Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1893-11-16
MEXICO, MISSOURI, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1e, 1893

that in this verse, especially in
sunetaphemen and egerthe, the an
cient prevailing mode of baptism by
immersion and emersion is implied,
as giving additional force to the idea
of the going down of the old and the
rising up of the lew man. ."-Lange
Com. on Rom.
Sixteen. Bro. Jackson says:
"The uninterrupted argument of an
tiquity, both in sculpture and paint
ing, as they have been handed down
the ages represent John the Baptist
and the Apostles as baptizing by
effusion.
DR.. Schaff { Presbyterian, )who has
thoroughly studied this subject,
says: 'The art of painting can on
Iy exhibit the beginning or the end
of the act, not the entire process.
But as far as they 60 these pic
lures confirm the river-baptism pre-
scribed by the Didache as the nor.
NAL form in imitation of the typical
baptism in the Jordan. They all
represent the baptized as standing
in stream, and the baptizer on dry
ground; the former is nude, the lat
ter more or less robed. These two
facts prove that immersion (either
total or partially was intended ;other-
wise the standing with the feet in
the water would be an unmeaning
superfuity, and the nudity an un-
justifiable indecency. Pouring is
also confirmed in two of these pic
lures, but in connection with partial
immersion, not without it. Teach.
ing of the twelve Apostles, PIP. 81,
3S. None of these pictures were
made earlier than the first
quarter of the third century.
Seventeenth. In reply to Bro.
Jackson's seventeenth reason,
| have to say that for nearly
1900 years Baptists have
been practicing immersion and
they have never yet found a
country too cold or too hot or to
dry. The objection is imaginary.
Eighteenth. Bro. Jackson says
GA mode can not be God-given
that is necessarily frequently cir.
cumscribed by physical condi-
tions,' and he thinks INNER
sion is so circumscribed in the
case of infants and sick persons.
This is simply Bro. Jackson's
opinion as to what God ought or
ought not to do. Baptists have
never found any trouble from this
source. They do not believe the
Scriptures warrant the baptism of
infants at any time, or command
it in the case of those physically
unable to obey. However, the
sick have often been baptized by
immersion; and Wesley found no
difficulty in immersing infants, and
would baptize them in no other
way unless the parents would de-
clare they were too sickly. See
Wesley's Works, vol. /, p. 1870.
But is not affusion circumscribed?
Must there not be some water and
an administrator? And if per-
son were on the desert dying for
the want of water, or alone on
some island, could he be baptized
even by affusion?
Nineteenth. In replying to the
nineteenth objection, l simply deny
that Jesus ever used the expression
pouring out" and shedding FORTH
in referring to the ordinance of
baptism.
Twentieth. All that is contained
in bis twentieth reason has been
fully answered, except what he has
to say regarding obedience. To
this reply that the command to be
immersed is positive command,
and God has shown by his deal
ings with the Jews that his COM
mands may not be set aside with i'm
punity. Those who disobey do so at
their peril. If these articles shall
cause some disobedient ones to con-
slider, and to turn away from their
disobedience and obey Jesus by do
ing Just what he commands, l shall
rejoice.
The Master says: "Ifye love me
keep my commandments" eff a
man love me he will keep my words"
aye are my friends, ifye do what
ever command YOU"
G. M. WILLIAMS.
She Was too Lazy