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Pagan compassion. Still, the possibility of this cannot be denied. But the probability is surely not very great, when we reflect, that neither here nor in the instance recorded in Acts 10: 47, is any intimation given of a resort to the bath, in order to perform the rite of baptism. One may naturally conclude, therefore, that the water brought in to wash the stripes of Paul and Silas, also answered the purpose of baptizing him who furnished it.

In Acts 22: 16, Paul relates the words of Ananias to him, before he was baptized, and after he had for some days been under most distressing conviction of sin. They are these: Arise, Bantioai, baptize thyself (Middle voice), i. e. receive baptism, nai anólovca, and WASH AWAY thy sins. Here the words βάπτισαι and ἀπόλυσαι appear to be treated as in a manner equivalent to each other; and the natural conclusion would seem to be, that washing or washing off, was the manner of the baptism on this occasion. Still, I acknowledge that this is not a necessary conclusion; for bathing or immersion would produce the effect of washing off.

But there is a passage in 1 Cor. 10: 2, which seems of necessity to imply, that immersion is not essential to the idea of baptism. It runs thus: All were BAPTIZED into Moses, in the CLOUD AND IN THE SEA. This refers, of course, to the period and the transactions when the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea, and eluded the pursuit of Pharaoh and his host. But how were they baptized, on this occasion, in the cloud and in the sea? The reader will be enabled to judge for himself, by examining well the following passage, which records the history of that occasion.

Ex. 14: 19-22, " And the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed, and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand, and on their left."

Here then was the cloud, which first stood before them, and then behind them; and here were the waters of the Red Sea,

like a wall on their right hand and on their left. Yet neither the cloud nor the waters touched them. "They went through the midst of the sea upon dry ground." Yet they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea. The reason and ground of such an expression must be, so far as I can discern, a surrounding of the Israelites on different sides, by the cloud and by the sea, although neither the cloud nor the sea touched them. It is therefore a kind of figurative mode of expression, derived from the idea, that baptizing is surrounding with a fluid. But whether this be by immersion, affusion, suffusion, or washing, would not seem to be decided. The suggestion has sometimes been made, that the Israelites were sprinkled by the cloud and by the sea, and this was the baptism which Paul meant to designate. But the cloud on this occasion, was not a cloud of rain; nor do we find any intimation that the waters of the Red Sea sprinkled the children of Israel at this time. So much is true, viz. that they were not immersed. Yet, as the language must evidently be figurative in some good degree, and not literal, I do not see how, on the whole, we can make less of it, than to suppose, that it has a tacit reference to the idea of surrounding in some way or other.

That washing was at least one method, and perhaps even the more ordinary one of practising baptism, may be thought to find some support in such passages as the following; viz. Eph. 5: 26, where Christ is spoken of, as having loved the church, and given himself for it, that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it BY THE WASHING of water, etc. Here the word used for washing is Lovroo, which some render bath. Literally and originally the word, according to the laws of derivation, must signify: (1) The means of washing; inasmuch as it comes from love, to wash, in particular to wash one's person, in whole or in part, e. g. to bathe, to wash off the blood from a wound, etc. But in this sense, i. e. as the means of washing, bath, bathing-place, etc. it is applied, by Homer, only in the plural number. (2) It means the act of washing, washing off, cleansing, etc. In the singular number it occurs first in Hesiod, and is employed to signify washing, etc. as just stated. Passow has exhibited its appropriate usage. The reader will see, in this case, that the idea of washing is connected with the idea of cleansing; and that the reference is clearly made to baptism. But the modus of this washing is no farther determined, than that it is so as to

cleanse. This, indeed, is consistent with immersion, bathing, or simple washing; and of course it may be said to leave the subject undetermined.

In Titus 3: 5 we have a similar passage. He saved us dià Lоντооv паliууεveolas, by THE WASHING of regeneration, i. e. by that purification or cleansing which regeneration confers. The reference, however, although the language is figurative, is beyond all doubt to the rite of baptism, which was emblematic of purification by the Spirit. Still the word Lovroov, washing, or (if you please) laver, will not absolutely determine the method in which the water was applied. If it means bath, then we can hardly argue the practice of total immersion from it, as baths are not usually adapted to such a purpose.

In Heb. 10: 22, the apostle speaks of Christians as drawing near to God with a true heart and full faith, being sprinkled or cleansed (goavriouέvoi) as to their hearts from an evil conscience, and WASHED (λehovμέvoi) as to their body with pure water. That he refers to the rite of baptism here, seems hardly to admit of any doubt. The idea of washing or cleansing is expressed by Lelovμévor; but still, the mode of effecting this, whether by immersion, bathing, or washing, does not seem to be necessarily determined; for any one of these would effect a cleansing of the body. Yet the more natural understanding of the passage in this, as in the two preceding instances, would seem to be a washing with water.

I have now examined all those passages in the New Testament, in which the circumstances related or implied would seem to have a bearing on the question before us, viz. Whether the MODE of baptism is determined by the sacred writers? I am unable to find in them any thing which appears to settle this question. I find none, I am quite ready to concede, which seem absolutely to determine that immersion was not practised. But are there not some, which have been cited above, that serve to render it improbable that immersion was always practised, to say the least? I can only say, that such is my persuasion. The reader has the evidence before him, and can judge for himself. He will indulge me, I hope, in the same liberty. I do consider it as quite plain, that none of the circumstantial evidence, thus far, proves immersion to have been exclusively the mode of Christian baptism, or even that of John. Indeed, I consider this point so far made out, that I can hardly suppress the conviction, that if any one maintains the contrary, it must be either because

he is unable rightly to estimate the nature or power of the Greek language; or because he is influenced in some measure by party-feeling; or else because he has looked at the subject in only a partial manner, without examining it fully and thoroughly.

Thus much for the evidence derivable from the circumstances attending the baptisms mentioned in the New Testament. But were not these, in all probability, conformed in mode to baptisms already extant among the Jews? This leads us to another distinct head of inquiry.

§ 7. Jewish Proselyte-Baptism.

III. Was baptism as an initiatory rite, practised in the Jewish church, antecedently to the time when Christian baptism commenced?

This is a subject replete with difficulty, in some respects; because we have not adequate means of casting upon it all the light which is desirable. I begin with the ceremonies prescribed by the Mosaic law, in respect to the sacred use of water in ablutions, and inquire, whether there is any thing in them, which will render one mode of Christian baptism more probable than another. We find, then, the following results.

in Ex. 19: 10—14.

1. That washing the clothes only, is one of the ceremonial rites of purification. The first direction of this nature we find It was made in relation to a preparation for the giving of the law at mount Sinai; and of course, on a most solemn and interesting occasion. Other similar directions, on a variety of occasions, and for the like purpose of purification, the reader will find, by consulting Lev. 11: 28, 40. 13: 34, 54, 58. 14: 47. 15: 17. Num. 8: 7, 21. 19: 10, 21. We shall see in the sequel, that this is a different rite from that of washing the person.

2. That washing the person is also enjoined, by way of purification. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, when entering on the priest's office; Ex. 29: 4. 30: 19-21. 40: 12. Lev. 8: 6. 16: 4, 24. On other occasions also, when they contracted any pollution they were commanded to wash; Lev. 22: 6. In all these and the like cases, the Hebrew verb is ; which corresponds to the Greek lovo.

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3. That both the clothes and person were to be washed, on a great variety of occasions, for the sake of purification. E. g. Lev.

14: 8, 9. 15: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 21, 22, 27. 16: 26, 28. 17: 15. Num. 19: 7, 8, 19.

4. That sprinkling was used most frequently of all, by way of purification and consecration. Especially was the sprinkling of blood practised for this purpose; e. g. Ex. 24: 6-8. 29: 20, 21. Lev. 1: 5, 11. 3: 2, 8, 13. 4: 6, 17. 5: 9. 7: 2. 8: 19, 24, 30. 9: 12, 18. 14: 7, 51. 16: 14, 15, 19. Num. 18: 17. 19: 4.-Also the sprinkling of oil; e. g. Lev. 8: 11. 14: 16, 27. Also the sprinkling of the water of purification or separation; e. g. Num. 8: 7. 19: 13, 18, 20, 21.

5. That affusion was also used, in the rites of purification. E. g. Lev. 14: 18, 29, of oil to be poured on the head of him who was to be cleansed. So the priests were bedewed with oil,

when consecrated to their office.

6. That smearing over was also a rite of purification. E. g. with oil; Lev. 14: 17, 28; of blood, Lev. 14: 25. 16: 18.

The statement just made, is the result of an examination, extended through the whole of the ceremonial laws of Moses. It is quite possible that some individual instances may have escaped my notice, in such a protracted examination; but this can in no way affect the result of the examples now produced. Do all or any of these examples cast any light upon the Christian rite of baptism?

We may answer this question by saying, that they serve, at least, to shew that there is no trace of any such rite as baptism, prescribed by the Jewish ceremonial law, as an initiatory rite, i. e. as one which was essential in order to make a profession of the Jewish religion. It is true, indeed, that Aaron and his sons were washed with water, when about to be inducted into the priest's office; see Ex. 29: 4. Lev. 8: 6. But it is equally true, that this was only one of very numerous rites of induction to that office. The reader will find them all described at full length, in Ex. c. 29, and Lev. c. 8.

It appears quite plain, that the washing of the priests, as preparatory to their entering upon their office, was in no other sense initiatory, than as a means of ceremonial purification, and an emblem of that purity of heart which was essential to a proper discharge of the duties of their office. This rite, therefore, was not different, as to its essential meaning or intention, from the like rite as practised by others, for the sake of ceremonial purification. Indeed, I can see no difference as to the object which was to be attained, between washing the clothes, the person, or

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