Show ONE BAPTISM A dor correspondent respOndent from bonneterre mo writing to the news states that he accepts the doctrines of the latter day saints in some particulars and j I 1 tas asks for further information regarding for the remission of sins it appears to him he be says saya that the new nen mentions three separate and baptisms and that not wate but the blood of the new covenant is given tor for the purpose ot of the me remission of sins the subject ifa jone upon which the new testament is wy very clear and the confusion regarding the am baptismal rite existing in the orad Is all the more strange it Is ie true enough that the word bap item alm la is used in the scriptures in more than hiie one sense we read of baptism in inthe the holy ghost and in fire and our I hotd refers to his sufferings on cal ayas ryas A SS yas a a baptism but the primary gift of the term is the immersion tw in wa water caterin terin in accordance with the com given to the church by its dl di dunder i that is the sense in which tich the word is employed most frequently ly and in that sense there is do atae the author of the letter to the declares only one baptism as W there Is one faith one lord ane one hope of tite the signification of this ordinance 4 1 1 hie scriptures speak with no uncertain it is for the remission ot of abbt 1 acts fi 38 wash away thy juhel itene acte facts 22 16 we are baptized inow our lord gal 8 3 27 into hit deoh catli his grave rom 6 3 4 col st 2 12 raised with him col 2 13 with christ gal 3 27 it ii to As eving by the answer of a good 4 Omee tence 1 I pet let 8 3 21 the church and cleansed by tile the lavez af 4 the water atee eph 5 26 the th e fun mental idea in all these expressions fg th that the act of baptism is the dl di lorte aft between the old and the 6 abit W lift lit itt the exper experience lence of f the be giong and aal repentant sinner it is individual what the passage thoth th fth the tied red sea was to ancient ither after the liberation from slav fryu rys 1 I it cannot be better express 11 than bythe by th words of inspired authors I 1 that tt it Is for the remission ot of sins aim since if ft rightly performed and accept ed til b falb the ordinance is the 9 seal eal W od upon the aie act of justification b by alch hit past sins are forgiven and enabled to lead an j I 1 new life in accordance with the divine will lately there has been a tendency to study the ordinances of the new testament in connection with those of previous dispensations it is clear that one of the functions of circumcision for instance was to be a seal on the cov anant made with the progenitor of the hebrews in analogy with this it appears clearly that the almighty in baptism has instituted an ordinance in which spiritual blessings are given to men and women not to be obtained in any other way in the language of st bernard A ring Is given for the rings sake and there is no significance it is given to invest an heir in some inheritance and it is a sign the recipient can in that case say the rang rag avails nothing but yet it Is the inheritance which I 1 sought in this manner the lord drawing near his passion took means so to invest his people in his grace that the invisible grace might be granted by some visible sign this view seems to be well supported by the scriptures it accounts for th immeasurable importance of obed obedience lence to the word of the lord in regard to baptism both as applied to the living and the dead and it shows why in the nature of things the ordinance unless bA administered ministered by one having divine authority tho rity and in the manner prescribed must be regarded as aa an empty ceremony a worthless imitation |