Scripture Baptism, Its Mode and Subjects (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Baptism at rivers?John at Jordan and Enon?" Much water"?'' In Jordan"?John's baptism superseded? Jesus baptized by John?" Out of the water"?Pictorial representations?Why Jesus was baptized. In the course of this discussion, we have suffered ourselves to be led over a wide and 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 instances of baptism recorded in the New Testament, as affording infallible proof that immersion was the primitive mode. " Surely," say they, " immersion was practised in the apostolic age, because we read of their baptizing 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 j5uon?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 JORDAN. Our opponents say that he chose the Jordan 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 r...