The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-05-20

John Calvin: "The word baptize
signifies to immerse."
Martin Luther Baptism is a
Greek word and may be translated
immerse. l would have those who are
to be baptized to be altogether dipped"
John Wesley: Buried with him by
baptism-alluding to the ancient man
ner of baptizing by immersion"
Brenner (Catholic): For 1900 years
was baptism an immersion of the per-
son under water"
Encyclopedia Americana: Baptism,
that is dipping or immersion"
Smiths Bible Dictionary: Baptism
means Immersion
Philip Schaff, Presbyterian church
historian, says Immersion and not
sprinkling was unquestionably the Or
iginal form of baptism"
Barnabas, who lived 95 A. d., said:
1--WE go down into the water full Of
pollution, but come up again bearing
forth fruit"
The Greek church, which numbers
S5, 900, 300 communicates, practices i'm
mersion. From the Edinburg En-
cyclopedia, in an article on baptism, we
learn that Pope Stephen ii, in 1853, gave
permission for his followers to sprinkle
instead of immerse in cases Of neces-
sity. 1t was not till the year 1911
that the legislature in council held
at Ravenna declared immersion or
sprinkling to be Indifferent. Note that
this permission was granted by the
Pope of Rome and not by Jesus. The
church Of the New Testament immers-
ed. If we want to restore that church
today and strip it from all the false
accretions of the ages we must go
back to the authority Of Jesus Christ
and the practices Of his apostles. Go
back to the beginning and see how
things were then. We need more and
more to study that wonderful book the
Acts of the Apostles which tells us of
the early church, the church Of the liv-
ing God.
What is baptism for? What it's de-
sign? Here too let the voice of scrip
ture speak. 1t Is a test of ones love
to Christ. He says: III ye love me
keep my commandments" This is one
Of his commandments. 1t is introduc-
tory; it brings us into the new rela-
tionship with the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
II is for the remission of sins. Jesus
says: "He that believeth and is bap-
tized shall be saved" Peter said:
Repent and be baptized for the remis-
sion Of sins" Ananias said to Saul:
arise and be baptized and wash away
your sins" Peter says: "The like
figure whereunto even baptism doth al
so now save u.s."
There is no virtue in the water
Baptism is simply condition upon
which the blessing OF pardon is given
1t is the divinely appointed place where
God meets the sinner prepared by
faith and repentance, and forgives his
sins; but the blood of Christ is the
ground for pardon. The believing
penitent is baptized by the authority
of Christ in water unto the remission
of sins and into Christ's body, the
church. He thus comes into new re-
lation with the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, and into the enjoyment of the
fulness of spiritual blessings.
1t is symbolical. This beautiful in
stitution of imitation symbolizes the
great gospel facts, viz: the death
burial and resurrection of Christ. We
are said to be born again. born of the
water and the Spirit. The Christian
is called a new creature; so baptism
represents birth and consequently
also symbolizes that spiritual fact,
Having taken these necessary steps
to salvation we become new creatures
receive the gift Of the Holy Spirit, be,
come children of God, heirs of his ant
joint heirs with Jesus the Christ
Then we must observe all things, what
soever he has commanded, and u
faithful unto death win receive thu
crown OF life.