VERY LIBERAL | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 14, 1880

VERY LIBERAL.

REV. DR. TALMAGE (Presbyterian), of Brooklyn, has a baptistery in his Tabernacle. Recently he immersed eighteen converts, sprinkled water on others, and announced himself ready to "pour" those who wished to be poured. This is said to be liberal. It reminds us of what is said to have occurred some years ago in the West. One of the converts, Joseph Duncan, desired immersion. The preacher opposed it. Others also wished to be immersed; and the minister preached on the subject, taking the position that baptism means sprinkling, pouring and immersion, all three, and announced himself ready to baptize the converts, about twenty in number. Eleven stood up for sprinkling. Among them was Joseph Duncan. Those who wished to be "poured" were called up. Joseph Duncan being one of the number, the preacher whispered, "I thought that I baptized you a little while ago." But Joseph replied, "No; you are mistaken; you have not baptized me yet." Whereupon Joseph was "poured." It appearing that several held out for immersion, the people repaired to a stream of water near by, and when the converts presented themselves for immersion Joseph Duncan was among them. The preacher was surprised, and said, "My brother I have already baptized you. I thought you were among the first; I know you were among those that were poured!"

"That is true," said Joseph; "That is true; but you have not baptized me yet. In your sermon, you told us that baptism means to sprinkle, pour, and immerse. If your preaching is correct, I am only two-thirds baptized. I have been sprinkled and poured, now I demand immersion, so as to complete the requirement."

Confounded by Joseph's logic, the liberal minister was obliged to yield, and immersed the persistent convert.

Joseph was right. A good many do as he did, though not always on the same day. It is first sprinkling in babyhood, pouring when older, and finally immersion, to satisfy the voice of conscience. We never knew the order reversed—never knew a convert to begin with immersion and end with sprinkling. Our liberal friends are too liberal. They make for themselves a great deal of trouble, and make for deluded converts a great deal of unhappiness. Better immerse believers at once; or if they really believe that the word for baptism includes the acts of sprinkling, pouring, and immersion, perform these acts at once, and so end all doubt by doing what, according to their theory, baptism, in its various meanings, requires.—Exchange.