The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-03-15
A Disclaimer.

/ ,E = Z
R. Woods, G. r.. Wood.
A Disclaimer.
To The Editor Of the Pioneer.
SiR,--You chose in your last Issue to pay
considerable attention TO me. would
choose rather to suffer wrong than to do
wrong, and would keep silent If did not
deem it my duty to reply. You chose to
charge me with .'indiscretion, discoartesy,
and bad taste in the Introduction Of text
and discourse thereon, which was essen
tally and peculiarly doctrixal, involving
the question of baptism by sprinkling or
immersion. You then say, some say did
so through "malice aforethought," others
through ''isnorsnse, but leave the ques-
tion Of ,'malice" or "a scheme" to me and
my Maker.
am very glad that my Maker is my
Judge, and He knows that am innocent Of
the charge. believe was misunderstood
by some; but for that cannot blame myself,
nor will impute wrong motives TO .them.
How the misunderstanding occurred, know
not.
! took for o. text . passage that believe
has not the remotest reference to baptism
John iii. s. II the language Of the text
gave offence, let me say they were the words
Of Jesus to an enquirer after truth, and
ask pardon Of no man for using them. l
tried to use it in the sense in which be-
lieve Jesus used ito lead Nicodemus to
know himself and. TO know his Savier.
sought to develop two thoughts: (l.) Why
is the new birth necessity? ~ How may
it be obtained?
! Thought in my simplicity that such .
subject was suitable for revival meeting,
but it appears WAS mistaken. advanced
the idea that there were two things neces-
sary for salvation: ~ An atonement for
sin; (2.) the regeneration Of the sinner
That being .born Of water had reference
to the atenenieht which Christ made for 10
on the cross. referred to the. water Of
publication, which was typical Of the blood
of Christ, as that to which the attention Of
Nicodemus, Jew, would be drawn. and
descr bed its use in the ceremonial cleans
ing Of the unclean--tbat they were sprinkled
with the wafer and were pronounced clean
that in like manner there could be no
cleansing from sin but through the applica
tion Of the blood OF Christ. Also, in the
case Of the cleansing Of the leper, spoke
Of the living bird being dipped in the blood
Of the dead bird over running water, and
after the leper was sprinkled, it was liber-
atsd, type OF . pardoned sinner.
can conceive Of only two wsrds that
used that might have been taken by some TO
refer to baptism, viz: "water'' and"dipped."
l stated that being born Of watsr meant,
under the gospel being born Of the atone
ment--the blood Of Christ. stated that
the leper was sprinkled and the dove
dipped; the one went DOWN to his house
clean; the other, the living bird, was set ut
liberty. Was there not as much occasion
for offence to baptist because used the
word ..sprinkled," as 70 . presbyterian be-
cause used the word .dipped?'' But to
neither was the occasion offered. The words
had no reference to the christian ordinance,
Of baptism. was simply trying to illus
trate my subject BY referring to the scripture
account of ,l,s ceremonial cleansing Of the
unclean BY the use Of the water Of purifca-
ton. See Mum. il. and Lev. II. Z. 1 had
no thought Of Baptism in choosing text or
in diacolrsing upon it, For years ! have
held that that text had no reference to 5ap-
.ism. Il il did, II would be saying that no
#unhaptized person could enter the kingdom
of God "A doctrine that, 30 far as know,
no baptist believes. and = doctrine that be-
iieyers in baptism repudiats. The late Or
|fhos. Guthrie, Of Edinburgh, Scotland, one
Of the ablest men in the Presbyterisn church
in his day. says Regarding my text: III the
water in that text John iii, 81 meant only
Holy Spirit, hs told the truth bur not
the. whole truth. Are not more than re-
generating influences needed that ! man
may enter the kingdom Of heaven! Certain
u. For that end, is not the blood Of the
savior y necessary - the renewing Of tile
Holy Ghast? Certainly. Well then, lei our
Lord, ii addressing Nicodemns, Who, q .
Jew, would = once catch the allusion, have
81 eye to the clesn waler of the ceremonial
law; let the wAter there refer, like tIis. ID
an atoning sacrifice, and from that celebrated
passage the gospel shines forth ID its eGul.
/ gent radiancs Our Lord tells This ruler,
Whist I preach and pray you y ponder on
|that except you are Washed n His blood. .
vsIl = renewed W His spirit, ySu caDnot
~ ths kingdom of God. ~, Z, Gospel u
Easkisi, pags 26ss.
l Nov, 4 must lssve \ 70 those Who heard
/ ~. y ~ bow ~ ! an rssponsible for
icing misundsratood. ~ nv ON conscisDcs
Iasquits ne N ny sschsns1 d smaliee, !, 81
design a introdncs anything oontrovsrsisl
Into tbs nsstins rsfsrred y, I shsll leavs
| lths patier With Him who know, I'll, and
M VII ~ sondsnn sths innoosnt.
gassa