The California Christian Advocate on Baptism.
By James White
The editor of the Advocate makes the following uncandid remarks relative to our recent article in the Signs on baptism:— “The Signs of the Times in a long article on immersion gives the case of Philip and the Eunuch in support of the immersion theory. The Eunuch was reading that portion of the prophecy which relates to Christ. Two or three verses were quoted—and Philip expounded the word. Then the Eunuch declared his readiness to be baptized, when a little rill was seen by the roadside—there was no pool nor river there. “Our cotemporary seems surprised that the newly enlightened Ethiopian should speak of baptism. “It asks: But why is this novice speaking of baptism? The record does not state that Philip had as much as mentioned the ordinance. It is evident however, that in preaching Jesus Philip had introduced baptism or the Eunuch would not have thought of it. Philip preached Jesus. His text was in Isaiah which speaks of his humiliation and death. “We can explain the matter to our dear brother; there is nothing remarkable about it. In the sixth verse preceding the scripture quoted, this statement is made: ‘So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.’ The conversion of the nations to Christ was foretold, the subjects initiated by sprinkling, all of which Philip no doubt explained to the Eunuch. An unfortunate text for Brother White.” The gentleman has not disproved a single position we took in the article. He evidently did not expect to do anything of the kind, but entered into a sort of trifling over one of Heaven's most solemn ordinances. How does he know that Philip and the Eunuch came to only a little rill? How does he know that Philip sprinkled the young disciple? He was not present. Did they both go down into a little rill and come up out of a little rill? We solemnly protest against thus trifling with sacred things. The candid reader will not be at a loss to judge discreetly between the overwhelming evidence from our humble pen in favor of immersion, and the trifling of one who assumes the most responsible position in the M. E. church on the Pacific Coast. The words sprinkle and sprinkling do occur in the Bible. We read of the blood of sprinkling. And God says, I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean; but the editor knows very well that the sprinkling of a babe or an adult does not cleanse them in any sense whatever. The blood of Christ alone cleanses from sin. J. W.