The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-02-18
AS TO WINTER BAPTIsMs.
The Dunkard Custom of Immersion
in Icy Streams.
Correspondence of the \. Y. Sun.

The sudden death of Rev. David Etter
while baptizing people in the icy waters OF
Manada Creek few days ago has caused
much discussion, especially among those
outside the ranks of the German Baptist
denomination to which he belonged
Those who criticise the custom OF winter
baptisms ask why is it necessary to wade
into icy water in midwinter to baptize
Why cannot it be done in mild weather?
Mr.. Etter was "a years of age. he
preached a sermon one Sunday morning to
the East Hanover township congregation
at Hauoverdale and in the afternoon when
the thermometer was at the freezing point
he met the congregation on the banks OF
Manada Creek. The ice had been broke::
and nine converts, one by one, were led
into the stream nearly waist deep, where
Mr.. Etter stood, and were immersed three
times by the forward motion. The tenth
person was his niece The young woman
brayelv entered the water. Mr.. Etter
seemed to smile and to be well pleased at
the service During the immersion Of his
niece he suddenly gasped and staggered.
He had said: II baptise thee in the
name of the Father, and in the name of
the Son There had been two for
ward motions. but before the third INNER
sion. in the name of the Holy Ghost, the
minister collapsed and fell into the water.
The Young woman in the water preserved
her presence of mind and called for assls-
lance. The elders rushed into the water,
CROPPED for the stricken preacher, and car
ried him to shore, but he was quite dead.
Apparently he had been seized with a con-
gestive chill through his long exposure IN
the water and had been overcome. This
event has given rise to the discussion OF
midwinter baptism in streams and mill
ponds An aged member of the congre-
CATION of German Baptists, who are COM
monty known as Thinkers or Dunkards,
and hereabouts as Brethren, said to the
Sun correspondent;
at may have been the will of God
that Mr.. Etter should die while baptizing.
Had he not been baptizing he might have
been stricken with heart failure. There
is no telling. Man proposes and God dis
poses. On the other hand, God expects
us to take proper care of ourselves, and 1t
NAV be that the preacher, being well up
in years, could not stand the exposure.
He was warmly clad and well protected,
but with all that the task of baptizing ten
penitents, one after the other, may have
been too much. But we rarely hear of
any such distressing occurrence. We 20
on and baptize, summer and winter, aud
the Lord is with Us without accident or
bad effects from the water in midwinter.
The Mennonite brethren also baptlZe IN
midwinter Only the other day the Rev.
Musselman. near Watsontown, had open
air baptism when it was freezing He Is
e Young, vigorous preacher, and has been
baptizing for years, in all weather and his
rosy cheeks and good physical condition
show that the Lord protects him. have
never in all my life heard of any penitent 5
taking cold and | have seen hundreds bap-
TIED in the open air in midwinter.
ssIt is the sudden chill of the cold water
that is feared BY some, but the penitents
do not think of that. The elders select a
spot along the stream where the water Is
easily entered, but, as John the Baptist
said. where there is enough water. In
some places nowadays the penitents stop at
a member house and put on baptismal
clothes Then they 90 TO the minister,
who stands waist deep in the stream
They are immersed three times forward,
with laying on Of hand, and at the conclu
sion of the ceremony they 90 back TO the
house, where they change their wet clothes
for dry ones. | have even known sick
people to be immersed in midwinter, and
they became strong and well; certainly
they suffered no III effects. IL is done in
the name of the Lord, and the Lord pro
tects His people.
ssOf course, we do not ike to say too
mach, because boasting Is not our way.
If / should tell you things | have seen in
midwinter baptism you would hardly be-
hsye it. have known gowns Of women
never to freeze in the coolest weather al
ter they came out of the water, no matter
how long they remained on the river bank
to sing and pray have seen rosy cheeks
come to penitents' faces that for years had
been pale and sick have known feeble
men aud women enter the cold water trem
bling and come out strong, courageous and
full of hope, singing hosannas with those
on the banks of the stream. But | will
not 90 into details, because it is the wish
of God that His people shall not boast.
Strangers must come and see. Where the
number of penitents IS large and the win
ter very cold / have known ministers as
safeguard to put on gum boots and legg-
ings to reach to the waist for protection
where they are compelled to stand in the
icy water for an hour or more. But our
ministers get warm in the water. John
the Baptizer baptized people in the warm
country They had no churches or bap-
tistries then as they have now, Of course,
but we prefer to stick to the old customs
as John the Forerunner set the example.
/ viii not 60 into our doetrinal belief.
That is another matter.
''People are just now asking about the
danger of winter baptism in the streams.
IF there was danger to life or health we
would not baptize in winter. But there
i, not. Ordinary cold water bathing is
not hurtful, in the coolest weather, to the
strong and vigorous, but that cannot and
must not be compared to holy baptism.
A delicate woman might take her death of
cold by an ordinary cold bath or by being
caught in a cold rain, or by accident
through being thrown into the water with
the mercury at zero; but not so with open
air baptism The religious rite is absolute
protection to the devout penitent. If
midwinter baptism in streams was wrong
we should hear of pneumonia and death
right along. We don't have grip as the
consequence of December or January i'm
mersions. Such baptism is blessing
and it is a safeguard for the future. But
strangers make mistake in thinking any
thing at all about health in this connee-
ton. No one should be baptized in our
way that only has health in view, The
true penitent does not.
ITO the unbelievers on the banks of the
stream-and there are usually hundreds
who come on foot and in carriages-this
open air immersion in January must seem