The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-21
Large Congregation Hears the
Address in the UNCONVENTIONAL
Series Treating of Methodism
and the Baptist Church
THE CHURCH DIVIDED
INTO 10 ORGANIZATIONS
The Chief Characteristic Of the
Belief is That Baptism Must be
by Immersion-A Big Load of
Responsibility in Insisting on
the Doctrines

The series of UNCONVENTIONAL adj
dresses which Rev. DR.. George w.
King is giving at Trinity Methodist
Church is drawing large audiences. The
church was nearly full last night. DR..
King spoke on 'Methodism and the
Baptist Church"
He began with a brief historical
sketch of the Baptist Church. 1t was,
according to most authorities founded
in Sweden in 1928, though some try to
trace it back to Apostolic times. 1t
was first established in this country by
Roger Williams and is now the sec
ond largest Protestant denomination
here, having 100000 communicates to
about 5,000 900 in the Methodist Church.
THE Baptist Church. said Dr. King,
| is divided into Is dictinct organizations
but the great majority of Baptists be-
long to the regular Baptist Church
that is, the church North and South,
and the colored church. The other
branches are comparatively small in
numbers.
THE Baptist Church is congregation
al in it's policy. Each church is unit.
The Baptist theology has been large
ly Calvinistic, though one branch, the
Free Will Baptists, of which / believe
cester, holds the Arminian doctrines.
But that which distinguishes the Bap-
fist Church it its belief in regard to
Baptism. In the first place it claims that
the only true and Christian way to re-
ceive the sacrament Of Baptism is by
immersion. No other form Is strictly
Christian or valid, they say. 1 respect
these people for their belief but If it
is true then some of us are terribly
wrong. And If we are we ought to
know it, and If we are not then this
doctrine ought not to be stated as a
truth.
do suggest to the Baptist brethren
that they lay on themselves quite a
load of responsibility in insisting upon
their doctrine of Baptism.
IT wonder if the Baptists realize they
exclude from the church the great body
of Christians from its beginning to the
present timer Whatever the claim of
the Baptists may be, the administra-
ton of baptism by sprinkling and pour
ing has been practised by a majority
of Christians. Very few outside the
| Baptists believe in immersion. Now
| our dear Baptist friends say that all
| others do not baptize according to the
| commands of the New Testament. That
| seems a pretty serious thing for a
| body of Christians to say against the
whole body of Christians except them
| selves"
| Dr. King went on to explain that, in
| the Methodist Church as well as in
some others, the manner of administer
! ing baptism is optional. Their belief is
| that 1t is not the water but the Holy
| Ghost that is essential.
| Dr. King compared the Baptist rule
that persons who receive baptism must
be old enough to believe, with the Gus
| tom of infant baptism which prevails
in the other Protestant churches. He
| said Every church says that If a per-
son is old enough to believe, he must
believe before being baptized. But we
| do not deprive children of the right of
| baptism. Christ said, Suffer little
| children to come unto me-" We bap-
tie our children in infancy and expect
that when they are old enough they
will assume the vows of baptism them
| selves.
i 81 do not say that the Baptists are
| insincere, but it seems little incon-
sistent to keep these dear children
from Jesus when they belong to him. -
DIR. King said that the Baptists IN
this country largely had close COM
munion-that is, none outside of the
denomination are allowed to partake
of the sacrament of the Lords supper
|, In England, he said, the Baptists were
changing to open communion, and the
| American Baptists were being affected
by the movement there.
It am sure in my mind" said DR.
King, that the great God has had a
purpose with the Baptist denomina-
ton. And I think it has been to lay
special stress on the value of the sac
rament of baptism. It needs to be
emphasized in this day when some peo-
pie are trying to minimize it's impor-
tance. Gen. Booth of the Salvation
i, Army is reported to have said that
. baptism was not essential to the well
/ fare of the church. DIR. King also re.
l ferred to the beginning of the mis-
sionary movement through William
Carey. a Baptist.