" in 1st Cor. 81. The vi