The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-04-18
/ POOL ROOM INA CHURCH HOUSE,
Moss PoINr, Miss, April 6, 1890.

house, and TO explain the burial OF
The thirteen open bibles. Col. Boil
lngersol, in a recent writing, said
"BaptiSts make a mans salvation de-
pend ON the difference between a Bu-
rial IN water and The sprinkling of a
few drops of water on The head
BRO. j.. VI. Wccms, now of The City
OF Mexico, wrote recently in the New
Orleans Christian 1dvOcdte: "NIr.
Dees, whose idea OF Christian ob!iga-
ton Is TO compel the poor sinner TO
choose between a pool OF water and
the devil"
Thousands of good mel have said
and thought, ani still say and think,
of Baptists as above expressed. Yet
we claim and demand that one is and
must be Sdred, and that ete1ndllB, be-
fore he or she is ORGAN be baptized.
And If sprinkled, poured or Immersed
a hundred times by John Wesley,
John Knox, the Pope, ST. Paul or the
Church at Jerusalem before he or she
is "5orn again" or "~converted, they
are not baptized.
With this declaration | proceed to
describe our pool, baptiStry or watcry
grave, and the thirteen open bibles
buried therein, all of which teach
to the thoughtful mind the same doc
trine, and should convince all fair
minds that we believe as we teach.
Our church house was built fifty
feet long and thirty feet wide and
with two Ian &c windows just back of
the pnlpi. twelve feet apart. We
now have added on to the end of the
house, IN rear OF pulpit, an addition
of ten feet GulthCr back aud entirely
across the end OF the house, which
makes Il ten by thirty feet, the
root of which is four feet lower Than
the main building. The floor is on a
level with the pulpit floor. This space
IS divided SO astO make q dressing
room on each side aud a room lively e
feet long just back of the pulpit, in
which is built the watery grave. All
the END Of TIE house between the
windows back of the pulpit is cut
away, and the opening thereby made
causes the pool room TO be open TO all
parts of the chnrcli house. When the
pool is not being used tins opening is
up by long folding door shut
tiers. The pool comes Immediately
the pulpit. This pool is ten
feet long, four feet Wide and four feet
deep Gllside measure. The bottom,
side and end walls are one foot thick,
in Tim hpct haul l,;,l- a,I - |,
and cement, four thausand brick, five {
barrels of cement and six barrels of ,
Inc being used therein. At the bot ;
ON there is Il valve by which the :
)ool can be empticd Six inches from :
op Is a waste ~ overflow. Wate.' is !
from rOO.: OF house through
he mcdium Of gutter and pipe. The
lool takes six feet Of ten sect added.
lust back of the pool is a floor or walk
wen with top Of pool and pulpi, fp0:,
separated OF protected from pool by 4
ellcd wall three feet high, used as a
Ianistcr or railing, and on front side
IT which is some scripture quotations. A
The doors of the dressing rooms
pen on or into this walk. Tie steps
eading down into the pool begin at !
ne end Of this walk. ;
This brings us to an explanation of i
he buried bibles. The dressing Ii
0oms are for persons to 90 into to I
themselves for baplism. "
IN the ceiling Ouer the doors II
into these rooms are bibles n
pcncd aud marked at John, 3d chap IL
er, and 3 to Z verse: Except man IL
c born again he cannot see the king q
of God, "etc. Thisopen bible is put H.
Ter the door of the preparation rooms al
ccausc our preparation or new birth b.
come from dbOUe. With this ,
OF the heart aud body
no candidate presents himself for of
aptisln, his rights to which arc bas- NJ
| on the following conditions of u
lind and heart: {,
Buried in the cement ami brick Of Il
re first step leading down into the tn
.atcry grave is a bible opened and IN
at Matthew 3 chapter, which n
aches repentance and confession of fr
ms before baptism. Sc
Under the second stop is a bible m,
at Matthew 4 chapter, 7 verse p
for the Kingdom of Heaven nnpp
at hand. ey
Under the third step is a bible an
arked at Mark lst chapter, Is orr
"Itcpent yc, and believe the m
,sPeI. mi
U lher the fourth aud last step is mo
bible open and marked at Acts s an,
IL verse ''Dul when they er
etc. They were baptized, IN
'th men aud women"
These steps prepare one for baptism. Co
Nv let us see what baptism means. lou
hen the candidate takes his stand ore
the pool he is Immediately over a Sta
Die, buried ia the cement, open aud div
lrked at LIST Peter, 3 chapter, 81 OF
"flc like figure whereunlO Gee
ell baptism doth also now save us scr
Of the putting away of the filth Of viii
flesh, but The answer OF a good TIM
iscience toward Gud) by the resur- Pr,
,lion of Jesus Christ We claim ind
At all mcu, women and children ern
lst haze a conscience before they II s
d Gnsuer il. To 2
When the candidate Is laid back nro.
o, and buried ia the water, he is S
or a bible marked at Romans 6 coll
spter, 4 aud 5 verses "Buried with alio
n 10y baptism,f which also assures :
of our resurrection with him, etc. shaI
is bible Is also marked az Cal. 2 scri
,pter. IL verse "BurIed with him bay,
baptism" etc. u
Immediately under the minister's Il
{, when baptizing any one. is a BIZ and
buried in the cement, open and A
rked at Matthew % chapter, 10 A
SC: go ye, therefore, and teach TINS
nations, baptizing them in The