A Comforting Interpretation.
THE following narrative shows how a Dutchman became puzzled over a popular attempt to uphold a popular error. The reader will excuse the style, for the service it will do in the cause of correct interpretation. The argument in favor of a false mode of baptism stands fatally transfixed as with a spear of polished steel, on the Dutchman’s keen, yet apparently unconscious, logic. The Advent Herald introduces it with this fitting note: The following article has appeared in several of our exchanges, and we cut it out some time ago, thinking we might publish it; but not being exactly of the style we like, it has thus far lain “shust close py or near to” the paper—that is to say, in “the pigeon hole,”—but at the repeated request of a subscriber it now goes “into” it: One who does not believe in immersion for baptism was holding a protracted meeting, and one night preached on the subject of baptism. In the course of his remarks, he said some believe it necessary to go down into the water, and come up out of it, to be baptized. But this he claimed to be a fallacy; for the proposition “into” of the Scriptures, should be rendered differently, as it does not mean into at all times. “Moses,” he said, “we are told went up into the mountain, and the Saviour was taken into a high mountain, etc. Now we do not suppose that either went into the mountain, but upon it. So with going down into the water, it means simply going down close by or near to the water, and being baptized in the ordinary way, by sprinkling or pouring.” He carried this idea out fully, and in due season and style closed his discourse, when an invitation was given for any one so disposed to arise and express his thoughts. Quite a number of the brethren arose and said they were glad they had been present on this occasion, that they were well pleased with the sound sermon they had just heard, and felt their souls greatly blessed. Finally, a corpulent gentleman of Teutonic extraction, a stranger to all, arose and broke a silence that was almost painful, as follows: “Mr. Breacher, I ish so glad I vash here to-night, for I has had explained to my mint some tings dat I never could belief before. Oh! I ish so glad’t that into does not mean into at all, but shust close py, or near to; for now I can pelieve manish tings vot I could not pelieve pefore. We read, Mister Breacher, that Taniel vash cast into the ten of lions, and came out alife! Now I neber could pelieve that; for de vilt beasts would shust eat hem right off; put now it ish ferry clear to my mint. He vash shust close py or near to, and tid not get into the ten at all. Oh, I ish so glad I vash here to-night.” “Again, we read dat the Hebrew children vas cast into de firish furnace, and dat air alwish look’t like a peeg story, too; for they would have been purmt up; put it ish all plain to my mint now; for they were shust cast near py, or close to, the firish furnace. Oh! I vas so glad I vas here to-night!” “And den, Mr. Breacher, it ish said dat Jonah vash cast into de wale’sh pelly, and taken into de wale’sh pelly. Now I never could pelieve that. It always seemed to me to be a peeg feesh story, put it ish all plain to my mint now. He vash not taken into the wale’sh pelly at all, put shust shwampt onto his pack and rode ashore. Oh, I vash so glad I vash here to-night!” “And now, Mister Breacher, if you will shust explain two more hashages of Scriptures I shall pe, O, so happy dat I vash here to-night! One of them is vere it saish de wicked shall be cast into a lake that burns with fire and primstone always. O! Mister Breacher, shall I pe cast into that lake if I am wicked! or shust near enough to pe comfortable? Oh! I hope you tell me I shall pe cast only shust py, a good vay off, and I vill pe so glad I vash here to-night! The other hashage is that vich saish, blessed are they who do thees commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city. Oh! tell me I shall get into the city, and not shust close py, or near to, shust near enough to see vat I have lost, and I shall be so glad I vash here to-night!”