as the word is applied to the ordinance, the sense of dipping is utterly excluded." 24. Dr. George Hill says: "Both sprinkling and immersion are implied in the term baptizo." Dr. John Dick says: "Examples, however, have been produced, from which it appears that the idea sometimes conveyed even by this verb [baptizo] is that of sprinkling, rather than of dipping." 25. Dr. Thomas Scott says: "It [baptizo] is taken more largely for any kind of washing, rinsing, or cleansing, even when there is no dipping at all." 26. Dr. Dwight says: "I have examined almost one hundred instances in the New Testament, in which the word baptizo and its derivatives are used, and four in the Septuagint; and these, so far as I have observed, being all the instances contained in both. By this examination, it is to my apprehension evident, that the following things are true: that the primary meaning of these terms is cleansing-the effect, not the mode of washing; that the mode is usually referred to incidentally, wherever these words are mentioned; and that this is always the case wherever the ordinance of baptism is mentioned, and a reference made, at the same time, to the mode of administration; that these terms, although often capable of denoting any mode of washing, whether by affusion, sprinkling, or immersion, since cleansing was familiarly accomplished by the Jews in all these ways: yet, in many instances, cannot, without obvious impropriety, be made to signify immersion; and in others, cannot signify it at all.” 27. Pool says, speaking of baptizo, as employed in relation to washing of hands before eating: "Sometimes washing only, or even sprinkling." (Pond, p. 33.) 28. Coulon calls baptism "a sacred mystery of the entrance into Christianity, administered in the church, by immersion, washing, and sprinkling." (Pond, p. 23.) 29. Vorrilong: "Baptizo in

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Greek is the same as lavo is in Latin; baptism, properly speaking, signifies nothing except washing." (Enc. lib. 25, sec. 3.) 30. Bonaventura : Baptizo in Greek signifies as much as lavo in Latin, that is, to wash." 31. Doederline: "The power of the word baptizo is expressed in washing, or performing ablution, on which account we read of the baptism of cups, Mark vii, 8; and the rite itself is called a purifying in John iii, 25.” (Inst. vol. 2, p. 748.) 32. Attersol: "Dipping into the water is not necessary to the being of a sacrament. Sprinkling of water is not necessary to the being of a sacrament. But wetting and washing with water are necessary to the being of a sacrament." (Treatise of Sac. p. 108.) 33. Maldonat: "With the Greeks baptizein signifies to dip, to wash, to wash oft; and as Tertullian observes concerning baptism, (de Anima, cap. 10.) that it means not only to immerse, but also to pour, [mergere non tantum sed et perfundere.] (Pond, p. 25.) 34. "Schleusner," says John P. Campbell, "whose fame is unrivaled and colossal in the literary world, thus expounds the word baptizo: Properly to steep and dye, to dip into water. In this sense, indeed, it is never used in the New Testament." (p. 15.) 35. Gases,

a learned Greek, a member of the Greek Church, who, with great labor and pains, compiled a large (2 vols. quarto) and valuable lexicon of the ancient Greek language, which is deservedly held in very high estimation by all native Greeks, gives to baptizo this meaning: "To wet, moisten, bedew."

We have now before us a fair sample of the opinions of great men on the word, and from them. the reader can see why three modes of baptism are allowed in the Discipline of the Methodist Church, though her ministers generally think affusion is the only plain Scriptural mode; and why we state that immersionists make wrong impres

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sions on the public mind when they say all great men define baptism as they do, but yield to innovations, not believing immersion necessary. We leave the reader at this point, without comment, to judge whether the statements of these authors will justify the use immersionists make of them, confident that the decision will be, that sprinkling or affusion is fully vindicated by their judgments.

Historical facts on the mode of baptism will be found in place here, which we proceed to give.

1. In Pond's work, p. 46, we find that Walker, a writer of great caution and research, mentions a case of much force, namely, that a man some sixty years after the death of the apostles, was traveling in a desert, took sick, desired baptism, and was baptized by sand being thrice sprinkled on him. But as he recovered, his case was laid before a bishop, who decided that he was baptized, "if only water were poured on him." We shall remark on this fact, that here we have a highly presumptive proof that the very idea of sprinkling this person with sand was taken from the Apostolic mode of baptizing with water. If immersion had been practiced thus early, would it not be reasonable to suppose that the person sick would have been covered with something to represent a burial, and then have been raised up out of it to perfect the idea of a resurrection, which the raising out of the water is intended to convey; and not a sprinkling with sand, which illustrates affusion? We consider the idea found in this case an invincible one in favor of affusion, and almost divinely recorded against immersion. Here we ask, is there any plain idea of immersion so near the apostles as this? We answer, no. It is not on record.

2. Irenæus, 67 years after the apostolic age, mentions this fact: "that Christians baptized by affusion." (Lib. i, chap. 39.)

3. "Novatian became a Christian one hundred and twenty years after the apostles, and was baptized by affusion or sprinkling." (See Wall's Hist. of Inf. Bap., pp. 353, 357.)

4. "Robertson mentions the practice of sprinkling in Africa in the third century." (See his History of Baptism, p. 402.)

5. "Constantine the great, who died in the fourth century, say 337, being clothed with a white garment and laid on his bed, was baptized in a solemn manner by Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia." (See Dupin's History Ecc., vol. 2, p. 84.)

6. Gennadius, of the fifth century, says: "Baptism was administered in the Gallic Church in his time, indifferently, by sprinkling or otherwise." (See Watson's Institutes, p. 649.)

7. Dr. Wall says: "In the fifth century, baptism was administered in France indifferently by immersion and aspersion." (See his History of Baptism, p 357)

8. Pond says: "Pouring was anciently the established mode of administering baptism in the Netherlands." (See Pond on Inf. Bap., p. 48.)

9. "Estius, referring to times long before his day, witnesseth thus: that pouring had been much in use." (See Scrip. Ground of Infant Baptism, pp. 127, 128.)

10. In the middle of the third century, "When Laurentius was brought to the stake to suffer martyrdom, a soldier who was employed as one of his executioners, professed to be converted, and requested baptism from the hands of the martyr. For this purpose a pitcher of water was brought, and the soldier was baptized at the place of exetion." (Wall, quoted by Dr. Miller.)

Query. If the martyr had been an immersionist, having the views of Baptists now, would he have baptized a man by affusion, when about to

die, to face the Judge of all the earth, knowing that nothing was baptism but dipping? Never. This example alone ought to be sufficient, as it is so near the apostles, to convince every immersionist that pouring was practiced in early times, and called a baptism.

11. Clemens Alexandrinus says, speaking of a backslider that was reclaimed by John before the glorious age of the apostles had passed away, "that he was baptized a second time with tears." How strange this language, if immersion was only practice in the early age of the church, or practiced at all! Baptized a second time with tears. simple tears that ran down the face of the backslider resembled so much his first baptism by water, when baptized in the name of the Lord, that the circumstance presented the idea to Clemens Alexandrinus of a second baptism.

The

12 Gennadius, in 490, says: "The person to be baptized makes confession of his faith, and after that he is sprinkled with water, [vel entingitur.]" (Pond, p. 47.)

13. Clodoveus, king of France, in 499,"was baptized by Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims, by pouring of water." (Pond, p. 47.)

14. Mabillon says: "Lindgerus baptized a little infant, by pouring on holy or consecrated water."

15. Walafridus Strabo, in 850, says: "Many have been baptized by pouring water on them from above, and they may still be so baptized.” (Pond, p. 47.) But though this personage so spoke in the days of trine immersion, he is claimed as a Baptist.

16. Baronius, in his Annals, speaks of the baptism of Heribaldus, king of the Danes, in St. Alban's church, at Mentz, "by having the water of holy baptism poured upon him." (Pond, p. 47.)

17. Gratian calls sprinkling baptism, saying,