The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-22
BAPTISTS WITHOUT BAPTISM.
ROCkEFELLERS PASTOR Pro-
POSES TO LET down THE BARS.
says The! do II In England and lie Thinks
II Would work Well IIcre-Paper Read
by Him In Boston Stirs Up the Demons.
natiOn-Talks With Other Pastors.

The Rev. DR.. r. p. Johnston. pastor of
the Rockefellers, father and son, has set
Baptist ministers of this city to talking
vigorously by his utterances in paper
read before the Baptist Church Congress,
just held in Boston. Before he departed
for Boston he called together a number
Of New York ministers and read to them
parts Of his paper. Some advised him 10
make public his views, while Others derlored
the step.
What he said was that baptism is net
essential to church membership. The prac-
tee of taking people into churches without
bapt'z Eng them il common among Bap-
tists in England. and the pastor Of the
Fifth Avenue Church in this city thinks
the practice should become general here.
Part of what the Rev. DR.. Johnston said
follows;
Could there he a church without baptism?
Ones arswsr must depend upon ones view
Of the efficacy Of baptism ! assume that
baptism is an oppression of oonfcS-ion merely.
an act OF obedience only, and that IL is es-
scntiil neither to salvation nor 10 the highest
type Of Christian character To make bap-
tism essential 20 church cu!bershiD l. to
perpetuate it, cleavage in the body Of Christ
along the line of ceremony merely. II would
compel us. for the sake of ceremonial OBJ
scryance. to disregard the fundamental
Individual free dom of scriptural interpreta-
The policy Of receiving members without
hapti2np The m has been followed by many
English Baptist churches adoption hero
would not mean IN" discoitlruaac Of hap-
tism. nor the disappearance OF immersion
Speaking of these expressions yester-
day, the Rcr. Charles +. Nash Of the North
Baptist Church. Manhattan, said they
were totally contrary To views generally
t-tl ID, ,.,., 'ha 4
Norehouso, secretary OF tho American
Baptist Home Mssion Society, said tho
Rev. DR.. Johnston = logic was led, and that
his practice, if adopted. would he worse.
The Rev Dr.. Johnston arrived home
from Boston We steidnv ard when seen con-
Ger ming the matter Gf rmcd the correctness
OF the Quotation. He sad
Il believe in receiving members into a
Baptist church whether they are or are not
Larti2od, if they lave the spiritual and
ital qualification. | do not mean that I
believe in baptism other thnn inmers ion,
and that would with to receive persons no
had been baptized by sprinklng. ! am
not bringing IN new Baptist usage The
idea IL not new. but is merely novel in
America
Il do not think il will set Baptists into n
controversy, either IN my own church or in
the Baptist body AZ large. do not know
what will be the opinion Of my own church
The" may be some who will take exception
to m views. but | anticipate no trouble
am not engaged in a attempt to force my
views upon Paptists generally and am no,
| surprise that SOM antagonism is eX-
| pressed
One Of the baptist ministers who was called
| in conference before the paper was read in
Boston said yeste' day that the Fifth
| Avenue Church pastor expected to stir up
| talk. The Rev. DR.. X. s. Macarthur OF
| Calvary Church said:
THE position taken by DR.. Johnston does
not oppose more Baptist practice than It
| opposes the practice of oil Christian bodies
II Is a practice followed by some Baptist
| churches in England, but il is in my judg-
| ment not likely to become common in Baptist
churches in America Indeed it Is OF doubt
| full value in England where some Baptist
pastors doubt its practical working