The National tribune., 1891-08-20
THE BAPTIST FAITH
TCoutinuea froun First pnreN

they recognize no other meaning. He who
would 20 back of the lexicons and judge for
himself, will find in Conant's Meaning and
Use of Baptism" citation of every case in
which the word is used by ancient writers,
and he will see that in each case the idea of
submersion is involved.
THE sEPrUAGIST,
the Greek version Of the Old Testament
current in Jesuss day, says that Naaman,
the Syrian went down into the Jordan and
baptized (Gr. c5Gpiisaio) himself seven times.
This means that lie dipped or immersed
himself; and when the New Testament says
that John was baptizing it means that he
was immersinC
The doctrine and practice of the Baptists
with reference TO the two Christian Ordi-
nances have been abundantly justified and
upheld BY the candid testimony Of scholarly
theOlogians of other denominations. From
the great mass OF these weighty admissions
and Endorsements the following are n few
specimens those relating to baptism coming
first:
all the world.-Bossuet Roman Catholic.
1t does no, appear from Scripture that even one
infant was ever bapiizeds-Keenan, Docirinal Cate
chism. Roman Catholic
In the primitive Church, baptism was a total inn
mersion or burial, ~ Il werc-IIechnan. Lutheran.
The Baptist position j. inconiTOvertibIc from the
Protestant standpoint, since they have the clear
Bible text for baptism. and Church tradition de-
cidcs neither for nor aEainst.-Dr. DolIinger, Old
[ Catholic.
Eapiize undoubtedly signifies immersion. No
proof can he found that b signifies anything else ~
Tie New Testament aud IN the most ancient Christ
ian litruturc.-ProE IInrnack Lutheran.
All attempts To make out infant baptism from the
New Testament fail. II is totally opposed to tho
principles Of the New Ic-amcnt.-ITuf LauEe,
] Lutheran.
The change from immersion TO sprinking has
set aside the larger part Of the Apostolic language
regarding baptism. and hHs altered the very mean
| Ing Of tao word.-Dean Stanley, Episcopalisu.
This passage Rom, 6: 3, I! cannot be understood
unless u j. borne ia mind that the primitive bap-
] li-m was 10y ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS aud Howson,
/ Eui-copaHus.
/ Among all the persons that nre recorded as hap
tizcd by the Apostles. there i express mention
/ OF any inftnts.-Dr. Wall, Fpi-copalian.
Buried with him." niluding to the ancient man
ncr 81 blptizing by immersion.-John Wesley.
To bc baptized into Christ is to receive the doc
tTine Of Christ crucied. and to receive baptism "a
proof OF the gcuuinenesa OF that faitn.-Adam
Clarke. Methodist.
Tho very word bapiiEe, however. signifies TO inn
/ EIerse aud IL u certain that immersion was the
practice Of the ancient Church.-Cnlvin, Presbytc-
TiHn
Respecting the form Of baptism, therefore, .
the impartial historian j. compelled by exegesis
Baptisia, as Is donc. in fact. by most Ger
man sciIolars-lhip SchafT. Presbyterian.
Scripture knows nothing 81 the baptism Of In
] fants.-Dr Hanna. Presbyterian.
Here follow few out of many available
strong
PEDOBAPTIST ENDORSEMENTS
of the Baptist principle and practice Of re-
4 stricting the Lords Supper to the actually
/ baptized:
Among all the absurdities that ever were held.
none ever maintained that any person should par
I take az the Communion before lie was baptized
i DR.. Wall, EpiscDpalian.
II believed with the Baptiss that none nre hap
TIED hut those who are immersed on profession or
/ faith, then should with them refuse 10 commune
with any othcr-.-Dr John Hall, Presbyterian.
IL l. evident that. according To views 90 hap
4 ti~in, can admit them To our Communion; but.
I with their views Of baptism, II is equally evident
\ they can never TecprOcaie the cOurtcsy. And the
/ charge Of close Communion Is no more applicable
To the Bapists Than to us.DT. Iibbard. Methodist.
Open Communion IL Az absurdity when u means
/ Communion with the uubaptiLed. / would not for
I moment consider a proposition TO admit un-
l baptized person 10 the Communion and can / ask
a Baptist to stuitify himself end ignore hi. own
doctrine as 20 ask me 20 Commune with him while
/ he believes ] ann unbIpiized? let rs have unity.
indeed bot not at the expense Of principle aud les
Us not ask the Baptist TO ignore or lie inconsistent
I with las own doctrine. Seilhcr let u. make nn
outcry at his Close Communion which Is but faith
fitness TO principle, unth are prepared TO bc
y Open Communists ourselves from which stupidity
1 may be- forever pTeseTyed.-AmericGH PTCsbyie-
] riau Quarterly.
Did VIC believe that only believers who have been
immersed are baptized and that only baptized per
sons have right to the Lords table, We should
] believe aud practice strict Communion, and we
should almost consider 1t insult to he required
10 give u up without change Of views on thc sub
! jeci Of baptism. We a. Tardubaptlsis are
1 Close Communists. and hope shall never
( cea-e to be such. The only legitimate
/ subjects Of controversy between us aud thc Bap-
fists thc subjects and mode OF baptsn.-C0ii-
! grSgaii0aol Journal.
JEsUs's BAPTISM
| Of sorrow was not n mere sprinkling; IL was
q submeTsion ia the tide of suffering When
some good man prays that all may be
baptized with the Holy Ghost, il is not a
mere sprinkling that he desires, but an in-
undatiOn OF the blessed Divine influence.
When someone writing Of the great war
says that the land was baptized in blood "
he means not that il was merely spTinkled
but that it was submerged, as it were, be-
meath the tide Of carnage. Though baptism
is sometimes spoken of as coming through
an outpouTing, the idea Of submersion is
still involved, as when one is buried by the
leaving in of hank upon him OF buried be-
meath the falling snow.
Baptism, then, always means immersion. In
merson is not merely mode" of baptism
it is baptism itself To speak Of baptism b.
TpTinkling is like talking Of dipping by sprink-
ling. Pouring or sprinsliug is not baptism al
all IL is merely something which has been
substituted for baptism. Pouring or sprinkliug
cannot properly be called baptism, except on
the principle by which the name Of an object j,
sometimes given 20 that which is put in il,
place, the principle on which the Irshman said
that the man Of the house was a woman! Pour
ing or sprinkliug is not baptism, and so is no
a fulfllmont Of ChTists command. The com
mand to be baptized is 4 command 10 be i'm
mersed, and this Is another reason why Bap
lists do not practice pouring or spfink!iug, bu
ONLY IMMERSION.
In a revival in Winter Of 1863 =, in one Of tn
regiments Of the Sixth Corps a young Sercean
who had been converted was told By the Chap
lain that he ought TO be baptized. YER
well" said he IL that IS rcg'lations.'"
| was n soldiers answer. 4 soldier is trained &
J obey orders. aud IL Christ, his Captain. com
manded him 10 be immersed the boy was read,
20 obey. And 50 Bgptists adhere to tie pTac
tCe Of immersion. for they believe that that j
Scripture regulations"
, 1t is objected by some that this IS mere lit
eralism that granting that baptism is strict,
immersion, aud that immersion alone wa