This is the third baptism that has been held at this place in the last three months. At this time forty-one persons were buried with their Lord in baptism. It was a beautiful day, and all nature seemed to rejoice with us at the thought of awakening to new life. The rains had just begun to fall, and all vegetation was beginning to shoot forth. With those baptized at this time, one hundred and seventy-one persons have been baptized in San Pablo as the result of our tent meeting, and still there remains a good interest in the barrios. We feel to praise the Lord for the success that he has given our native evangelist, Brother Bibiano Panis, and his coworkers.
BAPTISM AT SAN PABLO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
At one of these baptisms, the fallacy of the oft-repeated assertions of those who do not believe in immersion as the proper mode of baptism was made manifest. I have many times heard it said and seen it in print, that on the day of Pentecost it would have been impossible to baptize so many as three thousand in one day by immersion. The fallacy of this claim was clearly demonstrated when, in one afternoon, I baptized one hundred and four persons in just one hour. If all twelve of the apostles had been engaged in baptizing, and had carried on their work at the same rate per hour, they could have baptized 1,248 in one hour, or that great multitude of three thousand in less than two and one-half hours. Of course, we planned our baptism well, to be able to accomplish such results. One brother helped the candidates into the water, and another helped them out, so I could baptize one right after the other. We need not doubt the statements of Scripture, although we may not always fully understand them.
At this place a church of one hundred and eighty-three members has been organized, and they are starting to build a house of worship. May the Lord greatly bless this new church, and make it a power for good in disseminating the light to others.
