Show AND CHRISTIAN you kindly give me some light on the question of baptism as an ordinance of 1110 church commanded by christ I 1 am lot a greek or hebrew scholar and am unwe vile to translate the original does docs the yord word authorizing the ordinance mean to lip 4 or plunge and was this the apostolic awe ode F G T thayere Tn Th ayers greek english lexicon of the TO new testament the latest an authority 1119 rity thus defines it christl Th hristian jD in baptism according to the view of the Apostles 18 a rite ot of sacred immersion commanded by christ etc so smiths kaths bible bib dictionary 11 article baptism stanley christian ansti 9 11 p 32 02 says the practice qi of immersion though peculiarly sutta sulta ble ie to the southern and eastern countries nes lor for which it was designed was lot found seasonable in the countries of bithe the north horth and west Bythe by the general ent of christian liberty this re change was effected lu speaking king severally generally rally the christian chiv aued d word leve has decided against it it V IL striking example of 0 the triumph ol of common sense and convenience over bondage ot of form and custom the foregoing is taken from the agan union it affords a striking illustration of the tendency af t what Is called christian civili civilization civilisation Alion and the latitude of that dhigh which is boasted of as christian liberty it Is clearly opposed to a commandment of christ that is so called christianity is antipodal to christ if baptism is a rite of sacred immersion commanded by christ 11 1 1 then the institution of sprinkling established and authorized by modern christendom is not baptism and is anti christian this christian liberty then Is lic license enbe a substitution of a human ordinance for a sacred rite the excuse offered tor for this radical departure from a divine institution is that it ic was designed for the southern and eastern countries to which it was peculiarly suitable and that it was not found seasonable for the north and west what a paltry plea is this for changing a sacred ordinance why is not immersion in water suitable for the countries which have adopted sprinkling in lieu of baptism do not the people in those countries ever bathe the whole body will any truthful person pretend that in southern europe where the church first cast aside christs sacred rite and introduced a priestly form in its place it was ton cold to baptize repentant believers or WK will auy any rational person claim that it itis is too cold in any part of the inhabited world for people who live there to be immersed in water in the name of the trinity experience ha has demon strat eif to the contrary men and women have been baptized accordion according to christa Cn rista command from iceland to the equator from Green lands I 1 icy cy mountains to indias andias coral strand 29 and no ill effects from it were ever known but bat is it not a fact that the introduction odthe of the heresy of infant baptism was the per cursor and primal cause of the further heresy of sprinkling in lieu of baptism bubmer submerging g ing babies publicly in water won would id natural naturally y become objectionable to parents and lead to a more convenient aud and less obnoxious iii method ethod one oae change would suggest another A departure inthis in this respect would pave the a further stride away irom the gospel path the christian liberty taken in administering an ordinance which required faith and repentance to an infant in capable of believing and having nothing to repent of would open the way to SUR still greater christian liberty in the substitution of the application of a little water for baptism therein so sure it is that one false step will ever ver lead to more but whatever we aty think on this point it is evident that the author of tile the christian religion intended the baptism which tie ne enjoined lor for all nations he that commanded it said go ye therefore and teach all nations daimi baptizing them in ia the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost teaching them to observe all ail things whatsoever I 1 have commanded you it if it be ar aued that too toe apostles only went to the countries of the souta and east bast the answer will oe be those suc and went to other countries were only authorized to observe the things which were commanded of the apostles they had bad no authority to introduce another ordinance lince or for that whick christ directed and for which he set we ibe pattern himself when baptized by john in jordan it will be said that it is a trivial matter as to the quantity of water used or the manner of administering it but that is only a flippant manner of evading a disagreeable disagree aole aule toe the almighty does not consider any of his commandments trivial see that thou doest all things as I 1 showed thee gheem in the mo mount ant was his injunction to moses and jesus declared choso whoso brea keth the least of tyese tuese my commandments and shall teach men so 80 the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven it might be as well argued that the burial of a man is performed by sprinkling sp g a handful of dust upon the body anti and that an objection to this is trivial as to say baptism is id effected by sprinkling and objection to that is trivial christian liberty has entirely eo changed the form method purpose and effect of christian baptism it was ordained tor for penitent believers he that believeth beli eveth and is baptized shall be saved 11 II if thou beli evest with all thine heart thou 11 it was a burial and a birth paul said to the romans therefore we are burled buried with him by baptism into death jesus said to nicodemus except a man be born of water and ot of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of god when philip baptized the eunuch they went down aown both into the water both philip and the eunuch and he baptized him it was lor for the remission of sins john did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins I 1 peter said on the day 0 pentecost repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ lor for the remission of sins the so called christian civilized world have put in the of this sacred rite commanded by christ cpr sprinkling enkling of infants without faith without repentance without a burla with christ without a new birth and without remission of sins but simply for a form to give them a name and as an outward sign of an assumed inward grace that is wholly imaginary and utterly unwarranted by any divine intimation Is not this Il astrik a striking ing example 11 not of common sense 11 but of priestly assum assumption eption and impiety which put mans convenience higher than christs command commandments mentes and ana a form and custom of human ance above a sacred ordinance instituted for or every creature who hears and believes the gospel it lit is this liberty taken with the laws and ordinances ot of the almighty which has brought christendom to its present condition of strife uncertainty sectarianism and decay without divine authority spurning present revelation by which only it can possibly be restored it is subject to the whims and notions of those wh 4 teach with the enticing words of mans wisdom they have transgressed the laws changed the ordinance broken the everia stine covenant and therefore spiritual darkness has come upon them and until they repent and are baptized with the baptism of christ for the remission of sins their christian liberty will be the bondage of sn sin and error and they cannot come to the knowledge and power of the truth |