,transcriber's ,note3 ,a number of typographical errors found in the original text have been corrected in this version4 ,a list of these errors is found at the end of this book4 ,,water ,,baptism ,a ,,pagan ,,and ,,jewish ,,rite1 ,,but ,,not ,,christian ,,proven ,,by ,,scripture ,,and ,,history ,,confirmed ,,by ,,the ,,lives ,,of ,,saints ,,who ,,were ,,never ,,baptized ,,with ,,water ,,james ,h4 ,,moon ,,fallsington1 ,,pennsylvania ,copyrighted1 #aijb ,press of ,the ,leeds ,biddle ,co4 #ajai-ba ,market ,street ,philadelphia ,,the ,,commission ,did ,christ command his disciples to baptize with water8 ,let us search the ,new ,testament and see what it says4 ,we find the four evangelists and ,peter each render ,christ's command to his apostles in very different language4 ,matthew's version#a is generally adduced to support water baptism4 ,we cannot assume that in ,matthew1 our ,saviour's words are quoted verbatim1 while ,mark1 ,luke1 ,john and ,peter are all in error or less reliable1 particularly as this part of ,matthew claims for itself to have been written a long time after1 as appears by the statement that ,this saying is commonly reported among the ,jews until this day4#b ,seven different accounts of the apostolic commission are given in the ,new ,testament4#c ,did not each of these writers express in his own language what he understood to be ,christ's command to his disciples and will not these seven different records all agree in substance if genuine8 ,let us seek that interpretation which harmonizes them all and not pin our faith to the popular conception of one version alone4 ,we will turn first to the one only recorded allusion which our ,saviour ever made to water baptism4#d ,we here find that he commanded his apostles not to depart from ,jerusalem1 but to wait for the promise of the ,father which1 said he1 ye have heard of me2 for ,john truly baptised with water1 but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit not many days hence4 ,ye shall receive power when the ,holy ,spirit is come upon you1 and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in ,jerusalem and in all ,judea and ,samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth4#e ,these are given as the last words of our ,saviour before his ascension4 ,he speaks of ,john's baptism as the water baptism of the past1 and of ,holy ,spirit baptism as the baptism of the future4 ,by this ,holy ,spirit baptism his apostles are to receive power to become his witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth4 ,there is nothing whatever which implies a command to baptize with water4 ,this whole context militates against the belief that ,christ ever gave such command4#f ,this version of the apostolic commission stands prominent and is worthy of double consideration because it is sustained by the testimony of ,peter1 #g who remembered these words of our ,lord1 and quoted from them as being fulfilled when the ,holy ,spirit was poured out upon the household of ,cornelius as he preached4#h ,according to ,john's account of the commission1 ,christ said to his apostles1 ,as my ,father hath sent ,me even so send ,i you1 and we read that ,he was sent to baptize with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,again1 ,he commanded them to feed his lambs and feed his sheep4#i ,john never intimates that they were sent to baptize with water4 ,had ,christ commanded his disciples to baptize all nations with water1 ,john would certainly have known it1 and could not have failed to report a command of such world-wide application1 ,john's silence is further evidence that no such command was given4 ,there can be no baptism in the commission other than the baptism of the ,holy ,spirit according to ,john's record as we have it4 ,according to ,luke#aj3 ,christ commanded his apostles to preach among all nations repentance and remission of sin in his name1 after they should be endued with power from on high4 ,luke does not mention baptism1 only as power from on high4 ,nothing which even suggests a command to baptize with water4 ,if such command was given ,luke surely knew it4 ,he tells us about ,christ's own baptism of the ,holy ,spirit and his command to preach among all nations2#aa why does he not tell us about this command to baptize these nations with water8 ,is it not plainly because there was no such command8 ,according to foot-note in our revised version1#ab and other authorities1 the two oldest known copies of ,mark's record omit the twelve last verses1 and another ancient manuscript1 lately found1 also omits them and states that they were by ,aristion the elder4 ,as the authenticity of the account of the commission in ,mark's record is questioned1 we omit comment1 altho' we see nothing to conflict with the other six versions4 ,according to ,matthew ,christ commanded his disciples to go1 teach all nations1 baptizing them 7not in the name1 but7 into the name of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit4#ac ,no water is mentioned4 ,he commanded them to baptize into the ,divinity1 not in water4 ,this harmonizes all the evangelists with both ,peter and ,paul4 ,if we reject this view and assume that in ,matthew#ad water baptism is intended to be understood1 then we are compelled to believe that this interpretation of ,matthew1 with its formula for baptism1 was conceived after the apostles' time2 was unknown to them1 and is a human conception and not a correct rendering of the teachings of ,jesus4 ,because with water introduced1 it stands alone and is out of harmony with the whole of ,christ's teachings upon other occasions1 and because it conflicts with all our other six versions of the commission2 and because 7as we read71 the apostles and first ,christians never did baptize with the formula prescribed in ,matthew1 which is conclusive evidence that to their understandings ,christ never commanded them to do so4 ,and again1 because the apostles and first ,christians did continue to baptize with water1 sometimes without formula but mostly in the name of ,jesus ,lord or ,christ4 ,this they would not have done in defiance of ,christ's command to baptize in the name of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit4 ,upon these and many other grounds we claim that ,christ never did command his disciples to baptize with water in the name of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 nor in any way whatever4#ae ,according to ,peter's account of the commission1 ,christ commanded his apostles to preach to the people4 ,he mentions no command to baptize4#af ,peter did preach to the people and the ,holy ,spirit fell upon them as it had fallen upon others of them in the beginning1 at ,pentecost4#ag ,then ,peter remembered the word of the ,lord1 how he said ,john indeed baptized with water1 but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,here ,peter #ah was made instrumental in baptizing with the ,holy ,spirit through ,gospel preaching1 and he recognized this to be the same baptism which his ,lord #ai had promised should supercede ,john's water baptism #bj and the same as that with which they were filled eight years before1 in the beginning at ,pentecost1 and the ,pentecost baptism#ba he said was that which the prophet ,joel foretold should be poured out upon all flesh2 upon sons and daughters1#bb servants and handmaidens1 and that they should prophecy4 ,can anything be plainer than that this ,pentecost baptism#bc and that the baptism which was poured out upon the household of ,cornelius as ,peter preached#bd1 and the baptism which our ,lord promised in the place of ,john's water baptism and the baptism which ,joel foretold should be poured out upon all flesh are all one and the same baptism1 and does it not follow that this is the baptism of the commission1 the one baptism of the ,gospel1 and that this is ,christian baptism and that there is no water in it8#be ,because ,peter and others continued to baptize with water is no evidence to the contrary4 ,they continued their old ,jewish customs generally4 ,they pronounced it necessary to abstain from certain meats4 ,they insisted that ,paul should adhere to circumcision4 ,they refused to eat with ,gentiles4 ,with such ,jewish proclivities how could they at once abandon water baptism8#bf ,some evidently realized that ,john's water baptism had ended at ,pentecost1 but they were not prepared to drop it entirely1 so sought to perpetuate it by repeating the words1 ,in the name of ,jesus1 ,lord or ,christ4 ,they claimed no divine authority for using this formula and the disciples of water baptism in our day mostly discard it4#bg ,baptism with the formula1 ,in the name of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit#bh is not to be considered in connection with the apostles and first ,christians1 as they never mention it and evidently never practised it4 ,such formula was unknown at that time4 ,it came in as an afterthought2 a human invention of later date4 ,the great diversity in the form of expression used by each of the evangelists and ,peter in defining ,christ's commission to his apostles is positive evidence that they understood him to prescribe no formula for baptism and it is confirmation that no formula was given that they and the first ,christians for ages adhered to no one set form of words when baptizing with water4 ,in ,his name1 as ,christ is quoted by ,luke1 and in substance by ,mark1 ,john and ,peter1 always implies in1 into or with his ,spirit or power1 and not a common given name which mortals may utter4 ,in this name or power ,christ commanded his apostles to preach4#bi ,into the name of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit1 as in ,matthew#cj alone ,christ's command is interpreted1 has the same implication and not a mere name or formula which human lips may sound4 ,to repeat these words in connection with baptism is to substitute the voice of man for the power of ,god4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,footnote #b3 ,mat4 #bh4ae ,footnote #c3 ,mat4 #bh4ai2 ,mark #af4ae2 ,luke #bd4dg2 ,jon4 #bj4ba2 ,acts #a4h2 ,acts #aj4db2 #a ,cor4 #a4ag ,footnote #d3 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #e3 ,acts #a4h ,footnote #f3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af2 ,acts #a4h ,footnote #g3 ,acts #aa4ae1 #af ,footnote #h3 ,acts #aj4db1 #de ,footnote #i3 ,jon4 #bj4ba2 ,jon4 #a4cc2 ,jon4 #ba4ae1 #ag ,footnote #aj3 ,luke #bd4dg1 #di ,footnote #aa3 ,luke #c4af2 ,luke #bd4dg1 #di ,footnote #ab3 ,mark #af4i1 #bj ,footnote #ac3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,r4v4 ,footnote #ad3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,footnote #ae3 ,mat4 #bh4ai2 ,acts #h4ab1 #ac2 ,acts #h4ch2 ,acts #i4ah2 ,acts #af4ae1 #cc2 ,acts #ah4h1 #be2 ,acts #b4ch2 ,acts #h4af2 ,acts #aj4dh2 ,acts #ai4e ,footnote #af3 ,acts #aj4db ,footnote #ag3 ,acts #aa4ae2 ,acts #aj4dd2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #ah3 ,acts #aj4dd ,footnote #ai3 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #bj3 ,acts #b4d ,footnote #ba3 ,acts #b4af ,footnote #bb3 ,joel #b4bh ,footnote #bc3 ,acts #b4d ,footnote #bd3 ,acts #aj4dd1 #de ,footnote #be3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aj4af2 ,acts #b4af1 #ah2 ,joel #b4bh ,footnote #bf3 ,acts #ae4bh1 #bi2 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bd2 ,acts #aa4b1 #c2 ,gal4 #b4ab1 #ad ,footnote #bg3 ,acts #b4ch2 ,acts #h4af2 ,acts #aj4dh2 ,acts #ai4e ,footnote #bh3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,footnote #bi3 ,luke #bd4dg2 ,mark #af4ag2 ,jon4 #af4bc2 ,acts #aj4dc ,footnote #cj3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,r4v4 ,,paul',s ,,commission4 ,paul said of his own commission3 ,christ send me not to baptize but to preach the gospel and that the gospel is the power of ,god unto salvation to all who believe4#ca ,paul's commission was essentially the same as that given to other apostles to preach among all nations repentance and remission of sin in his name with power from on high2 for there can be no salvation without repentance and remission of sin4#cb ,had our ,saviour ordained water baptism to the end of the world the four evangelists would certainly have all known it and would have testified to it as they and ,peter all bear testimony to ,christ's own baptism of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,paul would have known it and would not have denied it4 ,peter would not have said ,christ commanded us to preach to the people without making any allusion to water baptism4#cc ,that ,peter should say ,christ commanded his apostles to preach to the people and never at any time intimated that he commanded them to baptize with water1 certainly suggests that no such command was given and that the present popular conception of the apostolic commission has originated since ,peter's time and is a human invention and has no divine authority4 ,neither the apostles nor first ,christians could have understood that ,christ commanded them to baptize with water nor that he prescribed any formula therefor1 otherwise they would have used this formula and have referred to this command as authority for their subsequent water baptism4 ,but so far as ,scripture informs1 no one in those early days ever did baptize with water in the name of ,the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit1 nor ever heard of such formula4 ,sometimes they baptized in the name ,jesus1 ,lord or ,christ1 but never one word about the ,father nor the ,holy ,spirit4#cd ,some baptized without formula1 or if they did use formula it was not considered of sufficient importance to mention4#ce ,they baptized with water before ,christ gave them their commission1 and continued to baptize in the same way after1 which is another proof that their authority for water baptism did not originate in ,christ's command4#cf ,nearly thirty years after ,christ1 some believers who were fervent in ,spirit and instructed in the ways of the ,lord1 continued to baptize with ,john's baptism and we don't know how much longer it continued4#cg ,when was ,christ's command first quoted as authority for water baptism8 ,not in apostolic times1 not until long after4 ,when did man first presume to baptize with water1 in the name of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit8 ,some of our oldest writings#ch indicate the use of this formula in some places1 probably in the early part or middle of the second century4 ,yet1 ,schaff1 who was familiar with all these old records1 says this formula is not traceable in its present shape earlier than the fourth century4 ,evidently the apostles and first ,christians continued to baptize with water1 because it was a conspicuous feature in the special mission of ,john the ,baptist as well as a ,jewish rite in which they and their fathers were educated4 ,they had no thought of ,christ's command as authority for water baptism4 ,paul said plainly that he had no such authority4 ,christ sent him not to baptize but to preach the ,gospel4#ci ,paul thanked ,god that he had baptized so few4#dj ,he could not have spoken thus slightly of ,christian baptism4 ,it must have dawned upon him that in the fulness of the ,christian dispensation there was no place for water baptism2 otherwise how could he thank ,god that he had baptized so few8 ,what dispenser of water baptism could give such thanks in this day8 ,paul circumcised ,timothy1 and perhaps ,titus1 because of the ,jews4 ,did he not baptize those few with water for the same pacific purpose1 or did he not at first receive full light upon this subject8#da ,some assume that ,christ gave others authority to baptize which did not extend to ,paul4 ,we cannot believe that all ,christ's ministers to the end of the world were commissioned to baptize with water1 ,paul only rejected4#db ,this reflects unjustly upon ,paul1 the great apostle to us ,gentiles4#dc ,is it not a mere evasion of the gospel truth here and elsewhere inculcated1 that ,christ gave no commission to baptize with water8#dd ,john the ,baptist was sent or commissioned to baptize with water and the ,holy ,spirit once descended as ,john baptized with water4#de ,the apostles were commissioned to go preach the ,gospel after they should be endued with power from on high4#df ,we read that the ,holy ,spirit descended as the apostles preached the ,gospel4 #dg ,neither the apostles nor disciples were ever commissioned to baptize with water2 and so far as we read1 the ,holy ,spirit never descended as they did baptize with water4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ca3 #a ,cor4 #a4ag2 ,acts #ac4dg2 ,rom4 #a4af ,footnote #cb3 ,luke #bd4dg2 ,luke #bd4di ,footnote #cc3 ,mat4 #bh4ai2 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,mark #a4h2 ,luke #c4af2 ,jon4 #a4bf1 #cc2 ,acts #aa4af2 #a ,cor4 #a4ag2 ,acts #aj4db ,footnote #cd3 ,acts #b4ch2 ,acts #h4af2 ,acts #aj4dh2 ,acts #ai4e2 ,acts #h4ab1 #ac ,footnote #ce3 ,acts #h4ch2 ,acts #i4ah2 ,acts #ah4h1 #be2 ,acts #af4ae1 #cc ,footnote #cf3 ,jon4 #d4b ,footnote #cg3 ,acts #ah4be2 ,acts #ai4c1 #e ,footnote #ch3 ,the ,ante-,nicene ,fathers2 ,the teachings of the twelve ,apostles2 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #afd ,footnote #ci3 #a ,cor4 #a4ag ,footnote #dj3 #a ,cor4 #a4ad ,footnote #da3 ,acts #af4c2 ,gal4 #b4c1 #e2 #a ,cor4 #a4ad ,footnote #db3 #a ,tim4 #b4g ,footnote #dc3 #b ,tim4 #a4aa ,footnote #dd3 #a ,cor4 #a4ag ,footnote #de3 ,jon4 #a4cc2 ,mark #a4aj2 ,luke #c4bb ,footnote #df3 ,luke #bd4dg1 #di2 ,acts #a4d1 #h2 ,acts #aj4db1 #de2 ,acts #aa4ae1 #af ,footnote #dg3 #a ,cor4 #b4d2 #a ,thes4 #a4e2 #a ,peter #a4ab ,,water ,,baptism ,,in ,,history ,,as ,a ,,pagan ,,and ,,jewish ,,rite4 ,from the writings of ,grotius we gather that some ancients baptized with water in memory of the world being saved from the waters of the deluge4 ,bancroft says3 ,it is related by all the old ,spanish historians that when the ,spaniards first visited ,yucatan they found baptism administered to both sexes between the ages of three and twelve3 ,it was the duty of all to have their children baptized1 for by this ablution they believed they received a purer nature and were protected against evil spirits and misfortune4 ,none could marry without it4#dh ,some baptised their children with ceremonies1 which in many points resembled those in use among ,christians4#di ,smith in his ,bible dictionary#ej says3 ,it is well known that ablution or bathing was common in most ancient nations as a preparation for prayers and sacrifice or as expiatory of sin4 ,there is a natural connection in the mind between the thought of physical and spiritual pollution4 ,in warm countries this connection is probably closer than in colder climates2 hence the frequency of ablution in the religious rites of the ,east4 ,the history of ,israel and the law of ,moses abound with such lustrations4 ,the consecration of the high priest deserves special notice4 ,it was first by baptism then by unction and lastly by sacrifice4 ,from the gospel history#ea we learn that at that time ceremonial washings had been greatly multiplied by traditions of the doctors and elders4 ,the most important and probably one of the oldest of these traditional customs was the baptism of proselytes4 ,these usages of the ,jews will account for the readiness with which all men flocked to the baptism of ,john the ,baptist4#eb ,schrer in his history of the ,jewish people#ec devotes several pages to giving reasons for believing that the ,jews baptized proselytes long before the coming of ,christ4 ,dean ,stanley says baptism is inherited from ,judaism4#ed ,many other good authorities might be quoted to support the belief that water baptism and other ordinances were greatly multiplied among many ,jews during the last few hundred years before ,christ4 ,there are no ,scripture writings which cover this period4 ,tylor says3 ,the rites of lustration which hold their places within the pale of ,christianity are in well marked connection with ,jewish and ,gentile ritual4#ee ,baptism by water1 the symbol of the initiation of the convert1 history traces from the ,jewish rite to that of ,john the ,baptist and thence to the ,christian ordinance4 ,as we understand1 the ,christian ordinance here referred to by ,tylor1 is traceable through many modifications back to those carnal ordinances1 those weak and beggarly elements1 which ,paul says were imposed until the time of reformation4#ef ,it has no authority from ,christ and is therefore not ,christian baptism4 ,as we read3 ,pagans of old baptized the face4 ,under the law of ,moses the hands were baptized4 ,john the ,baptist baptized the whole body4 ,our ,saviour baptized the feet4#eg ,now ,christians complete the cycle and again as of old baptize the face4 ,some early ,christians deferred water baptism to middle life or old age and many were never so baptized4 ,now ,christians insist upon infant baptism4 ,some early ,christian said3 ,if only one finger remains above water the baptism is not valid4 ,now ,christians say3 ,a few drops of water are as good as a river4 ,what shall we say8 ,wisdom answers4 ,let us hold to what ,christ says3 ,john indeed baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4#eh ,we learn from the ,brahmins on the ,ganges1 and the dwellers by the ,nile and from explorers all around the world that water baptism was administered as an ancient religious rite among many so called heathen nations when first discovered4 ,some we read baptized to appease the wrath of the ,gods and to expiate sin4 ,some ,christians now claim that by water baptism a child of wrath becomes a child of ,grace and sins are washed away4 ,the similarity of these two ideas1 one ,pagan and the other ,christian1 suggests a common origin far back in the ages before man learned that ,god is love and that ,jesus likened the ,kingdom of ,heaven to little children without baptism4#ei ,augustine who1 in the fifth century1 formulated from previously conceived theories the dogma of original sin and baptismal regeneration1 was himself educated a ,pagan and was well versed in that culture1 and it impressed itself upon his writings and the church which adopted them4#fj ,the little children which ,jesus took in his arms and blessed and to whom he compared the heavenly kingdom were ,jews1 and ,jews did not baptize their children4#fa ,that1 same loving ,jesus1 who blessed those children in ,judea1 we do believe now blesses our little ones and is watching over them for good and that to these also the heavenly kingdom is compared4 ,to ,his tender care and keeping we reverently commit ourselves and them1 and we do feel that for us it would be sinful to distrust this loving ,saviour and turn to man for carnal baptism4 ,justin ,martyr1 a prominent ,christian writer of the second century said to ,typho 7a ,jew7#fb3 ,john was a prophet among your nation after which no other appeared among you4 ,he cried as he sat by the ,river ,jordan3 ,i baptize you with water to repentance but he that is stronger than ,i shall come whose shoes ,i am not worthy to bear4 ,he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,spirit and with fire4 ,in all the scriptures from ,genesis to ,revelations we find no intimation of any other ,christian baptism1 only this one baptism of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,feet washing was administered by ,christ #fc and impressively commended to his disciples but it is plainly not the one baptism of the gospel4 ,from time immemorial some ,pagans all around the world baptized with water4 ,by the law given through ,moses the ,jews baptized with water4#fd ,john the ,baptist was sent to baptize ,jews with water4#fe ,but no one was sent to ,baptize us ,gentiles with water4 ,god sent his son to baptize us with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,all flesh1 ,jews and ,gentiles1 are objects of this one baptism4#ff ,this is the one baptism of the ,gospel and we know of no other4#fg ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #dh3 ,bancroft's ,native ,races2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bfj2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bfi2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bhb ,footnote #di3 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #cgj ,footnote #ej3 ,under ,baptism ,footnote #ea3 ,mat4 #ae4b1 #c2 ,mark #g4e1 #i ,footnote #eb3 ,mat4 #c4e1 #f ,footnote #ec3 ,the ,jewish ,people in the time of ,christ ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #cbj ,footnote #ed3 ,christian ,institutions ,p4 #f ,footnote #ee3 ,primitive ,culture by ,tylor ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #ddj2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #dda ,footnote #ef3 ,heb4 #i4aj2 ,gal4 #d4i ,footnote #eg3 ,jon4 #ac4d1 #ag ,footnote #eh3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #ei3 ,epistle of ,jon4 #d4h1 #af2 ,mat4 #ah4b1 #d2 ,mark #aj4ac1 #af2 ,luke #ah4af ,footnote #fj3 ,britanica ,footnote #fa3 ,mark #aj4ac1 #af2 ,luke #ah4af ,footnote #fb3 ,ante-,nicene ,fathers ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #bai ,footnote #fc3 ,jon4 #ac4a1 #ae ,footnote #fd3 ,exodus #bi4d1 #dj4ab ,footnote #fe3 ,leviticus #h4d1 #f2 ,jon4 #a4ca1 #cc ,footnote #ff3 ,jon4 #a4cc1 #cd2 ,acts #b4ag1 #ah2 ,acts #aj4de2 ,acts #aa4ae1 #af ,footnote #fg3 ,joel #b4bh ,,john',s ,,baptism4 ,john the ,baptist was sent before ,christ to prepare the way before him4#fh ,john was a prophet of dispensation previous to ,christ4#fi ,he was in the desert until the time of his showing unto ,israel4#gj ,in the vision he was with ,moses on the ,mount and they talked with ,jesus4#ga ,he with ,moses vanished and left ,jesus alone4#gb ,john said3 ,that he 7,jesus7 should be manifest unto ,israel1 therefore am ,i come baptizing with water4#gc ,john defines his commission as only to ,israel 7the ,jews74 ,his baptism was adapted to ,jews only and not to us1 who according to ,jewish classification are ,gentiles4 ,evidently ,john baptised ,jews only and no ,gentiles4 ,it was unlawful for ,jews to keep company or come unto ,gentiles and there is no intimation that ,john ignored this ,jewish law4#gd ,the woman of ,samaria wondered that ,jesus 7a ,jew7 asked water of her1 a ,samaritan1 for ,jews had no dealings with ,samaritans4#ge ,even in apostolic times we have no record that any full ,gentile was baptized with water2 nor that any one born of ,christian parents was so baptized4 ,cruden says3 ,naaman1 ,cornelius and the ,eunuch were all proselytes of the gate and not full ,gentiles4#gf ,the ,samaritans were a mixed race who observed the law of ,moses4 ,they also were ,jewish proselytes and not full ,gentiles4#gg ,when the ,jews numbered the people they did not count the ,gentiles4 ,so all ,jerusalem and ,judea whom ,john baptized would not include the few ,gentiles who lived among the ,jews4#gh ,the freedom with which the ,jews followed ,john to the ,jordan indicates that they were previously familiar with water baptism4#gi ,but few of that great multitude whom ,john baptized appear to have become the disciples of ,christ4 ,john said3 ,there cometh one after me mightier than ,i1 whose shoe latchets ,i am not worthy to stoop down and unloose4 ,i indeed have baptized you with water but he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and again3 ,he must increase but ,i must decrease4#hj ,christ said3 ,john truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,peter quoted this saying of our ,lord and recognized this ,holy ,spirit baptism to be the same as that which the prophet ,joel foretold should be poured out upon all flesh1 upon sons and daughters1 servants and handmaidens4#ha ,two baptisms are here contrasted by ,john1 ,christ and ,peter4 ,baptism of water must decrease with ,john and ,judaism4 ,baptism of ,spirit must increase with ,christ and ,christianity4 ,to whom can we turn with more confidence for knowledge about all baptisms ordained or intended for us than unto ,john the ,baptist whom we are told was sent to administer one baptism1 and unto ,christ who was the author of another baptism8#hb ,three times in eight verses ,john says his baptism is of water1 thus distinguishing it from ,christ's baptism without water4#hc ,they are both quoted as testifying to two dissimilar and distinct baptisms administered at different times1 one with water and the other without4 ,neither of them intimates that these two baptisms shall ever be united1 but they do both plainly intimate that they shall not be united1 and that the first shall pass away and the second remain1 and no other be introduced4#hd ,john says3 ,he 7,christ7 shall baptize you with the ,holy ,spirit2 but ,john never says that he nor anyone else shall ever baptize you with water4#he ,christ says3 ,ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit1#hf but he nowhere even intimates that we shall ever be baptized with water1 nor does he ever mention water baptism but once1 and this was with his last words when he introduced his own baptism of the ,holy ,spirit as its immediate successor4#hg ,as ,peter interprets the ,prophet ,joel3 ,all flesh1 sons and daughters shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit2 but ,joel never prophesied that they should be baptized with water4#hh ,if in these gospel days we were to have been baptized with water1 would not ,joel have prophesied of water as well as of ,spirit8 #hi ,would not our ,saviour at some time have intimated that water baptism should be continued and have given some instructions about it8 ,and would he not have baptized his apostles in this way8 ,would ,john when teaching that great multitude of ,jews on the banks of the ,jordan have impressed upon them that water baptism was only transient and that they would all need to be baptized again with the ,holy ,spirit8#ij ,john baptized his disciples with water4#ia ,christ called to his disciples1 ,follow ,me4#ib ,christ did not baptize with water4#ic ,he is calling to-day1 ,follow ,me4#id ,the apostle ,john says3 ,jesus tarried with his disciples in ,judea and baptized2 tho' ,jesus baptized not but his disciples4#ie ,jesus here sanctioned water baptism by his presence for a short time and then departed1#if but he never baptized with water himself1 nor directed others to do so1 nor gave any instructions about it4 ,he likewise sanctioned circumcision1 and the law of ,moses generally4#ig ,it was observed all around him and he did not object4 ,he sent the cleansed leper to the ,jewish priest to offer for his cleansing as ,moses commanded4#ih ,this offering which ,moses commanded was two birds and cedar wood and three lambs without blemish1 c4#ii ,shall all cleansed lepers of our day do as this one was commanded8 ,shall we keep the law of ,moses1 circumcise our children and baptize with water1 because ,jesus sanctioned it in ,judea8 ,jesus1 his disciples and the ,judeans were all ,jews and this was under the law before ,christian baptism had superceded water baptism at ,pentecost4 ,of course they baptized with water1 circumcised the flesh and kept the law of ,moses2 but this is no precedent for us whether ,jews or ,gentiles in these gospel days2 since the ,holy ,spirit is poured out upon all flesh in all the fulness we are able to bear4 ,jesus was baptized in the ,jordan1 saying ,suffer it to be so now1 #ajj thus indicating that it should not be so always4#aja ,he was also circumcised1 and in after life confirmed his early circumcision by fulfilling and not destroying the law and the prophets1#ajb and by sending the cleansed leper to offer as ,moses commanded1 and by sending his apostles before ,pentecost to preach to ,israel 7the circumcised7 but not to ,gentiles 7the uncircumcised7 until the son of man be come4#ajc ,he here recognized the covenant of circumcision#ajd which ,god gave to ,abraham and that it was not yet fulfilled4#aje ,he virtually said of circumcision the same that he had previously said of water baptism1 ,suffer it to be so now4 ,but we find no manifestation of his will that we should continue to observe the covenants and customs of that dispensation of which water baptism was one2 and he never made any distinction whatever in favor of it but with his last words introduced his own baptism of the ,holy ,spirit as its immediate successor4#ajf ,jesus exclaimed upon the cross3 ,it is finished1 and the law and the prophets were fulfilled4#ajg ,he opened to us a more excellent way under his own glorious gospel dispensation of which that of ,moses was a shadow4#ajh ,he took away the first covenant that he might establish the second4#aji ,he purchased our redemption by his blood shed on ,calvary4 ,he died and was buried1 he arose and ascended4 ,angels said to his disciples3 ,why stand ye gazing up into ,heaven8#aaj ,this same ,jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into ,heaven4 ,the disciples returned to ,jerusalem and tarried there as ,jesus had previously commanded them4 ,upon the day of ,pentecost he came again as the angels had said and as he had often promised his apostles and disciples4#aaa ,he came as the comforter1 the ,holy ,spirit to teach us all things and to abide with us forever4#aab ,by this one spirit are we now all baptized into one body1 ,jews and ,gentiles1 ,bond and ,free1 male and female1 all one in ,christ ,jesus4#aac ,all flesh1 sons and daughters1 servants and handmaidens1 old and young4 ,by no other baptism can we all be baptized into one body4 ,water baptism diverts from this1 one baptism into one body4 ,farrar says3 ,that this first ,pentecost marked an eternal moment in the history of mankind no reader of history will surely deny4 ,undoubtedly in every age since then the sons of ,god have to an extent1 unknown before1 been taught by the ,spirit of ,god2 undoubtedly since then to an extent unrealized before we may know that the ,spirit of ,christ dwelleth in us4 ,undoubtedly we may enjoy a nearer sense of union with ,god in ,christ than was accorded to the saints of the old dispensation and a thankful certainty that we see the days which kings and prophets desired to see and did not see them1 and hear the truths which they desired to hear and did not hear them1 and that this new dispensation began henceforth in all its fulness4#aad ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #fh3 ,mark #a4b2 ,luke #c4d ,footnote #fi3 ,luke #g4bg2 ,jon4 #c4bh2 ,mat4 #ag4a1 #h ,footnote #gj3 ,mark #i4d1 #h2 ,jon4 #a4ca ,footnote #ga3 ,luke #a4hj2 ,mat4 #ag4a1 #h ,footnote #gb3 ,mark #i4b1 #h2 ,luke #i4bh1 #cf ,footnote #gc3 ,jon4 #a4ca ,footnote #gd3 ,acts #aj4bh ,footnote #ge3 ,jon4 #d4i ,footnote #gf3 ,concordance under ,proselyte ,footnote #gg3 ,britanica ,footnote #gh3 ,mat4 #c4e ,footnote #gi3 ,mat4 #c4e1 #f ,footnote #hj3 ,mark #a4g2 ,mark #a4h2 ,jon4 #a4bf1 #cc2 ,jon4 #c4cj ,footnote #ha3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af2 ,acts #aa4af2 ,acts #b4af1 #ah2 ,joel #b4h ,footnote #hb3 ,jon4 #a4f1 #cd2 ,mark #a4h2 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #hc3 ,jon4 #a4bf1 #cc ,footnote #hd3 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #aa4af2 ,jon4 #c4cj ,footnote #he3 ,jon4 #a4cc ,footnote #hf3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #hg3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #hh3 ,acts #b4af1 #ah2 ,joel #b4bh1 #bi ,footnote #hi3 ,acts #b4af1 #ah2 ,joel #b4bh1 #bi ,footnote #ij3 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,mark #a4h2 ,luke #c4af2 ,jon4 #a4bf1 #cc ,footnote #ia3 ,mark #a4d1 #e ,footnote #ib3 ,mat4 #d4ai2 ,mat4 #i4i ,footnote #ic3 ,jon #d4b ,footnote #id3 ,mark #b4ad2 ,luke #e4bg ,footnote #ie3 ,jon4 #c4bb2 ,jon4 #d4b ,footnote #if3 ,jon4 #c4bb2 ,jon4 #d4b1 #c ,footnote #ig3 ,jon4 #g4bb1 #bc2 ,luke #b4ba1 #bd ,footnote #ih3 ,luke #e4ad ,footnote #ii3 ,leviticus #ad ,footnote #ajj3 ,mat4 #c4ae ,footnote #aja3 ,luke #b4ba ,footnote #ajb3 ,mat4 #e4ag2 ,luke #e4ad ,footnote #ajc3 ,mat4 #aj4e2 ,mat4 #aj4bc ,footnote #ajd3 ,acts #g4h ,footnote #aje3 ,mat4 #c4ae ,footnote #ajf3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #ajg3 ,jon4 #ai4cj ,footnote #ajh3 #a ,cor4 #ab4ca2 ,col4 #b4ad1 #ag ,footnote #aji3 ,heb4 #aj4a1 #i2 ,heb4 #i4ac1 #bh2 ,heb4 #i4ab ,footnote #aaj3 ,acts #a4aa ,footnote #aaa3 ,acts #a4ab2 ,acts #a4d2 ,acts #bd4di2 ,acts #b4a1 #ah2 ,jon4 #af4af1 #bb ,footnote #aab3 ,jon4 #ad4af1 #ba ,footnote #aac3 #a ,cor4 #ab4ac2 ,gal4 #c4bh2 ,acts #b4af1 #ah ,footnote #aad3 ,life of ,st4 ,paul ,p4 #eb ,,water ,,baptism ,,and ,,christian ,,baptism ,water is not to be understood whenever baptism is named2 neither is baptism to be understood whenever water is named4 ,there are many baptisms without water mentioned in ,scripture and elsewhere4 ,the four evangelists and ,peter each define two different and distinct baptisms following closely after each other4 ,first ,john's baptism of water1 then ,christ's baptism of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,our ,saviour also testified to these two independent baptisms but to no other baptism as the result or successor of these two4 ,he speaks of one as past and of the other as yet to come4#aae ,many years later1 ,paul said there was only one baptism2 one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism4#aaf ,one of these two baptisms which ,christ and all the evangelists tell us about must have ended before ,paul wrote4 ,which baptism had ended8 ,which remains8 ,can any ,christian doubt which baptism remains to us8 ,christ's death1 resurrection1 ascension and return at ,pentecost had all intervened between the time when ,john told the ,jews of two baptisms and the time when ,paul claimed there was but one4 ,during this time ,christ had blotted out ordinances and nailed them to his cross4 ,he made no reservation #c of water baptism4 ,it went with the rest4#aag ,christian baptism came in fullness2 water baptism ended4 ,near the close of ,peter's ministry he said3 ,the baptism which now saves is not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward ,god by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4#aah ,putting away the filth of the flesh evidently here refers to ,jewish purification by water baptism4 ,peter says this is not the baptism which now saves4 ,the baptism which now saves is the answer of a good conscience toward ,god by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4#aai ,this answer of a good conscience toward ,god can refer to no other baptism than that of the ,holy ,spirit which ,jesus said was the promise of the ,father to follow or supercede ,john's water baptism4#abj ,it is also called the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and being filled with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and again it is called the earnest of the ,spirit4 ,this is the baptism which ,peter recognized as that which was foretold by the prophet ,joel3 ,in the last days saith ,god ,i will pour out my ,spirit upon all flesh1 your sons and your daughters shall prophesy4 ,on my servants and on my handmaidens will ,i pour out of my ,spirit and they shall prophecy4#aba ,these are the ,gospel days in which we now live4 ,this is the one baptism ordained to remain4 ,churchmen say3 ,burial with ,christ in baptism 7,rom4 #f-b7 is figurative1 a mortification of our lusts2 not a literal burial in water4#abb ,we heartily accept this church teaching and suggest that baptism into ,christ and crucifixion with ,christ are no more literal4#abc ,we see no more water about baptism into ,christ than we see wood in the cross upon which all ,christ's children must be crucified4#abd ,church catechism teaches that baptism is generally necessary to salvation4 ,as an apology for introducing this extrinsic word generally1 they say the thief upon the cross was evidently saved without baptism4#abe ,as we understand this is all contrary to ,scripture teaching1 one error calls for another and the catechism leads astray4 ,there is no generally about ,christ's teaching4 ,he said positively1 ,ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit2 and again he said1 ,ye must be born again4 ,without this new birth and baptism we see no hope of salvation4#abf ,the thief was evidently baptized upon the cross with this saving baptism and was born again without water1 and was thus prepared for the paradise which ,jesus promised him4 ,he experienced repentance1 forgiveness and remission of sin4#abg ,simon the ,sorcerer was baptized presumably with water2 was he born again8 ,we are told that he remained in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and that his heart was not right in the sight of ,god4#abh ,altho' apostles baptized ,simon with water he was evidently not born again4 ,altho' admittedly not baptized with water the repentant thief was born again4#abi ,paul said1 as many as have been baptized into ,christ have put on ,christ4#acj ,had ,simon put on ,christ1 his heart would have been right in the sight of ,god1 not in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity4 ,according to ,paul's teaching1 ,simon was not baptized into ,christ2 but the repentant thief was baptized into ,christ and put on ,christ4 ,the bond of iniquity in which water baptism left ,simon bound is a poor recommendation to the rite4 ,has it improved since that early day1 or is the gall of bitterness less pungent1 or has the sight of ,god become dimmed8#aca ,the ,new ,testament makes no connection between new birth and water baptism4 ,baptism1 not of water1 but of the ,holy ,spirit1 makes the heart right4 ,by resisting this baptism we fail to be baptized into ,christ4#acb ,by yielding to this baptism we become our ,saviour's new born children1 baptized into ,christ and buried with him in baptism4#acc ,this baptism is freely offered to every son and daughter of ,adam4 ,those of every land who never saw the ,scriptures nor ever heard of ,jesus with outward ear may be baptized with this saving baptism and be born again without instrumentality4#acd ,there are diversities of operations1 but it is the same ,god4#ace ,our ,saviour left us not dependent on book1 man or water for salvation4 ,his love is universal and unbounded2 he tasted death for every man4#acf ,this is the covenant that ,i will make with the ,house of ,israel after those days1 saith the ,lord1 ,i will put my laws in their minds1 and in their hearts will ,i write them4#acg ,paul says1 ,the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men4 ,this does not imply that this grace has appeared to all men in the same way and fulness1 but it does imply that it appears to every conscience with sufficient fulness to bring salvation if listened to and obeyed4#ach ,he now stands at every door and knocks2 if we open the door he will come in and sup with us4#aci ,if we love him he will abide with us2 but we must heed his gentle knocks1 his still1 small voice1 and open the door4#adj ,churchmen say3 ,the visible church1 comprising persons good and bad1 saints and sinners1 is the kingdom of ,god1 or the kingdom of ,heaven1 and that the door of entrance is water baptism duly administered4#ada ,paul tells the ,corinthians1 the ,gallatians and the ,ephesians1 each in nearly the same language1 that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,of fornication1 wrath1 strife1 drunkenness1 revellings1 and such like1 ,paul says3 ,i tell you plainly1 they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,but the fruit of the ,spirit is love1 joy1 peace1 goodness1 temperance1 etc4 ,again1 he says the kingdom of ,god is righteousness1 peace and joy in the ,holy ,spirit4#adb ,by ,paul's whole teaching those who yield the fruit of the spirit--love1 joy1 peace1 c41 are the inheritors of this heavenly kingdom and the unrighteous are rejected4 ,again ,paul says3 ,some of those ,corinthians who were once unrighteous were washed1 sanctified and justified in the name of the ,lord ,jesus and in the ,spirit of our ,god4 ,he said they were not inheritors of this kingdom while they were unrighteous4#adc ,membership in the visible church at ,corinth did convey this inheritance4#add ,they had to be washed1 sanctified and justified 7not in water1 but7 in the name or power of the ,lord ,jesus and in the spirit of our ,god4 ,they had to be washed in the ,spirit of our ,god before they could enter his kingdom4#ade ,in four of ,paul's epistles he recognizes the ,spirit at the door of entrance to this kingdom4 ,he mentions it seven times in ten verses in this connection1 but nothing whatever about water baptism4#adf ,paul knew of no door to this kingdom by way of water baptism or he would have told us of it1 for this door and how we may enter is just what ,paul was emphasizing4 ,our ,lord's memorable ,sermon on the ,mount1 which occupies the fifth1 sixth and seventh chapters of ,matthew is mostly about this heavenly kingdom1 the blessed who possess it1 the unrighteous who cannot enter and how we may all attain it1 but not one word about water baptism4 ,this ancient ordinance was far away from the mind of our ,lord amid the dim and receding shadows of ,judaism#adg when he taught that multitude on the ,mount and gave his kingdom to his saints1 the poor in spirit1 the pure in heart1 the meek and the merciful1 and encouraged us all to seek first this kingdom1 which he said those only can enter who do the will of our ,father in ,heaven4#adh ,the kingdom of ,god is mentioned more than sixty times and the kingdom of ,heaven twenty times in the ,new ,testament but water baptism is never once named nor alluded to in any of those eighty texts4 ,this silence impressively suggests that water baptism is entirely foreign to this kingdom and must belong to another dispensation4 ,plainly no door of entrance to this kingdom by way of water baptism had been discovered at the time the ,new ,testament was written4 ,jesus said that he himself was the door to this sheepfold and that he is a thief and a robber who climbs up some other way4#adi ,we read that ,john baptized with water but ,jesus should baptize with the ,holy ,spirit1 and with fire2#aej and again3 ,except a man be born of water and the ,spirit1 he cannot enter the kingdom of ,god2 and again3 ,except a man be born from above he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4#aea ,this birth from above2 this birth by water and the ,spirit2 and this baptism with the ,holy ,spirit and with fire are all three plainly one and the same divine operation and there is no water baptism either mentioned or implied3 ,yet man who is prone to substitute the letter which killeth for the spirit which giveth life1 long ago perverted this testimony of ,christ to ,nicodemus by construing born to mean baptized and thus by changing one ,scripture word he would close the kingdom of ,god against his fellow man who would not come to him and be baptized with water4#aeb ,but we trace through history from the beginning a seed or remnant who constantly protested against such sacramentalism and by legions sealed their testimonies with martyr's blood4#aec ,with the ,bible1 which was long forbidden1 now open to all1 how can we of this enlightened day still adhere to such idle dogma or ever quote these words of ,christ to ,nicodemus as authority for any water baptism8#aed ,by this whole context and by all of ,christ's relevant sayings upon the ,mount and elsewhere he had no allusion to water baptism4 ,had he meant baptized he would have said baptized and not born4 ,just as ,christ said3 ,we must surely be born of water and the ,spirit and we must just as surely be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit and with fire1 but we shall no more be born of material water than we shall be baptized with material fire4#aee ,neither is ,christ's fan material nor his axe at the root of the tree1 nor are the waters which he said should flow from the bodies of believers1 nor the waters which he promised should be in them a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life2#aef nor the living fountains of water1 where ,god shall wipe away all tears from our eyes4 ,neither shall we be tried and refined literally as gold and silver2 nor purged literally as a fuller purges with material soap4#aeg ,these fires1 fountains1 births1 baptisms1 waters1 c41 are all spiritual4 ,the purifications are symbols of our spiritual regeneration and preparation for the kingdom of ,god which the unrighteous shall neither inherit nor enter4#aeh ,like those ,corinthians we must be washed1 sanctified and justified in the name or power of the ,lord ,jesus and in the ,spirit of our ,god2 be saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewings of the ,holy ,spirit shed upon us abundantly by ,jesus ,christ our ,saviour4#aei ,we must be circumcised and crucified as well as washed and baptized4 ,we must be crucified upon a cross which we may often carry but with outward eyes can never see4 ,we must be circumcised in ,christ and buried with him in baptism4 ,we must be baptized into ,christ4 ,put on ,christ4 ,we must be circumcised of heart in the ,spirit by the circumcision of ,christ4#afj ,as instructed by ,scripture we accept this circumcision without hands1 and this baptism and washing without water1 and do most firmly believe that our ,saviour never commanded nor intended any other4#afa ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #aae3 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,mark #a4h2 ,luke #c4af2 ,jon4 #a4bf1 #cc2 ,acts #aa4ae1 #af2 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #aaf3 ,eph4 #d4e ,footnote #aag3 ,col4 #b4ad2 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #b4a1 #c2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #aah3 #a ,peter #c4ba ,footnote #aai3 #a ,peter #c4ba ,footnote #abj3 ,acts #a4d1 #e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #aba3 ,acts #aj4de2 ,acts #d4ca2 ,eph4 #e4ah2 #b ,cor4 #a4bb2 ,acts #b4ag1 #ah2 ,joel #b4bh ,footnote #abb3 ,nelson ,r4 ,boss on the ,prayer ,book ,p4 #ajb ,footnote #abc3 ,rom4 #f4c2 ,rom4 #f4f2 ,gal4 #c4bg ,footnote #abd3 ,gal4 #e4bd2 ,gal4 #f4ad ,footnote #abe3 ,what is ,christ's ,church8 ,hammond ,p4 #agg1 ,p4 #bgh ,footnote #abf3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af2 ,jon4 #c4c1 #g ,footnote #abg3 ,luke #bc4ci1 #dc ,footnote #abh3 ,acts #h4ac2 ,acts #h4bc2 ,acts #h4ba ,footnote #abi3 ,acts #h4ac ,footnote #acj3 ,gal4 #c4bg ,footnote #aca3 ,acts #h4ba1 #bc ,footnote #acb3 ,gal4 #c4bf1 #bg ,footnote #acc3 ,rom4 #f4d ,footnote #acd3 ,acts #b4af1 #ba2 ,acts #aj4cd1 #ce2 ,joel #b4bh1 #bi ,footnote #ace3 #a ,cor4 #ab4f ,footnote #acf3 ,heb4 #b4i ,footnote #acg3 ,heb4 #h4aj1 #ac ,footnote #ach3 ,titus #b4aa ,footnote #aci3 ,rev4 #c4bj ,footnote #adj3 ,jon4 #ad4bc ,footnote #ada3 ,what is ,christ's ,church8 ,hammond ,p4 #ca1 #ga1 #hf ,footnote #adb3 #a ,cor4 #f4i1 #aa2 ,gal4 #e4ba2 ,eph4 #e4e2 ,gal4 #e4ba2 ,r4v4 ,margin2 ,gal4 #e4bb2 ,rom4 #ad4ag ,footnote #adc3 #a ,cor4 #f4aj1 #aa2 ,r4v42 #a ,cor4 #f4i ,footnote #add3 #a ,cor4 #f4aa ,footnote #ade3 #a ,cor4 #f4aa2 ,r4v4 ,footnote #adf3 ,rom4 #ad4ag2 #a ,cor4 #f4aa2 ,eph4 #e4i1 #ah2 ,gal4 #e4af1 #be ,footnote #adg3 ,mat4 #e4c1 #ab2 ,mat4 #e4bj ,footnote #adh3 ,mat4 #g4ba1 #bc ,footnote #adi3 ,jon4 #aj4a1 #g ,footnote #aej3 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,luke #c4af2 ,jon4 #c4e ,footnote #aea3 ,jon4 #c4c2 ,margin ,r4v4 ,footnote #aeb3 ,jon4 #c4c ,r4v42 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,luke #c4af ,footnote #aec3 ,see in this ,article ,p4 #ci to #dd ,footnote #aed3 ,jon4 #c4c1 #e ,footnote #aee3 ,jon4 #c4e2 ,luke #c4af2 ,mat4 #c4aa2 ,jon4 #g4ch1 #ci ,footnote #aef3 ,mat4 #c4aj1 #ab2 ,luke #c4i1 #ag2 ,jon4 #d4aj1 #ad ,footnote #aeg3 ,rev4 #g4ag2 ,zech4 #ac4i2 ,mat4 #c4b ,footnote #aeh3 ,mat4 #g4ba2 ,gal4 #e4ba ,footnote #aei3 #a ,cor4 #f4aj1 #aa ,r4v42 ,titus #c4e1 #f ,footnote #afj3 ,philippians #c4c2 ,rom4 #f4f2 ,mat4 #af4bd2 ,gal4 #b4bj2 ,col4 #b4aa1 #ab2 ,gal4 #c4bg2 ,rom4 #b4bi2 ,col4 #b4aa ,footnote #afa3 ,col4 #b4aa1 #af2 #a ,cor4 #f4aa ,r4v4 ,,baptismal ,,grace ,some maintain that water baptism is a means of ,grace4 ,others define it as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual ,grace4 ,we have no record that our ,saviour ever taught any such doctrines4 ,grace is mentioned in the ,new ,testament more than one hundred times but water baptism is never once alluded to in connection with ,grace in any way whatever4 ,we cannot believe that our ,saviour ordained water baptism as a means or sign of ,grace to his children forever1 when neither ,he nor his disciples ever mentioned it or even remotely alluded to it--so far as ,scripture informs--in all of those one hundred texts wherein ,grace is so variously and impressively commended to us4 ,we are forced to believe that this whole theory of baptismal grace was conceived by man2 was modified by the reformation and now might be entirely abandoned as adverse to the teachings of ,christ and repugnant to sound reason4 ,,water ,,baptism ,,and ,,circumcision ,some assume that ,christ1 by his apostles and disciples1 instituted water baptism as the ,christian successor of ,jewish circumcision4 ,scripture testimony conflicts with this assumption4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles indicate that these apostles were mostly tenacious of ,jewish customs and only gradually comprehended the universal and spiritual nature of ,christ's kingdom in its noon-day brightness4 ,they looked for a ,jewish kingdom with ,christ as earthly king1 and of course to retain in some way their existing customs4#afb ,they called all who were not ,jews1 uncircumcised ,gentiles4 ,but few of the apostles would sit at table with ,gentiles or eat in their houses4#afc ,peter required a vision before preaching the ,gospel to ,gentiles1 and gave as his reason for hesitation that it was unlawful for ,jews to keep company or come unto those of another nation4#afd ,other apostles censured ,peter for making the freedom with ,gentiles which he sometimes did4#afe ,some insisted that ,gentile converts to ,christianity be circumcised4#aff ,some taught3 ,except ye be circumcised ye cannot be saved4#afg ,gentile converts at ,antioch resisted circumcision4#afh ,paul pleaded the ,gentile cause before the elders and apostles at ,jerusalem4#afi ,after much questioning ,gentile converts to ,christianity were excused from circumcision but no others were excused4#agj ,jews were reminded that ,moses was preached and read to them in the ,jewish ,synagogue every ,sabbath day4#aga ,this reminder in connection with the subject before them indicates that ,jews were expected to continue as heretofore to circumcise their children according to the law of ,moses which was preached and read to them in the ,jewish ,synagogue every ,sabbath day4#agb ,these elders and apostles know nothing about water baptism1 being the ,christian successor of ,jewish circumcision or they would surely have instructed the ,gentiles to this effect when they excused them from circumcision4 ,their silence upon this opportune occasion and at all other times is decided evidence that there was no such succession4#agc ,eight years later1 the same old controversy about circumcision brought ,paul again before the elders and apostles at ,jerusalem4#agd ,they re-affirmed their former decision that ,gentiles be excused from circumcision but reminded ,paul that he 7a ,jew7 was expected to walk orderly and keep the law of ,moses4#age ,they prevailed upon him to take a vow1 shave his head1 and enter into the ,jewish temple until an offering should be offered for him1 because he taught ,jews of the dispersion1 that they should not circumcise their children nor walk after the customs of ,moses4 ,paul was induced to suppress or conceal his indifference to circumcision but not his pronounced indifference to water baptism4 ,thus closes our last recorded meeting of the elders and apostles at ,jerusalem with no apparent abatement of zeal for circumcision4 ,to the last they evinced much more zeal for circumcision than they had ever shown for water baptism2 and they never in any way recognized water baptism as the successor of circumcision4 ,plainly it was not by the apostles but after the apostles' time that circumcision was discarded and water baptism exalted4#agf ,altho' ,paul ostensibly yielded to the elders and apostles at ,jerusalem1 yet his subsequent epistles indicate that he remained firmly indifferent or opposed to circumcision1 water baptism1 and other ordinances1 all of which he called carnal1 weak and beggarly elements when applied to ,gentiles4 ,paul said he was made all things to all men that he might win some4#agg ,to the ,jews1 he became a ,jew1 to the ,gentiles a ,gentile4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #afb3 ,acts #a4f2 ,luke #bd4ba ,footnote #afc3 ,acts #aa4a1 #c2 ,gal4 #b4aa1 #ab ,footnote #afd3 ,acts #aa4a1 #af2 ,acts #aj4bh ,footnote #afe3 ,acts #aa4a1 #c ,footnote #aff3 ,acts #ae4e1 #f ,footnote #afg3 ,acts #ae4a ,footnote #afh3 ,acts #ae4b ,footnote #afi3 ,acts #ae4b1 #f ,footnote #agj3 ,acts #ae4f1 #bj ,r4v4 ,footnote #aga3 ,acts #ae4ba ,footnote #agb3 ,acts #ae4ba ,footnote #agc3 ,acts #ae4bc1 #bi ,footnote #agd3 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bd ,footnote #age3 ,acts #ba4ba1 #be2 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bf ,footnote #agf3 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bf ,footnote #agg3 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bf2 ,col4 #b4aj1 #bc2 ,heb4 #i4a1 #aj2 ,gal4 #f4ab1 #af2 #a ,cor4 #a4ad1 #ag2 ,gal4 #d4d1 #aa2 #a ,cor4 #i4bj1 #bb ,,water ,,baptism ,,after ,,christ ,,in ,,apostolic ,,times ,dean ,stanley#agh says3 ,it has been the misfortune of churches that they have imagined a primitive condition which never existed4 ,the reluctance to look the facts of history in the face has favored the growth of a vast superstructure of fable4 ,let us avoid this misfortune of the churches1 this vast superstructure of fable1 and be willing to look the facts of ,scripture and history squarely in the face4 ,it appears by ,scripture that our ,saviour did not baptize with water and that none of his apostles were so baptized in his time4#agi ,after ,christ1 ,ananias directed ,paul to be baptized4#ahj ,we read that ,ananias was devout according to the law of ,moses1 as were also many of the apostles4#aha ,they looked for ,christ to restore again the kingdom of ,israel4#ahb ,with such hopeful prospects for ,judaism we cannot wonder that ,ananias and many apostles devoutly believed it to be in order and necessary that water baptism1 circumcision1 c41 be continued and that ,paul and other converts be so baptized4 ,that they should so believe is no more remarkable than that upon two occasions eight years apart they should pronounce it necessary that ,gentile believers abstain from meat offered to idols and from things strangled and from blood as ,jews did4#ahc ,paul was sent a special apostle to the ,gentiles4 ,peter and others more to the ,jews4 ,to ,paul therefore we turn for light upon the duty of ,gentiles4#ahd ,paul taught ,gentile believers3 ,unless ye be told that meat is offered to idols1 eat whatever is set before you or is sold on the shambles1 asking no questions for conscience sake4#ahe ,let no man judge you in meat or in drink1 or in regard to an holy day1 or the new moon1 or the sabbath days which are shadows of things to come4#ahf ,without claiming perfection for ,paul1 should we not all as believing ,gentiles accept his teaching about meat1 eating1 water1 baptism1 etc41 that ,christ did not send his apostles to baptize with water1 but preach the ,gospel1 and that the ,gospel is the power of ,god unto salvation to all who believe4#ahg ,after ,pentecost1 believers were baptized presumably with water4#ahh ,they sold their possessions and gave to apostles and had all things in common and continued daily in the ,jewish temple1 and in breaking bread from house to house4 ,shall we sell our lands1 live in common1 frequent ,jewish temples and break bread daily from house to house8 ,we see as much authority for doing so as for baptizing with water4 ,if the example of apostles and believers is ,scripture authority for water baptism1 it is also ,scripture authority to sell our lands1 live in common1 frequent ,jewish temples1 etc4 ,we cannot believe that we are required by ,scripture or otherwise to do all things which the apostles and believers did1 however good and proper it may have been for them at that time4 ,much less should we gratify our own predilections by electing to follow their example in water baptism and to reject it in other particulars4 ,by ,peter's preaching the household of ,cornelius was baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4#ahi ,peter then asked his ,jewish brethren if any could forbid water that these ,gentiles should not be baptized as well as we ,jews4 ,peter hesitated about baptizing ,gentiles as ,jews baptized1 yet he commanded it to be done4 ,peter claimed authority from ,christ for the ,holy ,spirit baptism1 but no authority for the water baptism only the silence of the six ,jewish brethren who were with him from ,jerusalem4#aij ,upon another occasion ,peter1 with others1 pronounced it necessary that ,gentile believers abstain from certain meats as ,jews did4#aia ,we recognize no distinction in ,peter's authority1 whether he restrained ,gentile believers from the use of certain meats or had them baptized with water4 ,in both cases ,peter's ,jewish education was his impulse and not ,christ4 ,as the ,eunuch rode in his chariot he read from ,esaias the prophet4 ,philip went up into the chariot and preached unto him ,jesus4 ,the ,eunuch was baptized by the wayside4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord caught away ,philip4 ,the ,eunuch went on his way rejoicing4#aib ,this appears to have been ,john's decreasing water baptism without formula1 but nevertheless to have been blessed to the ,eunuch's dawning condition of belief4 ,had the ,eunuch been reading ,christ's ,sermon on the ,mount with the veil which was rent on ,calvary clear lifted from his eyes1 he might not have stopped that chariot to baptize with water4 ,but he did not so read4 ,the ,new ,testament was not written at that time4 ,he read from the ,old ,testament1 from ,esaias the prophet4 ,many years after ,paul said1 until that day the veil remained upon the hearts of some when the ,old ,testament was read4#aic ,divine condescension to the dawning belief of this ,jewish proselyte in those transition times established no precedent which should induce us to linger in the border land of ,judaism4 ,we hear some wonder why many apostles and believers adhered so tenaciously to circumcision1 abstinence from certain meats1 etc4 ,future generations may still more wonder why many believers in our day hold so persistently to water baptism1 etc4 ,the day is surely dawning1 the ranks are filling with those who realize that these shadows are all foreign to the ,christian dispensation4 ,there is less excuse for now baptizing with water than there was for those ,jewish believers continuing to observe the law of ,moses generally4 ,the law was given to ,moses amid the thunders of ,sinai4 ,when ,israel obeyed that law they triumphed over their enemies4 ,when they disobeyed they fell before them4#aid ,how could they abandon that time-honored law of ,moses and their fathers and at once embrace ,christianity in its fulness8 ,john the ,baptist foretold that this transition would be gradual when he said1 ,he must increase1 but ,i must decrease4#aie ,our ,saviour was very tender of his disciples in their transition state and is yet equally mindful of his sincere children who are still in the same condition4#aif ,he said1 ,i have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now4 ,some things which he did say few can bear even yet2 still1 we long to know what were those suppressed and holy things which he did not say because his disciples could not bear them4 ,by the teaching of the ,comforter1 which is the ,holy ,spirit1 we have access ever-more to this sacred knowledge4#aig ,but only as we are able to bear it will he teach us all things4#aih ,not to the wise and prudent of this world1 but to babes in ,christ4#aii ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #agh3 ,christian ,institutions ,p4 #bjh ,footnote #agi3 ,jon #d4b ,footnote #ahj3 ,acts #bb4af ,footnote #aha3 ,acts #bb4ab2 ,acts #ba4ah1 #bf ,footnote #ahb3 ,acts #a4f ,footnote #ahc3 ,acts #ae4bh1 #bi2 ,acts #ba4be ,footnote #ahd3 ,acts #bb4ba2 ,gal4 #b4g1 #i2 ,acts #ac4dg ,footnote #ahe3 #a ,cor4 #aj4be1 #bi ,footnote #ahf3 ,col4 #b4af1 #ah ,footnote #ahg3 #a ,cor4 #a4ag2 ,rom4 #a4af ,footnote #ahh3 ,acts #b4ch1 #da2 ,acts #d4cc1 #cg2 ,acts #b4dd1 #df ,footnote #ahi3 ,acts #aj4dd2 ,acts #aa4ae2 ,acts #aj4dg ,footnote #aij3 ,acts #aj4db1 #dd2 ,acts #aa4ae1 #af2 ,acts #aj4dg ,footnote #aia3 ,acts #ae4bh1 #bi ,footnote #aib3 ,acts #h4bg1 #ci ,r4v4 ,footnote #aic3 #b ,cor4 #c4ae ,footnote #aid3 ,exodus #bj4ah ,footnote #aie3 ,jon4 #c4cj ,footnote #aif3 ,jon4 #af4ab ,footnote #aig3 ,jon4 #ad4bc1 #bf ,footnote #aih3 ,jon4 #af4ab ,footnote #aii3 ,mat4 #aa4be ,,water ,,baptism ,,after ,,the ,,apostles' ,,time ,by collateral evidence we are led to suppose that several of the apostles were martyred under the ,roman ,emperor1 ,nero1 about ,a4,d4 #fd4 ,the ,jews rebelled against the ,romans1 ,a4,d4 #ff4 ,at the approach of war1 ,christians of ,jerusalem and ,judea removed to ,pela1 beyond the ,jordan4#bjj ,eusebius says they fled in obedience to a ,divine revelation4#bja ,these were all ,jews1 and in their new homes were called ,nazarenes or ,ebonites4#bjb ,jerusalem and the temple were utterly destroyed and the ,jews massacred by the ,romans1 ,a4,d4 #gj4bjc ,dean ,stanley says3 ,the fall of ,jerusalem was the fall of the ,jewish world2 it was a reason for the close of the apostolic age2 a death-blow of the influence of ,jewish nationality for a long time to come4#bjd ,after the destruction of ,jewish ,jerusalem1 ,gentile ,antioch appears to have become the seat of church authority4 ,john was probably the only apostle then living and he1 it is thought1 was in a distant country4 ,at ,antioch and other places ,gentile ,christians evidently soon gained the ascendency and discouraged1 even ,jews from circumcision and other offensive ,jewish customs1 while water baptism and other usages not repulsive to ,gentiles were generally continued and in time modified to suit taste and convenience4 ,the early ,christians were not united in making these changes2 they caused continued discord and division among them as is manifest throughout the writings of the ,ante-,nicene ,fathers and ,eusebius4 ,the ,nazarenes1 ,ebonites and some others adhered to circumcision and the customs of ,moses as the elders at ,jerusalem had insisted that ,paul should do and as in the ,hermit ,church of ,abyssinia they still continue to do4#bjebjf ,we find these ,nazarenes and ,ebonites soon classified as heretics after the ,gentiles preponderated4 ,water baptism seems not to have been insisted upon at first but in the second century greater importance appears to have been attached to it4#bjg ,many1 however1 claimed that only baptism of the ,holy ,spirit and purity of the heart were necessary because none of the apostles but ,paul were baptized with water1 and ,christ said3 ,john indeed baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit2#bjh and again1 ,blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see ,god4 ,justin ,martyr#bji said3 ,what is the use of that baptism which cleanses the flesh and the body alone4 ,baptize the soul from wrath1 envy1 c41 and lo6 the whole body is clean4 ,and again3 ,what need have ,i of that other baptism who have been baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,while many such expressions occur in the writings of the ,fathers1 there are many more which support sacramentalism4 ,their testimonies are conflicting4 ,about the beginning of the third century we find water baptism first called a sacrament by ,tertulian and about the same time he complains that many tried to destroy it4 ,plainly1 as water baptism was exalted1 opposition increased4#baj ,the sect called ,ascoondrutes rejected all symbols and sacraments on the principle that incorporeal things cannot be communicated by things corporeal nor divine mysteries by things visible4#baa ,schaff says#bab3 ,many ,jews and ,gentiles were baptized only with water2 not with ,holy ,spirit and fire of the ,gospel1 and smuggled their old religious notions and practices into the church4 ,the ,roman ,emperor1 ,constantine1 professedly became a ,christian1 while he virtually remained a heathen2 ,a4,d4 #cab4bac ,christians were few in number before ,constantine1 but now pagans flocked to the church and sat in its councils4 ,constantine married the ,christian church to the heathen world4 ,he virtually united church and state4 ,he convened the council of ,nice and they formed a creed ,a4,d4 #cbe4 ,many protested against this council and its decisions but the mass supported the ,emperor and the creed4 ,among obscure dissenters whom the ruling church called heretics may we expect thereafter to find the nearest approach to ,christianity as ,jesus taught it upon the ,mount and elsewhere4 ,mosheim says3 ,no sooner had ,constantine abolished the superstition of his ancestors than magnificent churches were erected for the ,christians1 which were richly adorned with pictures and images and bore striking resemblances to the ,pagan temples both within and without4#bad ,the simplicity of the ,gospel was clouded by the prodigious number of rites and ceremonies which the bishops invented to embellish it4#bae ,they imagined the ,pagans would receive ,christianity with more facility when they saw the rites and ceremonies to which they were accustomed adopted in the church4 ,so the religion of the ,christians was made to conform very nearly to that of the ,pagans in external appearance4#baf ,the vice and insolent tyranny of many of the priesthood soon became notorious4#bag ,neander says3 ,such individuals of the laity as were distinguished by their piety from the great mass of nominal ,christians and from the worldly minded of the clergy often suffered persecution from the latter4#bah ,the name of ,andeus stand prominent among the many dissenters who protested against the corruptions of the ruling church at this time4#bai ,isolated companies of devout ,christians under various names rejected the ,sacraments4 ,they were called ,lampetians1 ,adelphians1 ,estatians1 ,marcionites1 ,euchites1 ,massalians and ,enthusiasts4#bbj ,mosheim says3 ,enthusiasts who discarded the ,sacraments and were rather wrong headed than vicious lived among the ,greeks and ,assyrians for many ages4 ,they were known by the general and invidious name of ,massalians or ,euchites4 ,a foot-note says3 ,this sect arose under the ,emperor ,constantius about the year #cfa4bba ,we have numerous accounts of ,christians who were prominent in the dominant church of the fourth century who deferred water baptism to middle life or old age and many were never so baptized altho' born of ,christian parents4#bbb ,about ,a4,d4 #ffj another ,constantine came forward as a reform preacher under inspiration said to have been received in reading the ,new ,testament1 particularly the writings of ,st4 ,paul4#bbc ,his followers were sometimes called ,macedonians but were generally known as ,paulicians altho' they preferred to be called ,christians4 ,it appears that these ,paulicians existed centuries before under the other names given them by their enemies and that the drooping sect was revived by the powerful preaching of ,constantine4 ,neander says#bbd the ,paulicians wholy rejected the outward observance of the ,sacraments and maintained that by multiplication of external rites and ceremonies in the dominant church the true life of religion had declined4 ,that it was not ,christ's intention to institute water baptism as a perpetual ordinance and that by baptism he meant only baptism of the ,holy ,spirit and that he communicates himself by the living waters for the thorough cleansing of the whole human nature2 that eating the flesh and drinking the blood of ,christ consists in coming into vital union with him4 ,in the ninth century one hundred thousand ,paulicians were martyred at once in ,armenia1 accused of heresy and denying the ,sacraments4#bbe ,for the same offence untold numbers were put to death during previous and subsequent centuries and in widely distant countries4#bbf ,their enemies represent that these ,paulicians were loving1 spiritual and peaceful1 and diligent in reading and circulating the ,scriptures1 but they were heretics and not worthy to live4 ,were not these dissenting martyrs a remnant or seed of the living church and their baptized enemies the real heretics8 ,the history of these inhuman persecutions reveals a sad condition of the dominant church and its ruling clergy of the ninth century4 ,some ,ecclesiastics who presided over a flourishing theological institution at ,orleans1 claimed to have been awakened by the writings of ,st4 ,augustine and ,st4 ,paul1 particularly the later4 ,many of the nobility and others of eminent piety and benevolence became their adherents4#bbg ,they rejected external worship1 rites and ceremonies and placed religion in the internal contemplation of ,god and the elevation of the soul4 ,they rejected water baptism and held to a baptism of the ,spirit1 also to a ,spiritual ,eucharist by which all who had received spiritual baptism would be refreshed and find their spiritual needs completely satisfied4 ,thirteen leaders of this sect were burned ,a4,d4 #ajbb4 ,when urged to recant they replied1 ,we have a higher law1 one written by the ,holy ,spirit in the inner man4 ,mosheim says they soared above the comprehension of the age in which they lived4 ,a few years later a similar sect was discovered in the districts of ,arras and ,liege4 ,they held individual holiness and practical piety to be necessary and that outward baptism and outward ,sacrament were nothing4 ,this they affirmed was the doctrine of ,christ and his apostles4#bbh ,about ,a4,d4 #ajdf a sect was suppressed at ,turin which was favored by the nobility and widely diffused among the clergy and laity4 ,they claimed to have one priest without the tonsure4 ,he daily visited their brethren scattered throughout the world and when ,god bestowed him on them they received from him with great devotion forgiveness of sin4 ,they acknowledged no other priest and no other sacrament but his absolution4#bbi ,who--we ask--is this priest without the tonsure1 who daily visits the world-wide brethern8 ,is it not ,jesus who was made a priest1 not after the law of a carnal commandment1 but by the power of an endless life8#bcj ,a sect called ,bogomiles1 who rejected outward baptism and acknowledged only spiritual communion1 was discovered in ,constantinople1 many of them in the families connected with the court4 ,their leader was burned ,a4,d4 #aaai1 others were imprisoned1 yet they spread secretly over the ,greek empire4#bca ,mosheim says3 ,the ,eastern churches continued to be infested with such fanatics in the twelfth century1 and the ,latin sects were still more numerous than the ,greeks4#bcb ,the ,catherists were a numerous faction in ,bulgaria and spread almost all over ,europe under various names who all agreed in rejecting baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,brethern and sisters of the free ,spirit took their denomination from the words of ,st4 ,paul 7,rom4 #h1 #b-ad74 ,they were called ,begards1 ,beghines1 ,turpines1 etc4 ,they rejected baptism and the ,supper as no longer useful to them and held to inward and spiritual worship4 ,they spread rapidly in ,italy1 ,france and ,germany4 ,they were mostly poor people and lived upon alms while upon their missionary journeys4 ,great numbers of plain1 pious people1 rich and poor1 embraced their teaching and forsook the dominant church4#bcc ,the ,inquisition checked their career with its usual record of cruelty and blood1 yet they continued to feed the fires of persecution for more than two centuries1 until near the time of the reformation4 ,in the south of ,france dissenters called ,albigenses became more numerous than the dominant church4 ,they were condemned by four councils1 but still continued to increase until about ,a4,d4 #abae1 when they were exterminated by a long and horrible war and the ,inquisition4#bcd ,these ,albigenses were distinguished generally by their strict and blameless lives1 by their abhorrence of oaths1 war and punishment by death1 and for their hospitality and beneficence4 ,they accepted baptism spiritually and rejected the sacraments4 ,can we believe that the church which led to the extermination of these ,albigenses1 the ,paulicians1 and many others1 was ever established by that loving ,saviour who spent his life in doing good to the souls and bodies of men8 ,does it not answer more nearly the description given of ,mystery ,babylon who was drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of ,jesus8 ,who would not gladly forget a succession which claims to run back through such a church as this8#bce ,in some parts of ,france dissenters similar to the ,albigenses were called ,bulgarians1 in ,italy they were called ,paterens and in ,germany were called ,catherists1 and in derision were called ,good ,men4 ,how is it that these dissenters1 by the testimony of their enemies1 appear to have lived better and holier lives without the sacraments than their persecutors did with them8 ,what is the testimony of observation in our day8#bcf ,are those beatitudes which ,jesus pronounced upon the ,mount better observed by those who have seven sacraments than they are by ,protestants who have only two8 ,and1 are they better observed under two sacraments than they are by the ,quakers1 and some other ,christians who have none8 ,if this is the case1 it is strong support to the belief that ,christ ordained the sacraments4 ,but if the reverse is found to be the existing condition1 then a suspicion may arise that these sacraments are not divine1 but are human impositions and that they divert from the ,divine4 ,therefore1 may it be that some of our best ,christians get along quite as well or better without them4 ,neither the word sacrament nor any synonym thereof occurs in the ,new ,testament1 nor in the writings of the ,fathers1 until the third century4 ,there were no sacraments then as there are now1 therefore no necessity for such a name4 ,sacrament was a ,pagan name for a military oath and was ruled into its present position by apostate ,christians4 ,the apostles and first ,christians evidently continued to eat the ,passover ,supper1 because their fathers had done so for ages in memory of ,israel passing over the ,red ,sea out of ,egypt1 and not from any command of ,christ4 ,otherwise they would with still more persistence have continued to wash each other's feet1 which ,jesus commanded with language and actions far more solemn1 impressive and imperative4#bcg ,the ,ante-,nicene ,fathers and ,eusebius inform us that water baptism was a prolific cause of bitter discord and division among the early ,christians4 ,it still sorrowfully distracts the loving children of our one ,father and impedes the spread of his kingdom in the earth4 ,these lamentable conditions must inevitably continue until such shadows are dissolved by divine brightness in that day which we rejoice to believe is now dawning4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bjj3 ,josephus ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #cbd2 ,vol4 #d1 ,p4 #ii ,footnote #bja3 ,eusebius ,p4 #ge ,footnote #bjb3 ,gibbon's ,rome ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #cii ,footnote #bjc3 ,josephus ,vol4 #d1 ,p4 #ccg ,footnote #bjd3 ,christian ,institutions ,p4 #bjb ,footnote #bje3 ,acts #ba4ba1 #bd ,footnote #bjf3 ,cyclopedia ,american and ,britanica ,footnote #bjg3 ,ante-,nicene ,fathers ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #bji2 ,vol4 #e1 ,p4 #ffg2 ,vol4 #e1 ,p4 #fgh ,footnote #bjh3 ,ante-,nicene ,fathers ,vol4 #f1 ,p4 #bag ,footnote #bji3 ,ante-,nicene ,fathers ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ffi ,footnote #baj3 ,ante-,nicene ,fathers ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ffi ,footnote #baa3 ,bucks ,dictionary ,footnote #bab3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bbh ,footnote #bac3 ,cyclopedia ,american and ,britanica ,footnote #bad3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #chc ,footnote #bae3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #cha ,footnote #baf3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #chb ,footnote #bag3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #aje ,footnote #bah3 ,ecclesiastical ,history ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bbf2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #gje ,footnote #bai3 ,britanica ,footnote #bbj3 ,neander ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bdj2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bda2 ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #bdb ,footnote #bba3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ajd2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #aje2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #aje2 ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #dai ,footnote #bbb3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #cad2 ,cyclopedia under ,constantine ,ambrose ,chrysostom ,jerome etc4 ,footnote #bbc3 ,cyclopedia ,american and ,britanica2 ,mosheim ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #aha ,footnote #bbd3 ,neander ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #bfc ,footnote #bbe3 ,cyclopedia ,american and ,britanica ,footnote #bbf3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #cee2 ,neander ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #egh ,footnote #bbg3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #efe2 ,neander ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #eic ,footnote #bbh3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #b1 ,p4 #efg2 ,neander ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #eig ,footnote #bbi3 ,neander ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #fjj ,footnote #bcj3 ,heb4 #g4aj ,footnote #bca3 ,neander ,vol4 #d1 ,p4 #eef ,footnote #bcb3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ajd2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ajg2 ,vol4 #a1 ,p4 #ajh ,footnote #bcc3 ,mosheim ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #bgj2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #bgf2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #cfe2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #ddi2 ,vol4 #c1 ,p4 #dee ,footnote #bcd3 ,neander ,vol4 #d1 ,p4 #fdb2 ,cyclopedia ,american and ,britanica ,footnote #bce3 ,rev4 #ag4e1 #f ,footnote #bcf3 ,mat4 #e4c1 #ab ,footnote #bcg3 ,jon4 #ac4ab1 #ag ,,conclusion ,that water baptism1 circumcision and many other ceremonies were ordained of ,god for ,israel is evident from ,scripture4 ,that these ordinances were fulfilled in ,christ is to us likewise evident4 ,he took them out of the way and nailed them to his cross2 still they were permitted for a time unto ,israel and we do not presume to deny their permission to some even until now1 for a thousand years with the ,lord is as but one day4#bch ,as children of the light1 we ever respect and regard every manifestation of that light to mankind in all ages of the world1 whether to ,jew or ,gentile or to people unknown4 ,we realize that there has been an increased revelation of this divine light1 and believe1 as our ,saviour taught1#bci that it will continue to increase as we are able to bear it1 and in proportion to this increase will symbols and sacraments pass away4 ,how can we doubt that our ,saviour1 with his last words here upon earth1 had in view his own glorious baptism of the ,holy ,spirit#bdj when he commanded his apostles to preach among all nations repentance and remission of sin1 in his name with power from on high8 ,this power from on high was the baptism of the ,holy ,spirit which he promised his apostles and disciples when he said1 ,john indeed baptized with water1 but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4#bda ,they had to be baptized with this baptism themselves before they could go teach all nations baptizing them4 ,power from on high was the one requisite to administer this baptism4#bdb ,they had baptized with water before this power was fully given at ,pentecost and continued to baptize in the same way after ,pentecost#bdc but this power is never mentioned in connection with water baptism4 ,it is1 however1 frequently mentioned in connection with preaching the ,gospel4 ,these same conditions have continued until now4 ,power from on high is not yet necessary to administer water baptism but it is indispensable to preaching the ,gospel4 ,altho' this power came in fulness at ,pentecost1 yet ,paul and legions more have received this power since ,pentecost4 ,farrar says#bdd3 ,this miracle is not transient but is continuously renewed4 ,not to a narrow apostilate in an upper chamber at ,jerusalem4 ,it is a vivifying wind that breathes henceforth in all ages4 ,it revived a world4 ,it is the power of an endless life4 ,a tide of light which is rolling and shall roll from shore to shore until the ,earth is full of the knowledge of the ,lord as the waters cover the sea3 in this aspect the outward symbol sinks into subordinate importance4 ,we think3 ,in this aspect the outward symbol sinks entirely4 ,there are many ,scripture testimonies that the apostles were instrumental in baptizing with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,to strangers scattered throughout ,pontus1 ,galatia1 ,asia1 ,cappadocea1 and ,bythima the ,gospel was preached with the ,holy ,spirit sent down from ,heaven4#bde ,were not these scattered strangers of many lands baptized with the ,holy ,spirit through ,gospel preaching as ,christ intended when he commissioned his disciples to go teach all nations1 baptizing8 ,by ,paul's ministry the ,thessalonians received the ,gospel with power and with the ,holy ,spirit4#bdf ,paul preached to the ,corinthians2 not with the enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the ,spirit and of power4#bdg ,as ,christ commissioned his apostles so ,paul preached with power from on high4#bdh ,as ,peter preached to the household of ,cornelius the ,holy ,spirit fell upon all who heard4#bdi ,this household of ,cornelius to whom ,peter preached1 the ,thessalonians and ,corinthians to whom ,paul preached and the scattered strangers who received the ,gospel with the ,holy ,spirit sent down from ,heaven and hosts more not mentioned were all baptized with the ,holy ,spirit through ,gospel preaching as ,christ intended when he commanded his apostles4 ,go teach all nations1 baptizing4#bej ,go preach the ,gospel to every creature4#bea ,preach among all nations4#beb ,as my ,father hath sent me even so ,i send you4#bec ,ye shall be witnesses unto me to the uttermost parts of the earth4#bed ,preach unto the people4#bee ,preach the ,gospel4#bef ,but tarry ye at ,jerusalem until endued with power from on high4#beg ,wait in ,jerusalem for the promise of the ,father which said he ye have heard of me4#beh ,how very weak it seems and how entirely foreign to even think of water in connection with these last words of our ,saviour4 ,he is indeed with his dependent children in this our day4 ,while he baptizes them with the ,holy ,spirit immediately he also uses many and varied means and instruments4 ,upon servants and handmaidens the ,holy ,spirit is now poured out as foretold by the prophet ,joel and by ,john the ,baptist and promised by ,christ4#bei ,sons and daughters do now prophecy with power from on high4 ,we admire and wonder as did ,peter at this baptizing power4#bfj ,we remember the word of the ,lord how he said ,john indeed baptized with water4#bfa ,but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,spirit4#bfb ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bch3 ,col4 #b4ad2 ,acts #ae4a1 #ba2 ,acts #ba4ah1 #bf2 #a ,cor4 #a4ad1 #ag2 #b ,peter #c4h ,footnote #bci3 ,jon4 #af4ab ,footnote #bdj3 ,luke #bd4dg1 #di ,footnote #bda3 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #bdb3 ,luke #bd4dg1 #di ,footnote #bdc3 ,jon4 #d4b ,footnote #bdd3 ,life of ,st4 ,paul ,p4 #eb1 #ec ,footnote #bde3 #a ,peter #a4a1 #ab ,footnote #bdf3 #a ,thes4 #a4e ,footnote #bdg3 #a ,cor4 #b4d ,footnote #bdh3 ,luke #bd4di ,footnote #bdi3 ,acts #aj4dd2 ,acts #aa4ae ,footnote #bej3 ,mat4 #bh4ai ,footnote #bea3 ,mark #af4ae ,footnote #beb3 ,luke #bd4dg ,footnote #bec3 ,jon4 #bj4ba ,footnote #bed3 ,acts #a4h ,footnote #bee3 ,acts #aj4db ,footnote #bef3 #a ,cor4 #a4ag ,footnote #beg3 ,luke #bd4di ,footnote #beh3 ,acts #a4d ,footnote #bei3 ,acts #aj4de2 ,joel #b4bh2 ,mark #a4h2 ,acts #a4e2 ,acts #aa4af ,footnote #bfj3 ,acts #aj4de ,footnote #bfa3 ,acts #a4e ,footnote #bfb3 ,acts #aa4af ,,the ,,end4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,all sidenotes in the original text have been changed into footnotes4 ,on page #bh1 ,undoubedtly was corrected to ,undoubtedly in every age since then the sons of ,god 444 ,on page #ee1 religous was corrected to religious in the text3 444 and smuggled their old religious notions and practices into the church4 ,on page #fa1 brethern was corrected to world-wide brethern8 and on page #fb to ,brethren and sisters of the free ,spirit ,on page #fe1 ,anti-,nicene was corrected to ,the ,ante-,nicene ,fathers and ,eusebius inform us 444 ,on page #fi1 ,cornithians was corrected to ,corinthians in the text ,this household of ,cornelius to whom ,peter preached1 the ,thessalonians and ,corinthians 444