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The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le dopument est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche k droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant la nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. errata to t i pelure, on d n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 PRICE 5 CENTS. M jusipistipi -A.3sriD -a.it OPEN LETTER TO IS^-y CRITICS. BY cKc It rtj eFra nci;> ^hanx^^ Pastor First Baptist Church, YARMOUTH, JST. !S. ■ «•> ■- YARMOUTH. N. S. : C. CARKV. PRINTER, 1888. Why do the greatest Scholars translate Baptize "To Immerse," and yet continue to practise Sprinkling ? "While Pastor of the J^aptist Church in the viUage of O I received a call from the Pastor ot' tht Presbyterian Church, of a somewhat remarkable character. He was a quiet, pleasant gentleman rather cool and reserved in manner a little inclined to have his own way, but honorable, noble, generous and kind. Tn all our acquaintance I had never seen him indignant at anything, until that particular day al- ready alluded to. when to my great surprise, he was deeply agitated, and evidently very much otlended. Without wait- ing to be sealed, or even to remove his hat (he was usually a polite man/ he cried. "Sir I called to ask you a question, and I want a direct answer — Yes' or No— and I will not be put off with anything else." The shock staggered me for a moment, but presentlv " Richard was himself again," and I gently prevailed on my friend to be seated. " Now. my dear brother." said I. when his hat was gracefully hanging on the rack, and he was sett- led in my old study chair, "ask as many questions as you please, and I will pledge you an immediate, straight, categor- ical reply. I will say Yes or No, or I don't know, or what- ever other word or words the nature of your question may require. Please sa}' freely all you have in your heart to say." Looking me straight in the eye. and relaxing none of his firmness imd fierceness of manner and tone, he replied : "Sir. did you tell Elder W . a few days ago. that Dr. Lange translates Christ's word baptizing, by IMMERSING ? Did you tell him, sir, that Lange translates John's words (Matt. 3. 11.^ "I indeed baptize you with water," by the words, "I indeed IMMERSE you IN water ?" Returning his intense gaze with interest, I replied: "Yes, sir, I told Elder W all that, and more of the same sort." " Why did you do it?" said he, his voice trembling with excitement. I re- plied, "Because I thought he ought to know it." Said he, "Now, sir, do you not know that Lange is a Pedo-baptist, a prominent divine and theologian in the Lutheran Church in B r r-" "Certainly" said I, " that is all true, no one doubts " " Yes" he replied "no one doubts it; but how, then, Germany ? Do you not know, sir. that he practises sprink- hng it. dare you make such statements about him, as you confess vou did to a ruling Elder of my church ? How dare you say that he translates BAPTIZO, to IMMERSE ?" "Why sir" I answered, "I dared to say, it because it is true." " True " he cried; "true, you surely do not mean to persist in your strange statement, after confessing that he practises sprinkling .^" " Why not " said I, " when it is true? as you claim, he does practice sprinkling, but he also trans- lates baptizo. and its derivatives to IMMERSE, and thereby confesses that Christ has commanded him, not to sprinkle, but to IMMERSE; and I have a right to state the lact — it is a public matter." " I tell you," he replied, •' there is some mistake about this." Your statement cannot be true. Dr. Lange is a good man, and a great man. and he would never do a thing so absurd." " Mr. K " said I, ' have you Dr. Lange's work on Matthew in vour Library?" " Why, yes, I have it," he re- plied. " Well then " I rejoined, " why did you not examine it before coming here to accuse me of misrepresentation.^" "Why, sir " he said, "I knew it could not be true; and I could not believe you had really said so; and I thought, " 1 will just run in and ask him about it and that will settle it." Of course I might have looked into the book as you say, but of what use would that be? Dr. Lange is a Lutheran. He practises sprinkling habitually, and it is not possible that he translates BAPTIZO to IMMERSE,for that would condemn his own practise." I did not reply to this, but taking Dr. Lange's work on Matthew from a shelf just behind me, I opened at Matthew, 3. II., and handing thd book to Mr. K , I bade him read tor himself Then sitting down just in front of him, I w^atched his countenance as he read. Poor fellow, I really pitied him. He grew red and pale by turns, and no wonder, for there he not only read, " I INDEED IMMEkSE YOU IN WATER," but also, "HE THAT COMETH AFTER ME SHALL IMMERSE YOU IN THE HOLY GHOST AND IN FIRE." And then followed ^/^^f^ an elaborate explanation of immersion as the S3mbol of a complete regeneration, a change equivalent to a Death and Resurrection, and all that from the pen of a great and good man, who, contrary to his own translation of the Divine Word was in the habit of sprinkling, instead of immersing, as the Lord commands. At last my friend looked up, the very picture of astonish- ment, and in a bewildered but an emphatic way, he said : "HOW CAN A MAN WRITE AS THIS MAN DOES, AND STILL CONTINUE TO PRACTISE SPRINK- LING?" "Ah "said I "that is the problem; but you see that I was correct, do you not? You concede that my state- ments about this matter were true, do vou not?" "Oh, yes," he replied, your statements are true; and I most heartily confess the gross injustice I have so foolishly and unwittingly done 3'ou, and I earnestly beg your pardon for treating you as I did, I am very sorry for it indeed." "Say no more about that, my dear brother," I responded, " I most heartily and fully forgive you, and I sympathize with you most deeply in your feeling of pain at the gross in- consistency of those men, who frankl}- confess that Jesus enjoins immersion, and then cooly keep right on SPRINK- LING in His name." [f. m. iams. J It seems strange that while such men as Dr. Lange and Dr. Schaft' declare to the world that IMMERSION is the mean- ing of the original word used in the New Testament to re- present the Baptism command by Christ and practised by His Apostles, that men who are infinitely inferior in scholar- ship and especially in a knowledge of that wonderful Greek language, take upon themselves to say, right in the face of their own great Scholars, that the original mode of baptism was NOT IMMERSION. If their own great Scholars and thinkers declared that the original word means sprinkling, I would not wonder that their inferiors would follow their present mode of baptism. A lady asked me the other day to answer this question. She said, " Mr Adams, some of my friends in Pedo-baptist churches, say if the great Scholars of our denomination de- clare that infant sprinkling is not in the New Testament, that they affirm there is neither a command nor an example 1 t t 5 on which it can be foundtd, WHY DON'T THEY GIVE IT UP, AND PRACTISE WHAT THEY RELIEVE ?" Those Scholars who declare that IMMERSION was the original mode of baptism, and yet practise sprinkling, cer- tainly HAVE MORE REGARD FOR THEIR SCHOLAR- SHIP THAN THEY HAVE FOR THE LORD'S COM- MANDS. They are careful to obtain the approval of MAN for their correct translation of the New Testament, but they are not anxious to have the approval of GOD for obedience to known duty. Most, if not all ot them, are Tutors in rich and powerful Universities or Colleges, receiving large salar- ies. It seems that they are more willing to practice what they KNOW to be error, and retain their fmancial advan- tages ; than practice what they KNOW to be the truth, and sacrifice their emoluments. Look at such a man as Dean Stanley, one of the most brilliant men that ever adorned the English Episcopal Church. After proving most conclusively that the Baptist plunged the people beneath the river Jordan, he says in his " Palestine ;" " He fjohn ) came baptizing, that is signifying to those that came to him, as he plunged them UNDER the rapid torrent, the forgiveness and forsaking of their former sins;" and "There began that sacred rite, which has since spread throughout the world, through the vast baptisteries of the Southern and Oriental Churches, gradually dwindling to the little fonts ot the North and West; THE PLUNGES BENEATH THE WATER diminishing to the /^c; droi>s which by a wise exercise of cliristcan freedofn, are now in most churches the sole representative of the full stream of the de- scending river." pages 312-313. The Dean has furnished us with probably the most effec- tive reason, why he and the many great scholars believe that the original mode of baptism was IMMERSION, and YET PRACTICE SPRINKLING. *'BY A WISE EX- ERCISE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM." That is, that man has assumed the "FEEEDOM" to alter the WORD of GOD. to suit his own convenience. That he has the "FREEDOM" to substitute sprinkling for immersion, and to substitute babies for believers. That he has the "FREEDOM" to believe one thing and practise another. That he has the "FREEDOM" to sit in a College and teach error because he is paid handsomely tor it, and vet sends out books that declare his own denomination is wrong. The Dean has couched his reason in very plausible lan- guage, but an analysis reveals it to contain a most dangerous element, that is generally known by the name of "exped- iency " or "policy." Had he been a Baptist, he would not have needed to resort to a subtle form of speech, behind which to veil his inconsistency, nor thus to render an apology for departing from the Word of God ; but he could have bold- ly and fearlessly challenged the world to have found any in- consistency between his belief and his practise. But being the great and rich Dean of Westminster, he felt that it was asking too much of him, to surrender his CHAIR in the Ab- bey with all its accompanymg power and opulence, and to become a poor Baptist Minister for the sake of being consis- lent, so he manufactured a reason for NOT PRACTISING the Baptism of the New Testament, and practising a poor traditional suDstitute of man's invention. The Dean's "policy" has been and still is, carried out to perfection by those great scholars, who teach one thing and practise another. " BY A WISE EXERCISE OF CHRIS- TIAN FREEDOM " they manage to vindicate their exact scholarship in their Lexicons, Commentaries, and Histories, by declaring that the original word used to designate baptism by our Lord, means to IMMERSE, and at the same time they succeed in holding on to the salaries they receive from Pedo-baptists Seats of Learning. That is certainly a hard thing to do, for it involves the disapprobation of both the Pedo-baptist ministers and of the Word of God. One need not look far to see the results of the adoption of this " policy," in the religious world. " By a wise exercise of christian FREEDOM," the Unitarian strikes the Divinity of Christ out of his Creed ; The Universalist imports the universal restoration of the lost souls ; the Roman Catholic ta9ks on to his creed the \yorship of the Virgin Mary, and the silly doctrine ol Purgatory. " By the wise exercise of christian FREEDOM," some churches allow their members to go with bare necks and arms, to engage in the impure and corrupt dance on Saturday night, and sit dow^n at the -ge and and yet wrong. ^Ic lan- tigerous ' exped- )uld not behind ipolcjgy /e bold- any in- being : it was he Ab- and to L'onsis- [SING I poor out to !,'■ and IRIS- exact t-ories, iptism ; time from hard h the on of 'rcise 'inity 5 the holic and Je of ibers pure the I I Lord's table on Sunda}-. In tact every corrupting ally of everv proteasing christian church, has slipped in through that ■'little hole, ''A WISE EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM/' until what is called "CHRISTENDOM" to-day, is more like the great sheet Peter saw let down from heaven, " wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things, and fowls of the air,'" than a body of holy men and women working, and watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord. Let me now draw your attention to another great man, who if not a Dean, occupies as influential a position among the Congregationalisls of the United States, as the Dean did among the Episcopalians of England. He stands every Sabbath in the most inlluentiiil Congregational pulpit on this continent; and is also the Editor of a powerful religious Newspaper. Dr. Lyman Abbott, the successor (pro tem ) of Henry Ward Beecher, recently preached a sermon which shows he does not believe the doctrine of his own church, on the sub- ject of infant baptism. Here is a paragraph that furnishes a pretty hard nu', for Congregationalists to crack. 'The helpless infant lies in the arms of the mother, and the child by a PURE FICTION, is supposed to renounce the world ; it is supposed to believe in the Apostles Creed ; it is sup- posed to exercise faith and repentance ; the promise and the re- nunciation and the experience being expressed for it by an- other. The Baptists are more logical. They say there is no way by which a child can be brought out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Christ, out of this curse into this blessing, except by repentance and faith, and fw babe can exercise repentance and faith, and no man can exercise repentance , and faith for the babe. Therefore we must zvaii until he is old enough to understand, and old enough to exercise repentance and faith ; we must ivait until he has come to years of discretion and intelligence, and then he must intelligently exercise faith and repentance for himself^ tbr there is no door of entrance in- to the kingdom of God, except the door of conversion by per- sonal experience through repentance and faith. WE CON- 8 GREGATIONALISTS ARE NOT LOGICAL; we stand about half way between the liaptists and the Episcopalians. We baptize our children as the Episcopalians do, but we say that they cannot come into the church until they have exper- ienced repentance and faith, as the Baptists say." If 1 Congre^ationalist had read that paragraph in the papers, and had not known who preached it, he would have said, '*Oh, that is from a sermon by a bigoted Haptist." Hut now we all know that it was preached from the pulpit of Ply- mouth Church, by one of the most famous Preachers and Editors of the Congregational body in the United States, I what will they say? What can they say? Surely there is not a single Congregationalist this side the line, that would presume to set his opinion over against such a man as the celebrated Dr. Lyman Abbott ? Now let us see what this "ILLOGIC ALNESS" leads to. That other great Congregationalist Dr. Hopkins says, " No one is to be considered, and treated as a member of the church of Christ, unless he be baptized with water; AS THIS IS THE ONLY DOOR by which persons can be in- troduced into the visibL^ kingdom ot Christ, according to His own appointment." (see Curtiss on Communion, page 125;. The Congregationalists declare that baptism is the ONLY DOOR by which any one can come into their churches. They baptize (as they call sprinkling) their babies ; those babies are accordingly members of their churchps, and have a right to all the privileges of membership. They ought to take the Lord's Supper, vote in the church meetings, and help on the Lord's work generally ; for all these things are obligations and privileges that belong to those who are mem- bers of churches, and certainly ought not be denied to those who have just become members. But now, — behold, the ILLOGICALNESS of the Congregationalists, immediately after making babies members of their churches agauist their will, they push them out ot the churches against their zvill^ and send them adrift into the world. They take the children into their churches by " THE ONLY DOOR" because they are " BABIES," and immediately turn them out because they are " NOT CONVERTED." Well may the great Dr. Ly- we stand opalians. It we say /e e\ per- il in the )uld have ;ist." Hut it of Ply- hers and d States, there is at would n as the leads to. ys, " No ir of the ,ter; AS an be in- •rdin^ to page on, 2 ONLY :hurches. ;s ; those and have ought to ngs, and lings are ire mem- l to those lold, the nediatelv iwst their heir will, children luse they luse they Dr. Ly- man Abbott say, "WE CONGREGATIONALISTS ARE NOT LOGICAL," and truly has he also said, "THE liAP- TLS1\S ARE MORE LOCilCAL." I suppose the I)r miant that the Baptists are more "SCRIPTURAL," but that would be granting them a little too much, and would belittle his own body beyond endur- ance. Nevertheless «my child can see that is the logical conclusion one must draw from the doctor's premises. That great English Congregationalist Dr. John Campbell, in a " PRIZE ESSAY" for which he wasawaicVd one hun- dred guineas by the Committee of the English "Congrega- tional Union "declared that "AS THINGS NOW GEN- ERALLY STAND, THE PEDO-BAPTIST THEORY IS ALTOGETHER WITHOUT A PARTICLE OF PRACTICE, BEYOND THE EFFUSION OF WATER; IT IS EVERY WAY UNPROFITABLE, AND NOTH- ING SUPPORTS IT BUT BLIND CUSTOM." Now why did not Dr. Campbell give up that " BLIND CUSTOM," and practise what he believed to be the baptism ot the New Testament? And why does not Dr. Abbott honor his conscience and obey the Word of God, by practising what he knows to be the ONLY baptism in the New Testa- ment? The only guess I can make that seems a good one, is that, "BY A WISE EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM," Dr. Abbott prefers his twenty thousand dollars a year and alliance with error, to a quarter that sum with the New Testament on his side. 10 An Open Letter to my Critios. Gentlemen : — I am sorry to know that my sermons on baptism have 1 aroused angry feelings in your hearts. That was not the in- tended etlect, but I had hoped to have awakened a spirit of free and honest enquiry. And if the reverse of my hopes are realized, I am not to be blamed for the result, for it was through a Pedo-baptist that the sermons were preached. This winter, many young people, brought up in six other denominations, strayed into the First Baptist Church meet- ings; and I am happy to be able to say that (among them five young men and three young w^omen ) testified that they had experienced a change of heart. They came of their own free will, and God blessed His word to their souls. One of these had serious thoughts of joining the Baptist Church, but was not satisfied as to the consistency of " Close Communion." One of that person's companions called on me and told me that that young convert fully believed that :)e- liever's baptism by immersion was the only iniptism in the New Testament, but could not understand close communion, and would I give an address on the suhjeci. The sermon on "• Close Communion " was therefore the result of Pedo- baptists having been converted in our church. In not one of my sermons is there any expressed or intend- ed unkind feelings towards any one, but si nply straightfbr- m ward statements on what we believe, and why we differ from " others on the subjects discussed. In them cannot be found _ a single statement that reflects on any individual in Yar- 1 mouth, fmt onty an honest discussion of the different bap- tisms practised by the different bodies here represented. \ Now if any minister or laj^man desires to answer my sermons, let him do so in the same way I have pursued, and in the same spirit I have exhibited. Why should not our differences be freely and calmly dis- cussed.'' Is it not by such means that the best conclusions are reached in the Legislature? And what a far:e a trial in court would be were the lawyers prohibited free and open de- bate? Then seeing there is such a wide divergence between us on the solemn subject of baptism, why should not our II 1 have the in- pirit of hopes it was ached, other meet- y them d that ime of ' souls. Baptist ' Close lied on hat ;)e- i in the lunion, sermon r Pedo- intend- ghtfor- tv h'om t found 1 Yar- nt bap- sented. rmons, in the rily dis- :lusions trial in pen de- etween not our I practises be subjected to the sam:i siftinir process? Any child can see that that was the method our Lord adopted with both friends and foes. With Pharisees, disciples, or heathen, he held long and interesting discussions, reasoning with them concerning His creed and theirs in a free and open manner. And in many cases, those who were con- vinced that His was better than theirs, will thank God through all eternity for the light thev received during those discus- sions. Behold the Prince of Reasoners in the synagogue, and on Mars Hill, what glorious results followed his discussions! What was the Reformation but the resuU, through God's blessing, of long and earnest discussions in which mental and spiritual giants, such as Wiclifl' and Luther took part? Whereas it is the essence of Romanism to shun and to sup- press free and open discussion on the greatest ot all themes, Christian Truths. Free and trank discussion will always do good, if conducted in the right spirit and with God's glory in view, and the Baptists are never afraid of it, in fact they rather court it, for there w^h never a discussion on Baptism yet that did not add to their number. But to a kind of Guer- illa warfare, all straightforward people object. One minis- ter of this town told me, that he took one of my sermons into his pulpit, and after discussing its contents said, "I am surprised that such brazen-faced ignorance should be tolerat- ed." On remonstrating with him for such abuse he promised to apologize for using the word "brazen-faced, '* but he never did so. If that gentleman (?) differed from me in the morals or the scholarship of that sermon, why could he not discuss freely and frankly the differences between us in a christian gentlemanly way. Why should he so far forget both his influence and his position, as to use language more fit for the saloon than the sanctuary, more becoming to a pugilist than a preacher ? When a public teacher ol morals will open his sermon on baptism, by stating that his sermon is NOT A REPLY to any body as he sees no "ground" for a reply, and then proceeds to try to prove that some of my statements are wrong, ordinary people naturally con- clude that that gentleman is guilty of telling falsehoods. Wou' ' he have preached on that subject ? And would ^•■f?i?v.'Wiai'»K a?-j»»ia 12 his people have studied to advertise that the rev. j^jentleman was going to deliver himself on that theme ? and vv'ould his people have so cordially invited so many of my people, who went to hear him on that very topic ? If I had not preached on baptism the previous two Sundays ? I think any ordinary jury would convict him of falsehood, on the ground of the evidence at hand. If that gentleman felt that I had misrepresented the creed and practises of the pedo- baptists, why could he not with gentlemanly courtesy, reply to my sermons by presenting freely and frankly his "views"' on the subject and publish them? Instead of which, he de- clares he is not going to answer any body, then preaches a sermon in which he makes distinct references to parts of my sermon, and crowns his discourse by ridiculing the ordinance of believer's baptism, by declaring that the Eunuch did not go on his way DRIPPING, but rejoicing. Every body can discern that a SNEER is not an ARGUMENT, and that a made up little anecdote about a big man and a little man quarrelling over a fence is a poor substitute for sound reason- ing. Ail we ask ot our Critics is Truthful, Manly, Sound Reasoning backed up by the Word of God, and not Ridi- cule, Sneers, and Abuse, and I will ensure them reasonable answers couched in language becoming a minister of the Gospel. In reply to Rev. J. Gaetz I may say, that from the Metho- dist Hook of Discipline, and the Methodists greatest historian on this continent, I understood that baptism is an essential to communion. This is what the "Book of Discipline" says, "Baptism is not only a sign of profession and MARK OF DIFFERENCE, WHEREBY CHRISTIANS ARE DIS- TINGUISHED FROM OTHERS THAT ARE NOT BAPTIZED ; but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the New Birth." The straightforward logical conclusion of that tenet is, that those who are not baptized have not the MARK that distinguishes them as christians ; and I did not suppose that any Methodist would allow that rule to be broken in the participation of so solemn an ordinance as the Lord's Supper. Now listen to Dr. F. G. Hibbard the great Methodist in- terp'-eter of Methodist doctrine. In his famous book on "Christian Baptism," page 174 of part II, he says, "Before ) 1.3 , •? entei'ing upon the argument before us, it is but just to remark that, IN ONE PRINCIPLE, the Baptists and" Pedo-baptists AGREE. THEY BOTH AGREE IN REJECTING FROM THE COMMUNION AT THE TABLE OF THE LORD, AND IN DENYING THE RIGHTS OF CHURCH FELLOWSHIP, TO ALL WHO HAVE NOT BEEN BAPTIZED." With such an interpreter of Metho- dist doctrine as Dr. Hibbard, I have all I want to support my assertion. With regard to Mr. Gaetz's references to English Baptists, I have simply to say that the three millions of baptized be- lievers on this continent, have no more to " SETTLE " with the English BAPTISTS, than they have to settle with the English WESLEYANS. The English Baptists are mostly open communionists, and to-day they are (Mr. Spurgeon included ) opening their eyes to the fact that while t/iey have grown to only //irec luindred thousand in several centuries, the Close Com hat>tists on this continent have grown to tJtree millions in a little over one centnry. There, open commun- ion Baptist churches have been so largely patronized by the pedo-baptists, that in some cases the Baptistic features have vanished, and they are virtually governed by the Pedo- baptists, who have Dcen enjoying all the same privileges of members of the church. Not a few have become "• Union Churches." John Bunyan's old Church at Bedford is now a Congregational Church. Mr. Gaetz closes his letter to the *' Times" by saying, "When our brother has settled the question of close com- munion with his baptist brethren (^meaning the English Bap- tists) we may be inclined to pursue the subject further ; NOT TILL THEN." But Mr. Gaetz, what have you to do with the English Baj)- tists ? That is throwing sand in the eyes of the people. That is like a man trying to draw the eyes of a crowd oft who are looking at the Sun, by the flying of a kite. It may appear to the unwary very ingenious, but though "^ ^ minds who look for ARGUMENTS in your letter v perceive that your reference to the free-communion Baptists of England, is simply a hit of sentimentalism, tacked on to dratv t/te minds of the people away from the great question at issue ■■''■••"^ — ^iiiiiariiMiiiiilMiii'WTiri AitiirsL.mL'MiA H betwieen us. A.nd what is the main question ? it is this. I have proved in my sermons that wf do not invite vou to the Lord's supper because \^ you have been only sprinkled you have not been baptized, and according to Dr. Hibbard's teaching. those ivho hai'e not been baptized have no right to the Lord'^s Supper. I have on the other hand proved according to the greatest Pedo-baptist scholars that immersion was the origi- nal mode of baptism, that only those who have been immersed are really baptized, therefore that only such as have been im- mersed have a right to the Lord'^s Supper. Now, instead of carefully avoiding the great question, will you please set to work and prove that our Lord was sprinkled, that He com- manded His disciples to sprinkle, and please give us a single instance of an infant being sprinkled in the New Testament ; and then I will at once, not only invite you to the Lord's table, but I will compete with you in the work of sprink- ling all the infants that come along. One of my ministerial critics said lately that there is no doubt that Jesus Christ was immersed, and another said that He was not immersed at all. We certainly are near- ing a solution of this baptism problem.