Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-01-29


they cite IN support of immersion for
the remission Of sins belonged 20 the
Jews, and none of It to Gentiles. The
Jews were exhorted 10y John the Bap-
tist and others to renOunce sin, to
return to harmony with Moses Law,
and to show this change of character
by water immersion. But those Epbe-
slams who believed I'm Christ ard
whom Apollos baptized for the remis-
sion of sins did not receive the holy
Spirit. ST. Paul explained TO them
that their baptism was an improper
one-that they as Gentiles required
an immersion into Christ (Acts xix,
II; Romans vi, 81.
Baptist Union Not Federation.
AS week ago we suggested to
Presbyterians, Congregationalists and
Methodists union of heart and head
as better than federation, so now we
suggest TO the denominations whose
doctrines we are considering today.
What we shall suggest respecting bap-
tism will apply to all Christians.
All Christians agree that Jesus and
his apostles taught baptism and that
there are but zone Lord, one faith and
one baptism" (Epheslans iv, 81. We can
not here elaborate, but merely suggest
that nowhere In the Scriptures is In
fant baptism commanded or urged The
expression, Believe and be baptized"
implies a mental development capable
Of belief beyond that which infants
possess. The original pretext for in
Producing infant baptism was set forth
! by st. Augustine, who urged that as
all mankind were going to eternal tor
ture except the Church, II was neces-
sary to get infants into the Church,
and baptism was set forth as the
doorway. All parents, Of course, were
anxious that their children should be
immersed into the Church and saved
from eternal torture. And those good
wishes were certainly commendable,
even If unnecessary.
Subsequently immersion was declar
| ed to be unnecessary and sprinkling
became its substitute with ALL The
| thought Of preservation from eternal
torment thereafter attached to the
sprinkling. Although our minds have
| broadened so that comparatively few
| believe st. Augustines presentation,
nevertheless the custom of infant
sprlnkllng continues with more or less
of fear to abandon it for the child's
sake.
Who will dispute that st. Paul's
words Of Romans vi, 3-5, are the clear
est presentation of the import of bap-
! tism furnished us in the Bible! The
passage is cited in proof Of every the
ory of baptism, yet it supports only
One-the true one. Notice that it does
not say, as many suppose, So many of
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into toater. 1t does say,
$50 many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his
DEATH" Is there not dlfference2
That difference is the explanation OF
all of our difficulty on this subject.
The clearing of it away furnishes the
foundation for harmony between all;
and not merely for harmony, but for
union amongst all classes Of consecrat-
ed Christians.
Consider the passage critically.
First, immersion into Christ signifies
to the justified believer his immersion
into, his burial into, the Body of
! Christ as a member of "the Church
which is his Body (Ephesians /, %,
23) The Apostle sets forth clearly n |
distinction between the Church and
the world and between the salvation 1
of the Church and the salvation of the !
world. The Church are "the elect
81 oh nd
II faithful, they will he members Of |
the glorious Church beyond the veil. |
II, as the Bride of Christ, will be his |
companion and Queen during the Mil
lenniaI reign of glory for the blessing |
of the world-for the blessing of the |
non-elect, considered last Sunday.
st. Paul not only tells us Of our
need TO be thus immersed into mem
bership in the Body of Christ, but he
proceeds to tell us hOiD that member
ship can be brought about The
words, Baptism into his death" ex-
plain the matter. How strange that
we ever thought these words signihed
water immersion! Our eyes are now
openedl Plainly, now, we see that
Into his death" signifies our partlcl-
patton with our Lord Jesus in suf-
ferlng for righteousness, in self-de-
malls, self-sacrlfcings of the same
character as those endured by the
Master. 1t is true indeed that the
whole world suffers pain, sorrow, dis
appointment, etc; yet our Lord suf-
fered differently from all others, and
our dying must correspond to his. He
suffered, the Just for the unjust. The
holy. harmless, undehled One laid
down his life sacrifeially, voluntarily,
joyfully. And we. to share In his
death, to be baptized into his DEATH"
must do the same.
True, Jesus was spotless, while we
are members of the fallen race. But