6F PRINC^ C^^OGICAL StV^^^' ^ BV 811 .F35 Fairchild, Ashel Green, 1795-1864 scripture baptism SCRIPTUEE BAPTISM, MODE AND SUBJECTS BY ASHBEL G. FAIRCHILD, D. D., AUTHOR OF THE *' GREAT SUPPER/ PHILADELPHIA: PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, NO. 821 CHESTNUT STREET. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by JAMES DUNLAP, Treas., in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. CONTENTS. PART I. ON THE MODE OF BAPTISM. CHAPTER I. PAGE Our Position Defined — Offensive Position of the Baptists — The Question Stated — Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire — Immersion in AVind — " Baptized into one Body" — The Baptism before Dinner — Baptism of Table-couches — Christ's Bloody Baptism — Overwhelm — " Divers Washings" — Noah in the Ark — Baptism in the Cloud and Sea 9 CHAPTER H. Evasion of Immersionists — Judith baptized at a Fountain — The Greek Fathers — Kataduo, to PLUNGE — Authority of the Pagan Classics — Greek of the N. T. a peculiar idiom — Technical religious terms — Bapto — The Lexicons — Ancient versions — Tingo 28 CHAPTER HI. Baptism at rivers — John at Jordan and ^non — "Much water" — ''In Jordan" — John's baptism superseded — Jesus baptized by John — " Out of the water " — Pictorial representations — Why Jesus was baptized 48 (3) CONTENTS. • CHAPTER IV. PAGK Inconsistency of Immersionists — Baptism of the three thousand — Curious experiment — The facili- ties for dipping — Change of clothing — Baptism of the eunuch — " Into the water" — " Out of the water" — The eunuch not immersed . CHAPTER y. Baptism of Saul of Tarsus — Anastas — Washing away sins — Baptism of Cornelius — Peter's idea of baptism — Baptism of the jailer — Symbolical import of baptism — " Buried by baptism" — *' One baptism" — Allusions in Scripture to affu- sion — Sprinkling is cleansing — Peter's inkling for water — Opinions of men . . . .84 CHAPTER YI. History of Immersion — Its origin— Dipping of per sons naked — Immersion and Baptism different rites — Existing traces of the distinction among the Armenians, Greeks, and Abyssinians . . 105 PART II. ON THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. CHAPTER I. History of Infant Baptism — The Greeks, Arme- nians, Nestorians, Syrians, Abyssinians, Wal- denscs — The Petrobrussians — The Pelagian con- troversy — Council of Carthage — 'i'estimony of Origeu, TertuUian, Irenajus . . . .119 CONTENTS. 5 CHAPTER II. PAGE Family Baptisms — Apostolic Rule of Baptism — Family of Cornelius, of Lydia, of the jailer — Model Missionary Report — Baptisms at Corinth — Family of Stephanas — Oikos and Oiha — Christ and the Sadducees 140 CHAPTER III. Christ's instructions to his disciples — Infants brought to Christ — •■' Of such, toiouton, the kingdom of heaven" — The command to baptize — Matheteuo — Peter's understanding of the commission — « The promise" 162 CHAPTER IV. Sameness of the Jewish and Christian Churches — No new organization by the apostles — The first Christian Church unbaptized — The olive tree — Testimony of facts — An unjust imputation — Nature of Infant Membership — Import of Cir- cumcision 180 CHAPTER Y. A Direct Warrant Needless — Female Communion — Objections Answered — Baptism not Inappli- cable to Infants — Infant Communion — Advan- tages of Infant Baptism 196 1* PART I. ON THE MODE OF BAPTISM. SCRIPTURE BAPTISM. CHAPTER I. Our Position Defined — Offensive Position of the Baptists — The Question Stated — Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire — Immersion in Wind — " Baptized into one Body" — The Baptism before Dinner — Bap- tism of Table-couches — Christ's Bloody Baptism — Overwhelm — " Divers Washings" — Noah in the Ark — Baptism in the Cloud and Sea. It is well known that there is some di- versity of opinion and practice in regard to the mode of christian baptism. The far greater part of evangelical christians, amount- ing to more than nine-tenths of the whole, content themselves with a simple application of water by pouring or sprinkling, as the most scriptural and significant mode. On the other hand, a large and respectable divi- sion of the Protestant church insist upon a dipping of the whole body, as essential to the validity of the ordinance. Another smaller division as warmly contend that the baptism is not valid, unless the dipping is thrice repeated. (9) 10 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. OUR POSITION DEFINED. For ourselves, we regard the mode of bap- tism as a matter of small importance in itself. Neither the quantity of water nor the act of baptism can influence the state of our hearts, or determine our condition in the sight of God. Very little injury, therefore, would result from the diversity of practice existing, provided that none would lay par- ticular stress upon their own peculiar mode. The same remark is applicable to the cele^ bration of the sacramental supper. We be- lieve, indeed, that the participation of a small portion of the elements of bread and wine, at any convenient hour of the day, if done in the exercise of faith and love, is a sufficient compliance with the Saviour's dying command. Yet if some christian de- nomination should think it their duty to as- semble after night, and make use of a larger quantity of the bread and wine, in remem- brance of Christ, than is customary with others, their error might be regarded as com- paratively harmless, so long as they attached no importance to it. If, however, they should begin to make their little peculiarity the "principal and favourite theme of public and private discussion — claim to be the only people on earth who yield obedience to Christ's dying injunction — hold up to ridi- cule the idea that a crumb of bread and a taste of wine, taken at noon day, should be OFFENSIVE POSITION OF THE BAPTISTS. 11 deemed a supper; and proceed to denounce all others as guilty of open disobedience to Christ, and therefore unworthy of the com- munion of saints — what would we say of such christians ? We would say that their error, though unimportant in itself^ had now become a most mischievous and dangerous one, against which every faithful watchman should sound the alarm. DECISION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL. In this view of the matter we are amply sustained by a declaration of Paul, uttered on a very similar occasion. Circumcision, under the gospel dispensation, he deemed a matter of no consequence whatever, in itself considered. "Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." Yet when the Galatians, led astray by false teachers, attached great importance to that rite, as essential to their acceptance with God, the apostle denounced and opposed the error as a delusive and dangerous one. He even declared, that if any of them should be circumcised, holding such views, "Christ should profit them nothing." Gal. v. 2. OFFENSIVE POSITION OF THE BAPTISTS. Let us now apply the foregoing illustra- tions. Our Baptist brethren deem it their 12 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. duty to be baptized by immersion. If they would be content to follow their own con- victions of duty, leaving to others the un- disturbed enjoyment of theirs, little if any harm would be done. Unfortunately, they are not disposed to pursue a course so emi- nently charitable and peaceful. They lay very great stress on immersion, and seek every occasion to magnify its importance. Immersion is the most prominent topic in their public discourses, as it is the chief burden of their tracts, books, and news- paper publications. They appear to value themselves on having submitted to immer- sion, and publicly claim to be the only bap- tized christians in the land. At the same time they speak reproachfully of others, as living in a state of disobedience to Christ, attended with danger to their souls. They shut out from their communion all persons who, however sound in the faith, or eminent for piety, have not adopted their peculiar opinions ; accounting all such unworthy of the fellowship of christians. We rejoice to know that among them are very many truly excellent persons who, in several respects, are ornaments to the chris- tian profession ; but, alas ! a bad system has ensnared them. On the whole, taking the most charitable view which the case will admit, we cannot doubt that the position as- sumed by our Baptist brethren is attended with immense mischief. Among the many THE QUESTION STATED. 13 thousands who listen to their instructions, may there not be multitudes who receive the impression that immersibn is the great es- sential to salvation — the safest passport to heaven ? Are we not under a necessity to combat positions attended with so much mis- chief to the church, as well as danger to im- mortal souls ? THE QUESTIOIf STATED. Since then this discussion is forced upon us by our brethren, let us have the point in dispute fairly understood. The Baptists assert that the Lord Jesus has commanded immersion ; and that, consequently, all who have not been immersed are living in open disobedience to his authority. Here we join issue with these brethren and say, If Christ has really commanded us to be immersed — if the duty is so important that the neglect of it is attended with such serious conse- quences, then we ought to find the command very clearly and plainly expressed in the scriptures. And will they allege that this is the case? Can they point out a passage in which the duty of immersion is explicitly taught? I am certain that they cannot pro- duce one."^ * That the duty of immersion is not clearly taught in the scriptures seems to be indirectly admitted by a large body of the most zealous immersionists among us ; for they are expending tens of thousands of dollars in get- 14 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. **But," say our Baptist brethren, "the very word baptize signifies immerse^ and nothing else, so tha't the command to baptize is a command to immerse." I answer, if this be so, let it be clearly shown. Let these brethren, at least, prove that immerse is the primary meaning of the word in the scrip- tures ; and let them prove this, not by the opinions of men — not by the traditions of the elders, but by the Bible itself. This they will find it easy to do if truth be on their side. Happily for us, the meaning of the word baptize^ as used by the sacred writers, may be tested by any reader of the New Testament, whether learned or unlearned. THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND WITH FIKE. For example : let us take the words of John the Baptist, found in Matt. iii. 11. " I, indeed, baptize you with water unto repent- ance : but he [Christ] . . . shall baptize you ting up a new version of the Bible, with sucli alterations from the old as shall make it teach ]5aptist opinions clearly and explicitly. I'his is a very important conces- sion on their part. It proves that in their own judgment the duty of immersion is not clearly taught in our pre- sent scriptures ; for if it be already plain there, why wish to make alterations? The fact that two or three persons of other denomina- tions have been prevailed on by largo pecuniary induce- rients, to assist in mamifacturing a IJuptist Bible, is no alleviatioa of the case. WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE. 15 with the Holy Ghost and with fire." And let me ask, What did John mean by the term hajptize f Did he mean dip or plunge ? Did he intend to say, " He shall dip or plunge you into the Holy Ghost and into the fire ?" Common sense answers, No. Again, let me ask. How and when was this notable pro- phecy of the forerunner fulfilled ? Our Saviour referred to it just before the day of Pentecost, when about to ascend to heaven ; and commanded his disciples, "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly bap- tized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence." Acts i. 4, 5. Accordingly, at the Pentecostal feast a few days after, this promise of the Father was literally fulfilled. But how ? Were the apostles dipped or plunged into the Holy Ghost and into the fire? On the contrary, if we examine the account of the transaction in Acts ii, we shall find Peter declaring that therein was fulfilled the word of the Lord by the prophet Joel, saying, " I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh," verse 17. Again, speaking of the risen and exalted Saviour, he says, " He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear," verse 33. I ask further. How were the disciples baptized with fire ? Were they immersed in fire ? No, but cloven tongues, like as of fire, sat upon them, verse 3. 16 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. IMMERSION IN WIND. Some Baptist writers, with more fancy than judgment, have argued that the disci- ples were actually immersed on this occasion, and in what, pray ? Why, in wind 1 But look at the language of the record in Acts ii. 2. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty, rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." Here we perceive that there was no wind in the case, but only a sound ; and the sound was like that of a mighty, rushing wind, and the sound filled the house. Thus it appears that the argument of our brethren is nothing but sound. It is not even as substantial as wind. We may add that the apostle Peter, on a subsequent occasion, makes striking reference to this baptism of the Holy Ghost. He says, "As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost /HZ on them, as it di4 on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." Acts xi. 15, 16. Here, then, is an instance of a baptism without an immersion ; for according to the apostle Peter, the Spirit was poured out^ or fell rqjon the disciples. And it proves, be- yond a doubt, that the* word baptize, in the New Testament, does not signify immerse ; and, of course, the command to baptize is not a command to immerse. BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY. 17 The idea of immersion in the Holy Ghost is repugnant to all scriptural notions of the subject. The sacred writers everywhere speak of the Holy Spirit as j^oured out^ shed dozvn, or falling upon the subjects of his gracious influences. Thus, Paul speaks of the " washing of regeneration, and the re- newing of the Holy Ghost," as ^^ shed on us [we are not dipped therein] abundantly through Jesus Christ."^ We set out with a determination to try the assertions of our opponents, by a test available alike to all : namely, scripture usage. In pursuance of our design we now refer the reader to 1 Cor. xii. 13, where Paul, speaking of the union of believers with Christ, says, " By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." Does he mean to * Dr. Carson (p. 107) admits that the baptism " with the Holy Ghost and with fire" was " a real baptism." If so, then, there may be a real baptism without an im- mersion. The same author (p. 105) charges his Pedo- baptist opponents with attempting to represent, by sym- bols, the mode of the Spirit's operation. Now the facts of the case are these. The scriptures tell us that on the day of Pentecost the apostles were baptized, and that thai with which they were baptized was " poured out," " shed forth," " fell," and " sat upon" them. Hence Pedobap- tists fairly conclude that the baptism was not by immer- sion ; and they make no representations of the Spirit's operations except in the very words which that divine Spirit has dictated. 2* 18 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. say, " we are all dipped into one body ?" Far from it. His idea is, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, symbolized in water- baptism, the Corinthian believers had be- come united to Christ and to one another. The idea of immersion is excluded. To re- present the believing members of Christ as dipped into ids body, would be as absurd as to represent legs and arms as dipped into a human body. The same apostle says, " Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death ?" Rom. vi. 3. What will the Baptist Bible Union make of this passage, in their forth-coming version ? Will they render it, " So many of us as were immersed into Jesus Christ were immersed into his death */" If so, they will certainly violate common sense. And yet they can hardly avoid that alternative, for they say that bap- tize always means to immerse. But here our opponents will ask : " Do you then say that the word means to sprinkle^ and that it should be so translated in the above passages ?" I answer, No. We have never asserted, nor are we bound to prove, that the Greek word iiavrVsoi (k/^)/;/zo) specifically means to sprinkle. We believe it is correctly ren- dered baptize^ and that no other word would convey its precise meaning. The sole ques- tion before us is, Does the word baptize^ in scripture usage, signify immerse ? If it does BAPTISM PRACTISED BEFORE EATING. 19 not, then the command to baptize is not a command to immerse. Let this be borne in mind. THE BAPTISM PRACTISED BEFORE EATING. Let US now turn to Luke xi. 37,-38, where we are told that a certain Pharisee, who had invited Jesus to dine with him, " marvelled that he had not first luashed before dinner." Here the word washed is in the original Greek i^aTzriaeri {ebaptisthe)^ the First Aorist Passive of the verb paTrraoj {haptizo) TO bap- tize. So then the Pharisee is here said to marvel that Jesus had 7iot been baptized before dinner. But did he wonder that Jesus had not been immersed before dinner ? Yes, say the Baptists. They are compelled to resort to the extravagant assumption that the Phari- sees immersed themselves before meals, and that this custom was so prevalent in the time of our Saviour, that a person who did not c'omply with it excited wonder by his singu- larity ! They are obliged to suppose that every Jew in town and country, even amid the long and parching droughts of summer, had convenient pools or running streams near his dwelling, in which he and his family might dip themselves before eating! To such desperate extremes are they forced by their position, that Panri^^w {haptizo) always means to immerse. But what kind of washing was that prac- tised by the Pharisees before meals? and did 20 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. they dip themselves ? "What says the in- spired record ? Says the evangelist Mark, " For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders." Chap. vii. 3. This makes the matter plain. There was no immersion at all in the case, but simply a washing of the hands in compliance with tradition ; and that was done among the Jews by pouring water on them, and not by dip- ping the hands in water. See 2 Kings iii. 11. This wetting of the hands is styled, by the sacred writer, a hajotiziiig of the person. As the Saviour did not comply with the tra- dition, this gave occasion to the Pharisee to marvel that he had not first been bajitized be- fore dinner. It is plain, therefore, that a person is baptized in the scripture sense of the word, though the water has been applied to but a small part of his body."^ THE BAPTISM AFTER BEING AT THE MARKET. In Mark vii. 4, we have another example of the scripture use of the word /?a7rrr;« {hap- tizo). " And when they come from the market, except they wash they eat not." Here the word luash is in the original ffanriawwai {baptisontai), from the verb (ia^rri^oy [baptizo,) TO *" Rabbi Akiba, when in prison he had not water enoiigli to drink, ordered it to be poured on his liands, sayinjj^, It is better to die with thirst tlian transgress the truditious of the elders." — Fuole's Synopsis. THE BAPTISM OF TABLE- COUCHES. 21 BAPTIZE. Being found in the First Aorist Subjunctive Middle, tlie verb has a reflex signification, so that the strict grammatical meaning of the passage is, " except they have haptized themselves they eat not."^ We have already seen that this baptizing of themselves consisted in the v/ashing of the hands. There was probably a more par- ticular and thorough washing of the hauds, when they came from the market than on other occasions. THE BAPTISM OF TABLE-COUCHES. In the latter clause of the verse last quoted, we are informed that " many other things there be, which they (the Jews) have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, brazen vessels and tables." Here, again, the ■^ Mr. Alex, Campbell, in his version of the Xew Tes- tament, gives the following as a translation of Mark vii. 3, 4. " For the Pharisees, and indeed all the Jews who observed the tradition of the elders, eat not, except they have washed their hands by pouring a little water on them, and if they be come from the market, by dip- ping them." This, instead of being a translation, is a scandalous perversion of scripture. The phrase, " by pouring a little water on them," has not one syllalDle in the original Greek to correspond with it. Then the phrase, " they eat not," occurs twice in the Greek, but only once in this pretended translation. Again : the Greek words, lav iifj /JaTrnVwi/rat [ean me baptisontqi) , he renders, " by dippmg them,^' thus adding the words by and them, not found in the original, and ignoring the eX' istence of the Greek words £aj/ [ean] and i^n {me) I 22 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. original word translated ivasliing is (iairriffjioiy^ ihaptismous) BAPTISMS. The word rendered tables is it\ivai {hlinai\ which, as all admit, denotes the couches on which the Jews re- clined at their meals. The beds on which they slept, were indeed small and light, and easily carried about. But these table-couches' consisted of a large frame of wood covered with mats or cushions, made as high as their tables, and of sufficient size to admit three persons to recline on them at full length. Here, then, we have the ha2otism of tcible- couches^ and the question is, How was it per- formed ? As it was merely traditional, the mode of it cannot be determined by the Mosaic law. But can any one suppose that every Jew, in summer and winter, in con- formity to tradition, was obliged to take these heavy articles of furniture to a pool or river, quite distant from his dwelling, per- haps, and plunge them under water ? The idea is perfectly ridiculous. This baptizing of tables was done simply with a wet cloth or sponge filled with water ; and we see again that the word haptism^ as used by Mark, does not mean immersion. THE saviour's BLOODY BAPTISM. Alluding to his final sufferings, Christ said to his disciples, " I have a baptism to be baptized with ; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished." Luke xii. 50. See, THE saviour's BLOODY BAPTISM. 23 also, Matt. xx. 22, 23. The language here used applies with great force to his agony in the garden, when " his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood," as also to the dreadful wounds inflicted on him, by which his sacred body was all stained with blood. Here none but the wildest imagination can perceive anything like an immersion. I may add that all the early christian writers were accustomed to speak of the martyrs, as " baptized with their own blood." They certainly did not mean immersed in their own blood. Our Baptist friends, of course, try to make out an immersion in this case. They say that the word baptizCj as applied to the Sa- viour's sufferings, has the sense of overvjhelm. But the idea conveyed by that word is materially different from that of dipping. When a person is dipped, he is plunged downward upon and into some element ; but where he is overwhelmed, the element comes down over and upon him. Even the root wlielm is used in this sense by the old poet, Spenser. *' They, by commandment of Diana, there Her whelmed with stones." They did not plunge her into or among the stones, but threw the stones upon her. Still more definitely does the compound word over-whelm denote the descent of mat- ters u;pon an object from a higher station or 24 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. place. "When we speak of caravans in the desert as ovenvhelmed with shov/ers of sand, or of towns overwhelmed with the ashes of a volcano, we do not mean that the caravans are dipped in sand, or that the towns are plunged into the ashes. So far as we can see therefore, though Luke xii. 80 should be rendered, " I have an overwhelming to be overwhelmed with," it would not aid the cause of immersion. DIVEES BAPTISMS. In Heb. ix. 10, the sacred writer, speaking of the ceremonial law, says, " Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers wash- ings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them ■until the time of reformation." The word rendei'ed washings, is (iairrianois (haptismois) BAPTISMS. And here let me invite atten- tion to three things which help to illustrate the meaning of the word in this connection. 1. The inspired writer uses the word bap- tisms to express all the various personal purifications required by the Jewish law, among which there were many sprinklings. 2. In no instance did the law require a personal immersion. The utmost that was enjoined upon the unclean was, that he ivash^ or bathe his flesh in water. In every instance in which this injunction occurs, the term corresponding to tvash and bathe is vm " rahatz,''^ the generic Hebrew word for wash- NOAH SAVED BY WATER. 25 ing. Rahatz never has the specific sense of dipping, the word for that purpose being '?3a " tabaV It is also important to observe that the usual mode of bathing in Eastern countries is not by immersion, but by pour- ing or dashing water on the body, as all tra- vellers assure us."^ 3. The only examples of these " divers baptisms," adduced by the sacred writer, are sprinklings. " For," says he, " if the ' blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ," &c., verses 13, 14. See also verses 19, 21. So plain is it that, according to the writer of this Epistle, sprinkling is baptism. NOAH SAVED BY WATER. Our Baptist friends lay great stress on the salvation of Noah and his family by water. 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21. " Eight souls were saved ^ See Stephens's Travels, Lieut. Lynch's Expedition, Prime's Travels. See also Homer's Odyssey, Book X. The difficulty, if not impracticability, of immersion in most cases in which the law required bathing, will be obvious to any one who will examine the law of defilement by contact, found in Lev. xi. 31 — 46. During the greater part of the year, but few of the Jews could have ac- cess to '' running streams," of a size suitable for immer- sion. And if the unclean person should dip himself in any vessel, not only the water, but the vessel itself would be'defiled, and the latter must undergo a purification in water. 3 26 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. by water. The like figure whereiinto even baptism doth also now save us." The apos- tle's idea is this : as Noah was saved from destruction by the water which bore up the ark on its bosom, so now the thing signified by the water of baptism saves us from eternal perdition. But Noah was not immersed. He rode secure above the raging flood. He was also sheltered from the descending rains. "Where then do we find any example of im- mersion ? Nowhere, except in the destruc- tion of the unbelieving world, who were plunged beneath the waves. THE BAPTISM IN THE CLOUD AND IN THE SEA. We are told, in 1 Cor. x. 1, 2, that the Israelites " were all baptized unto Moses, in the cloud and in the sea." But how were they baptized ? By immersion ? Did Paul mean to say that they were dipped or plunged into the sea ? Assuredly not ; for Moses informs us that they " went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground." Pharaoh's ungodly host were indeed im- mersed with a vengeance; but they were not baptized. "And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh." Ex. xiv. 28. Some light is thrown upon the baptism of the Is- raelites by Asaph's sublime and beautiful description of the passage of the lied Sea : IN THE CLOUD AND IX THE SEA. 27 " The waters saw thee, God ; the waters saw thee ; they were afraid ; the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water." Ps. Ixxvii. 15 — 20. It seems then, that they were sprinkled or perfused with rain from the cloud, and with the spray of the sea foaming around them. How do our Baptist friends make out an immersion here ? Do they say that the Is- raelites were plunged into the sea ? No ; but they say that there was a wall of water on each side of them, and a cloud above, before, and behind them ; and tbus they were bap- tized without a drop touching them ! Are they not sensible of the absolute ridiculous- ness of the conceit ? Will they say that a man can be truly baptized by walking be- tween two hogsheads of water in a cloudy day ?^ I shall merely add, that admitting, as our opponents do, that this baptism was a type of christian baptism, they ought, by no means, to refuse that ordinance to little children, since the Israelites were " all bap- tized." infants as well as adults. * Dr. Carson, (p. 413,) speaking of Moses in the Red Sea, says, " Yes, and he got a dry dip. And could not a person literally covered with oil-cloth get a dry im- mersion in water?" I may add that w^eak and sickly persons might be submerged in a diving-bell, or in one of '• Francis's metallic life-cars," but would our brethren admit that to be valid baptism ? 28 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. CHAPTER II. Evasion of Immersionists — Judith baptized at a Foun- tain — The Greek Fathers — Kataduo, to plunge — Authority of the Pagan Classics — Greek of the N. T. a pecuhar idiom — Technical religious terms — Bapto — The Lexicons — Ancient versions — Tmgo. Our Baptist brethren, as we have already observed, insist that the word panrt^co (baptizo,) always means to dip or immerse. In the pre- vious chapter, we undertook to try their as- sertion by scripture and common sense, tests which are available alike to all. The mean- ing of words, which often occur in a book, may commonly be determined by the con- nection in which they stand. In this way we have made it apparent, from several ex- amples, that the word hcqdizo^ as used by the sacred writers, cannot have the sense of dip- ping. Particularly, we have shown 1. That the baptism with the Iloly Ghost and with fire, was not a dipping in the Holy Ghost and in the fire. 2. That the baptism practised by the Pharisees before meals, was not a dipping of themselves. USELESS EVASION OF IMMEKSIONISTS. 29 3. That the baptism of table- couches, was not a plunging of those articles under water. 4. That of the "divers washings" of the Mosaic law, styled, by the sacred writer, Z^o^)- tisms, not one required an immersion of the person, and the greater part of them were performed by sprmkling. 5. That the baptism of the Israelites in the Eed Sea, was not a dipping in the cloud and the sea. USELESS EVASION OF IMMERSIONISTS. Pressed with arguments like these, our Baptist brethren are compelled to shift their ground. They af&rm that the word paTrri^cj {baptizo\ in most of the instances referred to, is used figuratively, and therefore has not its customary meaning. Strange, indeed ! Wherever it suits their purpose, they will have it to mean dijp ; but where such a ren- dering would shock common sense, they de- cide that the word is used figuratively ! But even this subterfuge will not avail them, for in figurative expressions, words always retain their proper signification ; and if they do not, they possess no force or beauty. Thus, when we say, " The clouds pour out water," and " The sun sinks in the western wave," the idea of pouring, in the one case, and that of sinking, in the other, is brought distinctly before the mind. If, therefore, the word bap- tize^ as used by the sacred writers in figurative expressions, does not convey the idea of dip- 3* 30 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. ping, the natural inference is, that it has no such signification in any part of their writings. We always prefer to test the meaning of a scripture word, where it can be done, by scripture itself. This is undoubtedly the safest and surest method to arrive at the truth. Our Baptist friends, however, refer us to uninspired Greek authors, as umpires in this controversy. Let us see, then, whether these authors will sustain their position. JUDITH BAPTIZED AT A FOUNTAIN". The authors of the Apocrypha were Jews, and we may therefore expect to find them using religious terms in pretty much the same sense as did the writers of the New Testament. They employ the word 0anri;oi ihaptizo) in just two instances, in both of which it is applied to a religious ceremony. The first is where it is related of Judith that " she went out in the night, into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself e0a7rri;crff (ebaptizeto) in a fountain of water by the camp." A literal translation from the Greek would be, " She baptized herself in the camp, at a fountain of water." Judith xii. 7.* This ceremony, as appears from the context, * The words of the orif^inal are, Kal ipairri^ero tv rif iTapt^0o\^ cTTi rfji TrrjY'is tov tijaroj {kdi cbaptizeto €71 tc paveni' bole epi tes peges lou kudatos.) AFTER TOUCHING A DEAD BODY. 31 she deemed necessary as a preparation for prayer. The fountain at which she baptized herself was in possession of the Assyrian soldiers ; for we are told in chapter vii. verse 3, that " they camped in the valley, near unto Bethulia, by the fountain." And verse 7 of the same chapter states that they set garrisons over the fountains. Now can any one suppose that this refined, high-born lady, even with the appliance of the stone trough suggested by Dr. Carson, would dis- robe in the presence of the soldiers, and im- merse herself? Believe it who can ! She simply washed her face, hands, and feet, and for her assistance therein required the at- tendance of her maid. Rabbi Maimonides, whom the Jews esteem inferior only to Moses, gives the following account : " A man must wash his hands up to the elbow, and after that pray. They do not make clean for prayer but the hands only, in the rest of prayers, except the morning prayer. But before the morning prayer, a man washes his face, his hands, and his feet, and after that prays." — Burder^s Or. Customs, THE BAPTISM AFTER TOUCHING A DEAD BODY. The word panri^o} (ha2:)tizo) occurs also in Ecclesiasticus xxxiv. 25. " He that washeth himself (^aTrn^oiitvoi {hai^tizomenos) after the touching of a dead body, if he touch it again, 32 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. what availeth his washing f"* \ovTpov {loutron). Here the word bcq^tizo is used in the sense of washing, pairri;onevos {ha2:)tizomenos) being explained by loutron. The allusion is to the law for the purification of those who were defiled by touching a dead body. Numb. xix. 16-20. Yerses 19 and 20 read thus : "And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day ; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut oft' from among the con- gregation, because he hath defiled the sanc- tuary of the Lord : the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him." It is certain that sprinkling was an essen- tial part of this hajotism ; and we have shown that an immersion of the whole per- son was in no instance required by the law. The word translated hathe in the above pas- sage is vnT (rahatz,) which never specifically means dip. Where it is said of Joseph that he washed his face, and of his brethren that they washed their feet, and of Ahab's servants that they washed his chariot, and in a multi- tude of other instances, the word used is rahatz. On the whole it is apparent that what the son of Sirach styled a haptizing^ was not a dipping^ but a ceremonial clean- sing, the most important part of which was WRITINGS OF THE GREEK FATHERS. 33 sprinkling. Accordingly the unclean per- son, who neglected to comply with the law, was threatened with excision ; not because he had not bathed, but " because the water of separation had not been sprinkled upon him." WRITINGS OF THE GREEK FATHERS. The Greek christians of the first centu- ries would naturally follow the New Testa- ment writers in their use of religious terms. It may therefore be well to inquire whether they always use the word Panri^cj {baptizo) in the sense of dipping. Clement of Alexandria, the most re- nowned christian writer of the second cen- tury, has the following : " And this, it would seem, is the image of baptism, panrianaTog {baptismatos\ which from Moses has been handed down by the poets ; after this manner. Penelope, * In waters washed, and clad in vestments pure,' goes forth to prayer. But Telemachus, ' Laving his hands in the gray sea, to Pallas prayed.' *' This was the custom of the Jews, that they also should be often baptized on their couch." £Ti KoirjiPaT:ri;£cr9ai {epi Icoite haptizesthai) — Sirow.at. lib. 4. I leave it to the reader to judge whether this writer meant immersed on their couch."^ * Dr. Carson is greatly troubled with this extract. 34 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. Origen, another Greek writer, celebrated for his talents and learning, uses the word (3a7TTi;(o (bajotizo) to describe the pouring of the water upon the wood, by order of Elijah. His language is as follows : " IIow came you to think that Elias, when he should come, would baptize, who did not in AhaVs time baptize the wood upon the altar, which was to be washed before it was burnt by the Lord's appearing in fire ? But he ordered the priests to do that ; not once only, but says. Do it the second time, and they did it the second time : and Do it the third time ; and they did it the third time. He, therefore, that did not himself baptize then, but assigned that work to others, how was he likely to baptize, when he, according to Malachi's prophecy, should come ?" Com- ment on John. This writer says that Elijah assigned to the priests the work of baptizing the wood ; and how was the baptizing done? The sacred historian says, " And he put the His far fetched interpretation of im koWij {cpi koitc) wiiich he renders -post concubitm, never entered the mind of the refined and accomplished writer. ITervetiis savs that the remark of Clemen! relates to the tal)le-conch, and refers us to Mark vii. 4. Xenophon, in his Memorabilia, uses Koirri [koite] for table-conch. There are numerous exam- pk'S of £ri {ep}) governinfi: a Dative, and having the sense of upmi, in, and at ; as Ilom. Iliad. I. 88, ini xOovl [epi chihoni), " on the ground."' Acts ii. 26, (^' ^Xti^. [ep* elpuli), " in hope ;" Acts iii. 10, ItI t!) wpaU Trv\i]{cpi te Horaia pule), " at the Beautiful gate." WRITINGS OF THE GREEK FATHERS. 85 wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood," &c. ; 1 Kings xviii. 33. Here again, dipping is quite out of the question. The same writer, having quoted the lan- guage of our Saviour, " I have a baptism to be baptized with," &c., remarks : " You see therefore that he calls the shedding of his blood a baptism." — Horn. 7, on Judges vi. John Damascenus : — "John (Baptist) was baptized {ebaptizeto) by placing his hand on the head of his divine Master, and by his own blood."— Yol. I. p. 261, Paris, 1712. Again, this writer speaks of " the baptism 0a7rrin (cUkawsune) RIGHTEOUSNESS, and other words almost without number, exhibit meanings which conform to the Greek classics, or which in several respects can even be illus- trated by them? Not at all. Then, how can you be over-confident in the application of the classical meaning of PaTrriw {bajotizo) where the word is employed in relation to a rite that is purely christian ? Such a confi- dence is indeed too common ; but it is not the more rational, nor the more becoming, on that account." TECHNICAL KELIGIOUS TERMS. It is, moreover, to be observed that the pagan Greeks never used PanTi;a) (ba2:itizo) with reference to religious washings, but always with reference to the common affairs of life. On the other hand, the Jewish writers (except Josephus, who wrote only for the pagans) never applied the word to the common affairs of life, but always to re- ligious washings. Now, it is well known tliat words liavc one meaning as applied to common matters, and anotlier quite different meaning as applied to matters of religion. SCRIPTURE ITS OWN INTERPRETER. 41 The English word communicate^ for instance, in common usage signifies ^o^mpar^ to others; in a religions sense it nieans to partake of the Lord's Supper. Take another example. The word conversation^ in its common ac- ceptation, TUQSins familiar discourse; in reli- gion, it signifies conduct, deportment. The same general remark will apply to all lan- guages and religions. Now, as the apostles always used the word haptizo in a religious sense, it follows that its use by the heathen writers is not a safe guide to its meaning in the JSTew Testament. SCRIPTURE ITS OWN INTERPRETER. How, then, it will be asked, are we to as- certain the meaning of religious terms in the scriptures ? I answer. Chiefly by scripture itself. Take, for example, the word srmvov y- {deipnon) SUPPER, found in 1 Cor. xi. 20. This word, in its classical acceptation, signi- fies a full meal, taken for bodily nourish- ment. But is that the meaning here ? By looking at the connection we find, on the contrary, that it means the participation of a small portion of bread and wine, in remem- brance of Christ. So, also, with the word haptizo. We have already produced several instances in the New Testament where, from the connection in which it stands, it is plain that it cannot signify to dip. We freely admit that the word, in the heathen classics, 4* 42 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. does usually signify to immerse^ or rather to sink to the bottom. But this is not always the case, as will appear from a few examples. Plutarch, speaking of a Roman general who was wounded in battle, says, " He set up a trophy, on which, having baptized his hand, paTrricas r'nv x^^pa {bcqAiscis ten cheira), he wrote this inscription," &;c. He did not dip his hand in blood, but only moistened his fingers with it, in order to write. Hippocrates directs a patient, if his blister plaster should be too painful, '' to baptize it with breast-milk or Egyptian ointment.'' He did not mean that it should be immersed in breast-milk. Thais, the courtezan, is spoken of as " having baptized panriaaaa (haptisasa) Alex- ander with much wine." Cono. Narrat. bO. Surely she did not immerse him in a cask of wine. Enough has been said to show the rash- ness of those who affirm that the Greek clas- sical authors always used hcq^tizo in the sense of dipping^ that the apostles wrote in classical Greek, and that they used the word in the classical sense. We have seen that all these assertions are equally groundless ; and yet, upon so airy a foundation, the Baptists build their assumption that immersion is essential to valid baptism, and boast that they are the only baptized christians, and the only worthy communicants on earth ! THE WORD BAHTfl. 43 THE WORD BAHTil {Bajpto) This word is the root of haptizo. It is often referred to by Baptist writers, as af- fording evidence of the meaning of haptizo. But it is never once applied to the ordinance of christian baptism, and therefore has no necessary connection with the present discus- sion. It may however be agreeable to the reader to see some examples of the use of the word. It occurs in Eev. xix. 13. " And he was clothed with a vesture pePafinhov (hebammenon) with blood." Origen, in quoting the sub- stance of this passage, uses the word cppavTicixhov (errhantismenon) SPRINKLED, as expressive of the meaning in this place. Did he not un- derstand his mother tongue? It is also re- markable that the Baptist Bible Union, in the specimen of the new version they have given the world, render the words, " stained with blood." I will just add two other examples taken from the Septuagint version of the book of Daniel. The one is found in chapter iv. 33, and the other in chapter v. 21. In both places the same language occurs, viz: "his body ipdipri (ehaphe) with the dew of heaven." Common sense will determine whether by immersion or sprinkling.* * Although the term bapto is never applied to the ordiuance of baptism, the reader may be curious to see 44 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. THE LEXICONS. In support of their position, that haptizo means to dip^ our opponents betake them- selves to the lexicons, or dictionaries of the Greek language. We shall see, however, that though the lexicons, for the most part, simply give the meanings of words in clas- sical authors, and as applied in a sense not religious, they will by no means sustain the immersionists. Indeed Dr. Carson, the very Goliath of the party, after asserting that haptizo " always means to dip," confesses that " all the lexicographers and commentators are against him in that opinion." On Bapt. p. 55. The following authors of lexicons, among other definitions of haptizo^ give wash and cleanse: Scapula, Hedericus, Stephanus, Schreve- some examples of its use iu ckissical authors ; and we subjoin a few. Aristotle, speaking of a berry, says, '' When rubbed, M (iaiTTu {baptei) the hand." De Anim. Aristophanes, referring to a comedian, says, he " was paiTTd^ici'os [haptomenos) of a frog-colour." Equites. 523. '• It {baptei) the hair." Diosc. Lib. I. " Some say, Nicylla, that you /i.iTrrcn/ (baptein) your hair." Epig. Coll. Bent, cum Callim. Loud. 1741. p. 139. " The lake c/?d7rr£ro [cbapteto) with his purple blood." Horn. Batrom. 218. Let any one make the word mean dip, m these exam- ples if he cau. THE LEXICONS. 45 lius, Parkliurst, Suidas, Schleusner, Grove, Evving, Bretschneider, Wall, Stockius, Eob- iuson, and Greenfield. Sl'IDAS, one of the oldest of them, gives moisten (madefacio) among the meanings of the word. Schleusner gives immerse (immergo) as one of its meanings, but then adds, " In this sense, however, it is never used in the New Testament, although it is so used rather fre- quently in Greek authors." He then adds the following meanings : to wash (lavo), to imbue (imbuo), to pour forth (profundo). Greville Ewing, besides the usual senses, gives the following : " I cover partially with water, I wet." The same author assigns the following definition to hapto^ viz: " To wet by affusion, effusion, perfusion, by sprink- ling, daubing, friction, or immersion." The learned Gases, a member of the Greek church, in his large lexicon of ancient Greek, defines haptizo by I^p^xo^ {brecho\ ^ovo (Jouo), and dvTXecj {cintleo) ; to wet or moisten^ to ivash^ to draw water. This lexicon is said to be gen- erally used by the modern Greeks. No lexicon can be produced which does not give wash as a prominent meaning of haptizo ; and washing, as every one knows, is not the same thing as dipping. If a person tells us that when he arose in the morning, he washed himself, we do not take him to mean that he immersed himself. If we order a child to wash his face, we will not think 46 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. of punishing him if he does not dip his face in the water. If this be true in regard to ordinary washings, much more is it true in respect to a religious washing, which is not designed for " the putting away of the filth of the flesh," but for an emblem or sign of inward purity, and which may, therefore, be properly performed by the application of a small quantity of water. " But if the Saviour did not command dip- ping, why did not the apostles, instead of baptizo, use the word Xovw (fowo), which means to ivash, without respect to mode?" I an- swer, the reasons are obvious, aovo) {Louo) was a word which was constantly applied to ordinary washings. Bapiizo^ on the con- trary, had long been employed by the Jews in a sacred sense, to express washings of a religious kind. There was an obvious pro- priety therefore in the selection of that word to designate a religious ordinance. ANCIENT VERSIONS. Some Baptist authors present us with a formidable array of versions of the New Testament, which they claim as favouring the mode by dipping. But a strict exami- nation will make it appear, that of all the most ancient and esteemed versions, fifteen or twenty in number, there is not one that decides in favour of immersion. The old Italic and Vulgate, made while the Greek and ANCIENT VEESIONS. 47 Latin were yet living languages, instead of rendering haptizo by immergo^ TO IMMEKSE, simply transfer the word — a plain proof that it was not understood as meaning to di}:).^ Of the others, while some transfer the word, others translate it by a word which signifies to wash or cleanse; and one, the Armenian, by a term which means to bathe. And ac- cording to Dr. Carson himself, "No man who understands English will say that the word dip, and the word bathe, signify the same thing." Page 60. In fact, the usual mode of bathing in Eastern countries, as al- ready observed, is not by immersion in wa- ter, but by applying water to the body. * It is useless to allege the fact that some of the Latin Fathers used the word tingo, to designate the ordinance of baptism ; for that word is variously used. 1'hus Ovid has — tingere corpijs aqua, sparsa, " to sprinkle the body with water." Fast. I v. 790 ; and Horace — tingere pocults, " to soak with wine." Carm. Lib. lY. Ode XII. 23 ; and — mero tinget pavimentum, " stain the floor with wine." Carm. Lib. II. Ode XIV. 27. And Martial has — tingit cittern, " paints his skin." 48 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. CHAPTER III. Baptism at rivers — John at Jordan and JEnon — " Much water" — '' In Jordan" — John's baptism superseded — Jesus baptized by John — " Out of the water" — Pic- torial representations — Why Jesus was baptized. In tlie course of this discussion, we have suffered ourselves to be led over a wide aud diversified field of argument. We are now glad to return to the holy scriptures as the only infallible guide in matters of duty. Here lies the great strength of the Pedo- baptist cause. And if we have at any time referred to other authorities, it has been in accommodation to the course pursued by our opponents. These brethren confidently appeal to the in- stances of baptism recorded in the New Tes- tament, as afibrding infallible proof that im- mersion was the primitive mode. "Surely," say they, " immersion was practised in the apostolic age, because we read of their bap- tizing at rivers." But who, I ask, is said to have baptized at a river ? No one but John the Baptist, and even he only for a short period, for we soon find him removed to JOHN BAPTIZING AT JORDAN. 49 jEnon — John iii. 23. I shall show, in the proper place, that we are not to pattern after John's baptism, but after that of Christ. But admitting, for argument's sake, that we are to follow John, where is the proof that he immersed his disciples ? JOHN BAPTIZING AT JOEDAN. Our opponents say that he chose the Jor- dan as the scene of his pious labours, because that river afforded deep water, suitable for dipping. But if, as they allege, the city of Jerusalem was so well supplied with water, that three thousand persons could easily be immersed in a few hours ; and if, moreover, every Jew throughout the length and breadth of the land had convenient streams, or pools, in which to dip himself and his table-couch before every meal — where, according to their own showing, was the necessity of John going to Jordan to immerse ? We think we can furnish a much more satisfactory ex- planation of the matter. John made his ap- pearance among the Jews, in fulfilment of the prophecy, that he should be " the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The wild- erness of Judea, and, indeed, the greater part of that country, is well known to be poorly supplied with water. There are few streams of any consequence ; and these are dried up during the greater part of the season, so that the necessary supplies for the people, 5 &9 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. and for their flocks and herds, must be ob- tained from wells and reservoirs, dug at great expense. Hence the difficulty between Abraham and Abiraelech about wells — Gen. xxi. 25. And hence the disputes between Isaac's servants and the men of Gerar, who said, " The water is ours." Gen. xxvi. 18-22. The Jordan ran along the border of the wilderness ; and John very naturally chose the banks of that river as the scene of his labours, in order that the immense multitudes that resorted to him might obtain plentiful supplies of water for themselves and for their beasts of burden. Even in this well- watered country, in selecting the ground for camp-meetings, and other great assemblages of people, accommodations of that kind are made a prominent object. And it is within the knowledge of the writer, that during the great drought of 1854, our Baptist brethren themselves chose a particular locality for a grand Sabbath-school celebration, with special reference to a plentiful supply of wholesome water. And yet no immersion was to take place on the occasion. But what are all the crowds that assemble at the largest camp-meetings, and public celebra- tions, compared with the multitudes that continually thronged around the forerunner of our Lord ? Is it at all surprising, that he should take his station, for a time, on the banks of the Jordan, and that the sacred writer should mention the fact, without any reference to immersion ? 51 JOHN" BAPTIZING AT ^NON. This account of the matter is confirmed by the fact, that John so soon removed from Jordan to JEnon — John iii. 28. Eusebius and Jerome, as quoted b}'' Calmet, say that this pkice was " eight miles from Scythopolis, South, near Shalim and Jordan." The name {Ainon or Ainuon) signifies the spring of Yon^ or the dove's sjrmig^ and was most prob- ably selected by John, as affording plenty of wholesome water for the multitudes, at a season when the water of Jordan was less pure. For surely if deep water for immer- sion was his object, he would not leave a large river, and betake himself to dipping the Jews in a spring.* Our opponents insist that JEnon must have been chosen on account of facilities for dipping, because we read that " there was much water there." This language, in their opinion, implies a far greater quantity of water than could have been required by the largest assemblages of people, for their sub- * Mr. C. Taylor thinks that the fountain of Elisha, near Jericho, is the iEiion of scripture. Dr. Barclay thinks he has discovered it in the Wady Farah, six miles north-east from Jerusalem. The spring he describes ebbs and flows every six minutes. City of the Great King, pp. 569, 570. 52 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. sistence, for their daily purifications, and for the animals on which they were conveyed. *' Much water," Greek ti<5aro noWa {hudata polla^) in their imagination, is transformed into a mighty roaring flood, like the Tigris or Euphrates. Unfortunately for them, no such large collection of waters can be found in the wilderness of Judea. The same mode of expression is used in Ezek. xix. 10, to de- note the little rills which nourish the grow- ing plants. Israel is there compared to a vine, "fruitful and full of branches, by reason of many ivatersy Heb. mim rahim, LXX. voaroi TToWoi, {liudcitos poUou). Can the vine flourish in the midst of " mighty floods ?" If John's object in resorting to JSnon was dipping, the language used by the sacred writer seems somewhat strange; for "much water" may yet be too shallow for immer- sion. To suit the construction of the Bap- tists, the Evangelist should have said, " John was baptizing at ^Enon, because there was deep water there." It is urged moreover that John baptized the people in Jordan. But that does not prove that he immersed them. It is quite common for persons to go into a river with- out going under the water. But, say the Baptist brethren, to baptize in Jordan cer- JEKUSALEM AND JUDEA BAPTIZED. 53 tainly means to plunge into the waters of Jordan. Is it so indeed ? Then when the Scripture says, "John did baptize in the wilderness," (Mark i. 4,) the meaning is, " John did plunge them into the sands of the wilderness !" And when it is said that he was " baptizing in Bethabara, beyond Jordan," we are to understand that he was dipping the people into or under a town!! The Israelites were baptized in the sea ; and were they plunged into the sea ? On a memorable occasion God commanded the priests, saying, " When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan." Josh. iii. 8. So plain is it, that in scripture usage the phrase in Jordan often means no more than at the brink of the river."^ JERUSALEM AND ALL JUDEA BAPTIZED. There is an insuperable difficulty attend- ing the supposition that John immersed. He exercised his ministry for a period not exceeding eighteen months ; and yet, during that short period, " there went out unto him * We would laugh at a person who should infer that Cincinnati is a floating city, because described as sit- uated on the Ohio river. Equally futile is the inference in favour of immersion drawn from the phrase " in Jor- dan.'^ The Greek word h [en) here translated in, is rendered ten different ways in the Gospel of Matthew alone ; namely, on, with, by, for, among, at, through, unto, because of, and in, 5* 54 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him." — Mark i. 5. Another Evangelist says, " There went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were bap- tized of him in Jordan." Matt. iii. 5, 6. That distinguished Baptist, the Kev. Eobert Hall, speaking of John, says, " The number of his converts was prodigious. The sub- mission to his institute appears to have been almost national." The strong language of the scripture seems to imply that a majority of the Jewish people were baptized, and that the ordinance was administered by John himself. If we suppose only a million of the Jews to have received the ordinance at his hands, and that for a whole year he did nothing but baptize, the proportion for each day would be more than 2,700. No human being could immerse the fourth part of that number daily for seven days in succession. Nor could any man live, standing month after month up to his waist in water. To obviate this last difficulty, Dr. Carson sup- poses that John managed to immerse his converts without wetting himself. His words are these : " Tliere is no reason to be- lieve that John the Baptist went into the water in baptizing. He chose some place on the edge of the Jordaji, that admitted the immersion of the person baptized, wliile the baptizer remained on the shore," p. 131. This, indeed, relieves one difficulty, but it creates 55 another fully as great. John, standing on a steep bluff' of the river, could easily thrust down the Jews into deep water; but how could he draw them out again ?"^ And yet that is one essential part of baptism by im- mersion. What machinery of pulleys, cranes or sweeps did he use for that purpose? Or did he plunge them down and let them get out as best they could? Dr. Carson's sug- gestion is about as ingenious as that of the worthy Baptist preacher, who supposed that the converts of John might have taken their station in the Jordan by hundreds at a time, and then, at the word of command, dipped themselves in the water. Thus, many thou- sands could easily be immersed in a single day. John's baptism superseded by that of CHRIST. After all, the mode in which John admin- istered baptism is of small importance to us. We are not under obligation to copy his baptism, but that of Christ. These two •^ Some years ago, the writer heard of an attempt by a preacher to immerse a candidate in the river Cheat, without wetting himself. There was no difficulty in getting the candidate under the water, but in the strug- gle attending the effort to draw him out, the baptizer and the baptized were both plunged headlong into the river. This was previous to the invention and use of the " vulcanized india rubber baptismal pants/' now ad- vertised in the Baptist newspapers. 58 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. institutions diflfer in several important parti- culars. 1. Jolin's baptism was intended for the Jews only. Christ's was intended for all nations; agreeably to the prediction that he should "sprinkle many nations." Isa. lii. 15. 2. John's baptism was designed to prepare the way for the manifestation of Christ, at a period when John himself did not know him. John i. 13. Christ's baptism required a settled belief in him as a divine Saviour who had suffered death, risen again, and ascended to the Father. 8. John's baptism was not given in the name of the Lord Jesus, nor in that of the Holy Ghost. Christ's baptism was adminis- tered in all three of the sacred names. THE REBAPTIZING AT EPHESUS. But this question is set at rest by the ac- count given us of the rebaptism of certain persons at Ephesus, who had already sub- mitted to the baptism of John, see Acts xix. 1 — 6. These persons having assured Paul that they had " not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," he asks, " Unto what then were ye baptized '/" The very question implied that tliere had been more than one institution of baptism, and Paul would know whether they had received John's or Christ's. Accordingly they an- swered, " Unto John's baptism." This solved JESUS BAPTIZED BY JOHN. 57 the difficulty, for John did not baptize in the name of the Trinity. He "verily bap- tized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him who should come after hira^ that is, on Christ Jesus." After this brief explana- tion, Paul caused them to be baptized " in the name of the Lord Jesus." For John's baptism being no longer in force, they could not be received as regularly baptized mem- bers, till they submitted to the new ordinance appointed by Christ. JESUS BAPTIZED BY JOHN. Our Baptist friends assert with their usual confidence that Jesus was immersed by John. If we ask for the proof, they reply that Jesus was baptized in Jordan. We beg their pardon, but do not regard that circumstance as sufficient evidence that he was immersed. He may have descended the high banks of Jordan, or trod into the edge of the stream, without being plunged into it. This will appear not unlikely, if we consider that the inhabitants of Eastern countries, instead of shoes and stockings, wear a sandal of wood or leather, covering no more than the sole of the foot ; and in a hot climate, like that of Judea, they might, on a thousand occa- sions, step into a stream without any thought of going under the water. 58 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. " OUT OF THE WATER." But, say the Baptists, Jesus " went up straightway out of the water, (Matt. iii. 16,) which surely means that he went up from under the water."^ Here again we must dif- fer from these brethren. The language of the original will not justify their construc- tion. The word a^:»o, translated out of pri- marily signifies /roTTi, It occurs in the Gos- pel by Matthew one hundred and nine times, and is rendered just sixty-five times from * Dr. George Campbell seems to couDtenanee the notioa that the phrase " went up out of the water," implies aa emersion out of, or from under the water. His language, often quoted by the Baptists, is as follows, " Accord- ingly, the baptized are said dvajSaivuv [anabainein) to arise, to emerge, or ascend, v. 16, arrd rov -uJaroj {apo tou hudatos), and Acts viii. 39, Ik tov vSarog [ek tou hiulatos), from or out of the water." Notes on Matt. How often are men betrayed into error by attachment to a theory ! Look at the following passages in which the very same verb and preposition occur in the Greek. Luke ii. 4. " And Joseph also ivent up from Gali- lee." Did he " emerge" from under the soil of Galilee or the city of Nazareth ? Song iii. 6. " Who is she, coming tip from the wilder- ness ?" Did the spouse " emerge or ascend" from under the sands of the desert ? Gen. xvii. 22. " And God went up from Abraham." John xi. .5.5. "And many wc»^ oi// o/" the country vp to Jernsal(;m. Did they " emerge" out of the earth like the fabled offspring of the serpent's teeth ? Acts viii, 39 — " Both Philip and the eunuch came tip out of the water." Did the liajitizer and the baptized both " emerge" from under the water ? See also liev. vii. 2. OUT OF THE WATER. 59 and only ten times out of.^ Its usual mean- ing would doabtless have been given it in Matt. iii. 16, but for the strong leaning of the translators to immersion. We saj not this to censure them. They were learned and conscientious men ; and the version they have given us is probably, as a whole, the best in any language. It is not perfect, just because they were men. That they should discover no small bias in favour of immer- sion will not be surprising, if we reflect that the church of England, previous to her im- perfect reformation from Popery, had uni- formly adhered to the trine immersion. Even after her separation from Eome, her first lit- urgy in 1547 enjoined the trine immersion ; and that mode of baptism continued to be practised till 250 years ago, when it was gradually laid aside. It was about this period that our version of the Bible was produced, and it favours the Baptists quite as much as they ought to desire. But there is another strong objection to the construction which the Baptists give to the phrase " went up out of the water." * Of the ten instances in Matthew in which apo is ren- dered out of, six are cases in which ek is prefixed to the foregoing verb. This apparently gives to apo the force of ek twice repeated — a subject which will be noticed in the next chapter. The four remaining passages are, chap. iii. 16, — " went up straightway out of the water," viii. 34, — " would depart out q/' their coasts," xiv. 13, — " followed him out of the cities," and verse 29, — " Peter was come down out of the ship." 60 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. They know very well that, in administering baptism in their peculiar mode, there are two distinct acts performed by the baptizer, each of which is essential to the idea of dipping. The one is putting the person under water, and the other is taking him out again. I repeat, that unless both these operations are performed by the baptizer, there is no dip- ping in the case. Now it is plain, that Jesus *' went up out of the water " by his own act — not by that of John. Consequently, he was not dipped by John. To suit the Bap- tist theory, the Evangelist should have said, " And Jesus, when he was baptized, was drawn up^ or lifted out of the water." ANCIENT PICTORIAL REPRESENTATIONS. The views already expressed are amply confirmed by many ancient pictures, repre- senting the baptism of the Saviour. The subject seems to have been a favourite one with the christian artists, who lived in the ages succeeding the apostles. And it is a striking fact, that among all the works of that kind which have been transmitted to us, not one represents this baptism as taking place by immersion. On the contrary, they all, with singular uniformity, represent John as pouring or sprinkling water upon the head of Christ, who is standing in the water of Jordan. Most of these pictures were made at a period when immersion had become the ANCIENT PICTORIAL REPRESENTATIONS. 61 prevailing practice in the church, and, con- sequently, must be regarded as unwilling testimony, rendered by immersionists them- selves, to historical truth. Mr. C. Taylor, editor of Calmet's Diction- ary, in his Ai^ostolic Baptism^ has furnished copies of a number of these ancient pictures. I will briefly notice a few of them. One is copied from the centre-piece of the dome of the Baptistery at Kavenna, which was built and decorated in the year 454. John the Baptist is drawn standing on the brink of the Jordan, holding a vessel from which he ])ours water on the head of Christ, who is standing in the water. Over his head is the descending dove, a symbol of the Holy Ghost. Another is a picture in mosaic, taken from the church of Cosmedin, in Kavenna. The edifice is known to have been erected in the year 401. John the Baptist is represented as standing on a rock which overhangs the Jordan, clad in a hairy garment. In his left hand is a crooked staff', and in his right a shell, from which he pours water upon the Redeemer, who is standing below him in the water. Above his head is the descend- ing dove. A third is taken from the church in the Yia Ostiensis, at Rome. It is executed in brass, the figures being partly in relief, and partly engraved. The positions occupied by John and the Saviour are the same as in the 6 $8 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. Other pictures. The baptism is by affusion. The picture is evidently the work of Greek artists, and is regarded by learned anti- quaries as very ancient. The inscriptions are in Greek, with the motto BAPTICEC. A fourth is copied from the walls of an ancient Baptistery, found in the Catacombs of Pontianus, near Eome. These extensive Catacombs were originally quarries which furnished the christians with a secure retreat in the ages of persecution. In these subter- ranean regions, thousands sought for safety, celebrated their worship, and buried their dead. The Baptistery is about six feet square, cut in the solid rock. On the wall above, is a rude picture of the baptism of Christ. Again, John stands on the bank of the river, and pours water on the head of Christ. The figures of the lamb and of the single angel are considered evidences of great antiquity. Below is a cross on which are suspended the Greek letters, Alpha and Omega. It is susceptible of proof that this Baptistery was in use in the first and second centuries. These pictorial representations prove that from the earliest times, before the rise of Popery, and even after immersion had be- come generally practised, both Greeks and Latins believed that Christ was baptized by affusion.^ •* We have introduced the subject of these pictorial WHY JESUS WAS BAPTIZED. 63 WHY JESUS WAS BAPTIZED. Our opponents talk much and declaim loudly about following the Lord Jesus in his baptism. In the most impassioned language, they exhort their hearers " to follow their Saviour to Jordan — down into the water, into his liquid grave." Well would it be if these brethren were as eager to persuade men to follow Christ in his love to God and man, in his purity of heart and life, his hu- mility, patience, meekness, his diligence in doing good, and his decided opposition to formalism. But, alas ! when they speak of following Christ, the water seems to swallow up all but one idea — that of being immersed. As might be looked for, many of their hearers are ready to conclude that they have followed Christ far enough if they have been representations, partly to meet the common objection of our Baptist brethren, that sprinkling owes its origin to Popery. We may add, that authors, who wrote before the existence of Popery, believed that John baptized by pouring. Aurelius Prudeutius, A. D. 390, referring to John's baptism, sayi^, perfiuiit fluvio, " he poured water, or perfused them in the river." Pauliuus of Nola, a few years later, says, *' He [John] washes away the sins of believers, mfiisis lymphis — by pouring on water." Bernard, speaking of the baptism of our Saviour by John, says, Infundit aquam capiti Creatoris creatura — '' The creature pours water on the head of the Creator." Lactantius says, " Christ received baptism, that he might save the Gentiles by baptism ; that is, pur/Jici roris per' fusione — by perfusion of the purifying dew." — Pond on 64 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. put under the water. By way of correcting this serious error, a little investigation will show that Christ was NOT BAPTIZED AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US. 1. He was not baptized with " John's bap- tism," for that was the baptism of repent- ance, and our Lord had no sin to repent of. 2. He did not receive " believers' baptism," for that would be to believe on himself, whereas he was the great object of faith. 3. He was not baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for then he would have been baptized in his own name. 4. He was not baptized till he was thirty years of age. So, then, he did not receive John's bap- tism, nor believers' baptism, nor christian baptism, nor was he baptized till he was thirty years of age. How, then, can it be said that he was baptized as an example for us ? Is there a single passage of God's word which countenances that idea? Not one. Then let us hear the true reason of his baptism from his own lips. John, not understanding his design at first, was un- willing to baptize him, saying, " I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" Matt. iii. 14. Jesus then unfolded to him the end he had in view, saying, "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us (i. e. John and himself) to fuljil all ri(jhteousnessP NOT BAPTIZED AS AN EXAMPLE. 65 John now acquiesced, for he perceived that Christ was about to enter upon his ministry, and that it was requisite that he should be consecrated to the work, by the agency of his forerunner, and by the anointing of the Spirit. " Righteousness'^ means conformity to a law. And to what law did Christ and John conform in this instance? Not to the moral, but the ceremonial law. To explain the transaction, we must recur to the law for the consecration of priests, which is in these words, " And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him." Exod. xl. 12, 18. Now, these Aaronic priests, in their official character, were types of Christ, and it was necessary that all the types should receive their fulfilment in him. First. As the priests were introduced into their office at the age of thirty years, so Christ delayed entering upon his ministry till he had reached that age. Secondly. As the priests were set apart to their office by the washing of water, so by the application of water was Christ in- troduced into his priestly office, which was the basis of his other two offices. Thirdly. As the priests, at their consecra- tion, were anointed with the holy oil, so Christ, at his baptism, was anointed with the Holy Ghost descending upon him in the form of a dove. 6* 66 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. Sucli is the only satisfactory account that can be given of this baptism. It was in- cumbent on John and Clirist to fulfil those precepts of the law which foreshadowed the Messiah's consecration to his office. Imme- diately after his baptism, and in the first re- corded sermon he preached, Jesus made dis- tinct reference to his recent consecration to his work. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor." Luke iv. 16 — 21. From the foregoing remarks it appears that those who talk of following Christ in his baptism, know not what they say. Neither in his being circumcised, nor in his observance of the passover, nor in his keep- ing of the seventh day, nor in his baptism, was he an example for us. Let us imitate him in all those moral excellences which shone so brightly in his character ; but let us beware of attempting to follow him into his priestly office. INCONSISTENCY OF IMMERSIONISTS. 67 CHAPTER ly. Inconsistency of immersionists — Baptism of the three thousand — Curious experiment — The facilities for dip- ping — Change of clothing — Baptism of the eunuch — " Into the water" — " Out of the water" — The eunuch not immersed. We have seen that the baptism of John is not the model to which we are to con- form at the present day. The baptism de- signed for all nations, and now binding on the church, was instituted by Christ after his death and resurrection. He then commanded his disciples to " teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." John's bap- tism, having accomplished the end for which it had been appointed, was now superseded by that of Christ, which was to continue in force to the end of the world. If, therefore, we would ascertain the proper mode of christian baptism, we must refer to those in- stances in which it was administered by the apostles after the death of Christ. Nearly all the recorded instances of that kind are found in the Acts of the Apostles. These we 68 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. shall consider in the proper order ; but first we must call attention to a SINGULAR INCONSISTENCY OF IMMERSIONISTS. They dwell with great emphasis on John's baptism, hold it up as the model for the christian church, and strongly insist that he resorted to Jordan and ^non because he could not elsewhere find facilities for dip- ping. Yet when we refer them to the fact that the apostles never met with any diffi- culty in administering baptism in any local- ity, " Oh, very true," say they, " for wherever man has fixed his abode there is at all times a sufficiency of water for immersion." We cannot reconcile these conflicting statements. If John was compelled to go all the way to Jordan and iEnon to baptize, will our brethren tell us why the apostles were under no such necessity ? According to our theory, indeed, the reason is quite obvious. They did not, like the Baptist, as- semble round them vast crowds to remain with them for days together, and requiring large supplies of water for ordinary uses. And hence they were never obliged to go out of their way for water. There is no in- stance on record in which they had occasion to leave the place of worship to find water for baptism. Tliey seem to have baptized all their numerous converts on the very spot where they preached to them — three thou- THKEE THOUSAND BAPTIZED. 69 sand at one time, and five thousand at an- other, in the midst of a crowded city — Cor- nelius in his own house — the Ethiopian in a desert — the Philippian jailer in the prison at midnight — Saul in his private room at Damascus ; besides great multitudes in Sam- aria, Corinth, and other cities. Now we think our immersion ist friends are bound to show how it happened that the apostles found plenty of water for baptism in so many different places, where John could not be accommodated. Did the river Jordan, or the springs of ^non, miraculously follow them in all their journeyings ? According to the Baptists, there were very few places where John could get water enough for baptizing, whilst the apostles could find enough anywhere. If this be true, the apostles did not baptize in the same manner as John ; and if John practised dip- ping, the apostles did not. On the other hand, if John, like the apostles, coald easily administer his baptism anywhere, then he did not go away to Jordan and JSnon to find water for baptizing, but for other pur- poses. I proceed now to consider the case of the THREE THOUSAND, BAPTIZED IN JERUSALEM. This is the first instance of the adminis- tration of christian baptism by the apostles. See Acts ii. 41; "Then they that gladly ^ THE MODE OF BAPTISM. received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Where is the evi- dence that these persons were immersed? There is none whatever ; on the contrary, the immersion of this vast multitude, in the circumstances, was quite impracticable. It was nine o'clock when Peter began his ser- mon, and when that was ended, the congre- gations were further exhorted " with many other words," verse 40. Much time also must have been occupied in the examination of three thousand candidates; and if the apostles were genuine Baptists, they must have taken a vote of the whole church on the reception of each individual. Thus a very small part of the day remained for the administration of the ordinance. And is it credible that, during that short period, the apostles could each have immersed two hun- dred and fifty candidates ? As to the seventy disciples, when Christ sent them forth, he had not instituted his baptism ; nor did he ever commission them to baptize. Moreover, their commission to preach had now expired. It is plain that the apostles were the only persons who ministered on the occasion ; for Peter is represented as standing up (to preach) '•'• with the eleven;'''' verse 14; and the convicted multitude sought direction, not from the seventy, but from "Peter and the rest of the apostles," saying, " What shall we do ?" verse 37. EXPEEIMENT IN BAPTISTHENICS. 71 CURIOUS EXPERIMENT IN BAPTISTHENICS. The Baptist brethren claim that the apos- tles could easily have immersed their three thousand converts in the time allowed them, and undertake to test the matter by actual experiment. Among others, a worthy Bap- tist preacher of our acquaintance, having on hand some forty-three candidates for baptism, resolved to make trial of the speed with which he could put them all in succession under the water. Though it is certain there was no wager in the case, yet the good man was stimulated to do his utmost, by a desire to obtain a triumph over the Pedobaptists. For this end all needful arrangements were made. Laymen were appointed to bring the candidates down to the water's edge. Others led them into deep water, where the minister plunged them under, repeating the usual words, and then handed them over to another set of lay assistants, who led them back to the shore. Persons were also stationed on the bank, with watch in hand, to note the time consumed.' The result was, that the whole forty-three were immersed in just thirty-one minutes ; though the preacher, who was an uncommonly stout, athletic per- son, seemed quite exhausted by his effort. It was claimed, however, that at this rate, the apostles could have immersed two hun- dred and fifty persons each, in the space of three hours. On this singular experiment I have to make two observations : 72 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. First. The respected brother contrived to shuffle off upon others more than the half of his appropriate ministerial duty. To baptize^ in his acceptation of the term, is to immerse the entire person of the candidate in water, and take him out again. All this must be done by a regularly ordained minister. But, in the present instance, laymen took in the candidates and immersed them up to the waist. The minister did no more than dip their head and shoulders, and then lay per- sons took them out of the water. Thus, not one of the forty-three received more than a half-dipping from the hands of the preacher. If I were a strict immersionist, I would pro- test against the admission of those baptisms as valid. Such a "clipping off of the ordinance" might end in pouring or sprink- ling. Secondly. Supposing that the apostles could operate with the same speed as our Baptist brother — that is to say, could im- merse forty persons each, in the first half hour — it does not follow that they could each immerse forty in the next ftalf hour, much less forty in each of four more successive half hours. A person may be found who ■will run on foot four miles in half an hour. Does it follow that he can continue at that gait, so as to accomplish twenty-four miles in three consecutive hours? Tlie truth is, tliat no twelve men can be found who will immerse, with due decorum THE FACILITIES FOR DIPPING. 73 and solemnity, three thousand persons in six, or even in nine hours. THE FACILITIES FOR DIPPINa. But supposing the apostles to have pos- sessed the physical endurance of a Samson, where could they find twelve convenient places for dipping? There was no river within forty miles of the city, and Kedron is a mere winter stream, almost always dry. True, there were within the area of the tem- ple immense subterranean reservoirs sup- plied by aqueducts ; and so there were cis- terns underneath many private dwellings ; but these could be no more available for immersion than a common well. As to the brazen sea and lavers of the temple, the apostles could not have gain.ed possession of those sacred utensils, without driving oft* by force the whole body of the priests who had them in charge. Then though there were large pools or tanks in or near the city, they were no't so constructed as to allow a number of persons at the same time to make use of them for the immersion of others.* Nor is there the slightest hint that * Dr. Barclay, who is a Baptist, seems to have proved that what has heretofore been taken for the pool of Bethesda, is nothing more than an immense moat, con- structed as a defence to the fortress of Antonia. It is still more than fifty feet deep- City of the Great King, pp. 321, 323. 7 74 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. the multitude moved one step from the place for water. This omission the Baptists can- not easily explain. With them the proces- sion from the church to the river is a material part of the ceremony. CHANGE OF CLOTHING. ' There is still another difficulty attending the supposition that these three thousand were immersed. They had been drawn to- gether by the report of a wonderful miracle, had not foreseen what would take place, and were altogether unprepared for such an emer- gency. They would hardly be immersed ia a state of nudity ; nor would men and women be immersed in their clothes, and then in crowds wend their way through the streets, their garments dripping with water, and ad- hering to their bodies ; thus setting common decency at defiance. Where then did they obtain the necessary garments? Could the apostles furnish them adapted to both sexes, and to every stature ? Or did each candi- date run back to his dwelling to bring his baptismal suit? Why is tlie scripture so silent on the subject? Was it an unimpor- tant circumstance? Oar Baptist brethren make the changing of the clothes a very im- portant part of the business. Matters appa- rently less important are recorded in the scriptures. Thus tlie murderers of Stephen are said to have " laid down their clothes." BAPTISM OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. 75 It is also mentioned that Christ, on one oc- casion, " laid aside his garments," and " that he took them again." And when the mag- istrates of Philippi were about to scourge Paul and Silas, it is recorded that "they rent off their clothes." Why then have we not the slightest intimation of a change of garments by the multitudes baptized in Je- rusalem and other cities ?* BAPTISM OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. This interesting case is recorded in Acts viii. 26—40. In verses 88 and 39, our En- glish version has the following : " And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip," &c. This is the sheet anchor of the immersion- ists. Everywhere, and on all occasions, they refer us to it, as proof positive in favour of * It is remarkable that so soon as immersion makes its appearance in the history of the church, we meet with express mention of the disrobing of the candidates. Thus : " Basil rose up with fear and trembling, un- dressed himself, putting off the old man, and went down praying into the water." Robinson's Hist, of Bapt. Ch. XV. Yet among all the baptisms recorded in the New Testament, there is not one in which the sliglitest hint is afibrded that any change of garments took place. 76' THE MODE OF BAPTISM. dipping. They do not like to say, indeed, that going down into the water, here, means going under the water ; for then it would follow that the baptizer and the baptized were both plunged. But why, say they, is it recorded that the parties went down irito the water, unless one of them was immersed ? Says Dr. Carson, " Had I no more conscience than Satan himself, I could not, as a scholar, attempt to expel immersion from this ac- count." p. 128. In spite of the harsh denunciations of Dr. Carson, I shall proceed to inquire, with the utmost freedom, whether there is any im- mersion in the account. In all disputes about a scripture word or phrase, the final appeal is to the inspired original. Let us then inquire, with all can- dour and sincerity, whether the language of the original implies that the parties went into and came out of the water. In prosecuting this inquiry, we must claim the indulgence of the reader, if we introduce a number of Greek terms and phrases, as this cannot well be avoided. At the same time, we hope so to manage the discussion as to enable even the unlearned to judge of the force and -value of the argument. Every writer has some peculiarities of style. We shall, therefore, confine our re- 77 ferences to the Acts of the Apostles ; and here our inquiry shall be, In what sense does the writer of that book commonly use the iden- tical terms he employs in describing the bap- tism of the eunuch ? Our translators make him say that the parties went into the water. But, does he really say so? We think not. The Greek word ek {eis\ translated into, oc- curs just eleven times in the very same chapter. And it is translated into but once out of the eleven ; and that once is where it is said " they both went down into the water." Here is an astounding fact ! In verse 3d, we read, " committed them {eis) to prison ;" in verse 25, " returned {eis) to Jerusalem ;" and in verse 40, " came {eis) to Cesarea ;" and so in other places. Our translators appear to have leaned so strongly to immersion, that, in the case of the eunuch, they departed widely from their customary rendering of words. There is another fact of much importance in this connection. When the Greek writers wished to express definitely the idea of going into, they usually doubled the preposition eis. That is, they placed it before the noun, and also prefixed it to the verb. In the Acts of the Apostles there are thirty-one in- stances of this kind.* Not so in the account * We subjoin a few examples of the double eis. Acts iii. 2, sla-n-opsvoficvcov eig to Itpov [eisporeuomenmi eis to lueron) — " them that entered into the temple" — ix. 6, ♦^ go into the city" — ix. 8, " brought him into Damascus" 7* n THE MODE OF BAPTISM. of the eunuch's baptism : but a single eis is employed. The words are Karipnoav cig to v6wp (katebesan eis to liudor). Now if the sacred writer meant to say into the water, it is strange that he should not employ his usual language to convey that idea. Bat there is another fact still more decisive in the case. The preposition eis occurs single in the Acts of the Apostles two hun- dred and sixty-four times, and is rendered into only sixty-one times. And then of these sixty-one times, there are full twenty- six in which the word might very properly be rendered to or toiuard; as in chapter xviii. 18, " sailed thence (eis) into Syria," and xxvii. 1, " should sail (eis) into Italy." Indeed Mr. Alex. Campbell, in his version of the New Testament, renders eis TO in a number of places where our common version has ijito. On the whole, then, the evidence from this single source is as seven or eight to one against the supposition that the inspired writer intended to say that Philip and the eunuch went into the water.* — xviii. 19, " entered into the synan^ogue" — xxi. 28, " brought Greeks into tiie temple" — xxi. 37, " to be led into the castle." * It may be alleged that in the phrase, KarkPn^av tij rd rJcjp [katchemn eis to Itudor), the preposition Kara [kata) prefixed to the verb, gives eis the force of i7itO' Let us try it. Acts xxvi. 14, KaraTTcadvTuyv £«V rffv y'> (katapcsonton eis ten gen), " fallen to the earth" — xxvii. 40, kutcIxov eis rdv 79 It is farther suggested by the Baptists, that Philip and the eunuch " came up out of the water," and therefore must have been in the water. The question now is, Does the inspired original say so? The word translated out of is u (ek). And it is a well known fact that the Greek writers, when they wished, by the force of the words, to express the idea of going out of usually doubled the preposition ek, plac- ing it before the noun, and prefixing it also to the verb. In the Acts of the Apostles, there are no fewer than twenty examples of this kind.* Now in the account of the aiYiaXou [kateichon eis ton aigialon), ** made toward the shore." To fall into the earth and to sail into the shore does not make very good sense. Still it may be urged that there is something in the word katebesan which, combined with eis, takes Philip and the eunuch irito the water. Let us then examine a few passages in which the very same combination occurs. Acts viii. 26, Kara/3 aivovaau and 'lepovaaXiJiJi eig 'Taostles baptized infants. 14* 162 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. CHAPTER III. Christ's instructions to his disciples — Infants brong'ht to Christ — " Of such, toiouton, the kinfi^dom of hea- ven " — The command to baptize — Matheteuo — Pe- ter's understanding of the commission — " The pro- mise " In the last chapter, we endeavoured to show from the record of the apostles' doings that they baptized other than believing adults. I shall now attempt to prove that they were authorized so to do by the in- structions of the Saviour. And here, at the outset, it is necessary to dispose of two or three GROUNDLESS ASSUMPTIONS OF THE BAPTISTS. In the first place, they assume that the command of the risen Saviour, "Go teach all nations, baptizing tliem," &;c., was the only commission to baptize which the apos- tles ever received. Whereas, it is notorious that, some time previous, they " made and baptized more disciples than John," which they would hardly have done without suffi- Christ's instructions. 163 cient authority. In the second place, they assume that the apostles were bound to take the aforesaid command as the exclusive rule of baptism, and to construe it independently of any previous instructions of the Saviour. But why then did Christ promise, that, after his departure, the Holy Ghost should bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them ? John xiv. 26. This aid of the Divine Spirit would be alto- gether useless, if they were bound to ignore all previous instructions on the subject. In the third place^ our opponents take for granted that the command referred to, is a command to baptize none but believing adults ; and as though this were a conceded point, they proceed solemnly to rebuke Pedobaptists for the sin of adding to the commission of the Saviour. Thus they beg the question at the outset, and by this means save themselves the trouble of proving their position by sound argument. Christ's instructions to his disciples. These, so far as they relate to baptism, are comprised in the following scriptures : Matt. xix. 13 — 15. — " Then were brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them and pray ; and his disci- ples rebuked them. But Jesus said. Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me ; for of such is the kingdom of 164 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. heaven. And he Laid his hands on them, and departed thence." See also Mark x. 13 — 16 ; and Luke xviii. 15 — 17. Matt. xvi. 19 — "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in hea- ven." See also John xx. 23. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20 — " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Mark xvi. 15, 16 — "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every crea- ture. He that belie veth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The first of these passages contains a most interesting account of LITTLE CHILDREN" BROUGHT TO CHRIST. They must have been quite small children, too ; for Luke calls them infants ; and Mark tells us tliat the affectionate Saviour "took them up in his arms." The parents, also, must have been believers in Christ, or they would not have sought his blessing. " And his disciples rehuhed themr That is, as Mark explains it, they " rebuked those TOIOYTilN (tOIOUTON), of SUCH. that brought them." Yery probably the disciples used some such language as this : — " Away with your little infants ! Don't think to bring them to Christ now : wait till they are old enough to come themselves. "What possible good can it do to lay hands on an unconscious babe?" With this ill- judged conduct of his disciples, Jesus, as Mark tells us, was " much displeased." By his words and actions he taught them a les- son they were not likely to forget. " S after the little children," said he, " and forbid them not to come unto me." Then suiting his actions to his words, he laid his hands on them and blessed them ; thus spurning away the narrow, unworthy suggestion, that in- fants could receive no good from him. " But why," it is asked, " is it not said that Christ baptized them ?" A more sim- ple question could hardly be put by the little children themselves I Yet, as we must be " patient toward all men," we answer : first^ that Jesus himself never baptized with water, and secondly, that he had not yet in- stituted the christian baptism. These children had been dedicated to God by circumcision, which was still in force. TOIOYTilN {toiouton\ OF SUCH. " Of such," says Christ, " is the kingdom of heaven." And of whom does he speak ? Not of little children, says Dr. Carson, but 166 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. of those who resemble them; and so say all the Baptists. Indeed, any other interpreta- tion would be fatal to their scheme. They would have Christ's meaning to be, " Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of adults who resemble them is the kingdom of heaven." But, adopting this construction, we cannot make out the force of Christ's argument. We cannot see why, in that view, little children should be brought to him, any more than lambs and doves; for it might be said with equal pro- priety, that of adults who resemble lambs and doves, is the kingdom of heaven. The fairest way to ascertain who are meant by the phrase of such^ is to refer to other passages where the same language is used. The original word^ translated such is ToiovTOi (toioutos), and occurs in the following texts : John iv. 23 — " The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him." That is, he seeketh those very persons to worship him. Acts xxii. 22 — " Away with such a fellow from the earth ; for it is not fit that he should live." According to the Baptists, the Jews meant not Paul himself, but only those that resembled him. We say, this very Paul and all like him. 1 Cor. vii. 2, 8 — " But, and if thou marry,' thou hast not sinned ; and if a virgin marry, "the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 167 she hath not sinned. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh." On the Baptist principle, not those who marrv, but those only who resemble them are meant ! 1 Cor. V. 11 — " If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator" — " with such an one, no, not to eat." That is, not to eat with the very person specified. 2 Cor. xi. 13 — " Such are false apostles, deceitful workers," &c. The identical per- sons previously described were false apos- tles, and so were all others who were like them. 1 Tim. vi. 4, 5 — " He is proud, knowing nothing" — " from such withdraw thyself." That is, from the very persons specified, as well as all who were like them. If these six examples are not sufilicient, I can produce twice as many more. In fact, the unvarying current of scripture usage proves, that when Christ said, " Of such is the kingdom of heaven," he meant of them — that is, of little children is the king- dom of heaven. In other words, little chil- dren, as well as others, belong to that king- dom. In the next place, what is that kingdom to which little children are said to have a ^ight ? What Matthew calls " the kingdom of heaven," is styled by Mark and Luke 168 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. " the kingdom of God." Both phrases have the same meaning. They contain an allu- sion to the ancient predictions respecting the glorious reign of Messiah. Thus Daniel says, " In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed." — Chap. ii. 44. Again: speaking of " one like unto the son of man," he says, "There was given him dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all people, na- tions, and languages should serve him." — Chap. iv. 7. To the same effect are numer- ous predictions of the other prophets. The kingdom they foretold can be none other than the visible kingdom of Christ, or the Gospel church, which was to be established among all nations. And this we have no doubt is the meaning of the phrase, " king- dom of heaven," in the passage under dis- cussion. In this particular, most Baptist writers agree with us. Christ must then be understood as making known to his disci- ples, that little children, or infants, were a component part of that visible church of his, which was about to be extended over all the earth. It was peculiarly important that the dis- ciples should have a correct understanding on this subject, because Christ was about to intrust them with the highest authority in his church. He had promised to give unto them "the keys of tlie kingdom of heaven ;" that is to say, of that very kingdom of which COMMAND TO BAPTIZE ALL NATIONS. 169 infants were a component part ; and what- soever they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven. They would be author- ized to open the gospel dispensation, and to declare what persons should be admitted to the visible church or excluded from it. The instructions they now received from their Divine Master, as to the position occu- pied in his kingdom by little children, would afterwards be brought to their remembrance, and made plain to them by the agency of the Holy Ghost. Guided by those instruc- tions, they would not fail to recognize the right of infants, by admitting them to baptism. I may here remark, that if by " the king- dom of heaven" is to be understood tlie hingdom of glory^ our argument will not be weakened but rather strengthened. For if infants are admitted into the redeemed family in heaven, who will dare to exclude them from the visible family of Christ on earth ? Who will pretend that the church below is more pure and select in its society than the church above ? Turn we now to an examination of our Lord's last instructions to his disciples, con- tained in THE COMMAND TO BAPTIZE ALL NATIONS. " Go," says the ascending Saviour, " Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 15 170 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. the Holy Ghost." Again : " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The Baptists say that the apostles were bound to put a rigid in- terpretation on this last command of Christ, paying no regard to any previous instruc- tions; and that, infants not being expressly named, they had no authority to baptize them. But if this be true, the apostles had no right to baptize females, for neither are they specified in the order ; on the contrary, only the masculine gender is expressed : — "^e that believeth and is baptized," &c. Moreover, if our opponents will insist upon a strict construction of the words, irrespec- tive of the scope and intent of the order, they must do like St. Anthony — preach to the fishes ; for the command is, " preach the gospel to every creature^ The instructions which the apostles had already received, rendered it unnecessary that their Lord should specify either infants or females, in his last command to bai)tize. Those holy men were fully aware that little children were a part of the visible church of Christ, and could feel no hesitation about receiving them to baptism. To make this matter as plain as possible, allow me to employ AN ILLUSTRATION. 171 AN TLLUSTBATION. Let US suppose some monarch of those days giving orders to his commanding gen- eral to conquer a rebellious province, and enroll the people as his subjects. He has before taken occasion to acquaint his general that he accounts all children of loyal citizens as subjects, sustaining the same relation to his kingdom as their parents. There being a complete mutual understanding on this point, he issues a brief order as follows : "Go, subdue that nation, and enroll them among my subjects. He that submits to my authority, and is enrolled, shall be protected in person and property ; but he that does not submit shall suffer death." Would any intelligent commander, in the circumstances, have the least doubt that he was expected to include infants in the census and enrollment ? And suppose some one of his officers to insist, that infants are not named in the king's order, and therefore ought to be omitted in the census ; that infants cannot submit to the royal au- thority, and therefore should not be enrolled as subjects ; that it will be time enough to enroll them when they can decide the ques- tion of submission for themselves. What, in such case, would the commander have replied ? He would have said, " I know well the intent and meaning of the royal order. I know the high regard of the 172 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. king for the offspring of his loyal citizens. He has himself assured me that he accounted such as his subjects, bearing the same relation to his kingdom as their parents. I am cer- tain that he would be much displeased^ should I fail to have them included in the census and enrollment. Moreover, you say that in- fants cannot submit, and therefore must not be enrolled. You might just as well argue, that because they cannot submit, therefore they must be put to death ; for the king's order is, ' He that does not submit shall suf- fer death.'" I leave it to the intelligent reader to apply the illustration. The Lord Jesus, long before his death, had authorized his apostles both to preach and baptize. But their instructions limited them to " the lost sheep of the house of Israel." After his resurrection, he assigned them the world as their field. " Go," says he, "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." — Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. This last com- mand of Christ, instead of excluding little children, seems to be worded with a special design to make room for them. The reader will please to observe, that the word teach ALL NATIONS." 173 occurs twice in the passage : " Go, teach all nations," and " teaching them to observe all things," &c. In the original, there is no such tautology, as the two words are quite different, and differ in their significations. The first word rendered teach^ is naertTevaart (^matlieteusate^) from naQnrtvw (mathetev.o^) TO DISCIPLE, TO SECURE AS SCHOLARS, TO INI- TIATE INTO A SCHOOL AS LEARNERS. As tO the real meaning of the word, all Baptist writers of eminence are so well agreed with us, that it may be considered as settled. Dr. Carson says, " It is well known that the word corresponding to teach, in the first in- stance in which it occurs in this passage, signifies, to disciple or make scholars ^^ p. 169. Mr. Campbell, also, founder of the numerous sect called by his name, makes the same ad- mission, and adds, that " no man can be said to be discipled, or converted, till he is im- mersed." — Ghu. Baptist, p. 630. The com- mand of the Saviour may therefore be para- phrased thus : *' Go disciple, or enroll as scholars, all nations, baptizing them," &c ; " instructing them in the observance of all the things which I have commanded you." Now, it must be admitted that children of two years old are capable of learning in the school of Christ. They may therefore, with propriety, be enrolled therein, as scholars ; and their parents may assume the obligation to instruct them, at that early period. The Baptists can hardlv deny this, though thev 15 * " 174 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. allege that infants of a few days old can, in no sense, be accounted scholars. It is easy to show that this objection has no force. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INFANTS. It is not uncommon for a father to secure, in some literary institution, a scholarship for his infant child, before it is able to talk. He pays down the required sum, and receives an authenticated document, by which the officers of the institution are bound to in- struct the child in various branches of learn- ing, whenever its capacities shall be suffi- ciently developed. And where is the ab- surdity of making a provision of this kind? Are not such parents counted wise and provident ? And is it less wise to secure for a young immortal, a scholarship in the school of Christ, and to engage his instruc- tors at the earliest period? Yet this is precisely what is done when a parent gives up his infant child to God, in baptism. He solemnly binds himself to bring up his child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is true, the Baptist brethren pursue a WQvy different course ; they leave their children out of the school of Christ till they make a credible profession of faith, and then intro- duce them. This is as though our primary schools should refuse admission to pupils, till they have made a great proficiency in learn in j