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Show Baptism Reviewed and Analyzed; TT f E ARE told that "error Is harm-Yy harm-Yy less where truth is "free lo"com-bat lo"com-bat It." If error was always measured meas-ured from the effects produced, thi3 aphorism is not true. In last week's issue trie utterances of a Rev. Dr. S. MacArthur were .quoted on baptism, where he not only openly assailed the oldest Christian ordinance, but blasphemously blas-phemously referred to God, making His justice synonymous with the worst tyranny. The preacher's utterances, so repellant to Christian thought and sentiment, sen-timent, were applauded by his hearers. They were spread before the whole American people on the following day as a novel and sensational doctrine from a Christian pulpit. "Baptism." he declared, "never saved a human soul." He gave no reason for this broad, sweeping and positive assertion. asser-tion. He simply sought for applause and notoriety, and, like Ingersoll, he received both. Some Protestant ministers, min-isters, equally trustworthy, more learned learn-ed and conscientious, differed from him. Others, who might be inclined to leave it an open question, would shrink from calling "God a tyrant and a monster and a demon." In questioning infant baptism, Rev. MacArthur repudiates the da-trine of man's original fall, which has been universally believed and was taught by the synagogue. With the effects ,of the fall, or Adam's disobedience, all children are born. "For behold I was conceived in Iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 6, v. 7). With God, mankind is a unit, and considered In the father, from whom He wishes all to go forth. The original evil has been hurtful to man's posterity. Adam lost for himself him-self and all his posterity the justice and holiness bestowed on him when created. The stain left on his soul, because be-cause of disobedience, has been transmitted trans-mitted to all mankind. This includes death, bodily infirmities, also original sin, which is the death of the soul. The teaching of the Psalmist is confirmed con-firmed by that of St. Paul: "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned." (Rom. v. 12.) Adam was the "one man" from whom all contracted original sin. Anticipating any objections objec-tions that may arise in the mind regarding re-garding any apparent unreasonableness unreasonable-ness of extending the father's culpability culpa-bility to the child, St. Paul tells how God's mercy made provision: "For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of one many shall be made just." (v, 19.) What Paul taught the Romans he also preached to the Corinthians: Cor-inthians: "And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." (I Cor., xv. 22). 1 This belief, that Adam's transgression transgres-sion descended to all his children, was the faith of the Jews and patriarchs, as evidenced by the testimony of holy Job. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, had some such faith when he came by night to Jesus and professed his faith in the Son of God. His profession of faith, "Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God," brought forth this significant reply from the Savior: "Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John iii. 2.) Nicodemus, Nico-demus, hearing this strange language, and taking the words of Christ in their plain, natural sense, expressed his wonder: "How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born again?", (v, 4). Christ, perceiving Nicodemus' honesty and sincerity, corrects the mistake he made through taking his words in their literal lit-eral sense. To "be b orn again" meant a spiritual birth. Hence the answer, "Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless one (nisi quis) be born of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is -flesh; and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit." (v, 5, 6). There is no limit. The Latin words nisi quis are universal in their application. The primary end of baptism is to re- j store humanity to its lost inheritance. For the same reason that manhood and old age need baptism, so does the baby born. Children fall under the universal univer-sal sentence uttered against every child of Adam. All have inherited original sin. To remit this sin Christ instituted the sacrament of . baptism, which is general in its application. The objection to infant baptism dates back to apostolic times, which shows that the doctrine was taught from the beginning of the Christian era. It was denied by Hermias, a native na-tive of Galatia, and his followers, who flourished in the second century. It was taught by Manes, who died in 277 and who was the founder of Mani-chaeanism. Mani-chaeanism. Pelagius ,an Englishman, "u irum wnom Pelagianism sprung, taught that Adam's sin affected himself him-self personally and did not extend to his posterity; also that new-born infants in-fants are in the same condition that Adam was before the fall. St. Augustine's Augus-tine's answer to all who denied baptism, bap-tism, though plain and simple, is yet applicable. Contending with the Man!- J chaeans, he said to them: "You who believe of the Gospel what you please and reject what you please, rather believe be-lieve yourself than the Gospel." These words of St. Augustine are applicable at all times, and to all people. The sacred scripture, without a supreme or infallible court to determine their meaning, are quoted in favor of all the novel, and not infrequently absurd doctrines that have been taught during dur-ing the past twenty centuries. |