Baptism | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 2, 1879

Baptism.

The universal practice of the Greek Church is an enduring evidence of the fact that the original and primitive manner of baptizing was by immersion. One of the best comments on the real significance of this Greek-English word, baptism, is found in the following note to a Historical Discourse published by Rev. W. Hague, D. D.: 'During the Spring of the year, while traveling in Greece, the author was struck with the fact that it is impossible for a Greek to associate any idea with the term baptism but immersion. At Kalaimachi, a village in the Gulf of Athens, I was introduced to a learned Greek, who spoke several languages. We conversed respecting my country and his. Among other subjects of inquiry, I spoke of the Greek Church, and took occasion to say to him: "The Italian Church does not practice baptism as you do." As if to correct my inadvertent phraseology, he immediatly rejoined: "Baptism! O no! they have rantism (sprinkling), we have baptism."'