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1
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Vi
M
i_^
m
1 V,''
V
^OVA SCOT
^GXSVWIVE L
\ *,
PROVINCE HOUSE
r*^-.
\ *
VINDI CATION
OF THE
tiAPTIST TIlANSLATOllS IN INDIA.
IN RLPLY TO THE
jCr. THOMAS TUOTTKIVS LETTERS,
"IS Tim MEANING OF B^TIZO-''
liY
C IIJIRLE S T UP PE R
ISTEIl OF THE BAPTIST CnUilCH, AMHERST, N. S
iProjiis of this JVork ivill be devoted to objects
^enevoUncc, including the circulation of the
Scriptures in Burtnah,
PIC TO U, N, S,
I NT EI) 'at THL eastern CHT
li
SiEV.BENJ. SCOTT. \
/ I
^V
/
>. / / ^1
VINDICATION OF THt: BAPTIST TIlANS-
LATOKS IN INDIA: IN IilUM.Y TO REV.
THOMAS iTROTTEirj LETTEBS ''ON
THE MEANING OF BAPTIZO,"
LETTER I.
A didbrcncc ofricnthuent shoiiM never be puf-
fered to produce alienation of afleetiosi. It is oh-
I viourf that no jnanought to he an^ry with' another
M. for ei]tertaining views lliat differ i'-uiu his own, nor
yet for assigning his reahuns for entertaining^ them.
Il is, however, so eotnjnon for controversialists to
* indul^re in a spirit of acritnonv, that sooie are ready
o decrv all eontrovers\', as if it must nccessnrilv
i)rodnce animositv. But it certainiv man he condiie-
ted in a si)irit of kindness. Though i huve heel* ' ^;^
to regard it as my duty to write, in several nrstan
en controverted suhjecis, ! am not a w:\re (^f fijr»'.;i
penned a single sentence uuiler the in(lueng^?jiulMt
ings of unkiiidiiess lowanls iJicse \v(l
ifany mnn hiis irnagiiieil thail liuve asked si (■|iic>fH>n
'Snappishly," !>- to nHSure^him that inltliis he \n\n
been mistaken, for I have not intende.l to violate the
lawsteit))er of l'.in(lnc^^s or of courtesy. It is my sin-
cere and earnest desire that a ?pirit of mutual love
ixn\ friendliness niiv nrovad a.r.on^' all Cliristian.s,
v.-hether I'apti-^ts <w Pedoijcplistrj and I sincerely
i ili.it I may never either write or uUcr a word
•uiaptcd to retard tlie prevalence of such a spirit.
As it is probable, that many of the readers of theso
letters are unacquainted niih the eircumsranceswhich
gave rise to the present controversy between the lie .
Mr. Trotter and myself, I deem it proper to state
them briefly.
In theyear ISOl the Rev. Dr. Carey, a Baptif^t
Miysionnry in Iudi:i. ru'/ii.4ied a translation of the
New Testnmont in the Bengali lanj^uage. He has
over been reoarded Uy all who had any adequate
knowledgeof him, as au eminently learned, pious,
and amiable man. His translation was made from
M50 Greek. He conscientiously endeavored to give
\hc meaning of the sacred original as exactly and as
distinctly as he possibly could. When he came to
the word 6j;?/i-o, after attenti\e and careful exami-
nation, he selected that Bengali word which, accor-
ding,' to the best of his knowledge and judgment, de-
ijoted precisely the same action. I: was a word that
si-iiifies to immerse. This was so soon publicly
kn^'own in England, and became a subject of conver-
sation among P<'.(!obaptists there, that I)r. Carey,
having been apprized of the refuarks of tiie Hcv,
Rowland Hiil respecting ir, wrote h>nie \\) 1S03, dis-
rmotly s
relative
dtity to
p. m.
In thi
Society
M., an
tary,''at
lie hun
\ie the
ly siii-
1 lovo
stiaii.s,
icei'(')y
word
)irit.
ft lie so
iiwhicli
c He .
) stiite
Baptifst
of the
Ic has
eqiKito
pious,
:; from
o give
;in(l as
\'.y\G to
exarni-
ac*{.!or-
Mit, (le-
rd that
uhlicly
1)11 V(; r-
Carey,
J Hc'v,
53, (lis-
rno.ly statin, the fact, a...l giving a fu 1 ^M'l'vnat'O"
'e.ive.othe cour.e vvl.iC. he ' had .leome.l U h..
;,:!;; "pursue. (S.o.no,noi.- of Ur.W.Uu... Carey.
''".Tto voar 1804 tho B.iti.U nn.l F"™''"" f J^«
Society wus for.n.U TUo Rev. Jo-l'^ / f | ;^t
n ii...vf'i-t tniiostr!*. was Its IllSi oecri..-
M an esteemed IJaptirA nnniftui, » * /. ,u *
,,;;., n.l he is .•e.-o,n,ize.l l.y the Co,n,n.ttce of that
S oc-;; y as one of m foun.lers and rhief promoter .
Se L;on,18;M,p. xix.) The Baptists eonl.a y
.,; L .!> Uevr p'.lobaptist brethren in th.s no bio
I ' ,i.n an.! .'.ntrilmted liberally to ,ts funds,
r:: ; tv"; Lds ...istanco was afforded, without
,„/,tist;ncaon, to M :•' pnblishinsvcrstonsmade by
" n Baptist a.,d Pedobaptist Missionaries >n fore g.
ands. Thou,;, .be Baptist Miss.onar.es preceded
o-he>-s, a..a were the principal translators .« h.-l-a.
tbcv never atte.npte<l to dictate to translators of othei
de..on.ii.ations, bm went ^quietly forwa.-d in one nn-
deviatin, co„rse. After all parties had proceeded
thus amicably for upwards of twenty years, a co.t.-
pUiiiit was made by some Pedobaptist missionaries,
xvho a!le"cd-not that the versions made by Baptist
MissioiiaHes were incc.rrect-but that they were "the
;.-casion of much inconvenience to th^m in the.r nns-
.ionary w<,rl<." (Examination, &c., .,. 2.) 1 he result
,vi= that in 1833 a new i-esoUition was passed by a
...ajoritv of the Committee, which excluded the ver-
Hions .,:ade bv Bapti.t Missionaries f.om any further
pa,,icipation"in the fun.ls of.l.e B.-itish a..d Foreign
Bible Society, u.dess the verb baplizo and its now.
l.,pUsmn shoul.l Ik, transferred and not translated.
This Drs. Carey, Mar.sljn.nn, Vatc.c, and tlioir rol -
Jfag.ie.M fitateil, afur (hUhvniUi cuiisuhatioii, they
c|C)uMnot(Jo;nsthcir conscioncvs wouhl not allow
t.e.M to conceal any part of D\v\uo rcvHation iVotn
tiie acnuhen hy hueiitionally r:i,.l „PG(lio..sly learin-
words untranslated for the salvO of acooniodation. 1
Noe not how any n.a:i who ro-ard.s the s:iC!'ed ri-ht^
ol conscience, can (loom it consistent to censure th^ni
or thu^ obeyin- the dictates of their consciences; nor •
how he can expect that those who believe these ver-
sions to be correct will suGer the labor thus expended
ami the means thus' provided for the clissennnation
ol the Holy Scriptures amon- the perishin- heathen
tohe lost, or rendered almost wholly unavailing for
the wantof support.
-Vlany Baptists, however, in Great Britain and her
colonics, though thoy disapprove of the course aclop-
ted by a majority of the committee of the British and
Foreign lOiblo Society in this cage, continue to con-
tribute to its C'jmh. So far as I know, we all wish
well to that Fnstituiion, though so.-no of us do cer-
tamly deem it our duty to give aM that we coutribme
lor the Circulation of the Scriptures if) roreicrn ],arts
to aid m sustaining the versions made by our Bap-
tist brethren.
Having commenced a mission amonff tiieEurmr.se
and Karens, by sending the Rev. II. E. Buvpe from
these Provinces, it o])viously devolved on us to send
them also the Sacred Scriptures. As there ar- no
translations made into their languages, exceprin- by
baptist 4Miss.onaricP, the Baptist? obviously must
yM
^^ivr the Scrij)Jurcs to ilicso nai;oMi<, or tlioy must vc-
nuiin ilfstitinn of this iiivnlimlilc lilesnug. *'!'<» M«slst
llioiolbrc, in .,'ivin;r the snored Oracles to tlit-so l.e-
iiiglitod heathens, mid those who nro jnst etnerj^-'mir
iVoni heathenish darknesp, a Fmall society was form-
ed in Amherst near the close of the year' 1815. Ear-
ly in 1840 a Mcetij.i; was held in liie san.e place,
wherein the formation and doing's of this Socieiy
were canvassed and condemned. J requested per-
mission to give an explanation ; hut it was noi<T,.nnt-
cd. In consequence of this, 1 suhsequently deliver-
cred a '' Defence " in public, and gave liherty to cor-
rect, explain, nsk questions, $^r. This, however,
was declined; and another meetin:,' was held , at
which I was again refused a hearing. Awnre that
much misapprehension prevailed extensively, many
jrroundlessly imagining that the Baptists were cor,
rupting the Scriptures for sectarian purposes, altering
the English version hy substituting immerse for bap^
ttze, &.C., 1 deemed it necessary to publish n)v ^'Dc-
f.:'nce," in order to remove such misapprehensions.
Though no one attempted to enter into tlie r- rits
of the caf-e, and to pid)li»{i a direct rcjdy to my De-
fence of the Baptist Translators in India and their
supporters, yet three of the principal actors in the
M^etiiigsiJuhlished strictures on certain parts of it.
'i'o these I replied.
The Rev. Mr. Trotter, evidently aware that \\\y
opponents were unable to maintain the cause m
which they were engaged—I give him credit for not "
denying ih;s—ca!ne forward to assist them, and pub-
mmm-
"f ^w
»»
B
li.lu.l ii I.ottor ill re!«.ci.ec to ihe sulijocfm tl.e 'No-
va Sco,i,m,' .Im.c 24. 18-lt;. V.olbro n.y Review of
this ap|.'--.>r..-a, lu- !.rc,.a.o,l, ,„,o.hc.- Coni.iuinie..-
tion niM.ntli.s.Mio .,.l.joot,<la-<.d \..,i. 24, nn.l pu -
li.h.Ml Scr.t. 10. tn liii.s 1.0 .•xi-'ossly referre.l to •ll.e
i.o„lrovei-.v will, ll.c Ciiptists, ul.ich l.a.l lately lieen
c,,r.-i.Ml on" in ll.o Nova Scoti.ui;" aii.Uvf.-y ,..ol.e.ly
cxpro,-..'=l !,isn;'ret ll.at it had "dei;.-"''-"""! ""» '='^-
nressinnsof l.nd fecli..'!."* ACto" the „,.,..n..-a..c • ol
n.v of lloviou -Mr. T.otto.\s f.r.t I.cttc.', he |...l.lish-
e,ia«..iosofL..ttere in .'eply. Th-'se I .cvi.vvcd.
Thou.h his Lctt.M-s occ,.|.i.!.l lour t.' iHc columns m
Ui- "Nova Scolia.i" inorothan my Revie-vs of then.,
and I had hocn called to contcu.l with .-.ve other op-
,,o„ent.., oruho.n<M,r, t-se Rev. Mr. Smith had writ-
ten oNpros-slv in loply to my laa.eviow of Mr. 1 .-ot-
ter's L<'tt<!rs, vet it .cems he has .Iccneil it neccssaiy
loi-o!.unichisi.ciiforihe m.-.intenar.ce of his cause,
even l,efo.-e n-.y answer ;•. Mr. 'Sn.i.h,-wh.ch was
.kmied .a ,daco in .ho "Nova Seotian," had heen
imlilished in any piipcr.
llavin- thu.s ^riven a l.ri.^f outline of the on-m and
present .;,,te of the .-ontiover.y, in ..ro.eedm- u> re-
vie-.v M.-. Trotter's L,-e.s "Oa .he Meaning- ol I.al.-
lizo." 1 lK.g t,, a.s..re him that 1 entc.-tain no loel
TTT-, . ,.„„-->i to he ro-rrettod, n-oveover, ihnt bo had
, I n eU '.vo'l' c\ h: I evil uhioh he jus.ly disap-
„ot hn'-y •'•■„; j_.„ „,„„,,, „ot then have as^er-
'"'l -r he H, ne tt'er that Dr. Maciay, |a ...an lo.-.^'
1 , Ms^^v Iv lu own on hoth .-ides of the Atlantic,
"'.' rin. ot•^.n,nesio..al,le vera.-i.y-"..ttere.l. a
:h,v^r.,-igl..flt■holl;'i.^ucas.in^vhiche,thera,^,.^^
I
/
lii;'.'^ rounrd him, or any of my Podobaptist hrctlnon,
l»iit iliosii (»f mi(lisse!iil»l('(l kindiicss. He ruiist nor,
liDW 'vcr, Ii;mu'o ifiiai^'iiit? tljat I will hesitate to ex-
pose (listlhctly what 1 conceive to he the fallacv of
Ill atttMMprinjr to. ir.ort the arjrtiitiOMt flrnwn from
ihe -ilh'j^rd (jict, that the Conirniitee ofthe British St
Forei*;!! Hil)l(» Society circulate vcrsioiis in which
the worri IJaptizo is ren«lerr ' l»y words that denote
immersion, Mr. TroUer h^^ denieri that ;he wordti
Jbnad a. id J\LimudUho, nscd in the Syriac version,
have this nicaninj^. [ have ^. roved that they do mean
this, from the cone .rem te.stimony of the njost emi-
take or a misunderstimdinif was very liaMe to occur.
TMeither would he jjave ch.irfjed the*Baj)tist JVlission-
firy Society c^f F.nudand, with pursuinjif a courise
^*in the the highest dcixree unf«ir and dishonorahle"
in tfie appropriation of contributions, when, ap it ap-
pears iVom his own Siatements that "annual account:?
(were) laid l)erore the public in the Report:? of the
Socricly,'' so that all w ho contributed miuht know at
once to what (►])jects tlieir donations were devoted;
and, as I have shewn, the clyiracter of the versions
made by Baptist Missionaries in India had been long
puhlicly kr.own in Great Britain, It is, however, a
curious fact, that Mr. i'rotfer, immediately after
preferrinjjT this very serious charge again&t the Bap-
tist Missionary Society, eulor^ises '*thf spirit ol Ful-
ler, and Carey, and Marshman, and Ward," recom-
mending these men as patterns for our imitation,
when it is certain that if there had been anvthing
"unfair and dishonorable" in the case to whiln he
refers, these very men,— includinj? the first Secretary,
t!ie first Translator, and the first Printer,— must
liave been the first and principal act:>rs in it!
■Miriini
>-*... -. *
10
, "n,'.,l.-.PtWt Svri-.H^ tM-l."l.ivs. from <!.o nsc of
„,.|<nowlo,lr.l '-y j^; •/; ^,,, „,,,,.,in.to Dr. Cns-
,Vt. that ^^•--'^'i' :; ' ' ,„p,i„e:„,. is a,.,.ii.a
plar-eMiit.UMt u. Testament to ilo-
i„ ,he Syriac vers.on of the 1 _^_^ ^^^ _
note the cansing of me. s.ls to ^ /^ ^ ,.,„,^
does .Mv. Trotter attempt to set as e. I. ■«
•proof.? Sim,l.vby -eeurr.n, « '"',,„„,,.,
,„pposed •^«'■'^»''°^";;.'''J,;,,,^„y lit.Ie weight
,,y competent nuthorme* '"';"";;; \f„, havinj;
in determining the meat,m, «f.- ■';/;' j,^ ,.,,„,.
define., •^"7''^! "^^^^f'^" - r^ that "frou.
Cuet^tly --'-!' fX.O .he e,,,i,,i,u. „o„n Ma.,u.
the noun J«itM/o (!t pill'" ; '"<■
j-.A«U f,,r'Tie<l" and hence inters ih.i. i- m. ..
rfufto .s fo. ...e , ,,,,„^„.l „„y instanre
"confirmation." He has now . ^,„., ,,•„,, of a
of ,he nse of the word, nor even he ^ ' ,.^,.,„..
finale Lexicographer, to support any ot U> ..
da.Lenses, which (hesid. •.—.;;;. J
arbitrarily put upon U. .* ""^ .'"""•,.,, „.i,enoe ho
cannot pretend any affinity -^" "^ 7;;\: '„„„, of
p.„fesse. to '';';"-.;^^:;^:;:t;« TsPiac^oun. hy
Lm the same ^or,,Ar^^.^Vr^'^^-^^^;,
not deny thatrse6o,"a finger,' .s as evulen .
^^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^D^^^^^^nmi^^^^ '^^H
V
? ®^SB
1
It
i
■ i
9
from Tcha^ *-t<» iiimu ivo, jmd a finger (jhviou.sly lias
no more connexion wiili imniersion llian a [)ilUu'
has.
'I'o shew, moreover, how uncertain a guide in this
case id the mere derivation of she wor({ Amad tVotn
the Hebrew. 1 renjarU, that while Dr. Henderson re-
gards the \vor<l as referring to receiving baptism "in
II standing posture," and Mr. Trotter snpposes it
relates to "confirniing the convert," Michaelis, (a
Pedol)aptisr, eminently skilled in Hebrew, Syriao,
and Araliic,) stiites \\\ effecr, that not a fmv com{)arc
tiiii Syri;ic verb witis the Hebrew Amadh, to stand,
in reference to standing in a river (JJcrgi) to he
immersed in if. iint he oij^erves that lie • does
not find Amad used in Svraic to denote staUilinff' ;
and he iherefore derived it from an Ara'oic word
which exi)ress]y means (immergere) to immerse.
See ^^«iac/, in his Ed. of Castell'!; Syriac Lexicon.
Tliough ^\y. Trotter manifestly attenspts to involve
the sui>ject in obscurity l)y alleging tiiat in John v.
(2, Kolambelhra is used <'for the whole establishment
incduding the buildings," yet he cannot deny the fact,
that it denotes a pool, or place sir table for m??2ers?07i,
and that in the Syriac version the pool itself is ex-
pressly designated by the word Mamiiditho, "a bap-
tistery." For instance, *'I have no man, when
the water is iroubled to put mo into (Mitrnnditho)
the pool." (John v, 7., see verse 4. and ix. 7.)
So Dr. Castell defines " Beth Mamuditho, a bap^
tistery, a house provided for the purpose, furnished
with canals and baths, in which the candid;ites were
baplizei] {Sichmergendo) by submerging. ">
1 '«r
n
t
f
1
1
ll'tlio word mamuditho^ <N.'!!<>ti!tg baplUtn wwA n
baptistery, iiad been used to dcsioiiare ji siuall ves-
sel (>f water, Mr. Trotter would iJii!u>u!jtt'dlv— and
with strict propriety ~-re,^ard sucli Mptdicatioii of it
ns iuniiaijiii,!^ evidence that it did not denote immer-
sion ; iirid that this mode was not [iractirfed when liio
Syriac version was niadc. it is then cdivious that
its appliratio!) to dcR-ignaie a place .'^uitahle {'or im-
mersion fui-nishes efjiially decisive evidence tliat,
when applied to the ordinance it;3elf, it did denote
immersion) iwA that thi.s was tlie mode practised at
that tirm;, which was, as Mr. Trotter says, "if not in
the age of the Aprjslles, in tlie w.vy ijext."
Unable to adduce the sli;rhtest vcs'ti^i^e of[)roorthat
either Amad or Mumnditho was ever used to ^\'rn\\'v
any thing but immersion, or a place suitable for im-
mersion, he endeavors to ev.ide the decisive proof
ilrawn from the use of the woid Am'id in Nnnib \\\
23, by a^sertmg tiiat "to })a,ss tlironzh the water is a
fi^airative expression," denoting "simply to wash."
This itself, however, is a full admission tiiat the word
has a very different meaning irom either "standing"
or "confirming," and one that undeniably i)ic!udcs
immersion.ViUi i\\G fact is, that, the f)hrases "j)ut into
water," "rinsed in water," and I)ein5 "caused to iro
throughthewater,"(Lev.xi.3r2,xv.li:i, Numb. xx\i.23)
used with reference to utensils cer<nnonially ujudean
manifestly denote the same thing; and the connnan:!
could not be olieyed without the immersion of these
utensils. SoDi. Ca.stell — a Pedoba[)tist, and one ot
the h'!]:hest philological authorities, cites Num!>. xxxi
I
13
>»
i
*i3j and defines Jlmad, which is there used to cxpif^g
"being caused to go liirough the water,'' by the word
immergo "to inuuerse."
I owe an apology to the reader for having detained
hitn so h)ng in obviating an objection of no real
weight with regard to the Sy:'ac version; since it is
only one of a considera!)lc number of versions circu-
lated by the CoiiMiiittee of the British and Forcijin
Bible »S'ociery in which, as the Icars-.od Messrs.
Greenfield* uuil Gotch have cioarly shewn, the word
^ Intlioview ofconsidei-ate f>errM)n> it must ap-
pear an unfavorable indie ition respcctii.ifr iiie cauMO
it; which Mr. 'I'rotter is engaj^edy tliat beseems to be
in!f)elled in vijidicatin^^ it, instead of regardi!>g the
ancient prece[)t, ' Tread lightly o'a the ashes of the
dead,'' to drive roojj^h shod over many eminent and
worthy men, the dead not excepted. By rejK-esen-
tinir my "conduct as hardly consirstent with polenn-
cal biirness,or even with moral rectitude," incjiioting
?dr. Grecntield, he evidetuly a'ssnmes that 1 murt
[save kijown that Mr. (jreeiiiield lost liis "iiiirh repu-
tation as a schi)'ar" by his criticism-i relative to
I'lis subject, and in cousefjuence "put an (?nd to his
own life." Oftliose reports, however,! have not
to this hour received the siiifhresi intimation from
any soui-ce save fr(»m the pesi of Mr. Trotter. 'i'ii:it
he be!i(Hes tliem 1 do not doubt; but i am prepared
to prove ijy iucbdiitable testimonies that they are
not true. Tiie foHowiuij mav suielv sullice: —
1. The comnfirtee of the Driiish and Foreign
Bi!)Ie Society, (who could not have been i«r»iorjint
on either of th(\<e points,)'*'' thoui intiinatin^ anvthinsr
ol the kim!, aftei'his disc(.;.se, bear th(; most utujurdi-
fied testi[!ioriy,to"the une\cej)rionable morjd and reli-
gious character of Mr. Greenfiehl," and state that,
I
fvi
o' . 12th, 1840," he says, «o .^^^ „, ,y
G -^eufiel-l with a wun ^ ,'^^,,,^^ a.e extruonU-
urovcs hinisell-unul.e to • IM 'r'^ , _Sucli a linguist
r.ry'^capabUUieso '-^f- "l", a shot tune ..y
...^1x7 if rvcr lived, iio >va ..u r^ctcr was nii-
iiarily consisieui.' ^^^
I
Slg:
y
ll(J
Mr.
iblos
Mr.
s cri-
fit li«}
UHUn-
iliinil
;rs Mr.
only
uonli-
iiguist
{\G my
s irro-
r u onli-
ne (\ by
, Octo-^
[ijoir oi
if stute-
borii in
ini<',clio!t
bibli*'"'!
s of tho
ft ho Bi-
)' huving"
15
In my next, cmbro.clnij the latter part'of Mr. Trot-
tor'd first Letter and the whole of his second, I de-
:•.»
S
Slg
to come more directly to the point.
resolved to appoint an officer as Superintendent of
the translatin-x and editing department of the Society.
Mr. Greenfield's labours witliin the first year, as re-
ported by tho Ciblu Society's cormriitte, were most
astonishing, including editorial examination or revi-
sion of more than twenty banguages or versions of the
Scriptures. Besides which he had largo correspon-
xlence arising out of his omoe,and he issued from the
l)rcss his Hebrew New Testament. Ho also had in
prenaration a Polvglot Gratmnar of thirty languages
when seized by that fatal malady, the bram fever,
which terminated his valuable life. This disease,
ifnot occasioiuHJ, was aggravated by the malicious
slanders of envious men jeabjus of his fame: they
were propagated against some of the notes to the
Comprehensive Bible, as inclining to neology, with a
view to injure the Bible Sociery. He was able to
attend the House of God on tho Lord's day morning,
but he became worse, and on Fiiday his j)a>ioi saw
Inm, when his mind uas composed and brip[)y, and
lie expressed his hope and contidonce in Jesus Christ
as his redeemer. On the following day Mr. VVood
saw him again, when he said, " Since I have been
luM-e, I have learned more of the depravity oi mv
heart tlian I knew before , but blessed be God, I
hiive also the inward witnessing or the Spirit, that I
feel myself lo be a pardoned sinner, through the
blood of Jesus Christ* For worlds I would not have
been without this illness. I have had most delight-
ful ituercourjje with my heavenly Father. i have
citjovod that nearness of r.ccess whieh prevents rne
iiv)ubtiii'' mv interest m
the
precious blood of a
eruV/ifjcd Redeemer ; and I am ready and willing, if
il bu l!i" Lord'.-.- will, lo depart anil be with Chn.rt,''
H
- Thus lh\^ liuly kil)OUi-er iu the- cause of God rft-
,>artedrhs eternal rest, Nov 5, 1832, suicerely )a.
parted lou , , centleniau, and a christian, by
!:irwl'okncw^^^^^^^ Conunitte. of the
^Such^^^^^^^ n"<^ ^^« P^'^^^^^'' ^^"^^ triumphant
bucn wab u 'i',.otter represents as a mere
;S '^K on the cV;o.m-e o[ his igncance < ,u..
* „■?, l.n I iVown life.' An.l whe.efoie ir; the cl.aryc-
r f .hil nnZuml scholar «n<l dcvont Chri.l.a.i
hu Ud ur e?h -lecca... to puhlio oo.Uen,,u
i' »,.;.,.imi ' Sol«ly hecaiise he |)osse.-se.I suc\i
"neminV>;tln:ce of .sterling ca.ulou,- ar.,1 .mninch-
nn eimneui . ;, , , , „,.,5, .,g |,e ohserv«(l,
u ^e'S a 'i 't nm tl,o .s.,n of a'hajni.r,'; yet fro,,.
,ie,the, a 1, 1 = jj^ed ihebapti.st ii,iss,onan<'»
i:;tT^r:>la r/s? 'L'o l,y wor.ls .ignlfyi,,. ^o imm.«.
iiitiaiisiaim , ^ inspectio,, of vei-sioiis
'''''' Ht'^^bvlUeUrtoh and Fo,-eig,. BiMe Society,
crcalatc.l » y ' f; •?' „,,e,. of the1i. it xvas tra,islat-
pour or sprinkk.'^
W
H
3E
y ^^-^
\n, by
)f the
mere
, « put
haryc-
risjtiiiii
ilen»i)c
1 sucli
flinch-
5erv<3(l,
^'t from
oiifirie*
imersei
ersioiis
k)ciorv,
ranslat-
I.KTTKIi II.
/
The question at issue between iMr. Trortter
niid me is this: Have the Baptist missionaries in In*
• lin, who ti-anshitetl6rtj?h2ro by words signifying 'Ho
innnerse," done right or wrong? In attempting to
maintain that they liavo tlane wrong, he does not ad-
venture to deny, that the primary and usual meaning
of the word is to innnerse, nor yet to aflirm thnt it
ever means to sprinkle: but he now alleges, 'as a
last resort,— in opposition to a host ot" Pcdo-baptist
Lexicographers and criticd,~-that it is a '^generic
term." And by what means does he endeavour to
establish this hypothesis? From one instance of the
use of the word baptismas , furnied from hapUzo, hut
uhich, as he says, (F.ettei v.) is not used to design
tiiate Christian baptism. The clause on which ho re-
lics, Heh. x, 12, is thus defined by Y)r. Docklridgo
nnd the Rev. Joseph Ilen^^on, Pedo-bapti^'ts, ''Divers
washings, either as the whole body, or a part of it.
ki water, as different occasions demanded. Kven
|Vlr. Trolter himself, who concedes that there wero
^*i.nmersions piescribul in the hiw of Mo«es,'^ Uacit-
hj admits thai the words diaphorcis haptismois, "di-
4rs washings" include immersions; but he fiUjjposos
IhiM- model also ar^) included. SurMy this '^show^,
H
n
i
ay lie says, ^*Nvhat slender proof ii man will accept
of in support of a favorite object, ratlier than have ^
noihing like proof at all."
To shev/ the inconsijitcncy ofhuililinj;^ a theory on
the uncertain import of a single word, occurrinj.: in
one solitary instance, I remarked, in cflect, that dla-
phoros, (readered "divers", Ileb. ix. 10, and which
usually means "su}>erior," or ''different" in some
respect) is used in the Septnagint (Ezra viii. -27) i\<
the translation of a Hebrew word denoting pnirulitv,
rcnde»*ed *'two" in the authorized version; {i:i<l thf<f
the Hebrew Translator renders it rabbothj '*;nanv.'
in Heb. ix. 10. On t!io fruit of these statemenis Mr.
Trottf^" remarks: "*S/.-cfnm, the Hebrew term lon-
L\e\'Qd diaphoi'O, in the passage in Ezra,'^ docs nof
mean "plurality," and iMr. T. [Tnpper] can hanlly
fail to know this, if he knows anything about the He-
brew at all." It iiai>peii3, however, that Mr. Tnp-
per knows — v.hut it seems Mr. Trotter doe6 not
Inflow — that this word occurs hundreds of times in
the Old Testament where it unquest'onably means
plurality, and is rendered "two;" and that it is so
rendered in Ezra viii. 27, in the Latin Vulgate, the
Geneva Engli.^h Version by Luther, Junius, and
Trcmellius, Castalio, Diodati. OstcrwaW, and Mar-
tin, as well as the forty-seven Translators of our
authorized version: ai.d Poole refers to the "rarity"
of the metal as the "cause why there were only two
vessels of that sort." Surely it is no disp;irag(rment
to bo charged with "ignorance" in company with
1 accept
I an liavo
[leory on
that dia-
(I \vhicli
in sonse
. -21) n<
)Iijrur!tv,
tr.id Thf<t
((
aianv.
cnlj'5 Mi'.
jrin len-
l'Ioc'S nof
11 lianlly
t the Ho
Ir. Tiip-
d()e6 not
times in
y means
; it is so
^•ate, the
lius, and
and Mar-
s of our
''rarity"
only two
raircrment
anv with
I
10
Fiu.di nirn; txr^ also with Mr. Grccjufudd, Dvr^.
Cainpbidl and McKnight, n.iy, with the Aposih^^
and Kvangclidt^, of whom Mr. Trotter say*, includ-
hv^ them with other *'poor Jews," respecting the
meanings 6i word.^ "they changed them froni ignoi-
ancc."
Neither does he pass a very liigh compliment on
the Connnitiee of the 13ritish and Foreign Bible Soci-
ety, when he says of the Hebrew Translation of the
New Testament whicdi they circulate, that it " '^ften
gives a wrong sense to the text, and that in ve/y ad
Hebrew." It is, indeei!, " very bad Hebrew," whero
the Translator has introduced bauarous terms by at-
temjuing to transfer the Greek words baplizo and
baptismal but it seems that for this very reason it is
sanctioned by that Corrmiittee, while versions made
by Baptist Missionaries in India, in which these
words are faithfully and plainly translated in good
Bengali and Mahratta, Stc. are rejected on account
of their fidelity and plainness.
1 showed, however, that there were divers immer-
sions under the law, as divers persons and divers
vessels were imtnersed on divers occasions. (Lev
xiv. 8. 9. XV. 5, 6, 7, 12 xvi. 4. xi. 32.) To this Mr.
Trotter has not attempted to reply. Nay, he has
fully sanctioned it ; for sprinkling is as distinctly one
action as immersion, and yet he himself speaks in
effect of clivers sprinklings; since he says, "The
sprinkling of blood is expressly referred to as one
way, and that of the water of separation as another,"
&.C. It may certainly with equal propriety be said
that a man bathed himself in water in " one way,'
r'l^S'^^?*^*''^*? f^^^ipRs?.
il
'20
n»M a [.ir:l wa. dippc^.l in a nnxriire ..f Moo.l ;t„J wm-
ter Ir. - ano.hrMV'^c... It >ya.s il.erelore with perfect ,
M(TMrar.y tbnt Dr. McK„|.hr-^vho r,roI.nl,Iy un.fer- '
stood l,oih Groek and [Cnfr|i,h qnite n. well as Mr
I rotter-ren.!orf3d diaphoroi, lapthmois ".livers ^
nniner^ions." It Is n.nnifest, tluMMhat this .in^le
instance of th. use of ihe word haptismois uttorlv
fails to nn-onl the least degree of countenance to his
posmoM th It ' ' baptizo is a generic term.'^ ^
Some Pedobaptists have indeed assigned to bao^
iiToa sccondaiy sense, foun.ied on the' effect of iVo
nct.on denoted l,y it, or on its figurative applicution^,:
hnr, so far as I know, all competent judges are a-
S'-eedthatin its primary and literal sense, it is a
specific term, denoting one mode, viz: to immc'sc^
feo I rofessor Smart, a PcdohMptist, and a high phi-
lological authority, say., - Bapto and Baptizo mean
to dip, plunge, or immerse into anything iirinid. All
Lexicographers and critics of any note are agreed in
this." (IJii,. Hep. No.x. p. 208.) Even JMr. Trot-
ter himself has distinctly admitted that it is specific ;
for he has said, (Nova Scotian. Oct. 19, 1846)
*' as Bapto moans to dip, baptizo means to dip r't-
olenlhj,toplims:e.^' Not to <lwell needlessly, then,
on a point tiiat does not in reality admit of a qnes-
lion. I remark that the constant usage- of the term
bapti-o in reference to ships, unequivocally proves
that it is not generic, as the terms wash, wet, &c.
hut that it specific.dly means to immerse or submerge-,
since ships are washed and ivec In many different
ways, and yet a ship is never said to be (baplizes^
ihm) *' baptized," unless she is actually submerged
I
'21
<1 iiinf wn-
>ly ii!i(((M-
II as iVIr.
" (livers I
lis HJiiifle I
is utterly I
ce to liin I
to 6t1^!7 -
ct of I ho
Ucutioiip. :
3S are a-
3, it is a
ligh plii-
?2:o mean
Jid. All
ii^reod in
!r. Trot-
specific ;
, 184(),)
) dip vi-
Y, then,
a ques-
he term
' proves
')merge',
liffiM'ent
aplizes'
%erged.
•cive
that
i |)Q nlltMilivij reatlrr f!\iin(»t fail lo ]i^'»-«'
l\;r 'j-rotter's ^l^•^^ous elh.rl to r.;««hir it piobihle
x\uabarMzo n.ay he us(m1 in the New Testament to
,!enoten dilTerent artinn iVon, that vn hieh it (hMeotes
in classic authors, is a nru.ilest adn.is.ion nl the Nvdl
established u^.l, that in classic unlhors .t n.eans /o
immcrn,. Kvtry or.e knows that if I had ndnntied
^and such were the fact-that its meaning \^ spnnk'
linir in the (neek clasics, and had tlien insisted that
in the New 'lesratnent it nutans to immerse, Uv.
Trotternonld have »i<licnled the idea, as al.Minl ;
and wouhl have re.piiriMl of in<.. plain and unec|niv<.-
cal prooCrronilhe New Teslantenr. il.elMo estaUli>h
Kuc-.h an extraordinary position. It cannot he <h'..M«d
that it is equallv ineutnhent on him tv product" hum
the New Teslarnrni like p«iain and nur^pir'ocal
pr(mr in .support nfthe position which hv nan.tains.
This, however, he knows he c-.n.-.m do •, r...' h(i h;;s
hi.nself statedahat so far as he km>ws,(Nuva scntn.n
Nov. 25, 184C.) "There is uo iliirct evidence
in the New TestamejU respeciin^r the form of Christ-
ian Baptism." Upon what irronnd, the n, can he
pogsibl)frcontinne t.) insi>t, that b>plizo denotes al-
together a different action in the New TeslauK.nt
from that which is denoted hy it in the Grec;'?. cli-.s-
sics? I stated, (Novascotian, Dec. 16, 184G,) that
-in order to luive rendered this in the least de-ree
prohahle, he should have adduced instances in vvhndi
Greek verbs ex.>ressinj<nH)de denote one actum in
the classics, and (pdle u ddlerent action m the sacred
writimv:s." This he has now strenuously auil labori-
t)uslv attcn.pud. Had he succeeded, it couhl (idy
'"«;';.,.„,. In, k. „r,.i „sii,ii;„ ,„,,i,,,
JJ'Civ Ho I'Mii.ti.l . I. •
r.Jll (if ].,,;
'•"•l.li'l MiMf. v>li
>^-on . but
<> i-i competpiit to jii.lg«,
i'aWvil
•*'*""^ *»^ »»'« Tact, ihnt he h
; ^f;icf iK.t one (.fthf-
"K'.'ins in |,„if,r. | „.
'nriiri.iriori of the in
nl rcndfr th
fho
*».
nnphatapsephizo
I
M.f\Tin;L', it cannot deriofe a dim
HM ijrteily
<*'ts(M adduced is hy any
evident hy an ex-
incan* «* to
rotterVs own
o
*iu. for h'' sriy<, «itd
Tfnt mode In .^ct
s J,
ImiI f
^ >^f kon.
oos nor mean to <-lect it
((
or rnirnher vvith.'^ ChHroton
^"•'^trcrrh iWthfhefn,nd;-ar:d is I
I anv war
CO mens
^o vorintr fiv
n>ftd hy J<ivf»:d
'•'"•e r<> rh(
'<''i'*c afvjdicd
Ml'
wor«!
i.s
'•"V. if is ,1 ,t f,, |„, ji
^^•••'.v of handv. VVhrn fh
1 f»r nn i/mpirrd wriun-, wljh refer-
'f'f^**'"^""'"' "^' a |)crs„n to otrico |
o 'ir;ij»*(
>y
ill J
* f» n:
I,
;is
I
y •M):(^ fhui rhat Hed
' that He literally jifta
f- I,
a I >(> }»». ,1
••' ■■ '•- "'ui rnar Heifocs so in swear-
•'"' "•*'■"• (J'Mir. xxxil. 40.) It niav
ri
'' "'illv ii^Hd to dt'iior
' <' ?>V men. f
joijHh the,-,. I
« appointinijf to of-
IC
1"'^ '^ "''f '• '-'^"..^ of n,odc>. AT,
'•> lor," f.nd Khrnnom
"nrnraJIy Usva\ l.y ,J,j. ,t
IH) show ofhajids. Bti
7e
'^'^, " to ch )oso
"•••;'" )^ MS dlMdedhy/o/ for tnh
CO. " to diride by jot," were
^vs to whom fJio I;,nd of Ca-
inh
en
ling
without
^'iJ'ly fail to sec, \h
cnsting lots. But wl
ritance, to ^note
fit no h J.
JO can pos-
»'onced, i.s not a different .nude, Th
as in citrh of the c
•Ppl'»*s to thf; vei-l
enkaini
M
a<5ej4
e sanu* remark
pv^c/ieiWr,'), ^^ to prefer,-' and
2-0, 'Ho dedicate.^' So also h
«»np!es, npelpizo
d
t'not« /ic//m^r „r de
ind aphupnoo, \>heil
IS remaining' e\"
itT nseii to
.•is
tl
Ml!
»'7 «.t, not specify mode, h
^pairiny;, leaking i^v sleeping.
•jtct.
i h.ive no hcarin*' on ih(
•nmmrmmmmmmilfn
93
I i,e«<I not he loUl that in^iiy wonU Imve dimn >
nieaiiin"*, that some h.ive even opposite aoi.sc*, t! i
some woriU wl.ic'.i ure not foi-ml lu classio aulh. •■
ar.- i.Hcd by the saceil writers, nor yet that «oi..o : -
use.1 by the... i.. peculiar Ben.e:.. These coosKlei •
tioi..-., however, do ..ot affect the Bubject ... deba .
ns I nhiill shew presently.
Mr Trotter Jec.ns it an imiieation of" igiioraiit
recUlessness." &.«. i.i ...e,.hat, as he says, I "ev..l« ,
ly suppose the poor Jews to have ace.! en so..,c p. •
ciplei.. alte.-ias the ...oanin;; of GreoU wor^U, p --
servini.tho.r.«anii.^'ofo..e clas., and altc-n.^- I :
of mother." Thecause in which I an. engas<d d. ;
not rc.uire .ne-nfii-her an. 1 disposed-to re.
his charges. It will, ho>.vevel-, naturally occur to -
teiriKcnt ica-ler. . that if he is ...ore ,ear,.e. thai,
the eminent schoh„-s who,., he ha. cha.-i?ed w.th
norance, «...! I as " illiterate- i.^ h-i .-ei-resents n ,
his cause ...ast be a very 1. tJ o.e, or he w .u I r
hive faile.l, as he ... mi Icstiy has done, to s..ake a /
one of „.v positions. On this point th..y we,-e to t. .«
eirecf-'l A verb which denotes one specific (.lode,
.iocs not de..ote a ...ode entirely .liffercnt. 2. '1 ho
inspired writers would not be likely to cha.ii^e the
nieaningofsuch a verb. p. .„•
1 Anv man possessing a tolerable shave of mtell.-
c«„c«. will at once pe.xeive, that a wo.'d moludin-
several ...odes does ..ot desig.iate any one mode, to,-
instance, as Mr. Trotter states, "opoAfsfco" .nea.is
• ' to kill" but it does not m.^an eith.- "> " -shoot or
'Mo ha,.i.'," tl.ou-h it hichidcs both. So a soneno
t-rm signifi in^ to wet itK-ln.les many modes ; but .t
r ' '
54
..> o ,,e„oto ,ny o„o mo,,.. A ^pcolfi^ ,en« ,i..
"0 ,n. /„ sprm/^l,, ,U,os not men ?<, plunge; noi,I„°r
/ . No.v 1 have she.vn ,hat bapH.o is not a senn-
•'■"'■'OM,-. 1 .-..tter l,as himsoU- affinne.l, ''r,„r,ii-„
";-"- fo p,m,,o." ,t i,s Hear, thon, to a .i:^^;!
stuu.on, that ,t .Iocs not ,„ca„ to "sj.,i„k,o;-. ,.,-„n,e
■lares not affirfii tliat it does.
2. It i.s not likely t!,at ,l,e inspire,! writers, nor in-
.leo,l any o>vs, wonl.l clian^e the n.eanin. of snch .
■oH,, wh.ch is easily learnC, an,I is not o^as Iv s'
^.Ken, no,. ,,.a,!iiy forgotten. The reason nntura v
».»-Snahle wl,y a ,.,iter nscs a wor,l lite-allv i "^
n-v sense, is, I.eeanse there i, no wonl in tl' ' .-
IXua^e, or none with which he is ae,.ainte.!, that
-nv.ys the ,.h,awhieh he wishes to Lpress/ „,
. Ian,„a...s neeessarily n.ns, have wor.ls ,,ono,in.
annon ao.onsas i,n.,erun, an-l .prMcUn^,
•"..1 l.e Apostles were ac,|uainle,l with the Greek
von , •«..,-„, ,„ ,p,i,j,i^_ .,^^ s„pp«,i,i„„ Zt
tnat they put a new .ense upon bapti.o, nee lie l
r „ th t wh.ch n <lenore.l, is utterly .lestitnte of
Plnns,h,l,ty ; and is ohvionsly one that never wonh
.:.veentore,ln,taany man's min.I, if he were noM
'-u^'^'Jo^sM^ an untenahie position.* vi
te,?of thn'v""'' r" '''' ^°^'' '" "'■>i'>'^'in that th. wri-
tM.> ot tile New I estam.nit "have ehan.'e,! thp ,,J.
1';;; ol liaptlzn,-' savs " th,t /,«„/,•-„ ,-'" ""^ mean-
"iv«ri.,,„,,,,,,,^,„^,.^,,;,^^,,,^;i;;;u>t..^
; neitlif'r
phms^e;
Bap Hz
<Inmon-
' and ho
nor i it-
's uch a
?y mis-
til rally
ly ill fi
10 larr-
U tlint
• r-ut.
Jdino: ;
Greek
then,
llo.ssly
rerent
>re of
^voiihl
or !m-
lean-
elass
e :h«
V-
«5
■II
11
an insunce of such n change ,n «-'='-:'':;
,,..ovml an «»er /«7«re, strongly «0'>h'"- " > "j, "
Moreover, uet,>al investigation =»'-'"':'"'"'7 '■,..;,;
not the verbs p,V^., to eat,...\ ^7' ^^^ f,;".:
„so,l to designate the action, to be l-'"'""' .. , ^^
.-eivin.^ the I.or,rs S-pper, denote thesnou. a .a.. ,
', 'classiest I n,oy als« notice instances of ^..o 1^
verbs that r,..late to ua.er. Louo genern!!) m, -
fies to balke tbo lv,..ly ; niplo, to v>a.h tbe tac, . , ,,.
on-.et;«ndp?u»o,^ouW. clothes ;cA.o-?.. .0
io pour; and , ,«no or ranliz,>, t. s,.r,akle U •
n.Ling of either or those word, change-!.' Bv
means, ^
1 would .hen advise Mr. Trotter. for .1«3 .ake of
his own reputation, not to charge "'« 7"" '« ^^
ance" in reference to this subject tdl he shall hav e
gecured some shadow of plausibility to h.s own hv-
polsis, by producing a Greek verb that .g.nf.es
Lh«o/»mm. .uA to sprinkle ov .ue ..r „
he cannot do either of these, let h,m ao-uce anothu
appropriate Greek verb that wilUno.-e certandy ex-
which IS properly denoted by ranhzo. I ad he [ive.
h, their time with all the knowledge wh.ch ho now
vol es es and set then, right at first, be sure y w-ou
have <lone ,nuch more ffood than ''^ ^^ '^«'y , ° . '!
now by all his lett..i>s ; f-r ''« """'' , ''"' i,:!'! '''"'^
prevented the whole eon'.roversy on th,. *ubj^ct.
f
ti
e6
"one of thosG fh
^'^.''ir 1,6 ran da
'>'y confess: tljfitthe^J]
''i;S let him candidly and i
fl
<>'»(? riffhtin tnms'
aptist Tran
innora-
«mw?er5<?, and
ntin
S it l>y
'itors inindi.i /i
f-nn^equcntly that
avoids that
ave
their V(}rsioi!>.
I/", however, lift ^vIIJ
it isrifvlii
i'j:iiify to
'') fiicnhite
tl
»^us;;;reorrl,P word in fho Q
J-esoInfefy rcfn.-^o t
conceives. '* 'f'j
'''<'fdv' (da J
in til
' ^ npi-e j,s no direct
'SIC
o regarjl
«"is ho
e rsew 'f'esii
01"
fx'sinvo cvidenc
inn B
if>f;s(:
le
matter h?; <}
'"^"^^■^•^•P<'^"^ini? the Torn, ofCI
survly cannot dec)
fj
n-i8t-
<''*icr/n!ne(
wntin<^s oCfosepl
f^videnr
and
1 by th
'"f' to hjt iho
lu
S'ii
^ use of /.op/ico in t/
)ro:)
i>^'*!y, classed hini,a Je
;c^^ ho has plaiMly, and
le
confonsj)orary with the A
with
wMvritin^ir Greek.
ters ortlio :Vew 'J
V \'/oi-(;c
th
e word.^ Mcemnl
Pst.tnient, in ret
j)ost!p>:_with !he w
n
o
f^J'ence to the
^^. then, does Joseph
phUi
^t a ship \\h(^nsh(
that the s}.
sinkin
which
an?l
P^^yj^ It to denote the ,ubn
«e &ea, as when I
was in *•' was \n d
nsTt
use
as when 1
-f^'istohul
inks
•ion a
immer
in tl
Cicincc
'^ '--iatesthat Herorl
?07iofa person
ie sriv-«
ani(rr of
in a prmd.
Pi-esses it elsewhere, th^/h
•"^^ servants d
''•'ovMied
O'- as he e:
being
(See A
i»'l Vra,.„Book;.c.'xx7/r2
(''"pH'omcnos, baptized \
e was drowned
uitie
Book f .e. X ^. ]3,,^f^ 3^
tmmcrsed
V
''» a pond.
c.
er will find th
th
e woril 667?^^^
) Tile English rea.l-
Pse pasages hy th
^' ^'f*. that Josenl
o translated hyfWji
e wonis '^sinkin
'St(;;i iti
fy
? »
i(
ea
's as certain, the
pinn
i,'ni<r ."
:^ >
«aephu3 used (I,
'N as any tliit
Ji?
-' word 6<//>//j
ex-
1
27
i'-e can da
iionora-
i'j^iufy to
'ircniate
,.,'e«sly to tlonote immersion, llovv c:m x\.j opponent
,.v!ul.Mlie iiH'viiui.le i'o\v'\i\<hm thiit it moans tho
saine in the N"vv I'e.stutnent ?
regard
, ''IS ho
videncfi
Christ-
lot tho
in the
ifi with
Greek,
le vvri-
is U,s,»
.i(rr of
>v\nc(l
rhiiiF,
untd
[>onfI.
11 1.2.
read-
<M iti
nn-,'^
IiiniT
LET'FER IH.
The advocacy of u view that h nr^'onlaiu ^ m
Scripture truth, does not require any laboured eiV;: .
to evade the obvious meaning of any plam ex . ..ow
there is not a jdainer text in the vh.;. Bible tn:.
o Kings V. 14. " Then went he [Naui.:u.] down ...
dipped hnnselfsevcn times in Jordan." I |un not
aware that any Lexicographer, Tran- lator 1.x,.. -
^„ , „.. ... llll> "'<» <^^" ■'' ''
Stand it: nor yet that any per.ou who w.. not op-
posing Baptist views ever cMncscd a c oubt ll.at
Naanmn actually in.merscl l.in.self. In the app.e-
hension, then, of all unprejudicea rea.lcrs, ,t must
surely appear very unpropitious to the v,ew which
Mr Trotter is enacavouring to support iigainst llio
Baptist Translators in India, that he has lauiHl .t ne-
cessary to occupy a long letter itt the obscuvn.g of
this very plain text, in order to represent it-iii op-
„o.ition to tlie authority of all Lexicographers.
T.'aM.slators, and E.xpositors, and the plainest rules
of interpretation, nay, and common sense, -as mean.
<K»P«.. ^._,^.
o<
'^''■'P'»''*:-f»»f«^
' "*- u.ift aj nvcd at i\v< fi.i.i.,
Si ,s, (ios ;,, p. 'f'-"'""^'-'^ '--''-•, Stoikiu.,
''-^x.xvii.S ;;,;''""'',;'''•'''''<-.'- a,l.lu.e
"•-•'- "...■.MS ..i.j ./:' ''^' "" "-■'' «»fe"°,
f^- ^«^'-'^. ".:.;:! :;;:;;'^' --"'"": '^■-
'"P'Mi^lc ; l„u n. ,h, ,; ■ ' '«;«'''-« not „.,,.,.„
"-'y '--o,. i„ ,, /veo ;; : ,::^"""''''' "■'•"■ >''-".
•;^'*' ensanglanterent /« .L '.'"'" » "^« ^l-'-
'•« co.t Moo,),." 1„ ,„e otl,;,. ,: 'h";"^ " '"""'^
l'"ve examine,!, /„A„/ i ■ I. '"-', ' """'""°"'^ 'hnt I
"■y J«/i.mion.so?I;,f ;:;,,'" ""''^^ no exception io
^•'■■■'Voae..a,,.se,..th.....,,.Wi«.,,„,,i„.so,nopa.,-
<?>(
»'*t of Naa-
st vetch to
Bible, when it can only mean to
ukli
in 2
^Uiit a sin-
'-^traonJiu-
<1 to con-
»'evv ta/jai
'•»« do the
Stolkius,
•uhlunus
aie said
C u kid.
they dip-
ilad the
niohmo,
f> sprin-
^ helped
■;iin that
'j hov\-
*t fnoan
hlood,
'• vvith-
vvoj-d ;
' nia(/e
that r
or di/^
01] to
^ pas-
|a<^es of the Hebrow Bible, when iL
I moisten' an<l that verj slightly." To prove this
he cites Lev. xiv. ]6, and verse 6, 51. I am aware,
"as I -ve elsewhere stated, that there is in some eases
as'.', ofdilTerence l.etween the words " dip" and
'^ inunerFe." The priest did not immerse his whole
finder in the oil in the palm of his Uift hand ; hut the
act'io.i was certainly dipping; ; and so far as he dipped
his finder it was undeniably immersed. The terms
(yatsac) pour, ('«6«0 dip, and (nazah) sprinkle,
all occur in verses 15, and 16 ; and any man has just
as gooil a riifht to deny that the priest was requuec
rirher to pnur or tw sprinkle, as that ho was required
* to dip. Moreover, when a man dipped himrelf in a
rivor, he certainly immersed himself. So Gesemus
detlui^s iahal in reference to Naaman, ^' to dip or mi-
niorse oneself." Mr. Trotter's innnaginary objection
ajrainstthedippinjror Immersing of the bird, Lev.
XIV. 6, 51. obviously rests on his own want of a cor-
rect understanding of the texts. The Rev. T. Scoir,
it. his note, justly speaks of " the two birds, one slain
over sprin-in- water in an earthen vessel, and the
other, e;et at liberty, having been dipped in the mix-
ture of blon<] and water." The Hev. J. Benson says
"A ver-e 6, '« That is, oner rminino; water put in an
earthen ve,,eV^ The Rev. Mr. Poole, also a Pedo-
baptist, understood these texts in the same natural
ciiul obvious sense.
Oneof theprinciprd char-es usually prf^ferred—
nidioutcaiise-^a-ainst the Baptist Translators in lii-
dia and their supporters, is an alleged want ot re-
\ if-
.1
I
'W
3a
I
i
.j
I.';
'■-i".<-o:;::;;:::;;::::!:rir";''^
J
■ft
31
'i<^ nurcKs
t*5. traiii-
tin's, ji-
As I JO
ije inm-
\ how-
'tii iha
plunge
•, ihvy
spatter
er iv.)
^h viz.
''"g, a
(nit ho
which
I'litrid
'' now
se le-
t's ro
itrer-
; h(it
Vi
Translators—" Yet shall thou plunge mo in tho
ilitch"-— is natural and forcihh', and is acconUmt vviiii
Lexicoi^raphers and Translators giMierally. 'i'ho
TriiMtdators ofthe Syriac version, Luther, tiic Gt;runa
Kn^'liah Translators, Castalio, Junius and Trtinel-
liuri, Dio(]ati, Ostcrvald, and Manin, traiif^iate it l.y
^vordd thai d^iMne phmgini^ in a ^;//, dilcli or Jllt/i,
To the satnc purport the lx\. vender it (///A* (mo:.- en
Yupo 7)16 ebapsas.) Thou hast dijpcd me thorough'y
in filth. The use, then, i.A' baptho hy Afjuila in this
text to tienote plunging, is dfcidedly against IMr.
Trotter's theorvy and in favour of the Baptist view.
Baplizo is used figuratively in the Scpluagint in
n similar sense, Isa. xxi. 4, which Mr. Parkhurst
defines *♦ Iniquity {baptizei) plungeth me i. e. into
terror or dislress,^^
An inspired Apost's has noticed the inconsistency
and impropriety of practising Uiat which one con-
(iomns in others. (Rom. ii. 21. 22.) Mr. Trotter
however, after havin^utterly condenmed the coii-
tluct of those Baptist writers who have argued from
the use of the wor(i^6a;^/o, alleging. (Novascotian,
June 24, 1846,) that " it may suit their purpose wiih
ignorant people, hut it is a sacrificing of truth to the
interests of a party, whieh is unprincipled," now
does the very same thing himself. Unable to find jin
instance in which haptizo can he reasonahly ihoj:iiht
lo have any connexion with " sininkiinij," lie now
evidently feels himself compeSh-Hl to attempt to drnw
nw argument — much tho most specior=s of any that iio
has adducoil— fri)m tho use of liie word hapto^ \\\
r J
'«»
l<-'
32
- -eve.. u.se.l ,„ Lol C, , -V'^ n" ''' ^"^'''- -"irh
'" "'i« ca.se l.v any "1; "^ ^"P"^"'"' J°e« not
■•"<' "o.ly of-Sc :S::"? ^"'•'■"'""^- '^"''-
«ut ,l,e question h wh r . "' '"''' '^ «^"'«'"-
^'egenius, «* To din .„ / / ^'^^" "y otoikjus and
have not ,...;" ' U ^.^r^^-" '^'-'-''-tors
P'es.ive figure Uy wh oh N.^ L . '""""^f «"'' «^-
»'"' 'he Ix,. (o,. rather IheoZ on ^' "''''"""'"' '
"S'ng the w„„l «„„<„ . rl"""'""') Pi-eserves it, by
; OS .Iocs also the Sv-ri^^ '''^'""'^"'e ^oice, immersed.
^ "-«. ('-4 .eC;:;rha;"e"'*'^'' '"^ ^«-
/ .sre.aine.1. This ve^y t j!, '^V"^""'" ''"«'"'S«.
'"fies to sink, din, or nnrin!' ^^'' " '*«*" «'g-
J^-Ptizo, &c. p' ;rr/ 7'^'""""-" (Meaning of
manifestly used here bvii,!' '^'^' '^^ "'^'•efore
"'at isetnjdoied l.y Mlltl '""^/'''P'-e^'^ive figure
* Milton, quoted by M,.. Trotter,
"Acoldshnd.lerinrfdew
i>'Ps me all o'er.-
•t '« manifestly sijbversive of the ,•
'"«" Rv this fi.„,e „„„;'' '""'-'ns swnnly " to
P^'ph-t an.l by "I ,' " ' "^ '•^'•-^ente.l, both by the
''■'■-.^^a.s if ho had ;: ; i;:7f„ "^ '""^""^'"^
•^w^mmf^
ler eJ-
ng of
re fore
!igure
iter.
e ex-
'' to
' the
'I-
33
iiai, then, condcrned himself, by doing whnt he bad
condemned in others, to no purpose ; since the use of
bapto in this cnse as the translation of a word that
gii'Miifies " to dip in, to immerse," is, s-^ far as il hn^
any bearing on the sul)ject, directly against his
view.
The seat of Naaman's disease may ha'^e been lo-
cal ; but his whole person was unquestionably aff-
ected with leprosy, Under the Mosaic law, to which
my opponent refers, the leper was ordered to have a
mixture of blood and water— :ic>t pure water— sprink-
led on him by the i>riest ; but was required to " wash
{rachatSy balhe) his flesh in water." Lev. xiv.9.)
It thus appears from an examination of the se-
veral steps by which Mr. Trotter has attempted to
arrive at his conclusion, that it is a very '' great
stre.ch"-— aleap which none but " a thorough go-
ing and determined partizar." can ever take — " to
suj^pose that baptizo may singnify to sprinkle in 2
Kijjgs V. 14."
lie is niistuken in supposing that I '« refer to rack-
ats in confirmation of any view of I'le meaning of
tubal ;' for I atii aware that tubal is the more defin-
ite term, lie his, however, failed to establish even
one exception to the general rule, that rachats —
like the word bathe, by which it is often reiidered —
when no pun of the body is either s})ecified or re-
ferred i<^ in parallel passages, in its literal accepta-
tion moans l)atho the whole bo<]y. (See next Letter.)
The use of this word, therefore, in the case of Naa-
't**
31
ivj:\ti, Yersps 10, 10, 15, wliljoiit any lirnitallon, to-^
tether -with ihe circiunstanccv x]\i\l lio "ur'Mf. down"
jwnl [)erfonmMl the ahlution onjt)inc<! '• In Jordan,'*
romlers it sulTic/ieiUly oviiiont liiat ho (lii>[)o»l or im-
mersed hiirjsolf; l)ul ihc word tahal iriakes it as cer-
tain as any H(d»'e\v word can niakn it. This word,
to which hnplizn coircs;)nn(i.s in 2 Kings v. 14. is not
only restriv'tf'd hv tiic lie\i«H>i:r;n)h(M-, as StoiUins,
i-itoo)iis Gc.-?niiJs, ParKhurst, &c, to the senses ot^
*< dippini;" or " imniersin.if" and " <l}'ini(," !>nt it U
expr('-?>]y selected l»y ller. J. W. D. Gray in hi^i
'J'reatise vvrittiMi airainst Baptist views, as the word
ihat denotes to iiinners'.*. He s. \s, (f. '210,) ' Iho
t.'rni that siLniifies t'» innnerst; or dip is Tabah
Kxainpies ofii-' n-e may be tound in L(!V. iv. C,17,
xiv. \^. ix. 9. Nniul*. xix. 13.'' I an» not aware that
nnv v<Msion i> in th(; least (Iciiccc fovonrablc to Mr
Tr'»tter's no\ <;! scdn'ou; of rendering tabal " sprink-
led" in Jhis text. j3ut as ! hav3 shown elsewhere,
Luther, Diodati, Osiervald, Martin, an'- jniub and
'i'remel!i!is r«M!d<M- it, in exact accordance with our
'rranslati(m, dipped, plun'^ed or immersed himself.
So likewise, Castalio translates (" seque mersit)
and innntirsed himself ; and Kireher in his Hebrew
an.l (JrcM'k Goncordinco, hiving defined " Tabal, to
'dip, dip in, immeise,'' defines baptizo in this text by
'mcr^a," io immerse.
It is not material whether the word occurs often or
seldom in the Sep.tungint, so long as the fact is thus
manifest- that it occurs plainly in the sense of im-
meraing, ur planning, ami in thit sense only.
'I
\
2!;
1., conclusion, 1 he- to call tl.« re;ulfr'.-< p.^nU-nUf
ntlciition to onn imporuiiit cDtHiMoration. It i:* ihi.-:
— The novel an.l rccklcs.. pinflplos of Intorprota-
tiou whicli Mr. Trotter is c..ini>illcil to n.l.-iit, in or-
,ler to evade the fact i\vM immersion wa;. enjoiiM-.l hv
the wor.l Oaplizo, «ouhl rend.M- it in.po.H.il.le to prove
that inuncrsion wa. cMJoined l,y any word that ronld
Imve heen seleetcl in a^y lan-na-o. T .n- lastaiiee,
had the l-'.n?lish w..rd dip Imen chosen, he would
doulnlesssay, as h.< doe., that it n.cai..', " to mkos-
ten ;" and he conid with o.iual propro ty-'hat is.
none at all-allc^rc the same respecting the wor.l ,:,i
m«r.. itself, since that which is , •».»....•«■./ is as cer-
tainly moistened ii^ that which is dipped. ' """"■"-
taiiwthat the llehrew word tabal m Joh .x. Hi,
ntean. " tospatf.r," "»'l 2 S'^i"--?^ ^'- '''- " '" ^l"'";-
kle " But, as 1 have aske.l him, in n.y secoii. Let-
ter, to !!ive me another appropriate Greek verb l.iat
will more certainly express " inunersioo" li^an bap-
tizo does, so 1 here ask the same respecting? the word
labal, to which baptizo corresponds in i Kings v. M.
Evasion is intcrminal.le: hnt ilie man who at- mpts
to maintain his cause by it, wiil unavo,d,d,ly sub-
ject himself to .he just charge of incons.stency.
would, therefore, respccUVilly admon:.h my fnend
Mr Trotter to abandon it ; and, instca.l of mvoh mg
himself in s'--^ »- ' g-"'"'" "":"'"';" '''L''^ '''"i
lemptii.L' to fritter away the meaning ot eveiy woid
U,at delates immersion in any language to acUnc^v-
Icdse candidly the in.lubitable facts, iha, as bapH.o
certainly means to innncr.e i'. tho classics and in the
--r-'-a' Tjm i—
/ •'•
m
W X\v,'4:i of Joscphus, who was ;i Jrw contMniponiiv
with the Apostle, so it was iJnquestional)ly .jsed in
the same sense in the Septuagint. whioh was used,
nnd its style followed, Sy the writers of the Nexv
Te^starnent; and eonsequentiy, that they evidently
eniploy^'d baptizn to denote the same action: and
henee, that Dr, Carey and his colieacr.,os in India
have done right in tnmslatji^' it by words that si^'ni-
i'} to immerse, ^
t
LETTER IV.
It has been shown that, as in the Greek classics, so
also in Josephus and in the Sep^jagint, Baptizo con-
stantly denotes immersion. ^Vhat Mr. Trotter says
oj hyper or huper, is certainly quite as applicable to
baphzo, viz; that it -must have a precise and defi-
nite meaning, a meanin- which it admits in other
passages. " It is therefore manifestly inconsistent to
n.s^.ign another meaning to this word in the Apocry-
pha unless absolute necessity demands it. But no
such necessity exists.
The water of purification was undoubtedly to be
^nnnU..a on one who had touched a dead body,
i his action, however, is invariably expressed by a
J
,i
¥f
} "
57
wonl <Mitir«ly Uiflert'iJl from baplizo, nnrnely, ruino
(with \Ui compouiulrf,) or laniizo^ wliicli iiieaii.-^ to
iprinkle. Consc'juenily, liad this hceii iiitenueii in
Kcclus. xxxiv. -^5, it vvouhl unquof^tionahly have been
expressed, hy one of thtde words. Jint, i\s l!ie periion
tluis ceremoniously uncleati was rccjuired •' to l)a:!ie
liimself in water," (Numb. xix. 10.) whon it is
said *= He that (taptizo7ncnos) washeth !:imseir.'4i'ter
the touching of a dead body," the ivashin^ t!ius de-
noted by th«J word baplizo was obviously this balk^
ing. The learned Dr. Gale justly regards the bach-
ing as the principal part of tlie cleansing ; as it was
the closing part, to which the sprinklmgs were pre-
paratory, an': immediately after his " bathing him-
self in water," it is said that he *' shall be clean at
even." This aciic.i is expressed by the Hebrew
rachatSy which, as I have shewn, denorrs the bathing
of the whole body, when it is not in any way restrict-
ed. Mr.Trotter proposes Lev.xvi. 4. as an exception:
but Dr. W. Brown (Ant. Vol. i. p. .'?91.) expressly
mentions the "immersion of the whole body" as
practised by the prlosts or. some? occasions ; as does
also Dr. Ham.mond,on John xiii, 10, And Dr. Mac-
Knight mentions Lev. ::vi. 4. as an in^^tance of this.
In his i:?to on Heb. ::. ^J\ " Having your bodies
washed," &lc. he remarks tLat Louo " is cominonly
applied to the washing of the whole body," and :uU\h
<' This is an allusion to the high prical's washing
his body with water before ho entered into the in-
ward tabernacle, Lev. xvi. 4." The Ixx. who un-
questi' nably knew the practice in these cases, tr.ins-
'itc this text " He shall bathe Qtnn lo somo) all hi«
in the law ; Inu He did not intimate that thoy had
changed the mode prescribed. (Mark vii. 3.) Ac-
cording to the Ia\v,as 1 have repcatodiy shewn ' ev< ry
vessel of wood," Sec. rendered ceremonially unclean
l)y coming in contact with the dead body of an un-
clean animal, or by the touch of an unclean person,
was not to be sprinkled at ail, but to <' be put into'
water," or *' rinsed in water." (Lev. xi. 32, x\\ 12.)
It is perfectly manifest, then, that the, {baptismos)
'^ washing of cups," &c. was imvacrsion. For or-
dinary cases ot this kind a water pot coiitainin"-
*' twenty g-allons" v/as quite sinTicient. If «< tables'"*
or couches, jould not be convenienily dipped other-
wise, not only does Dr. Gill give snrli ru'es from
Jewish Rabbib-, but Rev. Uicliurd Mason thoiir^lr
iJaptist minister, srTys, with rolerence to the Jewish
nblutions, " The purification of unclean persons, &c.
required hy the law of Moses, was always l>y innncr-
fiion." (Essays, Sic. p. 105.)
In the Syriac Version the word rachats, bathe is
rendered (NumI). xix. 19.) by secho, which is also
used to denote svnmminc^, (Isa, xxv. 11. Acts xxvii.
43.) It is also worthy of remark, as illustrative of
the fact, not jdy that immersion was required in
»uch cn^ , but likewise that ihis was th© principal
I
proposes ol taking a man "> i-k;.,. o
for as the Es.enes >nust have had hath., or conven-
iences for hathins, so the Pharisees certanily might
have them as well as thty.
I .11.1 not quote Tertullian with reference to the
neci.liar customs of the Jews, hut, as I state.l, "the
prevalence of bathing in the East ;" that i.«, to shew
that bathing was-as it still is, according to the con-
current testimony of travellers-a very common cus-
tom in warn, countries. This well ostahbshe.l fact
tends to obviate several objections usually urge.l
against immersion, which n.ight, otherwise seem
weighty to persons acquainted only with customs
Trevalent in cold climate. On •/>- P"'"' "- '»";
' .age of Hesiod, one of the oldest Greek poets
niay be properly cited, as clearly evincing th.
|||||iU,.iiiijt|iiiiJi'-w|i
.
;, b:„.,i.ed n.r the .lead, if -he ■ ns . •
„U?whv are they then 1 aptized .,.r ihe dcu, •
xvonhl "still obviously r..r. r m la n:.r~n,n. « it t
will require several more Ion., .l.-Mrtaiums, «.-„
innrk, when P. ^^cnrj, Campbell ^n
:"' '^ clem, eve-v wh "nT '" "■"^'' '"'^ '■^«.
««% With .■ero..e,.oetoTi;.> ".'''''• *''•• ^W
'y that couM afford ir, v 1, . ', " *^''«'-3' «•".-
Essays, &e. p. ,02. i ^^ "f "" ---'^ « bath."
"'^'- tl'e Jews «oul,l use t ht '''"''"' '^"'' '^he-
«"t purposes or „o,, tW a!, TT '*"'''' '"' '"«■«-
I
••tippoic ui it he rt rrrroil to Chi isiian baptism, whirh
they had all received.
u
If, then, this is, as Mr. Tiotror thinks, «< one of
those pa.vsai»-e,s wirn-h iiav(» not hitherto been ri;rhlly
miderstood," it may vv^dl be doidned whether it does
not remain sa, aft^^r .dl his diliireMt research to fi.id
in it—for want of hpitv.r proof-^an arL'ument in I'a-
vour orsprinlviin^rfor linpiism.
' ]
.i.j^iiiv.u ujiiMj uiu {juiMUM .«(>(!t>meato "hathe rumselt
in vyater ;" that is, ;is I have shewn at large in Letter
iv. to im7nerse\mn&e\i'. (Lev. v. 7, 10, U, 22,27.)
That the washing- expressed hy bapiizo in Mark
vii. 4. and Luke xi. 38, (compare verse 2 9, jinc'chap
ter viii. 44, 45.) was in accord;ince with this view, an
-^■^ immersion, or bathing,' of the whole \HH\y, 1 have
given concessions frofn Grotius Vatablus, Kederie,
and Hammond. To these many similar coneessior.s
may be easily added. Scio translates baptizonlai
(Mark vii, 4.) 'c ^^. hao^mn:' i.e. They balhit them-
selves : and Diodati rernlers ir, 'Mhiano lavato tutto
Hcorpo'^i.e. They have the whole body bathed.-^
Robinson in defining' bapiizo, (Gr. Lex.) cites these
texts, and gives the 'sense to bathe.' He assigns, as a
reiiyon why immersion was, as he adnnts, generally
. L. 1 1 I Ll .J
the immersion an.l ih»; emorsion which are made m
bapti,m, are a certain representation of dealli and
the resurrection." Dr. Hammond l^y admitting
this allusion, has thus given a consistent paraphrase
upon the text:—'' Now fur them amor.g you, (ver.
J2.) which sny there is no resurrection of the dead
-II shall only make this d.emami, Why then have
they in their baptism ma<le profession of their be-
lief of it, (see ver. 14, 17) it being certain that the
^1
'•'-"■'"'*• After ffivinl ,;;:'"'"/".■'"'"""« .» wnnn
'•-.ale bath'/ X^ r"r '"''" '"^ '-'/"'
'^^r cooling and ren-eZt°w '.'"■"""' f"''''^'""
^°-'"' of ,he drown mH;' J " ^ '^•''^*' '" '"^"^ '-
'^^heMoodb^cheirirl'''"^ '" ^-•-'-.
''''•g« one. about the house 2 "'^^^'"''''•here were
fy^^ f"n'.a5l.ing]bec--,.l •,' """'-'° ^"°' '"-"-
J'"' "■■•.v~As they weTe "; ■ ' "'"' '" ""« """^t of a
"*'• <■■ Hi. 3.) ji.,? *"'mmmg,» .^.g. (Ant R
-"/M to^other/co, ;t ' :: r; 7'"' ""^^ -«
''«"'i"ff the whole ho ly_f°;tr'"'"''" "''S<^ °f
"';j-:r^, it .nay have been done n r'"" "''J-^"' '>^
«"^o.,i„a.<^.)nec.,}eh n o t « " '^'"^^'Hlelou-
'•'t .3 clean everv wh ' /iT '" "'■'■^'' '^'« ^et.
'« evident ,then, that fac lh,W "'"'• ■''"• 2.) It
-=-«-! by the Phar ;;;'":!':;• ''"•hingwere K,s-
'y that could afford ir, v 1, V •. " ^'"'^y «""-
'"^•- ti.e Jews would use .l,t """' "'''"' ^vhe-
,^nt purposes or not, thev h °. T'T ''"'■'' '«'■ "'ff«'-
;^ ''« very r-as.age/howlor i f' T '''" ""'•'fi-''"on.
"hews that the J^w; J.^^' ' <=!■«'' '^ ^ >: Trotter.
& 10 sarrcci
'•- . -,
le " water
nti(f Pecutar Uses," as he represents; for tl
pots" for "purification" were manifestly applied ta
** secular use." John ii, 6 — 9.
His assertion to tl?e effect " that one touched I
person who had touched a dead l»ody, was to I
a
»y a
kled
3>
)e sprin-
requires proof. And if this had been ihi
case, the person so polluted wouhl unquestionably
have been required also to " l)athe himself
(Numb. xix. 19.) But it is certain that the ord
cases in which persons became ceremonially defiled
by the touch of those ceremonially unclean, had refer-
in water.'?
jnarv
es ; ( [
uev. XV. 2
ence to peculiar diseases, or infirmiti
5, H, kc.) and to the touch of such persons those
who were in a crowd would alvvays be liable. In this
case no sprinkling was required, but it was always
enjoined upon the person so (bffiled to "hathe himself
in %vater ;" that is, as I have shewn at large in Letter
iv. to immerse \mn&e\t'. (Lev. v. 7, 10, U, 22,27.)
That the washing- expressed by bapUzo in Mark
vii. 4. and Luke xi. 38, (compare verse 2 9, jmdchap
ter viii. 44, 45.) was in accord;mce with this view, an
immersion, or bathing of the whole body, I have
given concessions from Grotius Vntablus, Kederir,
and Hammond. To these many similar concessiot.s
may be easily added. Scio translates baptiznnlai
(Mark vii, 4.) .c ^c? ba-^nanr i.e. They balhi, them^
selves : and Diodati renders it, 'Jibhiano lavato tutto
Hcorpo'^i.e. They have the whole body bathed.—
Robinson in defining baptizo, (Gr. Lex.) cites these
texts, and gives the 'sense to bathe.' He assigns, as a
reason why immersion was, as he admits, generally
5—
4
these versions aivino- t",p |„,„, , "" °"^ "^
to snrinklin. ^ °,u '=''^'' "f countenance
spi inkling. So, that emnentli' learnp.l P^ i
mnnher of versions, includ n. vers'otTn ' ^?"'
;.-ntv .,iff.,.en: langnages;„rr'r, r 7 T
lie
ou
8a(
tio
COl
It
fai
tjo
do
]
wl
I)e
tej
Jo
Dr. A. Clarke sny*, (in Inr.) «* A.s iliey rrceivo
l>nt)ri-iui ns an einl»!f'tri of death, irj vrjIiiMiai'ilv lioirify
uiKif^r the watcM' ; s > t'lov receive ir as nn eiublcin of
the resurrection i\ d iiJ^tnrnal lilV, in co-nin;^ nj> out
of the water; thu«t :ny are hnplizcd for the deady
in perfect faith of tlie rejurrect.on."
Granville Penn, Es-jupvc, in liis note on 1 Cor.
XV, -Id, 30. ( AtMiotat'o.)',, 4c. )^^ter quoting Rom. vi.
77
I
■""■f^
.V
It is evidently the duty and interest of every be-
liever to yield strict obedience to each ot the Savi-
our's commands. To this end he should study tho
sacred Scriptures with diligence and prayerful atten-
tion ; and, without preposession, put the mostnatura^
construction upon every sentence and every word.
It is painful to me to ii nate that even an opponent
fails of this in any point : but it is a Divine injunc-
tion to " speak the truth," though it is always to bo
done, as I am disposed to do it, '* in love."
In addition to the instances already noticed in.
which Mr. Trotter's system of sprinkling has com-
pelled him to put a forced construction on plain
texts — an evident proof that his system is unscriptural
— the reader's attention is invited to his remarks on
^^)[m iii. 23. "John also was baptiziiig in Enon, near
*> SI IV II
It thut appears tnat tins lexi,
Trotter ha« adduced in support of his view, and
to whi<'h Ih5 has devoted the principal part of hi.*
fourtli and fifth Letters, is so far from afl'ordini; any
countenance to sprinkling, that it is, by the ailmis-
sion ofa number of his Pedobaptist IJiethren, tle-
vAs\\v\y in fuvour of itnmersicn. With referen^-eto
tho other texts which he has hitherto cited in which
baplizo occurs, Mr. Parkhurst. a Pedobaptist Levi-*
icographer, says, (in Buptizo,)i\uxi it was u^^ud by the
■J
rjCy
P«aisc,l l.y ,1.0 A,.„.,tlos in baptism, ,|.„ prevalonn.
«'( l«Ul.i„g, <aceordius to Oriental ha'.its ' V
•says, on Maw. vii. 4. « Gr. .«,/.><: L.,.'Z"
W.e.^ as the word probably ought ,o be re , e.eT
(^eo Lev. xv. 11.)" Williams, i„ his Cotf,.,. R m
.•e-nar.s on .be elanse-Exoep't tbe, .aS.^r^:
<M tilt l^ast , and it is probable that all the rirh^r
Pharisees bad baths on their own premiM i
=r.,- ;™T"' -•""-'■ ■C;r,,r2
ItSthus appears on examination, thnt ,h«. •
-stances of the use of tapti^o, like a I the o-h""
...stances cited,b, Mr. TroUer i^ favo of ^p . fc"'
i'n^', l.rove to be - both from the nature of Th;
«ase, and from the concessions ofnnn.ero "pedob n
these versions aivino- the l»,c, i '^°*^
to sorinklin. « ° T ^"'^^ °'^<=o""tenance
spiinklinj. So, that em nentlv learnprl P., i
•'»pt.st, William Greenfield, bavin^xfrnhr. "
""".her of versions, including vlr^iolTn " 'T'
:-;>■ .lifTeren: .an.na.esArTem r IT 't :
pS:v-:--i:£-;-"-.e.hei3e;':;
f^^
wo
[1
I
lie^
oui
sac
tioi
cor
Iti
fail
^ioi
(1 01
1
\vh
pel
tex
Jul
i
57
How then can any one » have the hardihood' to
]>racti3e either of these for baptism, when no one
dares so to translate the word ? Or to censure the
' J3aptist Translators in India for rendering it by
words signifying to immerse, when the very instan-
ces of its use cited in opposition by Mr. Trotter,
•learly shew this to be its only proper meaning ?
fM.^
LETTER VI.
[In Answer to Mr. Trotter's 8th Letter.]
I
■
:
It is evidently the duty and interest of every be-
liever to yield strict obedience to each ot the Savi-
our's commands. To this end ho should study tho
sacred Scriptures with diligence and prayerful atten-
tion ; and, without preposession, put the mostnatura^
construction upon every sentence and every word.
It is painful to me to ii nate that even an opponent
fails of this in any point : but it is a Divine injunc-
tion to " speak the truth," though it is always to be
done, as I am disposed to do it, '* in love."
In addition to the instances already noticed in
which Mr. Trotter's system of sprinkling has com-
pelled him to put a forced construction on plain
texts — an evident proof that his system is unscriptural
— the reader's attention is invited to his remarks ou
John ill. 23. "John also was baptizing in Enon, near
I
^as directed to ..,'■' '" ''""k-' When Tu
*J'« children !f """'" ^^'""P "^-ives Z, ^'^"''
"uien of Israel J» /t i ^ ^""circumcis#»
•trotter inio„ ' (-Joshua v 9^ ^ "'<-iae
i'^''«aWyrequi.,„ft„. ™'/hat «'a^«- i. UuUs-
"<« '-equ.re " ,r,„el, water 'U,^"' ^"'''"'"'''ff <ioe«
' «a,d to J,ave bvr.,:^^aZ ^'" "'«^««>'-e John
V'o practised i.„meSon r ''""'" P''"=«-»-^ thos"
; -w,,„„^^ waT ,e^n"""^ <">--" beca^::
'a"e.was chosen on a-coum r • '' '""'""' '^at the
""'«/evve„.i„,.„p;JXpti!°sh?"'f"" ""^' '"at
tO-ad,.„t it distinctly, in Sr ' ^'''" <^"nstrained
duect oppositio., to their
io denote putting? a prrson under water for tho pur-
j osG of drowniiii^ him, and havinjr suhsoqucntly
fitato<l that Aquila oiiij)loycd it to denote *' daulin^
with fdth," now ?u;iiMfniiis, (Letter vi.) that it means
** i(» purify. »♦ According to hin own representation,
I'.emijjfht with eqnni pliiusil»ility maintain that it means
e'lihi'j' to di'oinii f^r to dauh. So Mr. Thorn repre-
f?eiits it as chMiotinj^, among many other discordant
6eiis(\«, *« to sweeten — to poison — to cleanse — to pol-
lute," &-0. (Madorn Iminorilon, i^c. p. 103—100,)
1
y^ \j «%^ai.«v^^^
■J J
baptized in Jordan, and that he baptized in Enon^
because there was much water there. ^^ (See Dr. A
Clarke on Mark xvi. 16.)*
* As these Letters will doubtless be read by m any
persons who have not access to any of rrjy other
*y writings which relate to this subject, I have deemed
it proi)er, in some instances, to employ the same ar-
guments, illustrations, and quotations. I may also
here repeat a circumstance connected with the text
now considered: — A pious Pedobaptist residen; lu
Westmoreland, N. B. unwilling that his wife should
be immersed, cautiously avoided reading in the fam-
ily such passages of Scripture as might direct her
thoughts to that subject. One morning, as he has in-
formed me, when he sat down to read before prayer,
he thought within himself, " I believe there is not
mentionof baptism in the third Chapter of John."
tilt obvious fact, that tfic spriiiklin;^ of prrsoiis prc-
bcrilied in the law, whcihcr v\ith Itioodaiid water, or
ashes and wiitc. , vvhlle it purified \\i one rospecf,
pnllnlcd in niiotlirr. 80 far, then, arc tli;;sc terms
from bcinjT " coiivorrible," that, though ihoy inny bo
nsc<l with referoiico to the same thinpr, in the rela-
tion of cause and efToct, eacli constantly retains its
• )wn proper mcaninjr. KutharizOy to pur^fj/f never
means eillicr to iiniMprse or to sprinKlr: neither docs
68
J >viii not prove thit *, '"' t/ie reason a<«
'"y ».. koon,.;^," """»''? like P.I..,,„I .,,'"
tjip ,.kij "^a^esharnt • " Joshua
"G Cil|/cJ,.gp rkf r *"«ip knives, anrlo.-
'J'rotter ?„' -^ ^''■''^'>" (Joshua v g"? ";'="""='^e
ng- f 's agreed on all han./^l"^'"^'''<="n'ci.,.
i-^n^aWy required for banS ' f"' ^"'"- '« ""lis-
" salr '■? " ""^" -^tT'f'^l"' sprinkling does
* said to have bor..;zed i, " "'erefore John
^^'"o Poetised iu,meSo,^ / "'"'"'" P'"<=«-''« tho."
"•orations for i,nmers,o„ " s„ "' ^'^°"''"S accom-
7aft.e„.ine.„p;JXJ;h "''"?"'■'' """^' '"««
'°-ad""t it distinctly, i„ rfi^'^"" ^•'«" -constrained
duect oppositio., to their
09
there"
0^ Water
'isoii as-
J'ersion.
ce, and
the in-
^e, they
ss they
VQ been
uch a
with a
st-rnill
niuch
5f Was
arsons
oshua
mcisQ
Mr.
Were
ncjs-
iidis-
tioes
^ohn
lose
Luse
the
m-
lat
ed
il
V
I
osvn practice. Crotius snys, (In loDie'.s ^uK^jisi?,)
'• That the rite was performed by irr :».( i^ini), no:
perfusion, L)oth the proper raeaniniij oi \';r word and
the places chosen for [adminisroriif'.'l lih* iit(i indi-
cate, John iii. 23. Acts viii. 38. niui ninny allusions
of iho Apostles, which cannot lie k ftrnd to sprink-
ling-, Rom. vi. 3, 4. Col. ii. l"!." Dr. Doddridge re-
marks, " Nothing surely can lie more evident than
t\vc\i(poUa hudata)many waters, signifies ns laru;e quan-
/i/?/ o/iy«^£'r, it being -sometimes used lor the Eu-
jdirates, (.ler- li. 13.) Sept.^' Dr. Lightfoot, though a
strenuous advocate of sprinkling, admits, " that the
baptism of John was by plunging ihe body, (after the
same manner as the washing of unclean persons, and
the baijtism of proselytes,) seems to appear from the
things which are related of him; namely, that he
baptized in Jordan^ and that he baptized in Enon^
because there was much water there. ^' (See Dr. A
Clarke on Mark xvi. 16.)*
* As these Letters will doubtless be read by m any
persons who have not access to any of my other
»\ writings which relate to this subject, I have deemed
it projier, in some instances, to employ the same ar-
guments, illustrations, and quotations. I may also
here repeat a circumstance connected with the text
now considered: — A pious Pedobaptist residen; lu
Westmoreland, N. B. unwilling that his wife should
be immersed, cautiously avoided reading in the fam-
ily such passages of Scripture as might direct her
thoughts to that subject. One morning, as he has in-
formed me, when he sat down to read before prayer,
he thought within himself, *' I believe there is not
mentionof baptism in the third Chapter of John."
If
"f John (eis) in Jordan ■ -hi 7 "' '''''""'"'
the others were 1 ■■ t' "'"l"''«'i°n''hly, a«
(Mark i. 5 V m \ Th 7" '^ ''''''' J°"J'-n-"-
thb- • ri '. ^^ "^ '^^'^ "'^""^ case is evidenilv
thib.-l hough our venerable Translntf,,, ; ^
ionnlty with the roy„, instruction lil'^he T,
«ot translate the word iapti.o, where . rel te 'to 1
Chnst^a^^^r^^^ unquestionairk^L?
" much water.'" '° '"'''"^'''' "''e'-e there was
\
T
1
i 1
miration, ^i(^ in accorilniice willi this view, it is
rcmlor^Ml in rlie J^rptuii^irit—which was commonly
uscmI l»y llif Jews — " So .shall nmny nutions(//raMmrt-
sontai) wonjh.T at him." 1 ask, mor»;over, ilaes Mr.
Trotter ri'ally think that Christ ** purilies'* many
nations by the literal s()rinklinL,'ofvvaU;r in their fant's
l»y the hands cf men ? I wouhl choose to rely upon
the •' sprinklinjj of the hlo<i(l of .le.sns Christ. **
With his repicsentulion of this suhject Ift the rci\<lrr
r
H**?*
In reply 10 inr. irunei a icmaiiv* ivi«v.»w *^ -..w
preposition €71 and the baptism o£ the Holy Ghost,
1 observe:— 1. When a preposition is expressed in
one clause of a sentence, and omitted in another, or
in a parallel text, the same preposition is evidently
imderstood, and that in the same sense. (Acts xxvi.
18.2. Cor. i. 2.) Hence appears the fallacy of the ar-
gument which he attempts to build on the omission
of en. Acts i. 5. 2. Every word should be taken in
its ordinary or most usual sense, unless there is some
decisive reason to the contrarv. But according to
the statement of the late Revr. James Monro, of An-
tigonish, fn is rendered m 633 times, and with 16
times only, in the four Gospels, omitting the instan-
ces in which it is connected with baptism. (Treatise
on Baptism, Appendix, p. 55—56.) In some of
But there arc two points on which we arc ut is-
HUH ; namely, his positions — 1. That the action ex-
pr<?ssed by laptizontaiy rciulorcd " wash," (vcr- I.)
wnn not performed by the persons them)<elvos, but by
r»thers on thom. 2. Tliat this action was " sprink-
ling." As he is sanguine on ea^'li of these p«»inr.<,
c'otifulently adducing this iise of the word hapiizn in
Ruppor: of spriiikiinir, it is prripor that «ach po^iijon
•»'• »uld l>f uUintivoly i.'\an»liKMi.
' 1
\
-■H
vM
J
00
V.-OVO ,„o ...... „.i.«,, v.,....si„,.-..::;i • ; ,,ii':'
^'^"r-'Mv. ..;;ue..'^;: •7;rr^
elude that he^ot ;,h "'' '""'"'"'^ '='"'-
"o wtis not in tne vvafpr " R..* »i
c.-e,l text te'l« us expr,.sslv th-IfH .^ "'''"
the others were 1 <■ ^ "ni"«stio„ably, „«
(Mark i. 5 -rTo \ Th 7" '^ '"'' Jo'-'J'""-"-
ihis- • ■! , ^^ ^^ '^'" "'^•he case is evidenilv
th's. — ! hough our venerable Trai«lntn..= ^ ^
ionnUy with the royal insfuctions J^ rhe';:, 7]
J.ot translate the word .<.;,^.v„, where t rel te 'to 1
Chnsua^^or^^ un.uestionatT knL!
" much water.'" "''° ''"l'"^«d "here there was
I
^ {
'I ijDiiicr.M-
vould ijfi-
<-'<i<)I)|)ti.sfs
=>"S WllfJM
lit of til (J
e unfram
sprinkled
nocessar-
beon ifii-
not the
-ting the
en «' the
Jactually
ily con-
the sa-
baptized
»ably, as
dan."—
vidently
in con-
5m, did
Js to a
knew,
o verse
> near
jre." —
'e, *' I
>on af-
re was
61
as all (irceli scholars dfv, that its proper meaning if*
to immerse, timt .lesus was baptized, that is, immers-
ed, " in Jordan," *hat apo means ow< o/, (Ps. xl. 2.
Mutth. vii. 4. xiv. 29. Luke viii. 29.) as well hs
from.und that in a text manifestly parallel, (Acts viii.
S9.)the strongest expression which the Greek lan-
guage affords is used to express coming »p out of
the water— as Mr. Trotter himself says— and ihere-
^lorc with the strictest propriety they rendered the
text, "Jesus when he was l)a[)tized, went up straight-
way out of the water." It is so rendered by Tyn-
dale, Cranmer, the Geneva Translators, Dodd-
ridge, Campbell, &c. Many other Pedobai)tist
scholars, as Hammond, Stackhouse, Lightfoot, &c.
admit the fact that our Lord was immersed.
In reply to Mr. Trotter's remarks relative to thfr
preposition €71 and the 6op^ismofthe Holy Ghost,
1 observe:— 1. When a preposition is expressed in
one clause of a sentence, and omitted in another, or
in a parallel text, the same preposition is evidently
understood, and that in the same sense. (Acts xxvi.
18.2. Cor. i. 2.) Hence appears the fallacy of the ar-
\ gument which he attemptia to build on the omission
of en. Acts i. 5. 2. Every word should be taken in
its ordinary or most usual sense, unless there is some
decisive reason to the contrarv. But according to
the statement of the late Rer. James Monro, of An-
tigonish, fn is rendered m 633 times, and with 16
times only, in the four Gospels, omitting the instan-
ces in which it is connected with baptism. (Treatise
on Baptism, Appendix, p. 55—56.) In some of
Nil
C2
tlicso IG ii,stni,<,oii a coitaiiilv nicmis in .>= r ■
<•«, in 1I.C two first texts in ih u '' '"■"•'""-
translated tn, i.sGl7overH; I^- ""
thevpfnr^ ;. ''ovLi 10. lt.> ordinary rnenniiK'
lo- :S.% i:'''"r'''""'^'^ "'• '«'—-' "-,=
jenueredjn connection with Pnemr^n fh.' ^ • •
t- i hes. ,. 8. see Exo.lus xi.v. 18. ] Kings.iv i«
Jsa. xliv. 16, in Sent ^ M- 'i- .. '^'"S^"'^- 12
intinates ve v h! i . ' "^'" •""•"a'^s, "John
chaff with um,L.d .:«;". BuT 7 "" ""^
; cast (..,..) ,,„,,/;;,. iritrrti:
.le o eT, '*•'' """.''P'---' - "e «'- thin , „
lrr!r ''"'?''' '" ''"'"'^^ ^'"•'•^■« "■• «'^'/' fire
occurs freqiicniv. CiVlattli iii in i-i ■ ' /"<^>
8 &.C 1 VVh , '•^ ''""• '"• '"—'2- VII. 19. xviii.
• S^e.) H hat ,. cast »„<o the fire, .,,u.t necessarily
'-«thefire.aWhenth..a.newordisuse.n„the
tZ: rr •"":"' """ "•'■"• ^•"■•^'•'^'"^^ - ^'^^ «—
" •'•""^'"'e'l "ntformly. But, as Dr. Ca.n,,bell oh-
-rves, .« cannot I,a .ransla.e.l, verse Cth-" ,,«,..
-ea .M Jordan,., or " .ith the river of .J„
'i-:!' (Ma-, i. 5.) Without glaring ahsurS-
«»-i'fthe,.eoj,!enere baptized, "in the river of
>
'^:
... 1 — [-THi— iii'hV-^ ■'— ■ '-a-'-i^- - ''^
^
C:)
this*
4-
1
I
.lordiin," it is clear to a (lomonstratioii, tluil they
WQi'd Ui\\)i\7.Qd ill 10 ate t'.
I do not, however, (lensure our Traiidhitors for ren-
i!oriii<' the text ^'witli water, with the Holy Ghost,
asul ii^ith fire;" since they evidently tlid not refer to
iho mode, but to the element. So they have tranw-
I.ted Exod. xii. 9.., "Eat not of it raw, nor sodde-i
(bashed, 'hoi\ci\\ at all with water, hut roast with
lire;" ihough they certainly knew that when flesh U
hoiled "with water," it is boiled m the water. So
likewise Dr. Hammond, (on Matt. iii. 11.) referring^
to the distinction between water baptism and that of
Holy Ghost, speaks of John as baptizing persons
"with water," though he candidly admits (on verso
1.) that John "put them into the water, dipped them
all over, and so took them out again."
The specious argument which Mr. Trotter at-
tem})ts to draw fro:n the figurative expressions
<* pouring out the Spirit," and "baptized with the
Holy Ghost, "iis of no force ; since figurative lan-
guage, which is necessarily more obscure, is not to
guide us in the interpretation of that which is literal*
and consequently plainer. Th;t the word bnptizo
does not mean to pour, is demonstrable from the
fact, that absurdity follows every attempt to trans-
late it by that word ; as, " I indeed pour you with
water," &c. The idea intended to be conveyed by
* the baptism of the Holy Ghost,' appears evidently
to be that of abundance ; as many learned Pedo
baptists, as Glassius, Stockius, Parkhurst, •^c. define
it. So Greenfield, in accordance with the others, de"
I.
'^c.) V\ h.u ,.s east »„fo the fi.e, ,nu.t necessarily
'-«thefire.3.Whe,MK.„.„ewordisuse.li,. the
" •'•'">»'"«eJ "n.fo,-,nIy. But, as Dr. Ca.npbell oh-
^-erves. en cannot he translate.I, verse 6th-" l,a„.
T, "''' '"■''*"•" - " -"" the river of J„ .
'i-:! (Mark i. 5.) without g.arin, ahsurj^-
'""ITthcj,eoi,le«ere baptized, "in the river of
<l«i;r«Ml, US the iumcluiVw^ part of iho j'urificatiun, lo
" luithe hiinsciriii water."
Mr. Tn,tr(M-8cciris frfMiuontly to io>o Bi^ht ofilm
Mil.jecl lu <lc!mte, and to re-anl it us the ipiustion at
•ssuo, whichjofus iH the hcuer lin-rtiist.'' ThU U not
tho ;>„„t for xvhich I afn conieudi!.-. I heg to as-
Hure hin., however, that h« i-* widrly nstray in hh
co,.jecturc-.he .say., '• M,. T. ],„, ,,,i ,.,,^,.„ ^^^ ^^^^
The specious ar;?utnent which Mr. Trotter at-
temi)ts to draw fVotn tho figurative expressions
«« pouring out the Spirit," and '' baptized with the
Holy Ghost, "iis of no force ; since figurative lan-
guage, which is necessarily more obscure, is not to
1^ guide us in the interpretation of that which is literal*
i ^ and consequently plainer. Th;>t the word baptizo
does not mean to pour, is demonstrable from tho
fact, that absurdity follows every attempt to trans-
late it by that word ; as, *' I indeed pour you with
water," &c. The idea intended to be conveyed by
* the baptism of the Holy Ghost,' appears evidently
to be that of abundance ; as many learned Pcdo
baptists, as Glassius, Stockius, Parkhurst, •^c. define
it. So Greenfield, in accordance with the others, de"
iMinti.s im: ui an uli huW who askiul nie, »• Uid you
I'ver read thc5 Uo«ik of l.amcntationrf?" I huvo cer-
tainly read the Gre»'k " New Tostumcnt from be-
jrinniiis to end" at least fourleen times ; ntid I am
accustomed to riail home portion of it daily. I ha\o
no intention to reidiale by uliemptinij to lenscn Mr.
Trotters reputation i\n a scholar ; but I am snro
that no competent and unprejudiiMMl j» lire, who at-
tentively exanjines his Liltcis »' On the mean.iii( ot
liaptiz6,''cn\\ pos-^ibly regiird him aa u jud;ciua4
•♦ biblical critic*"
..M
• — ■^^ • m iS £
this distinct on; „;:'ir he r?"'"" ^"'^"^'•^
'•• with" hv nJ 'V , '"'"'^' '" •■^'e'-'eJ to,
the tJl::: irr'ei:r„:r^'"^v'"^'
thati.„,er.io„ was the .node SsS 7, "'e
of the preposition m<;i in such a o!!r. "'
t«.e in the ie.t Ueg-ee a.a^ ir."^^ t^r ,S'"
preposition en is once correctly rp.,i» '?"'.''""* the
twice-«i„ Jordan-infthe river nf • '"' '' "''
6..- Mark i.5.)this de:l:,;V;re/t:;' St'""'-
|'either^o«r<. „„r sprinklillJZtt „t ''"
in the extrsme to aneat ^f? • P'^eposterous
srs,:r'r r- ^'-^ '^••- v:3;
. Spanish, and German, as] well as English.
uiitilly iiihlerjitautl hnptizonlai, \\i rrcsponilir)^
word, ill an active, or reflected pcmm-, jh denoting
that they themselves did the notion. It i«, moreover,
to be noted, chat persons eamiot be 'properly j^nid /o
iftlhv themselves, unless they theniselvci kVj it ; hut
ihey may be Aaid pai^uively, to be balked, though it \n
done by ihemsclve*. So Hedcric, a noted Grrolc
critic, cite* Mark vii. I. and Ijiko iv. 8S. in hii
l^oti/^on, and dj'tlnes bajdizn in boih ihose \o.\h ''/m.
e
)>
It
e
*
4
water, or to be in a r-vcr, tor tne aco ...,-.■-
that whish car. be .ic.ne ec;Jally as well without, that
he has deeme.l it r.e^dful to-altempt an evasion of the
consequence, by alleging, " 'I "^ " were pr-ve.!
that Jolm immersed his d.scip .. r would not fol-
low that the Apostles inimersed the conve.ls to
Christianity;" maintaining that his 'baptism was m-
ferior to Christian baptism," and that the Apostles
.' baptized John's disciples again." It U not renu.-
site for me to contest this point ; but Beza and Glas-
Bius have demonstrated, upon philological prmci-
Mles, from the connection of the parts of the d.s-
course by the parti:iesr»e» and de, (Acts x.x. 4. &.)
th-t the disciples of John were not baptized agam.
Calvin maintains the same. So the lat« Rev. Ja.nes
Monro says, " There is uo esseul.al d.llerence be-
'8
r,
/•>
It
15
k
I*
« «i«|l| ftKF-
|M^i* ui stune, oAertUc innnr»«y^ of the pnnfy'ini; of
lfe» Jewf,'' (Jirhn Vt " Ue (tuumcf ihai ibc J^w*
cou'd bftT« no Imtlw, ur means of imrntrri^inj ••ithcr
thraw«lvc'»» or nny tfiiilg thnt T7n» too lorgr* to U'^ im-
ir»tTi**«f ' /<»ty g:\lloii*'' of water. He UHMert$
liat Of'cfkt -yij water puts •* ofie wnsj iritcntliHl fur the
%v(Mbi*.^ ol'lhe barn! , another for the punfying for
ib« %!eafl/* Swc, aini that, T*\%h rcj,MnJ to " cups,"
,^' *' \kQ cvtulUbhv'd ciMtoia wat) tu turn th^iu u|>-
li
01
r,»C^ /mpti-o will, >cr...rc„r,.. to ,|,o lf.,|,.\: • ■
" Mcaphonclly, <o o^.nM.te „ , J ^!T~
I'ostow liLorally, i,.,!.,,. largely » s, ' "? '^/«'' •
"ouse, snys, (Sermon 143,-) •■ This is fhn, i-
ver.se 2„,l of tl„.. Chapter. ourSaviou <• S , '"'''
tl.o Apostles with the Holy Glw. ^'^ "^
who were in the house were nshr """ "'"-^
">e Holy Ghost ; „s they VC w^o I "Trr^"" 7
water were overwhehne.l „„.| covo e.l Z "l"
J^eie It IS to be observpil fl.ot .u; i .
well ns nr H '"""""" '«n"-"e<l author. „,
well ns JJr. Hammond, while exnies^Iv ,, ,
w«h commenrlahle cnn^lour thit ir ^ • '""'
I-i-nitive mcle, u.es the ph ': TZT"" '"^ ""•
. istin,uished from the bap.llrof th HolT^c,' '" "
The rendering, therefnrp \.r.u ^ C.iios.t.
this distinctif; a^ n";!,,'''?" '"" '^"'^"^^^
"With" bvonr T , '"'^' '^'•e'ened to.
.J.t immersion wairie^TrSS 7, '°"';'
of the preposition wM in such Vl . ^ "'
tate in the least decree a^t i^sllrhr ^S"
preposition .« is once correctly re ideredV!
lw.ce-<'in Jordan-inlthe river If, , "' ''" ' "^
6. : Mark i.5.)this decl:,;; .//.tt ZliT''''
nmther pouring nor .^.n-^wfJ-sTnce i „ ' '""'
in the extr«me to sne«t „f /^ '"""^^ " '^ P-^eposterous
in a ri.er. Z Va^I^m rSlTl " i^^ ^^^
vers.ns inelndin, Hebrew, SyrrJc Latin VrInT
"a"an, Spanish, and German, as} well as EnS.'
Ill tir'ii ^Mvtitiii iri -'iiliilit^
65
'■'■
anil ill every one of thcin ems rendered tn.expressing
tlislinclly that tlm people were baptized " In the
river Jordsn." Indeed, Mr. Trotter has hin.seir
selected tho preposition en us the most decisive th«t
can be found ir -he Greek lansnage to denote that
immersion was ,)ractised. He says of Judith, (No-
va Scotian, Nov. 2, 184C.) " Had th^ :^-»s8ago
meant that she immersed herself, it would have been
en te pege," that is, in the fountain. ere, then,
he has, in Matth. iii. 0, 11. Mark 1.5. the very form
which he has chosen to render it unexceplioimbly
evident, that the people were immersed by John ' m
Jordan-in water-m the river." So manifest, m-
deed,is it to himself that they were immersed, since
reasonable men are not accustomed to go into the
water, or to be in a rivoi-, for the accomplishment of
that whi«h car. be don« equally as well without, thai
he has deemed it r,e,dful tolatteinptan evasion of the
consequence, by alleging, " 'I "'' it were pr"ve<i
that John immersed his d.scip ^ ' «ould not fo -
low that the Apostles immersed the conveics to
Christianity;" maintaining that bis ''^Pti^'" /"^ '"-
ferior to Christian baptism," and that the Apostles
.< baptized John's disciples again." It is not requi-
site for me to contest this point ; but Beza and Glas-
sius have demonstrated, upon p.1ilologieal princi-
ples, from the connection of the parts of the d.s-
course by the parti ies wen and de, (Acts xix. 4. i>.)
tht the disciples of John were not baptized again.
Calvin maintains tho same. So tho late Kev. Jan.es
Monro says, " There is uo essential diileience be-
i 4
,14
>-':.^M^
I'-oper expression wo ,. i,:;:?"^ '" "'« -Hter, the
Luke respecti,,-, ,■,„ s<,u expression used by
'■« '">s not aitempte,! to't^ll T^ ^ood reason,
sI'ouM have I.een • 1, ? " "' ^''•'" Greek verb
'- ■^'•'-" "a. p."«ise ' 'bVetr,' ""'"■" "•- '■"'-
"«t-shouMh.ve been eon "tHr '=^P'--0"^
.' « P'ople had been im ," . T ,"'1 " '^'■''' '''
"'entieal expressions Z vvl ''"' '^''°^<'" 'he
^•'•^Pi-ed »vriters. ''"'" '""""•'"'^ "^ed by the
it thus appears evident from I,-
''"''-'y'huttI,osacre.l ,e ;.^,''" 7" •^'"'e-^ents,
"'-cep,ionab,.vverd.,rrG::iT '"''^
urcek language af-^
H
^^\
k
r^
■■■■
■Km
Hili
»i*"iBE
'
■1
r
'^m
/
^
f
1
"v, :
# ■
. i
i
9
-c.-ea-.i uiiiiiirii, or uy tiic touch ot nn UMclca!i person,
was not to he sprinkletl at ail, bin to '' ho put into'
water," or «< rijised in water." (Lev. xi. 8i2, xv, 12.)
It is perfectly manifest, tlien, that the, {baptismos)
" wasliin:^ of cups," &e. was immersion. Foi- or-
dinary cases ot this kind a water pot contjjining
*' twenty g-allons" was quite ►.ufilcicFit. If " tables'**
or couches, :ouU\ not l)e ronvcnienlly dipped other-
wise, not only does Dr. Gill i(ivo snrh ru'e.s from
jRwish Rahhitf, but Kev. Uichard Mason though
<!
•i4(
■^ .,
LliTTiili VU.
[,N ANSWER TO MR. TROTI-R'S 9tH LETTEB.]
Mr Trfntei- oonm.e.iees his ninth Letter l.y reiiiar-
ki,„r,«We have no direct or preoiso infuni.atu.n .n
the N.nv Testament, respecting the manner in wh.cli
the .Apostles administered the rite of 1--'I"'«"-. "";'
oan only ascertain it by in.lueti.n and '"f^---"";;
Seein^.then, that the u.eof the word ,n the cia.MC ,
i„ Josephus, &c.,iB altogether aga-ist h.s view, t
,vill he perceive.l that be is oblige,!, in oppo.,tnM._ -J
the plain meaning of the «ord, to relj pnnc.padj
B
I J ^. 1-, LI
I
provalcnco of bathing in the East ;" that is, to shew
,l,„r. bathing wns-as it still is, accor.ling to the cm-
current testimony of travellers-n very .-onunon cus-
tom in warn, countries. This well established fac
tend, to obviate several objections usually urged
ngainst immersion, which might, otherwise seem
weighty to persons acquainted only -vith customs
rrevulent in cold climate.,. On this point the lan-
J nge of Hcsiod, one of the oldest Greek poets
L-,; he properly cited, as clearly cv.ncmg th.
'4
r
66
«'■"- opinion .hauheuiptr ,.i"^"'r ^^'^^^'
3-0. were ie-baptize,l " r '"f "'"ned Acts xix.
-"-denn. ,he «vo f, ^.'.r"' "'"""'" «"' ""'"
ins then, to have be,' „ ' T ""'""""' ^'"' «'"'-
^«ul on this occasion J^^'^ ''> '^'"1- and not by
c'>-tisa on B:;,:;:::;^:';7-';''-seci .,,„i„,,^
Mr. Trot:er,l,oivevor is pv;,l .1
Hny reason for the .u.^estio t 7 T""'' '° »^^'»"
have been .iifferent.vvhFch ," "" ^ "«'°n "'«y
the sa.ne word. ,„Vee / ' '="";!'«""3' ^J're.sed by
P.-esentation,it would ^-,,7"^" '" '"■^' °'^" •■«-
-•'-•" that im,„er ; w ' ' '"""''r''^"' " - '"ore
'"••"' 'hat it wa.s durin. ^ ,.-' ™"""' ^"^«^q"ently,
""■"ur Savionr had l^t'^JZ^'"'': "'^ "« -ys
'l^lcs," which is preW.1 r " '""''" ''' *«« '«"
Luke respecting ,he Fthf oppression used by
-■•- "P ou. o/afj; '"'';;";;'- ^hi.ip ..„„ ,^
'■; has not a.ten,pted to te J ■ , ^''^ff'''''' .eason,
should have bee, ■ ,p,, " ,"" "^^"^ Greek verb
7-""' was p,rtise ' t;?r;' -i^""- '"- ™-
that should have been co! .''"'"^ "^pre.ssion..
the p-ople had bet L ::rV"l'' '"^ -'•'^. '*■
"lentical e.vpressions th w ' '"" ''''°''«» 'he
"'■"Pi'-ed writers. ''"'" "'^'"''"y "«ed by the
h thus appears evident Trnm i,-
"•" -'y 'hat the sacred ,1;,^,''" T •'''■"""""■''
""-ceptionablewordtil^t rcT^r ''^''''""
i^rcek language af~
iU4
67
fords to exi>!\^ss iinmersion fippropriaioly, but al?^^>
that in (lescrihing'the circum.slances attendant on the
adn>.inistrution of the ordinance, they' used the
«tron<re.st expressions corroborative of the fact, that
the first Christian, were immersed. The argument
i., therefore, amulative, excluding the possibility
of any reasonable doubt on the subject. It is then
obvious, not only that it is justifiable to translate tae
wonl bardlzo hv words that sii^nify to immerse, but
• al that it is aii^obitely incutnbent on ail Transla-
tor*^ of the Sacr- I Scriptures to translate it thus in
accordance ith its true and evirlent import; so that
all believers may distinctly understand then' duty, in
r.irard to this ordinance, obey the Saviour's com-
mand, and follow His example.
LETTEU VH.
[IN ANSWER TO MR. ^.'ROTI-^R'S StH LETTER.]
Mr Tro.ter commences his ninth Letter by remar-
Uin<r,**We have no direct or precise information m
the New Testament, respecting the mnnner m which
the Apostles administered the rite of i;''nn.sm, ami
oan only ascertain it by induction and f^^^^^^
Seein., then, that the use of the word m the cla.. c
in Jo:ephus, 8.c.,is altogether ajra.nst his view i
will be perceived that be is obliged, m oppos.t.on o
the plain meaning of the word, to rely prmcipady
tiS^^,
70
rorcnce to tl.is instmice of hnptism, "It vv-,, nt I„
-Wem, whore, ,,e.,i,le. ,l,o pul.lic convernc I" • '"
;'n.nc-,.io,, such as the pools of BeZZT', s"
ioa.n, there were ,n«ny Mik^^aath, „ ieti L r
water .„ the ,„r,„ of l,„,hi„^, houses » ZfT °^
*- p. ,0..) So,„e have inmgiueVthaf » t .e 3
of S,oan. and Bethes.la were one and tht mo
but 1 have seen no sufficient reason assigned fo this
conjecture, which is contrary to Air f,
-ent, and to the generally recefveLpiniJr Tht't
what .. they call ti,e pool of Bethesd- > "as '""l
o water" when Maundrel visited JerZe,;"
1797 yet, ,t was not so in the time of the A ,„' M
"'"">« «.Vs, "it is one hundred and tvvlnv ^ '
long, and forty hroad." He tells .1 •? ''""•'"
called " Gihon," r» probab J e-, """"'"' P^°'
Which, he says. was^"::;rL^v:;r:;te?.';"':;'i
p:-.on,si.tyr:i'rd:!:j::r-^^^^^^
1 hese wera both near and aUiblitj^h ' v^;^
4. ', IX. 7, II.) Each is called in th,. V- ,."'
«ynac version, MamlJo Z^^y^, 2""'"'
hiibility from fhpi.. 1.0, • , '^/^nscery in all f)ro-
•ha. purpose '^'''"»" '''"' ^"'"•'•l"'^""^ "-•«'"■-
pelrcIvtteT.:rn'''', "7f '^"' ^""^ »-"=" «"«
i"^-houses of th^; or."'"""'^ ""•""^'^ '^''^^^^
' ^ **"'* oojeetton would doubtless have
71
jfC^
ties;
o
1^
l>een madejwero it not that Josophus has incidentaliy
mentioned, that a uninber of persons went to bathe
and swim in the '^ fish-ponds, of which there were
large ones about the house." Thttt such pools were
cointnon in Palestine is manifest from the mention
ofthernin Heshbon, and from Isaiah's reference
to those " who make sluices and ponds for fish."
(Cant. vii. 4. Isa. xix. 10.) These considerations
are surely more than sufficient to obviate this objec-
tion, which is founded solely u|)on conjecture.
3. Mr- Trotter thinks it '' clear from Acts xvi. 25
—34. that the jailor of Phillippi was baptized in the
prison." It is certain, however that he had previ-
ously " bought them out;" and it is added imme-
diately aftfr the account of the baptism " and when
he had broii';!it them into his house, he set meat be-
fore them," (verses 30, 34.) It is evident, therefore,
that the baptism took place neither in the prison nor
in house. " This case" says Dr. Judson, (Sermon
&LC. p. 7.) " can present no difficulty to the mmds of
any of you. my brethren, who may have been with-
in the the yard of the prison in this city [Calcutta, ]or
are acquainted with the fact, that prison yards, in
in the East, as well as the yards and gardens of pri-
Yate houses, are usually furnished with tanks of
^vater." So Mr. Frey says,(p. 105.) " All who
have travelled in the East know, that few large
buildings are without tanks of water, or bathing
houses; and this is particularly necessary to preserve
health in prisons, barracks, Slc"
4. My opponent says, ^^Paul appears to have been
.
,; \.
/
gpostine." But
♦riw
'n a privn
unon
"i n private house,
^ej/ed in the house
Jny former remark.-
lo direct persons to
nn<l that in Gen. xv. , "'^ V"'""-" '^" "'"■"'"^■"
»«e,I in ,he same ,v»v as in 4.f ' '' '^ ""'""" '-'
tive reader will perceive h f"'''^-"-'«- T''e "tten-
-yinMark..';;. ;7;;f;?P--.y,;,e..,ne
i« "se,I in the indicative m . ' "."'' ^^ 3'' "here it
•'"ced no i^,,3„ce n X;'.;! ?^'^'="- "« "as ad-
"-•,a.sinAcUx..ii.i6';tl;r''™^ '"""'' '^
«'fe«tly in onler to go aI,ro J ""'^ '^ ""' '"••'-
have sa.d of himself J w:^rT """^ ''« "hould
-" with hin, i.; 1:;;::",^ r"--^- " ^^-^ -- ••»-
a standing p„stu,e?'. T,'. h" ^^ ^"'"''''' ^'"''"''^ "'"
h« ""ded, that, not onlv dlrr""'''''''^''""^- " "■V
"•at Pan, was U.^ '," tr?"^"'" "'■"-
nected with it perfecl/acclds vvhh "h"'"""""^ •'°"-
■^ctsxx.ii.ie. ,.jj . ^^/,'='"7»'"th 'his idea. I„
•he word -onde'd .^'iS::. ,--; "7^ "■■^^■■"^'"
"^-o and louo, to bathe the Z.n,, ^"^'^°""'^' '"n-rn
f<>;PHnkling water o^fhe to ?t'^ """"" ■•^'■-
'"destothe immersion of, I '""'"rostly al-
Dr.Doddrige Zl: " t''' f?"" '" "«'-' -
cleansed fro„ntspoiu,io;'so°s': T" ''^ ""'^^
• '"' Stoekius, after de-
/
k
^ ■t:^^£mmii>"m
73
.0.
fining baptisma, (or laptismas, of similar import,)
the immersion cr dipmng of a thing in water, thiit
ii may !)e washed or bathed," adds, 'i Hence it is
transferred to sacramental bapti^^m, in which ancient-
ly the person to be baptized (m aquam immergeba-
tur,) Wits immersed into water, that he might be [fi-
guratively] washed from the pollutions of sin."
5. Mr. Trotter refers to 1 Pet. iii. 21. and Hebrews
X. 22. to prove " that baj)tism was administered by
sprinkling- in the days of the Apostles," But surely
the sprinkling of a few drops of water does not bear
tt very striking resemblance to the flood, to being
immured in the ark, nor yet to the resurrection of
Christ. Archbishop Leighton, in commenting on
this text, refers to Uom. vi. 4. and remarks, '' The
dipping in the water represents our <lying with
Christ; «nd our return thence, our rising with him.'
He observes of Noah " he seems to have rather
entered into a g-rave, as a dead man, than into a
■afeguard of life, ingoing into the ark; yet, being
buried there, he rose again, as it were, in his comin«j
forth to begin a new world — The waters of baptism
are intended as a deluge to drown sin and tdsav^ the
believer." So Dr. Macknight, or/ the text, refers to
*' the burying of the ba[)tized per'son in the water,"
and the raising* cf him " out of the water to live a
new life."
If Heb. X. 22. refers to I»aptism, it is obvious that
it is not " Hiiving our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience," but having " our bodies washed {lelou-
menoiy balked,) with pui'c water," So Dr. Dod-
H *1
74
<tri([ge sujR, " Chir hearts are iprinkled by ilio p;,,ri
iying and cleansinir blood of Jesus, as well as our
bodies in I>apti8ni w;a*/iec? with pure water, intendod
to represent our being cleansed from sin." 'J'he
^* bodies" of those who merely have water sprinkled
in the face, certamly are not washed or bathedj but
theirs undeniably are who are immersed.
9. As ii is not needful for me to advert to Mr.Trot-
ter's remarks on Heb. \^, 14, which has no relatian
to the subject, I notice m conclusion, his reference
to the case of the Ethiopian, which he seems to re-
gard as one of his best proofs in favour of sprinkling.
He says, " There can be no doubt that the Ethiopian
Eunuch was baptized at a well, and a well wh-ich,
unless it has been greatly altered, would not admit
of his being immersed in it." He adds, " This xMr.
T. [Tupper] evidently admits," ^-c. On this bs't
point Mr. Trotter is egregiously mistaken; Mr. Tup-
ver never admitted any such thing. And since Mr.
Trotter has fallen i:.to so great and glaring a mis-
take as to state this without the least shadow of
foundation for it, may it not be very reasonably ap-
prehended that he is quite as far astray in his state-
ment, *« that the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized at
a well." How in the name of common sense, did he
ascertain this? Did he learn it from '' the infallible
word of God," which he professes to take " for a
guide?" The only authority that can be pretended,
is the g-roundless conjecture of some traveller, whom
he does not name. Jf any man had explored every
fuutof the extensive region Iving between Jerusalem
th
tlio pMri
11 as our
intended
." 'J'h«
prinkleci
leilj but
ir.Trot-
relation
3ference
IS to re-
inkling,
hiopian
which,
►t admit
his Mr.
his Uiat
r. Tup-
ce Mr.
a mis-
low of
bly ap- ^w'
i state-
ized at
did he
'allible
' for a
jnded,
whom I
every
isaleni
75
.„,io.. full n.a,. of f "'-;•"- .-';:' ,;r' -L •.;
,,.d one or two r,vers-at tl. s '»"/' "^^ ^^„^ „„
couia by no means ho de.ernnncd 'h;«t ^he.e
,,|ace in it suitable for imuiers.on e.ghteen
yours ago. u-.maplf in effect
As Mr. Trotter is --' ^^^^''^^^tr •. ^^ that
state.!, when treat.ng of °"'^''':\'J^„^ „ff„,.a.
.ho strongest tern.s whid, t^e Gre k n, ^fe^n..^
«re used to express that P^^^J'^A "came up
.went down (ai.) l^;:^;XZ'j:L ..ndered
(ek) OUT of the water, as tne wo .,..,na„ie.
I Pedobaptist translators generally, a yndale
Jranmer, tie Geneva translators, as well a y ou
authorised translators, the Rhen.sh, &c he ca
ouestion these facts. It seems, then, that they l.otn
?.Terdown into" the » well" for sprn.kl.ng One
of h s own remarks is evidently »P1''"=»"« ^""l
vL " It is always a sign of a bad cause, when »
, obable things have to be -e^ed .n suppo t -
Jfhe same remark is equally »••"«;.'",;;;;„ „,
eaviilins, of which we ''-« .<;,- f^:, '' X E:,io-
■ closing observations respect mg the <="»« °' ,
,,..._.. Both went ow.. no ■ J J^ j „„,
,.oth came up ou « ;.;-^f, , ,,.., •.„.,„e,.sed.
was .mmersed, .t "'""^^"* „ jjeither does
which no one pretends to beUeve. i
Tv one " pretend to believe" that either to go
any one "<= .,,.„, to " come up out of the
aown into the --I'^el- but ever- one knows
witpr " " means" to immerse, nut j
It U would be absurd in the ext.eme to do so .1
i ■ it
\
76
<i
II
svnuUWntr were practise.l, while these •' >»g, ,,Ur»yn
"...St he clone in connection with imincsio...
i he dzlemma in which this ease has evidently
I^ace.1 Mr. Trotter, and the extravagant statement'
n... 8up,,o.s,t.o,.s which it has co.npelled hitn to
..ake rerrnnd ,„e of the manner in which the Rev.
Donald McDonald, of Prince Edwanl Island, has
(p. yi, 103, 173, 25G,) that the wor.l baptizo was
used, not only hy " heathen authors," hut also " hy
he sacred writers," to denote immersion; and that
those hapfzed hy John, including the Saviour, were
■mmersed; hut he maintains that on the day of Pen-
tecost Chnst gave the wo.d the new meaning " to
JTIfl, N ! "•,'"'"'«'''='•' constrained to acknowledge
(f). 187,) that the Ethiopian was subsequently im-
Kiersed. How, then, does he attempt to evade the
evident conclusion, that Immersion continued to be
practised By alleging,(p. vii, & ,S6,)that this was
■ot Chnsuan bapt.sm, hut " proselyte plungint',"
wh.ch the proselyte required before he could be
received .nto Jewish privileges and freedom."
With these pitiable attempts at evasion, to which
the advocacy of an unte.iahle system has .Iriven its
<iete.-m,ned abettors, let the reader compare the
followmg candid admissions of reasonable Pedoban-
nsts .--Poole's Contin-iators say, on Acts viil. 38
1.) hot countries this was nsual,to baptize the body
'yl.ppmgit in water; and to this the Apostle al-
Ju.les when he tells the Corinthians, (] Cor. vi. IJ,)
that they are waslied." Burldtt (inloe.) su-g-ests
T
X
-^.
77
kJ^
\
,f.c .nn.e unsatisfactory reason for the change of .he
,„o.le-, for after observing of the Eth.op.an, He
went .U,vvn into the water, an.l wa.s l'»Pt'^.«;" y
Philip," he adds, " In those hot countr.es .t w.s
usna to do so." D.-. Doddridge re.narks on th..
ls.nge, "Considering how f.equently bathn.g w..s
utedf.' those hot countries, it .s not to he w.>ndered
tha 1^ ptism was generally ad,ninistered by urnner-
lion, tiough I see no j,roof that it was essent.al to
the institution. It woul.l be very ""-'"- ;"^;';-
pose that they went to the water, .nerely that Ph.h
^.ight take up a little wuer in his hand to pour on
the%unuch. ' A person of his dign.ty had, no do b ,
,na„y vessels in his luggage, on such a journey
throu-^h so desert a country, a precaution absolutely
necesLry for travellers in those pans, and never
ou.itted by the.n; see Dr. Shaw's 1 ravels, P.e-
face, p. 4." . L- „
It thus appears that the circumstances in th.s case
as in all the cases in which they are reco.ded, are,
even in the judg.„ent of .nany who J-; J"'^^
sprinkling, strongly corroborative ot the fact that tha
modeoriginally practised is mmemon.
So far 'then, ure " all these particulars together
from "forming a proof of no slight or doubtli.l
kind, that thu Apostles administered bapt.sin by
sprinkling," that even these, on which my opponent
is obliged' to rest his cause, are evidently .luite suffi-
cient to prove " the contrary;" which is not " taken
f„r granted," but rests o.i as clear and certain proot
as that eatin-i and dnnkins are the actions to be
i
Si
H
•xm
I
no
inenlionec!, that the persons baptized on that occa-
sion we rr immersed? Indeed if the reader knew,
in such a case as 1 have represented, that the people'
ordinarily practised sprinkling, he would po! as Mr.
Trotter sdys, " suppose something else"--he is evi-
dently unable to devise what— but would undoubted-
ly conclude that some person or persons were im-
mersed at that time. I have myself seen a Pcdobap-
tist Minister and congregation go to the water, &c.,
but never— they know better which is the convenient
end of the egg-^-unless they were acting on Baptist
principles, and so practising immersion*.
Though water was not by any means as scarce in
Palestine as some ot our opponents represent,
Deut. vii. 7.) it'ioes not thence follow— that there
was not in any instance occasion to select a place
* 1 have indeed, been informed of a singular case
in New Brunswick, in which some persons went to
the water a.i:l had it poured on them, while some
r ^'*®.~"^"^^" ^''" further by the plain statements
of ^on^iure— went down into the water, kxich, and
had water poured on their heads, it is said that the
officiatmg M mister, on coming out of the water, re-
marked, that he venly believed that was precisely
the way in which the Saviour was baptized. Bein/
however, very accommodating, he subsequently
either sprmkled or immersed as the people chose
Such a diversity of practice naturally reminds one of
what IS related of the Israelites at a time in which
the Divine law was generally disregarded, when,
"1 here was no k\\\» in Israel, but every man did
that which was right in his own eyeg." Judges xvii. 6
81
It occa-
knevv,
people
ds Mr.
is evi-
>ubte(i-
ere im-
dobap-
**, &c.,
.^euient
Baptist
arce in
resent,
t there
I place
ir case
i'ent to
some
Jments
tj and
lat the
er, re-
jcisely
Being",
uently
3hose.
3ne of
which
when,
n did
vii. 6.
where there was much water for the immersion of
multitudes. The distress of armies for the want of
water, of which Mr. Trotter speaks, as being " at no
great distance from Enon," was] remote from the
JandofJudea, between Edom and Moab, whit! jr
the armies had gone by " seven days' journey,'*
"through the wilderness of Edom." (2 Kings iii.
8, 9, 20, 22.)
Mr. Trotter says ,5" When a wordjadmits nf differ-
ent senses, we should determine its meaning by fair
criticism, in any passage in which it occurs." True;
but what is the result of "fair criticism" with re-
ference to cis and en? How are they ordinarily reii
dered in other texts when connected with water, a
sea, a rivevj ^c? Into an in undeniably. (See Ex-
odus i. 22. vii. IS. XV. 4, 8, 10. -2 Kings vi. 5. Mark
V. 13. John V. 7.) He has himself stated, in the case
of Judith that " en" is the word which should have
been used, " if she had immersed herself." When
however, it is connected with Christian baptism, h^
V ill have it mean " withf and when that sense is
utterly inadmissible, it must mean '* beside." For
this sense he has adduced only one obscure text, by
no means parallel, in which it is doubtful whether it
means ** beside" or in, (See Macknightand Clarke
on Heb. ix. 4.) Rev. J. Monro gives 804 instances
n the Gospels and the Acts in which en is rendered
ini but not one instance in which it is rendered **be-
side." Or. examining twenty versions, all made by
Fedobaptists (unless we shouhl except the ancient
) ',
I s\
ill
luaii i5>t5\presseu in me
sacred original with as much precision and certain-
ty as it can be by any words in the Greek language,
or indeed in any other language. Must it not? then'
be manifest to all considerate persons, that the cause
which compels its advocate to attempt the evasion
of a fact so plain and certain, ought to be abandoned?
It is to be observed, also, that Mr. Trotter does
not pretend to account for the fact, which he cannot
deny, that the people went ^j the water for baptism.
Certainly, then, it cannot be thought by any, that he
met my argument*
■* f'
• The reader will excuse some partial repetition
he mspired writers to ,n«.w^ '^ " """"""'i f'.v
f'>: a rchgious purpose „.?« T' '""' '^'J"'>-''
"f extreme droughrth^r "• """' ^'"""^' '" « 'i-e
''"' "'e fe„.hin„ or ctr w,.^- 7' " "■ ^''"- 83-35.)
vessel in which it
As our Pedobaptisi breth»*en are accustomed to lay
much Stress upon iho testimony of the Fathers in
in these Letters; as they are principally occasioned
by the recurrence of the same argutnents, objection,
Slc, in Mr. Trotter's different Letters, to which I
reply separately, lam also obliged to repeat the
name ** Mr. Trotter" frequently; oecause if 1 uf^^d
the initial " Mr. T." as he * i, it mii^ht in some
cases be uncertain whij'h of us was meant, For in-
stance, his remarks concerning: the Seventy, with
reference to Greek and H^^i-rew, " They knew a
frreat deal more about both than Mr. T. does," is
probably intended to refer to Mr. Tupper; but it
inay be referred to Mr. Trotter, to whom it is doubt-
less quite as iruiy applicuble
^■ ■ 1 I I A.-, *t^..^*>li ' t»-i a^ ' l - "WL. Ut*Jl 1111. *M^«.» -
lors. VVitn regara lo uic wuul wi »»»v^.j "—
Mr. Hague expresses his surprise, (Examination,
^c, page 24,)thatsuch an objection should be made,
si.ice Dr. Robinson's Work on Palestine, (vol. l.sec.
8, 9.) furnishes a complete answer. He observes,
«' The extent of the cisterns.reservoirs, fountains and
pools, for all the purposes of life, seemed truly ama-
zincr to the Doctor." So the Rev. Mr. Frey, a con-
verged Jew, and good authority, whose words 1
have had occasion to quote before, says, with rc-
f ■''■'
r
r
w
82
Syriac,) I find eis translated m, Mark i. 9. when
Jesus is said to have been baptized (eis) « in Jor-
dan," with only two exceptions; en rendered tn
Matrh. iii. 6,—" baptized (en) in Jordan," with bu:
one exception; and en rendered in, Mark i. 5, with-
out one single exception— «' baptized by him (en) in
the river Jordan." Is it, then, " fair criticism" for
Mr. Trotter to maintain that en must be rendered
either " with" or «* beside," as the exigencies of his
cause may require, wh'ie the latter sense is in direct
opposition to his own tuatement elsewhere, to the
primary and usual meaning of the word, to its evi-
dent import in parallel texts, and to the unanimous
decision of this host of Pedobapti^t Translators.? No
one can gainsay the stubborn fact, that the baptism
of persons *' in the river Jordan" is expressed in the
sacred original with as much precision and certain-
ty as it can be by any words in the Greek language,
or indeed in any other language. Must it not° then'
be manifest to all considerate persons, that the cause
which compels its advocate to attempt the evasion
of a fact so plain and certain, ought to be abandoned?
It is to be observed, also, that Mr. Trotter does
not pretend to account for the fact, which he cannot
deny, that the people went tj the water for baptism.
Certainly, then, it cannot be thought by any, that he
met my argument*
• The reader w ill e xcuse some partial repetition
83
Mr. Trotter's arnfunient drawn from the customs
of the heathen, (Letters 4th and 10th,) is curious
enough. From the practice of sprinkling among the
heathen, he seems to infer the scriptural authority
of sprinkling for baptism; but iVom the practice of
immersion among the heathen, he " arrives at the
conclusion that immersion is not a scriptural, but
a heathen observance." And yet he says in the same
J^etter, that Tertullian, from vi^hose statement ho
seems to draw this inference, "states, that thedevi!
imitates the forms of the divine sacraments, in the
mysteries. That he immerses some of his trusty
servants," &c. T' is plainly represents the heathen
as having borrowed immersion from the Christians;
which is exactly the reverse of Mr, Trotter^c con-
clusion.
As our Pedobaptisi breth»*en are accustomed to lay
much sii-ess upon the testimony of the Fathers in
m
in these Letters; as they are principally occasioned
by the recurrence of the same argutnents, objection,
&,c., in Mr. Trotter's different Letters, to which I
reply separately, lam alsc obliged to repeat the
name ** Mr. Trotter" frequently; oecause if i uf^d
the initial " Mr. T." as he * i, it might in some
cases be uncertain which of us was meant, For in-
stance, his remarks concerning the Seventy, with
reference to Greek and Hebrew, " They knew a
great deal more about both than Mr. T. does," is
probably intended to refer to Mr. Tupper; but it
inay be referred to Mr. Trotter, to whom it is doubt-
less quite as iru\j applicuble
?/'
II
84
«»|>port of the baptism of iiirnif- ^k
wuh regard to .he mode of bapttn! """'
pecu to ronn a proper estimate of it than iVT,- '■• f
ter, who is manifestly determined n u' *""
»t all hazards. RefenW ' f- ? ""''''^ ""^ '•"'"'
baptism of candidal fAi"";';orr""llr
says, " Thev T-» lo 1 , '^ '" which he
the bathX tIu'''^ "" '""' " '" '" '"•"^^'^ '"
marks «r """"*"' f«'Jo''aptist justly re-
-^^tmostZSy-Lt:;.?.; '^'^ ."--»--
on any other groun.ls houM th ""■"°"' ^''' "■^'^'
••e initiated, go outtl T , "'"f"''"'' 'vho is to
There woulXT Id ^^ S! TrT '''"' " '""'^'•^
Pa-tial affusion only 1/'^ V""' ^P'-'-^^'ing, or
-;n.-cBi,dieai^CL:;;ri;::^3^^^^^^
s.e;:;::i;:;:!r/:'S:?r-''i:«^^^
I'kevvise Dr. Will ,H- ... °*^"e'™as." as do
-hichmentionf mad lf.T h"' "^"^I^^S^ 241,) i..
"'^^'.A men descend hu ..tDr^i'?"""'^ '"'»
come out of it » o^r *" """slates,
"These passH^e', „„ ^'"^ candidly remarks,
if so, wou Sap?!"' T' '" '■"'"'^^^'-' «»"
cIo.« of the . St ce.l.yT "^ "'^'""^ °'"" «' ""•
■a A/
85
Mr. Trotter himself admits, that " there can be no
doubt immersion was jiractised in the tim« of TertuL
liun," who died in the year 220: but he alleges, that
iptural
had been introduced.
j)ractices naa neen iniroauced
The practice of trine immersion, that is, doing thrice
what was at first done but once, was very naturally
introduceu, as appears from Tertullian*s remarks,
from baptizing in the name of each of the Persons of
the Trinity. My opponent alleges, that Tertullian
*' believed the three dippings to be according to a
divine appointment.'* But his copy, if it reads *^ non
aliquody"*^ must be entirely different from mine, as
also from those used by Professor Stuart and Dr.
Gray. The former remarks, (page 357,) " Tertul-
lian himself, however, seems to have regarded this
trine immersion as something superadded to the pre-
cepts of the Gospel; for thus he speaks in his book
De Corona Militis^ Sections, " Thence we are thrice
immersed, (/^r mergttamur) answering, e. i. fulfilling
somewhat more (amplius aliquid respondentes) than
he Lord has decreed in the Gospel." Dr. Gray,
(page 243,) cites the passage in the same way, and
remarks that it *• refers to the trine immersion of the
* This statement tends to destroy the argument
which Pedobaptists attempt to draw from the testi-
mony of the Fathers in favour of the baptism of in-
fants: for Tertullian is the first that mentions it, and
that with disapprobation. Neither he nor any of the
earlv Fathers asserts thr.t either Christ commanded
it, or the Apostles practised it.
. , itiiB; :i'E_v[]f_ ^1
S6
^a^ng a ,i«,e ..vond .he Divine prece""'
lurne'^isi;:''^,!!;"""'''"'^ ^"^"^^ "f'vhich a vo-
Sember, "ml u'con.aL^'Jh'''''' '•"'"'^'"^'' " «""'«. ^y
ferent editions The 'l/T''"'' '■^"'^'"S^ "f dif-
••eailina- noted on fhit ' ""^evcr, no various
(vol. iv. p 293 ) •'n.r '"'T^"' '"" " "'«"•''' thus,
terminavit:" that i* '^TT* ■^'""*""* "» evangelo de-
decreed in the Gosvel >• lit . l " '"* ■^^"'"'^ *«*
with having m<eXn«//„ „ I ."'J"l.'"""8^ '^"- I'l-ot'e"-
" pious fraud"" 'wfo^r^'''"'^'' S^oss falsehood »
&c., surely o. eht to hi .^ ?7 """«« "' random,"
"lent on a\"„ri„g «. w^rf- ' "°V° '*""•' "" «'-g"-
I'ook that is not p^roralXin r °'^'' '''>^^''S'' '"'•"'^ "
« thousand of his'^ readers tl'n'TT'' "^"""^ "^
>s fjund in his copy. .' i • „rh '^ ^t """■'' '»'»'
tensions." as he savs „1T. ? ^'"""S Mr. T's pre-
t typo,,raphical er/or, ""fs ma„"ir; '?'■" " '.""«' "^^
text. Tertullinn i= .h " ■ ".'?"'fost from the oon-
oftr.diti^ns, rth^d^nVo";';'^'"^' '•''' ''''^•''•^«»"°
the Gospel Amnn» .iT^ C """^* "ot enjoined ia
" renoun'clne t,rdfv ^'r> "'"''^■''' '"baptism
(i^r) three limes then Li^' ■"«??"«"'? i'nmersion
honey," &c. In' the h» -"^^ " ""J'^""'' "'"•""'< a>"l
he says, « If you a'kforf'"'"^*."*."'^ "«" «««!<"•
thes. and si.n^r o bsetanre VS,""" Scriptures for
will find none." He 1. ,1 ' ^"?"'"" '««^»«") you
either in trmh or con2±'- ""'ihefefore.'have said,
ofnny ofthese^as as Mr 'J^' »".""• "^'"^""'^^
nothing more th"n ihe I or',! h'"*^^'" '"'^"' "'""'filling
pel.., * '""n •"« Lord hag decreed in the Gos-
l-'w.
■iMMi
njicMmiM^A-
67
•ecept.*
1 a vo-
ftlle, by
of dif-
^arious
s thus,
elo de-
i three
rd ha»
'rotter
noTi,"
lood,"
lorn,"
argu-
rom a
ne of
i non
pre-
ist be
con-
ance
ed ia
)tism
•sion
: and
?tion
s for
you
'aid,
I nee
ling
rOS-
II appears, then, that Tertullian admitted this to
be an unauthorised addition; but he expressly testi-
fied that both John and Peter practised immersion.
He says, (-Dfi Baptismo^) " Nor is there any difl'er-
ence of consequence between those whom John im-
mersed {tinxit)'m the Jordan, or Peter in the Tiber."
Prolessor Stuart, (357.) after citin«f the testimonies
t)f Chrysostomand Gregory Nyssan, unequivocally
shewing that immersion was the practice in their
time, adds, " But enough. ' It is,' says Augusti.
* a thing made out,' " vixi, the ancient practice of
immersion. So indeed all the writers who have
thoroughly investigated this subject, conclude. 1
know of no one usage of ancient times, which seems
to be more clearly aii'i certainly made out. I can-
not see how it is possible for any candid man
who examines the subject to deny this." Such is
the frank concession of an eminently >?arned and
able Pedobaptist, who had investigated the subject
with attention, and with ample means of information*
The reader will observe that Mr. Trotter, having,
as he tells us, free access to the records of antiquity,
is unable to produce the slightest vestige of early
historical proof in favour of sprinkling, or even the
most remote appearance of allusion to any thing of
the kind. H« can assign no plausible reason for the
change of sprinkling into immersion, such as neces-
sity, convenience, ^c. But we can shew from anci-
ent authentic documents, y/hy and when immersion
first began to be changed \\\io pourings which subse-
r
/
!
1 j
88
quently gave pince to aprinklitig Dr. Grny, spenk-
ing of the third rentury, says, (pnge 244,) " In the
beginning of this century Navntion— was baptized
by affusion, as he lay upon his bed in sickness. In
the middle of this century, we have an accobm of a
Uoman sohJier, who brought a pitcher of water for
St. Lawrence [in prison] to baptize him with."
Here, then, we have in the third cenrnry— famous
for innovations—the first instances of pouring or
sprinkling for baptism, that can be found in an the
records of antiquity. The circumstances are dis-
tinctly stated, such as «' fying upon a bed," and
'* bringing a pitcher of water;" to which there is
nothing in any measure similar mentioned 'in any
account of baptism given in the Bibfe. The
reason afso why pruring was substituted for im-
mersron in these cases is manifest, namefy, because
these persons could not be immersed; and baptism
was then deemed indispensable in order to salvation.
It is plain, however, even from extracts made by
Dr. Gray him^tjlf, (page 244, 245,) that it was a
niatier of very serious donbt at that tnne among the
Fathers, whether this change was aliowable in any
case, or they were to be regarded as lawful Christi-
ans" who had not been immersed. On this questloiii
Cyprian gave bis opinion with "diffidence," saying,.
*« 1 think the Divine benefits are in no degree dimin-
ished;" adding, *Mn sacred rites performed as ne-
cessity dictatesythrough Divine mercy Divine faveur
is bestowed on those who sincerely btlieve.'
jj
% spenk-
"In the
imptized
ess. la
ihnt ofa
^nter for
:h."
-famous
uring or
1 f\U the
ire (lls-
I," and
there is
'in any
The
for im-
hecaUse
baptism
Ivation.
lade hy
: was a
)ng the
; in any
Christi-
uestioiii
sayings
dimin-
I as ne^
faveur
89
Cni! any one imagine that if either pouring or
sprinkling had been enjoined by the Savmur a!id
practised by the Apostles, it would have been chang-
ed into immersion — for which no occasion would
arise from emergency, convenience, &c., at so early
a period, and so universally, that none of the Christi-
ans in the middle of the third century could have the
slightest knowledge that any thing of the kind was
ever practised? That such should hare been the
case is morally impossible.
It is an indisputable fact, that all the Greek Church
— embracing those Christians to whom the Greek
language is vernacular — invariably practise im-
mersion to this day. It is also a matter of well au-
thenticated history, that the rest of Christendom
hkewise continued to immerse, except in cases of
supposed emergency, till about the beginning of
the fourteenth century. This is trankly acknow-
ledged by many Pedobaptists who were well acquaint-
ed with the subject.
Bailey, in his English Dictionary, thus defines the
word ^' Baptisteiy,^^ [Baptisterion, Gr.] is either
the place or vessel in which persons are baptised,
\n ancient times this being performed by immersion,
the persons so initiated went into a river, See, and
were plunged; but in the time ot Constantine the
Great, Chapels or places on purpose to baptise in
were built in great cities, which was performed in
the Eastern and warm countries by dipping the per-
sons^all over; but in process of time in the Western
h
WW
'ft
90
i
1
t. it
and colder countries sprinkling was suhntituted
ill the place of dipping, which [former practice of
dipping] was the original of our fonts in Churches."
Sir David Brewster, the learned Editor of the
Edinburgh Encyclopedia, (Article Baptism,) saysi
*' Baptism in the apostolic age was performed hy
immersion." O^" sprinl^ling" he says, ** It is prnha-
'jle that it was invented in Africa in the second cen-
tury, in favor of Clinics, But it was so far from
being approved of by the Church in general, that the
Africans themselves did not account it valid. It v\a»
not till 1311 that the Legislature, in a council held at
Ravenna, declared immersion or sprinkling to be in-
different. In this country (Scotland), however,
sprinkling was never practised, in ordinary cascs^
till alter the Reformation. The Greek church Uni-
versally adhere to immersion."
Stackhouse, in his history of the Bible (Vol. iii. p.
20), says ^'Several authors have shewn, that we no
where in Scripture reid of any one's being bai)tized
but by immersion; and from the acts of Councils and
ancient rituals, have proved, that this manner of im)^|
inersion continued (as much as possible) for thirtet^n
hundred years after Christ,"
It thus appears, not only that the word expressly
denotes immersion, and that the circumstances recor-
ded, and the allusions made in Scripture, ^exactly
accord with this, but also that the most unquestion-
able records o( history fully prove this to have been
the original mode, which is still retained by that part
4
K^IEji
jl).sci tilted
ractice of
lurches.'*
jr of the
m,) saysj
)rme(1 liy
t is prnba-
icond cen-
fiir from
l1, that the
1. It was
icil held at
g to be in-
however,
ary caiioSj
hurch Uni-
Vol. iii. p.
hat we no
g baptized
:)Uticils and
inei* of ini^^
or thirtet^n
I expressly
nces recor-
re, ^exactly
inquestiou-
have been
by that part
91
of the Chri^tinn world best acquainted with the
meaning of the original word, and that it was retained
by the whole till a period of comparatively recei^tt
date, when, (as appears from the Rubric of the
Church of England) what had been at first permitted
only in cases of necessity, was generally adopted a9
a matter of convenience. How, then, can any man»
in the face of these numerous, clear, and irrefragable
proofri, presume to censure the Baptist Missionaries
in India for translating baplizo by such words as des-
ignate immersion ?
LETTER IX.
£In answer to Mr» Trotter's 11th Letter.]
It is not ray intention to give any offence by re-
marking-— -what I presume no well informed man will
deny — that the muss of Pedobuptists do no: deem it
necessary to investigate the subject of baptism, be-
cause they rest assured that the great nutnbers of
learned men who have entertained their views coulf
hardly be mistaken. But Mr. Trotter, to evade the
ar£;uments drawn from concessions, has sedulously
lahoured to prove, that *» learned Pedobaptists" have
often mistaken the meaning of Scripture, and of par-
ticular wonia used by the sacred %vriters.
If Pedobapti^ts conceive that he has sncccedfid in
t.4^j
1
: '■ s^
to render this theory la the ieaht degnc plnusible by
aJilucing oren a solitary case in mv^ icj«.sure par-
rallel.
(Compare our second Letters.)
Supposing that Mr. Trotter'd former series of
Letters on this subject was concluded, I prepared a
lleview of them; and, when an add-ionrd Letter
appeared, I added a Postscript, in whica I briefly no-
iced his reference to circumstances connected with
jomplishment of
lell withouij thai
Ian evasion of the
it were pr'^ve*!
would not fol-
the converts to
'baptism was in-
|hat the Apostles
It is not requi-
it Beza and Glas-
i^ological princi-
Larts of the dks-
r (Acts xix. 4. 5.)
It baptized again.
lo late Rev. JdUKis
[iul dillerence be-
/
lible by
re par-
'ies of
pared a
Letter
fly no-
I with
ne wuuia u
b> -V *ng of thtj reauur,
to thit conclusion, provided the accoui <h« ptirir>mj: ol
the proceedings of Baptists; but if th?j.« iha: ibc Jrw.
to the proceedings of Baptist., he wc""'"^'*^'"cJ •••^her
.uppose something else." But I put ^* »«''n'^ «« »»'' ^";-
mon sense of the reader, whether he »«^''- ^tr «--^'»
he had no other intimation respecting »»«^nded fur the
tion to which the account referred. n^»»^ l'«^'^y;"» ^7,
from any one of the circumstances'^ "*'*'" *^ cups,
' lu turn tn«DJ up-
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WSBSTER,N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
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^/
92
(hi=j, it in to be hoped that the prop on which many
inis-^ been accustotned to lean, will be remored, and
thatthey 'vill perceive the necessity of seeing with
their own eyea, and judging for themselves.
ft might be easily shswH that Mr. Trotter's stric-
unes on Bp. Lowth and Dr. Campbell are quite too
censorious ; but it is neither necessary nor consistent
for me to follow him so exceedingly far fix>m the sub-
ject.
Doubtless " learned Pedobaptists^' hare i^tnetimea
u-adc incorrect remarks. The cas€s,howevcr,a€ldKced
by Mr.Trotter,are by no means in point. Bp. Lowth
tvould l>e much more liable to make a mistake in re-
fcrence to an historical fact, than he would to admit
Without reason, that some text of Scripture is deci-
ilcdly against Episcopacy. So likewise Dr. Cam-
f>l>ell might fall into an error in supporting a specu-
lative hypothesis much .nore readily than he wou4d
commit a like error by incorrectly defining some
word in opposition to Presbyterianism. If either of
them had <lone so, it is not to be imagined that
learned Episcopalians or Presbyterians would have
fidopted such concessions without careful examina-
tion. Dr. Campbell was not endeavouring to main,
tain a favourite theory, but was acting the part of
a \ honest and judicious critic, when he btated, in pal-
pable contra<liction to his own practise— that «• the
word bapHzein both in sacied authors and in clnssi-
ca! signifies to dip, to plunge, to immerse,'' adding,
*• ft is always construed suitably to this meaning. "I-
Neither hai
much was c
to the princ
baptist.
I do not
leges, Letti
ported assf
the concesf
Justly reiTM
It is well k
of any pre
to mistake
by constru
views.
ineroui pU
discernmc
or words
ments and
therefore,
the meani
relevant {
U&|>tists ^
to unders
my view
live readi
every tei
ing the c
that has
bate. T
ler him»
'S
95
Neither has Mr. Trotter l»een able to shew that too
mach was conceded, by adducing a single excej)tio«i
to the jirinciple hero laid down by this eminent Pe<lo-
baptist.
I do not rely on any instance, (as Mr. Trotter al
leges, Letter vii. that i always do.)"upon the unsup-
ported assertion of some learned Pedobaptist." But
the concessions of able writers are universally and
justly reg-arded as possessing some degree of weight.
It is well known that the prejudice of education, or
of any preconceived opinion, frequently leads men
to mistake the meaning of texts of Scripture,or words,
by construing them in accordance with their own
views. Of this Mr Trotter's Letters fnrnish nu-
raerout plain examples. But men of learning and
discernment are not at all likely to understand texts
or words in opposition to their own avowed senti-
ments and practise, if they are not really so. Wheii
therefore, Mr. Trotier and I have differed respectmg
the meaning- of any text, or word, i have deem^l it
relevant and important to shew, that learned Pedo-
baj>«istfl were constrained by convincing considerations
to understand that text or word m accordance with
my view of it, and in opposition to his. The atten-
tive reader will observe that I have done this with
every text adduced by my opponent materially affect-
ing the controversy, and every controverted word,
that has any real connection with the subject in de-
bate. This surely ought to convince even Mr. Trot-
ter himself, that he is wrcng, and 1 am right.
I
:1
'-1 - <^
' f.
94
It may be aske.J, How oould those who practised
8,on In general they appear to have regarded the
ah e to han-e >t, especially in cold climates • as i.
evidently i„,i..,ated in the citations which 1 have
g'vet. from Burkitt, Doddridce &p k^T, ■
- Whether the person t„ b^ tp^ed t ItiT
«. and whether thrice or olce, or wle^ T
left III -^ '»»»''?««««. Churches ought to be
S mwes -iC" "" --'••''nS to the difference S
^|.e l>.a.tice or'the au'ci^ SLf ' " iSeVT
»v. C. XX. Seer. |o ■» n« r^i, ■ V"«>'"uies, u.
ill h!.r„ '' '^- Chalmers ikewise .av,
i-bisCommem on Rom. vi.S, 4. " The „r! • ,'
n'oanrng of ,he word bapti.m is imm! ^"'"'
ihouifh we rp«nr,l ;, "'I'"'"" 's immersioa: nud
ther theTr!! ^ ' " 'na'ter of indifference, whe-
tuer the ordinance so n^med I» performed !„ ...
or by sprinkling, yet we doubt not^tZ LT'"'.
lent s^yle of administration in theAVl^ .^ '""^
^he actual submerging Of th::tfeV:n^^^^^^^
o..J.et against .he\Z:::: Tnat TCistTir
..onar.es in India with any shew of cLZy ;sfn t
I' onlntr"""""""" """'•««•' ««--'"
>«c.s.o„ .„ those warm regions, where bathing i. con-
td
If
tm.iuU!y vn.ctUb.l for rcfreshn.cnr. V^ as .^ho.,
Le to sever the Jh).».1 of union l.y vv.thhol l.ng th«
S;S.:tribnted l.y Ba,«ists.h..n..h.s-« .o^V;^^
constantly .lepo.iting their .uoney m «"«-«";
fr«.n the Versiwis ma.le Uy tl.eir i.vl.«.ouaiies, «oiely
; . „ uLa relalMt" »<» a u«»«ter af indifference .n
because a uoi.t '«"'•'""'.., honest .nca, «ho
flipir estimation vv.\s ir<"»»*"'Sa "J' »"'"= '
,:» :.V.hatth.yc.nhl».t conscientious y ~«.
its .ueaning by leaving it ""'^^ "'•"' ,,f "'J ,"«
Lt ^m sectarian feoUng coul.l possibly have
protuptea then, to the adoptiou of such aa mcons.st-
erit course.* ^ ..,k.» hnva
It is to be observed, n.oreover, that 8o:ne who ha^ «
practised spriukling. aware that """--">" ;^;; ^"^^
original mode, would have adopted ... had they not
— voprr
^ -11 «f R.hles- ami he recoiumein»^^ tc Bihlfc boci-
s^f .£f f V i^e to f,:i;tiieT;"" hI rar^::
« &ra Uronicle." Feb. S4th and Mar. 23.
,'■>..
Mfiwtmrii*'.
m
'I' Milin iWPHW K IMWM
> .'";•" •-"»' <''»v.. I.V o,,,K>.i.ioo. Th.w Lather say,
I >v..ul.l Lave th..,e who are to be \u,otizeT^,
« c...e.bcr .,i,,,o.. i„ ...e ....er. a, tlleTo^le^,
'"7',""'' "'« >"y*'o>y .loth .ijjnify... '*•"' ^*
AiMl Dr,. Stoor ,m,l Fh.,t, Lutheran,, say, .< ,,
Koin vJ .1 .1 » 1 reini-rks m his note on
»t'»'» . VI. 4. ihat the ^vonls " Buried whh K- i
'<' baptize a chMd of M p' ." T^"' " ' '^•^ «*''«<•
Savannah. B . mL p . "i"' '''"°"'' '"^""r "^
"<»• I will -onslntth. ; 7" " ^""'*^'- M'- P-
t'C' that your thil.l is we-.fc T 1^' ■ • '^^°" "«•■-
«ce, the Kuhric say In ""*""«''• » *»'" »"f-
I ^ •» -i«v, (ne cniifJ m not WA»ir . Ki«» r
«<•• it shall not be ,lip„e,( • » Th: ' "" '■*'°'''-
luve nbt iiia<te
ddtie so— Who
lode. Soiti^
wiihi August, 1737, i!|>ofi twelv^lVirofoiigeliar^g^ttifr
liftli of which wan, <* llefnisitigtd tt«ptisi» Mr, Pnr^
kcr's chM ofberivi^ than Ky fiifipiit^, exeept ihk
panetita tvotiH3 certify it i/if%i i^eak, antl m>t abfe to
Naf It." (Rev. J. Weiiky»d loornal, vol. i. p, l^r,
198, *i28.) ** This arguraent'* it wouhl seem, he
lU^oukl not oort fate," Heith^ eoahl he withstand h^
for I am i»ot aware that he fever attenipted to eafbrce
imtnersion afterwards. V, ' *
Ffoiii whatever cause it mffkhave proceefleii.thei'^
have undeniably beejui great nltllljers of fearhetitn^n
•i***niefl of indepemji^iii tmndi','°1
such coHCejtsiofiH liefeftuse t>thers
have praojSJed sprinkHifg, ahd yel
mitted tlj/fit irnmepsion #as^ orrgl
have m£i\e the concession sitnpJy fro»^ieir know-
Jed^^f the meaning of the original w^jg used,—
sojIRe with refei-eiice to the circainstan^ eonnect©<l
with the administration of the ordinanc\ and some
likewise with a special r'Sgr^rd to the ptaiX^Huaion^
to immersion in the sacred WHtin^i. %
Of the last named elass, the Admissions of numbers
have been elicited by their comments on the expres^
sion of our Lord, " i have a l>aptism to he baptiaed
with," <itc. which evidently denotes the satne thing
as that expressed in the JPsalms, *^ I am come into
deep waters, where the floods overflow me," and oh-
viously refers to the fact that he was about to Uq
plun'^ed .to the deepest sorrjws— an idea directly
opposed to that Qf sprinkling. (Ps. Ixx. 2. Matth. U.
"^.^
i^ssrsesssBsgsmamm
m
M
aa, 2S ; Luke xii. 50.) The Cilebrate<l Beza, who
translated the New Testament into Latin, whh noti.^.
says, on Luke xii. 50. « ll ia a metaphor common Id
the lacred writings, taken from immei-aion into wa-
♦2-_,fQ si'^riify very griavous euifering*.*' Diodati,
who made a translation o:ih« whole Bible into the
Italian, with Annotations, remarks on the same text,
«* He caMeth His suftering a»d death, which was lik»
to an abyss or cieep into which he was plungec!, ac-
coi-dir.g to the ancient manner of baptizing." Rev.
Richard VVntso;, a Wes*)cyfri, hoygh he wrote a*
gainst, immersion, was co-^tt^htfed to odinit, in his
comment on Maith. xx. 'i'2. "* Ihe boing i^nnersed
and overwhelmetl with waters w a ffeqti^ei:t meta-
phor in all languagef;, t^ ^?irxf?s» tisriiUfii of^iictssive
troubles," Even Mr. TroUtsr hi..iself ir- ei&H con-
cedes that this language of our Loril all ides to im-
mersion, fo?hfi says, (Letter vii.) ** It is custom^iry
to speak o/immersion in sufferings."
So yef^ manifest .s the allusion ^o immersion in
Rom. vrl 3, 4 ; and Col. ii. 12- " Buried with Him
in baptism," ^c. and so extremely difficult is it to put
any other construction upon ihe Apostle's language
whieh can be made, by the utmost efforts t f ingenu-
ity ,to appear in the least degree plausible, that mamy
pedobaptistscbolarshave l>eai> oompeiled to admit
distinctly that it unquestionably refers to immersion
as the mode originaily practisetl. A sample of these
may suffice. Rev. George L. Huyiloc a learned
Roman Catbolic, who pwbli§be<I J^^Qtea on the Biblo,
li
\
T
99
after having admitted, on Matth. iir. 6. that iinmer-
siun was the primitive mode, maintaining that ** tho
Church" had a right to change it, and alleging that
'* the pretended Reformed Churclles have likewise
altered this primitive custom," gives thia note on
Rom. vi. 3, 4. *< The Apostle here alludes to tho
manner of administration of the sacrament of bap^
tism, which was then done by immersion, or plung>
ing the person baptized under the water, in which he
finds a resemblance of Christ'ti death and burial un*
der ground, and of His resurrection to immortal
life."
^ Rev. A. Clarke, on Col. ii. 12. '< Buried with
him in baptism," ^c, snys, alluding to the immer"
iions practised in the case of odultSf wherein the
person appeared to be buried under the water, as
Christ was buried in the heart; of the earth. His
rising aguin the third day, »nd their emerging from
th9 water, was an emblem of the resurrection of the
body." Dr. Albert Barnes, an eminent Presbyterian
Expositor, makes the following cautious but full ad«
mission on Rom. vi. 4. '< It is altogether probable
that the Apostle in this place had allusion to the cus-*
^tom of baptizing by immersion. This cannot, in-
leed, be|9rov^c?, so as to be liable to nO objection;
mt 1 presume that this Is the idea which w6uld
itrike the great mass of unprejudiced readers.
Mr. Trotter has evinced prudence in not referring
It all to these texts, since,as Sir David Brewster can*
lidiy admits, (Encyclopedia, in Baptism,) *^ Whpa
/
f..:-
\ ■rill iiiHiiMfiw
^ ^^Igl^^H^^^^^
If
-
B *
lOO
Pt^llffiW^ rfiat wo are all bnriecT w?»fc Christ in bap-
tSm, and niiBed agatii, he nbt only alJudes to imiiier-
sian, llttt upoii^ttny other supposition iliere would be
ho propriety iti fhli metaphor which he employs.**^
1 remark, in conclusion, that, not only does the
'whole Gi^etk Church retain immersion, and the
(Jil«k6r», dr Friendsi allow this to be the orii^inul
mode, but this is also admitted generolly by learned
men of the Chiiiroh of Rome, of the Lutheran Churchy
and of the Church of England, (in accordance with
their Rubric,) and likewise by great numbers of the
first scholar* among the different bodies of Dissen-
ters that practise s|>«inkrmg, I leave it to the read^t
er to judge whether 1 have not ** brought the matter
at once to the test of the Scriptures, shewing by fair,
and legitimate ciiticism, that the passages whioh i
refer to, mean what I assert, and nothing else.** A-
ware, however, of the immense pov^et^C ^J?^ H4*^-
dice of education, 1 have shewn, by a few plain quo-
tations,— to which I could easily have added many
more-- that the rendering of the word baptiza by
words signifying to immerse, is fully sanoiioned by
many eminently learned Pedobaptists, of various de-
nominations, who have net implicitly followed other*
in this, but have from personal examination been
constrained by their consciences to own, *« that the
paf«sag2s which w« refer to, mean what we assert,
and nolhingelse," namely, that they prove immer-
sion to be the mode practised by the first Preachers
of the Gospel of Christ .
\
101
n liap-
mtiier-
ul<i Ue
rs.
yy
am ^Kjji^
(1 the
riginal
eaciieil
hurcb^,
) with
of tbo
)issen-
5 read-f
mnttei;
by fair
i
in qua-
i iTuuiy
120 hy,
ned by
ous de-
j others
n been
hat the
assert J
iinmer-
eucher*
»
LETTER X.
[In Answer to Mr. TitoTtiri'^ Hyh Luttei^.j
Mr Trotter attempts, in conclusion, to justify
the Peilobaptist practice of transferrin??, fintl not
translating baplizo and baptisma. He has not, iv
ever, touched the points in debate between u^. I
never advocate the making of any change in our au-
thorized Version of the Scriptures with reference td^
the words baptize and baptism, nor any of the woril*
which relate to to the administration ofthia ordU
nance. It is Mr. Trofer, and not I, who d .mands a
change of this kind. A-'are that the circumstaiices
ot the Saviour's being ** baptized of John m Jor^
dan, and straightway coming up out of the water,'
and>that the converts were baptized '* in the river, ^
are decisively against sprinkling and in favour of
immersion, he cannot abide by the Translation made
by his Pedobaptist brethren, but insist* that apo, en.
ami eis (Mark i. 10.) should not have been transla-
ted as rhey • re, out o/and m, but «/rom" and - ^'
iide.-' But I am content with the Pe<lobaptist
Translation, and willing to abide by it | since the
words which have been plainly and correctly trans a-
ted, the circumstances mentioned, and the^ manifest
allusions ofthe sacred writer? to immersion, which
ihave overcome the prejudices of rrany, would, in
my opinion, render it evident to aH, were it not for
Wsf
^ 'l^iMMIii;S^^»-«4» nmm tmm !-
1
h
i
!
102
th« almost invincible prejudice or^iJucalion, thai
this was tbe original ino.le.*
With tiie heathen, howover, and converts Just
emerging from the darkness of heathnni&m, the ca?e
w evidently diflfcreat. They are uot prepared to in-
vestigate the subject ill tHis %yiiy : md the words Aaj*.
Uxo and ^op^Am ciii»vey no more idea to them tbau
two Burman words would to an ordinary En^Hsh
remier. If we profess to give them translations ok
the Scriptures at all, it is obvious that %v« ought la
make them, in all cases, and especially Ui leferenc**
to Divine commands, as plaift as posaible.
Mr. Trotter alteges, in 8?jpport of ihe practice of
transferring baptizo, that the inspired writers trans-
fcrred words, as " Amen, Hallelujah," &c. But it
is to be borne in mimi, ^.hat a great proportion of the
*K -^?;''- ^-^ of^ Sussex Vale, N. B., informed me
that when shj^ was about nine years old, an«t had
nev^ heard or read any thing in favour of Baptist
sentiments, save what she had read in ihe Bible,
heard Dr. M., an Episcopalian, and her mother
who was a Presbyterian, tafking togrether In favour
of sprMiklinj? ami against ii.itnersion. At leng-th she
said, ^' Mother, it seems to me the people were im-
mersed in Srripture limes," « What," srvs her
mother, « do you know about it," She replied,
they were baptized in ihe river at any rats "-!
« Mark my words»' said Dr. M if this girl be ever
converted she will he m Bnptist. h is scarcely need-
ful to add that the Docior^s prediction was 9 true
one.
ton, thtki
5rts jusl
the c.i?e
ed to in-
ri)« bap"
^m tbata
EngUnh
Uiont oi
>ught ta
eferenc**
ictice of
rs trans*
But it
n of tbe
riecl ine
nd had
Baptist
BibSe,
mother,
favour
g-th she
ere im-
sys her
•epiieii,
ate."—
^»e ever
y n«eiN
R true
103
people for whom the principal fmrtw of th» New
Testament were at first written, were not'* fast'Mtiou#
Greeks," hue Jews, who, being aequninted with Sy-
riac ur Hebrew, probably understood these word«
l>etter thnn they uiiderstuo<l elegant Greek termay —
Moreover, Mr. Troirer has produced no cxump.e«
or the transrerrint^ of a verb, enjoining the perforni-
auce ef a duty. To have given a case in point, he
ought to have ndduced an instance in which the ii»^
spired writers concealed the nieaninguf a command
of God by the uce rS bnrlmrons teriris, which their
readers could not understand. Biit the^ were so fur
from adopting 8»^i' '4 course, thnt they invariably
expressed th<> import of the Divine statute, ami
made known the will of God, ii< the pUinest :erm?i»
<Dcut. xwii. 8;Hab.ii. 2;1 Cor. ^iv. 9, 11,1 9. >
W.*ien liiany of the Jews, having been born in Chul-
dea, knew th^ Chaldee language only, Eyra and his
cokdjuiors *• rend in the book of the law of God dis-
tinirtiy, and gave the sense, and caused them to im-
derstand the leadings." (Neh. viii. 8.) Moreover,.
Mr. Trotter's argunierit is utterly overturned by hi*
bwn statement ; for he m^'intains that CHjr Lord usetl
the Syriac word " Amad,"* which the ins^ \red wri-
mmmmmmmmmmmm
* In addition to the decisive proofs ad<luced, Let-
ter i., that in the Syriac verjsion the wortls JimafJ^
and Mamudiiho are used to denote immersion^ it may,
bo noticed here, that where we reatl ** were 8niif?ht-
HVi^dt'* He' . vi. 4, tiKj S^r, c is^ L*m^A.i%dUho neche--
thUs which Tre.T\eHiiJ.^, a Pedobar^Ut Transhxior
(
m
i '\
' "•"■'! '^^^^r'!
*ia^^w^F.
«^'i-'-^=-.V»Jt^''
" I I iw ippj l ^p
104
ters translated by the Greek word *'baptizo"{
whence it fpllows, that we hav€ the authority of Di-
ving inspiration for translating, and not transferring,
the term employed tpjl^signato the firnt act of Chrst-
ian obedience. The charge of inconsistency which
he prefers against the Baptists for using such words
as " angel," ** apostle," &c., is equally groundless.
He knows that the Baptists did not make the coni-
rripn English Version. Besides, we have no ol»jeC''
tion to the u?e of such Greek words as have been a-
dopted into any language) provided they convey dis-
tinct and correct ideas lo those who understand that
language only. Any terms are unobjeclionuble, if,
as he says, we canno^ " find terms equally suitable."
The rule adopted by the Baptist Translators in In-
dia is ** to endeavour by earnest prayer, and diligent
study, toascertam tbp exact meanmg of the original
text ; and to express that meu-iing as exactly as the
nature of the language intowhirh they irnnslate the
Bible, will permit; and to transfer no words that are
capable of being literally translated." Whether it
appears more like" practising a pious fraud" to
translate every word faithfully an d plainly, or t%
conceal the meaning of certain words bynontransla*
tion, because they cannot be translated in accordance
with the practce of some concerned, let the reader
'.y^'-x''
reiulera '^ M haptisniuni descendei'untj^* have gone
down to haptism ; and in a Note he assigns this rea-
son for the Syr'ac form of expref?ion, •* Nam im-
mergebantur a^uts," i. e. For they [the perisons bap-
tized] were immersed in the waters f
■"l»^i#
s. .
►tizo"{
ofDl-
Brring,
Chrst-
whicli
worila
iidless.
I coiu-
een n-
iil that
jle, if,
table.'^.
in In-
ili^rent
riginal
as rKe
nte the
lat are
;her it
Ml" IQ
or t^'
ransla .
rdancU
redder
e gone
\\n rea-
tm ini'
IS bap-
105
judge. Mr. Ti-btterhaa adduced no instances in
which thia rule has not been iinpariially and strictly
observed by Baptist Translators. ^^* then> their
versions are faithfully and correctly made, according
to this principle,which must commend itself to every
candid mind, it is evidently the height of Iniustfce to
call them " 8«?ctarian." That Drs. Carey, Marsh-
man, Yates, utld their colleagues— men of unques-
tionable moral integrity, and excellent scholarship-
executed their \rork>iiA/w%, will not be ques^tionT
e^ by every inan who formi a correct estitnate
of their characters. The cbmuiittee of the British
j& Foreign Bible Society, speaking" of *' the excel-
llent Dr. Carey," " expresses their long cherished
odmiratron of his talents, mid his piety:" and re-
iriark^ with reference to translating the Scriptures
ituo the languages of India, " For this arduous un^
dertakinghe was qualified in an extraordinary de -
gree." Report, 1835, p. 61. 62.) The learned Dr.
Buchanan, (in his Christian Researches,) calls Drs.
;arey and Marshman, " two men whose names will
robably ,^o down to the !atest posterity, as faith-
fulTran'sTatdrs of the Holy Scriptures." The Rev.
John Angell James, a worthy PeiliSbaptist, says.
The iBaptists-could boast of such Veneratea
lames as those of Dr. Carey, Marshman, and
tVard," and that the denomination has done as
luch as nearly all dthers, to furnish, by tlieir trai.a-
uions of the Scripture^, th^ elements oflife, and
i
•I
.%
.■-, .■...i..^Mi^4 -
106
* i-
h
• ;(.
H I
the Inmp of Salvation^ to the teeming nations of
Hindostan,'* (Essays on Chriatian Union, p. 190.)
Even Mr. Trotter himself, as I hare shewn in my
firit Letter, is constrained to commend *' the spirit of
these Translaiors.
That they have translated the word baptizo cor-^
rectly has, I humbly trust, been sufficiently evinced
in these Letters. Mr. Trotter's utter failure to pro^
duce even a solotary instance to the contrary, must
itself be qtiite sufBcient to convince any unprejudiced
man, that the word literally signifies neither more
nor less than <o f'mmer^e, as they have rendered it,
in exact accordance with the invariable views and
practice of ail those Christians whose native lan-
guage is Greek. It is sustained by the concurrent
judgment and testimony, at Professor Stuart con-
cedes, of '* all Lexlcogrnjfhers sad critici of any
note." I have myself examined at least fifteen Greek
Lexicons, published by Pedobaptists ; and in every
one cf them Baptizo is denned to immerse] but in
not one of them is it defined either to pour or to
sprinkle, Mr. Trotter himself owns, (Letter L)
that he '* does not pretend that baptizo means to
sprinkle," and he admitted' in his former Letters that
it '* means to plunge.'' Uow, then, can he call that
rendering ** sectarian" which, by his own admission
as welt as that of numerous other Pedobaptists, U
certainly correct.
I am not aware that this has ever been denied by
tbe Committee of the British and Foreign Bible So-
i
iiMWir frw«M»"*«M-ii^aaEEjaaeam-t^'^'»»»l'f?%"
ns of
190.)
n my
irit of
J cor-
winced
o pro^
, must
udiced
' more
red it,
V9 and
B lan-
;urrent
t con-
of any
Greek
a every
but in
or to
tier I.)
;nns to
ersthat
;all that
mission
lists, U
nied by
;ible So-
107
ciety; who, as I hareshewn elsewhere, circulated
other vopsions in which bapHzo is translated in the
8am« manner, m the German (taufen) Dutch (rfto-
pen) &c. whicli signify l« dip, Mr. Trotter has
act€«l prudently in not attempting in these Letters to
controvert this fact ; nor y«t to account for the
strange anomaly in the conduct of that Committee in
rejecting versions that are undeniably correct, and
still freely disseminating llomar Catholic versions,
which c^joins penance and countenauces idolatry,—
It is not upon *« sectarian" grounds, but upon prin-
ciple, that we object altogether to the transferring
^ of any words that are capable of being literally trans-
Vl, lated.. '
It is well known to be a measure to which men
arc accustomed to have recourse in onler to shielil
a sentiment or practice which is opposed to the plain
meaning of the word of God. TJie Translators of
the authorized English Version expressly state, in
their preface, tliat It was thus employed by the Ro-
man Catholics " of purpose to darken the sense."—
,jBo those who deny the eternal punishment of the
imgodly, aware that the word aionios cannot be
[uafislated without condemning their system, insist
Ithat ^ shall be transferred; alleging", as Mr. Trotter
loes concerning bapHzo, " that there is no word in
English which exactly conveys the idea of the origi-
mUiomos": and so they read. " These shall go
iway into aionian punishment," ^c. Will orthodox
*edobaplist3 consent that this word shall be traiis-
■fm^RHlM
iiimtm
t 'i
!1
li t
?
^1 I
i\
108
]
fen-ed in this manner in venions given to theiiations
of the Eiist, nhd so the fact oe eoti<:enled ftom them,
that the impcnif.ent will suffer everlasting punish-
ment? rhey cannot consistentty object to it,so lo»g
as th9y coetinue to act on the sAnie principle hy
transferring BnpHzo, Let thiii tvord, then, which is
as susceptible of a literal translation as aionios, be
plainly translated. If translators coLscientiously he*
lieve that it means ^o pour or to Bprinkle, let them
translate it by words that denote pouring or spriftk"
ling. But here is the dilemma in which our Pedo-
baptist brethren are placed:— They cannot bear to
relinquish sprinklingy and yet they cannot find scho-
lars who will adventure to translate the word in ac-
^iordance with their practice. The only alternative,
therefore, is, to keep the meaning of the word lock-
ed up in cbs<:uri^.
' We ale Witting to co-operate'#ith them,a6 we did
pVfor to the passing of the Resuluion in ISS^, up-
on the principle of allovying mutual liberty of con-
science to translators. §o long ^s ihey refuse to
do this, we surely ought to be allowed to labour by
ourselvts in furnishing the destitute with the bread,
of life, without being assailed with censures and re-
buffs, either from the pujpit the phtform, or the
press. Christianity should not be disgracedj and itt»
progress retarded, by needless acrimonious conten-
tions among those who profess to love it, and to be
striving to aid in promoting its universal diffusion.
i i^ations
tn thein,
pun'ish-
t,so long
ciple by
which is
nioSi be
)usiy l>e-
Bt thetn
• spfink"
r Pedo-i
bear td
nd scho-
td in ac-
srnative,
)rd lock-
IB we did
83^, up-
l of coil-
efuse to
bbur by
le bread,
and re-
, or the
» and itii
conten-*
nd to be
liffusion.
9
109
All Bible Societies, both the Biitish and Foreign,
and those that on different accounts are separate
from it, as the Edinburgh, the Trinitarian, and the
American and Foreign, should regard each other,
not as rivals or antagonists, but as allies and coadju-
tors in the great and glorious work of disseminating
the sacred Oracles oi the living God to earth's re-
motest bounds.
I shall now close these Letters with a fevv general
remarks on that series of Letters which has called
them forth.
U Attentive readers of controversy need not bo
told, that the disputant who has a good supply of ir-
refragable arguments, usually remains calm, and
treats his opponent in a respectfui manner; while he
whose arguments are exhausted and refuted, feels
disposed to rail, and readily avails himself of the
slightest pretext to " relieve him, ' as Mr. Trotter
says of himself, " from any farther obligation to ob-
serve the rules of decorum." Unable to find m any
of my communications one single harsh or uncour-
teous expression he professes to take umbrage at
a harmless question, asked civilly and in good i^a-
.ture, and hence claims the privilege of charging m^
uWemoniously with " ignorance," " unfairness,"
*« abetting falsehood,"* &c. . 1 entreat my friends,
* Mr Trotter charges me with " alietting false-
hood" because I have not «« abetted his charge 4-
l
m0
;l
I %
k^
no
hoWever,~^an(l I set them the example— not to en-
tertain any unkind feeling toward Mr. Trotter— and
g-ainsi Dr. Warlay of having publicly told a gross
falsehood." Paul says, »* against an elder receive
not an accusation, hut before tvvo^or three witnes-
ses.'* (I Tim. V. 19.) Mr. Trotter, however, "re-
ceives" reitfiratea thi» very seriou» " accusation a-
gainst nn elder]'— whose long continued high moral
standing, both in Europe and America, renders it
utterly mcredible that he should have intentionally
uttered an untruth— on the vague statement of one
of his opponents, who represents him as having de-
nied Henderson to be a classical scholar, or compe-
tent to judge in the case." Whatever mistake or
misunderstanding there may have been, 1 have no
intention to intimate that any person designo<l to tell
a falsehood; but the only man with whom 1 have
conversed on the subject who was present — an un-
exceptionable witness, whose name lean give, if
needful— understood Dr. Warlay as stating, that
Dr, Henderson had not the pel vantage of a regular
collegiate education, but admitting that his attain-
ments as a linguist were highly respectable; though
he denied he was a safe guide in profound philolo-
gical inquiries, &c, and remarked, that his argu-
ments on the subject of baptism had been examined
and refuted.
1 do not know from any other source, whether i»r.
Henderson received a regular collegiate education,
or not; but his Letter. *< On the meaning ol' Baptizo,
&c., with the learned Mr. Goth's * Examination,"
Sec. renders it evident to me, that in this subject he
is fartmm being a safe guide. So Dr. Carson cer-
tainly thought; since he is said to have entitled his
Reviews, " Incompetency of Dr. Henderson aa an
I
'ffc:
..^11 I i««ni —
-not to en-
rotter — and
id 11 grodd
er receive
,ee witnes-
Bver, " re-
cusation a~
ligh moral
ren'.ler^j it
tentionhlly
ent of one
buving de-
or compe-
nistake or
I have no
:no<i to tell
)m 1 have
nt — an un-
n give, if
ting, that
a regular
lis attain*
i; though
i philoio-
hid urgu-
exauiined
\iether i)r,
education,
f Baptizo.
riinaiion,"
uJiject ho
arson cer-
ititled his
ifon aa an
111
certainly not toward other i^edobaptiats— on account
of hia censorious expressions; but to attribute them
to the untenableness of hia position It may be pre-
sumed that he would not have represented any of
my arguments as evincing a want of" moral recti-
tude," if he couhl have rsfuted them. To unpre-
judiced readers it cannot be otherwise than appar-
anl, that I have not said " many things," nor yet
one thing, " at random," to gain the " victory;" but
that my statements in defence of truth and equity,
have been made deliberately and on solid grounds;
since Mr. Trotter has not been able to show one of
them to be incorrect. Neither cao it escape the
notice of such readers, that, though .le promised,
with reference to *^ learned Pedobaptists'* " to
I shew that I had, either from ignorance or design,
completely misrepresented some of these," yet he
has not adduced a single instance of the kind. If he
Could have done this, he might very easily have re-
.serve*' -^ce, by «* condensing" his superfluous La-
|tin quotations from Virgil, TertuUian,* &c.
* ■ ■■ ■ ' » . . I I I I. If 1 1 111
umpire on the Philology of the word Baptism, prov-
'ed Crom the unsoundness and extravagance of the
principles of interpretation implied in his Letter to
Dr. Henderson, with reference to that question."
* I c->uld easily have quoted as much Latin from
these Authorv^; but I have taken pains to avoid per-
plexing the English reader by unnecessary quota-
tions in oUier languages: and where the introduction
i.
ae
\i
112
5. There are four other marks by which it may
usually be ascertained that a ^\riter is advocating an
unscriptural system: — 1, He is obliged to put an
forced and unnatural construction on some plain
text. S. He adduces obscure passages, and such nsi
have no relation to the subject, in support of his
view. 8. He i« under the necessity of proposing
corrections of the authorized Translation, in order
to render certain texts more favourable to his own
system. 4. He does not keep closely to the point in
debate,but makes frequent and wide digressions, ex-
patiating on matters that have little or no conn»c«
tion with it. The reader who has attentively ex-
amined Mr. Trotter's Letters, does not require to
be informed that the marks of these advocacy of an
unscriptural view are conspicuous in them. They
are manifest in his remarks on numerous texts, {as
2 Kings V. 14; Job ix. 81; laa. Hi. 15; Mark i. 5,9,10;
John iii. 23; Acts viii. 85, 88; 1 Cor. xv. 29; ;H«b.
jx. 4, 10, &c.,) in his strictures on Dr. Campbell —
whom he accuses of *• jugglery ''—and in his length-
ofsHJ:h words has b«en unavoidable, 1 have been
carciui it! render the whole as plain as possible by
Liai>j(iUting rranslaiions. As to Mr. Trotter's charge of
v^(u;jf j,M<je" oi languages, I am ready and wiliing
t<i be.t.SftUHfisd with bun before any competent judg-
€^< m4 to let them say which of us can translate
a chupivT out of the greater number of ianguages.
fi it may
mating an
put an
me plain
1 such ail
>rt of his
)roposing
in order
his own
d point in
iiions, e,K-
3 connwc-
ively ex-
Bquire to
icy of an
h They
exts, {as
i. 5,9, lOj
29; iH«b.
iinpl)eU —
is length-
ave been
)ssible by
charge of
1(1 wiliing
tent judg-
trantilate
(lages.
113
enetl dissertations on the cuatorna of the heathen,
Stc.
3. Mr. Trotter appears to be generally regarded
as one of the most learned Pedobaptist ministers in
Nova Scotia; he has certainly long had experience
ill controversy, in uhicb he is considered a champi-
on: and he informs us in the " Advertisement'* to
his Letters in pamphlet form, that he " |>aid par-
ticular att' -^^ion to the subject discussed in them, in
his younger years, and they exhibit the result of his
inquiry respecting it."
Unlike rny other opponents, he has manifestly
come to the point at issue, and pMblisbetl a series of
twelve letters " on the meaning of Baplizo,'* to
ijrove that the Baptist Transiator* in India have
done .wrong in translating this won! by words signi-
fying to immerse. But what has he done? He says,
(Letter I.) " 1 do not pretend that baptizo means to
sprinkle." He admits that in the classics it signi-
fies ^o tmmerse; but endeavours to *' maintain that
the Jews changed its meaning," and promises, (Let-
ter H.) to " make it certain." He has not, how-
ever, rendered this in the least degree probable;
since Hie has not adduced a solitary case in any
measure parrallel. He has, incleed, '* made it cer-
tain" that the Jews did not chknge the meaning of
baptizo\ since he has shown, (»n his former Letters)
that Josephus, who was a Jew, used it express-
ly to denote plunging a person Under water. As be
\
A
I
m
U4 •
ht. n«t !;aen able ,o produce eren one instance
... «h,ch ,he .rord U u,e,l li.ernllv to signify TZ
more or e.s ,..„n lo .„«..„, ,hiU the circumstan-
ces .eco.de,! and the allusions made in Scripture
.la.nly corn.l.oratc this sen..,, it n.ust surely I J «p
paren to every person who i. not. as Mr. Trotter
It affords me sincere pleasure to notice, in ,he
conclusion of Mr. Trotter-s Letters, one ^enerou!
«nd fnendly remark, namely, « There are men of
pr.nc.ple among the Baptists." This I most cordi-
Mly reciprocate. Among the Pe.Iol.aptists I have ma
ILZf^ r1'' r^""" ' '"8'''y "''"'>"'■ Should
severity, I beg to assure them that nothing of the
kmd has been intended by me; though I have de!
"gned to use great'plalnness in all cases. Some may
.magme, also, that I. and other Baptists, attach too
mch importance to baptism; but such is not the
cn^e, J do, mdeed, regard it as important that everv
command of God .hould be strictly obeyed J^
am well aware that baptism, however scriptira ly
a Immistered. will not be of the least avail where the
heart ,s not renewed oy Divine grace.
terand ml"!:,? ""*'"' '"^''"""^ ""«'"''" ^r. Trot-
tei and myself, ., a practical question of vast mo-
m
instance
y eiiher
umsinn-
Ji-ipture,
y 1*0 ap-
Trotler
iitijrnn,'
'rang to
IS prov-
in the
snerou.-^
men of
t corcJi-
ive ma
Should
r, tiscd
of the
ive de-
ne may
3h too
ot the
every
ji>ut I
:urally
re the
!15
m^nt. If th« versions made by Buptiait Mt«KtoiiHrieji
in inUin, which he ami my other opponents con-
clemn, and for the supporting of which they have
put mo on the defttn^ive, bo not countenanced and
sustanied, great numbers of the ,)erishing heathen,
into whose Umguages no other versions are made,
must long remain utterly de^^titute of the holy Scri|»-
tures, which are able to iimke them wise i'lito sal-
vation. I should therefore cou.'iider myself guilty
of a gross dereliction of imperative duty, if I had
not exposed and refuted the groundless objections
* sedulously raised against these versions, which might
If' otherwise tend to wi]hhold the lamp of life, now
i4f lighted, from those who are " sitiing in the region
ami shadow of death," and to snatch the <;up of sal-
vation, now reached forth, from the lips parching
with thirst for " the water of life.'*
Yours, Respectfully,
CHARLKSTUPPEK.
Amhcrsl, 1848.
Trot-
t mo-
;
/ ••-
RIUIAT.A.*
Pnffc 18, rii^ 13, fnr *' friii/,-» read first
«* 33,'* a; fori- any." «* my.
M 41, u .^2, «< •« *» Pool Syno|i«" Poo/e'i
Synopses,
«* 42, '* 26, " **nntupnal,'»*« flerna^
"..43,'^' 10, <* ** Knn?ihhull,» KnaUhbulL
-* ftO, "6, '« '''his,'' " Mm.
•«. 5ar, «*, 30, «' "MaBon." fVatson.
' ••* 58. «*" 26, " " prncti«e<J," practise,
•«• 68, *«« 13, ** "beiii? irnmerdeci," itmmrsed,
«♦ 71, »« IS, *'** \n house','- in the house
*' 86, " 5, « " Senilier," 5m/«r.
8, « *« Nnvatian," Novation.
•I
88,
(<
«♦ 93, " 27, " " words." word.
9^,
" 100, "
«* 101, "
£), •* *» soys," «ay.
t<
1 *' ** all' buried/' oiir«>rf.
5, ** " advocate," udvocales.
8, «« *» bipiism," baptisma.
'« 103, " 14, «♦ ** statute." s<a/ttfe».
««I07, « 1, " »< circulated circulate.
*' ** ** 3, « " <Ho|»en," doopcen.
" •* " 10, ** ** enjoins— counieniices," enjoml
— countenance.
" 108, •* 25, " « rebuffs," rebukes.
• Such typographical errors as di» not affect tlie
sense, but only the spelling, the punctuation, &c.
together with the occasional omission, addition, oi
inversion ofa letter, can, in general, be easily cor-
rected by the reader without Errata. j
v..
^^\
MH,^ie^^-
,m-
hbull
mtmrsed.
mse.
," enjoin]
ffcct the
ioii» &c.
ition,
isily (Tor-
IIIV
v..
ijaal