Morning journal and courier., 1886-10-22
An Argument for Literal Interpreta'
 ton Which Works Both Ways.

IFrom Western Paper.l
 One who does not believe in immersion for baptism was holding protracted meet
 ing and one night preached on the subject of baptism. In the course of his remarks he said some believe it necessary to go down into the water and come out of the water baptised. But this he claimed to be fallacy, for the proposition "into" of the scriptures should be rendered differently and it does not mean into at all times. HMoses,'' he said, sswe are told went up into the noun tains and the Saviour was taken up into 8 high mountain, etc. Now we do not suppose that either went into the mountain, but upon it. So with going down into the water it
 means simply going down close by or near to the water, and being baptized in the ordi- nary way by sprinkling." He carried this idea out fully and in due season and style closed his discourse, when an invitation was given to anyone who felt so disposed to rise and express their thoughts. Quite 8 number of the brethren arose and said that they were glad that they had been present on this occa- sion; and they were we'll pleased with the sound sermon they had just heard and felt their souls greatly blessed. Finally corpu- lent gentleman of teutonic extraction, a stranger to all, arose and broke silence that was most painful, as follows:
 Mister Preacher, I ish so glad wash here tonight, for I has had explained to my mint some tings I could never belief before. We
 reat, Mr Preacher, that Taniel vas cast into
 ten of lions and come out alife! Now I never could belief dot, for the wilt beasts
 would shust eat him right off; put now it ish fiery clear to my mint. He was shut close py
 or near to, and tid not get into de ten at all
 o, I wash so glat wash here to night. Aga1n
 we reat that de Hebrew children vas cast in
 to the irish furnace and dot, sir, alwish
 look't like beeg story too, for they would
 have peen burnt up; put it ish all plain to
 my mint now, for they were shust cast close by or near to the furnace. O, wash so gat I wash here tonight! And den, Mr. Preacher, it is said that Jonah vas cast into the sea and into the whalesh belly. Now I never could belief dot. It always seemed to me to be a peeg feesh story, put it is all plain to my mint now; he wash not taken into the whales belly at all, but shust shumped on to his pack and rode | ashore. O, I wash so glad l wash here to- night And now, MT. Preacher, if you will shust explain two more passages of scrip lures shall pc so happy that I wash here to- night One of them Is were it saish de wick ct shall pc cast into lake dat burns init fire and birthstone always. O, MT. Preacher, shall pc cast into that lake if I am wicked, l or shust close py or near to it, shust near enough to pc comfortable2. O! hopes you tell me I shall pc cast shust py, a goot way off, and I shall pc so glad I was here to-
 night. The other passage is that which saish blessed are they who do these command ments, that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city. Ol tell me I shall get into the city and shust close py or near to it-shust
 near enough to see what I have lost-and I
 shall pc so glad I was here tonight.
 He sat down with the impression made on
 many minds present that it would do to take
 the Bible for what it clearly says,