The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-06-05

NO one, VINO has not travelled IN
that country all day, through the
hot sun, can fully realize the luxury
OF a plunge in living water, and no
one under such circumstances would
ever hope to get religion or any other
pleasant sensation until he had been
baptized. Thus we must not be sur
prised If the Mosaic law was almost
cruelty severe in regard to cleanliness.
A leper, before he could be ~cleansed,
must wash his clothes and battle his
flesh with water. II a man touched a
leper or went into a leprous house, he
must wash his clothes and battle his
flesh with water. There was a great
laver of water always ready, where
the priests were to wash, on pain Of
death, just before going into the
tabernacle or temple to minister be-
fore the Lord. Before a man could
hope to be relieved of u~ncleanliness
either of body or soul, he had to be
Thoroughly washed with water.
Hence we have the ancient idea that
cleanliness is a part of godliness.
Isaiah gives a beautiful formula
for a Christian regeneration, where he
says: Wash you, make you clean;
put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
learn to do well; seek judgment; re-
lieve the oppressed; judge the father.
less; plead for the widow. Come now
let us reason together saith the Lord;
though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow; and though
they be red like crimson, they shall
be as WOOL"
When John the Baptist began to
prepare the way for the new dispen-
sation, the first thing he did was to
take the people down to the Jordan,
where there was much water" and
baptize or wash them. We do not sup
pose that John did all the work him
self; no doubt his disciples helped
him. We read that: Jesus made and
baptized more disciples than John;
howbeit Jesus himself baptized not,
but his disciples"
The Jordan, generally is quite mar
row, but where John baptized it
widens out greatly and gives room for
hundreds to wash at once. AS In the
ancient publication the nan must
wash his clothes and flesh also, so the
people went in with their clothes on
and washed both at once. There is a
spacious lawn there where they could
stand and soon the hot sun would dry
their scanty apparel. 1t may look a
little ridiculous to think of Johns
baptizing a whole congregation with
their clothes on, but you must remem-
Der the people were not up to our
fashions in those days. John himself
wore only a sheep skin girdle about
his loins and many others wore only
gunny-sacks for clothing. The women
were clad in loose gowns of blue
denim and were bare-headed and bare
footed. Of course John would not have
undertaken to baptize a modern
church-woman with all her feathers,
1ounces and folderalls. Johns baptism
was unto repentance. The people were
to clean up, leave off their evil habits
and lead a Clearly and respectable life.
AS the angels feet got dirty and
had to be washed by Abraham, so was
Jesus in need of baptism after his re-
turn from Nazareth. AS the high
| priest had to battle himself before he
entered into the presence of God so
Jesus had to be baptized before he
was ready for the descent of the Holy
Ghost upon MIN. This is all there is
or ever was intended to be of baptism.
It is the fulfllment of the righteous
law of cleanliness.
Many of the pagan religions require
baptism as an initiatory rite. The
Mohammedans always wash before
prayers, and in the desert where water
is not to be had they must wash in
sand.
When Jesus told his disciples:
go we therefore and teach all nations
| baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and Of the
Holy Ghost, He meant that they
should go among the degraded people,
and baptiZe or wash them, and teach
them the law of cleanliness; that they
might live to the glory of God and
not for the glory of any pagan deity.
But this kind of baptism is too
much like work for a modern preacher.
Some churches will take a man who
has not bathed himself for six months
and sprinkle a little water on him and
then get him h~ypnotIzed with some
kind of a dancing dervish excitement
until he will shout himself haorse and
kick over half the benches in the
house. The Quaker will denounce out
ward baptism altogether, but take the
man and run him through their sanctif-
cation machine and then send him off
down the street proclaiming his holi-
ness so loud that the old pharasee
that was praying to be seen of men
will sneak off home and not show his
head again.
The present means of administering
the sacrament or Lords supper is an
other example of the efforts Of those
who deal in holy things trying to es-
| pana nvarv apnaaroDaa of mammal
labor. The Lords Supper grew out of
the Jewish Passover which Jesus com
memorated as his last meal with his
disciples, or it grew out of the custom
of the disciples taking their meals to-
gether when they had all things com
mon. In either case they ate a full
meal. Not until the preachers adopt
ed the idea that they should not work
was the custom started of only TAX
ing a pinch Of bread and a few drops
of wine.
Tuetullian, about 200 A. D., said:
you accuse our humble feast as *
t%ravagant and wicked. Our feast is a
modest supper, it explains itself by
its name. The Greeks call 1t Love"
Whatever it costs, the outlay is gain,
since with the good things Of the feast
we succor the needy. AS much is eaten
as satisfies the cravings of hunger, as
much is drunk as BELTS those who re-
member that during the night they
will be occupied in worshipping God"
The early church never thought of
any thing else in connection with the
Lords Supper but a full meal where
the poor would fare as we'll as the
| rich, and what was left of the feast