Chapter Thirteen: The Place Of Baptism

It is impossible for me to know how many of my readers may have sympathized with the special object which in all the preceding chapters I have kept constantly in view. Some of them, it is probable, have read with feelings of disappointment; for while I have not refrained from opposing what seemed to me to be error, I have not done so in a way that would be likely to bring comfort to the mere controversialist. The antagonism of those with whom I differed has not, I trust, been aroused; while I have contributed no supplies to the arsenal of those who may have agreed with my positions. So far from assisting them in any belligerent conflict, I have not even come upon the battle-field. Still, I recognize that there are times and circumstances in which controversy is demanded. The truth must be urged and advocated, whatever conflict it may bring. Error must be assailed and driven from its strongholds, let the consequences be what they may. The things which can be shaken must be shaken and removed, that those which cannot be shaken may remain.

The present state of the religious public mind, however, is one which in general calls not for war, but for peace. Men are emancipating themselves more and more from old traditional influences, and are becoming able to study great cardinal principles such as those which I have been discussing with a freedom, a candor and an honesty of purpose which in other time was not practicable. They are substituting investigation for mere advocacy, and hence are not seeking, as formerly, simply to find props and supports for a preexisting conception. They have discovered that the Bible was not written in the interest of their party, and they are coming to feel with Tennyson that

Our little systems have their day—

They have their day and cease to be;

All are but broken parts of the, And thou, O Lord, art more than they.

It has been my purpose, therefore, to present the first principles of the gospel from no partisan angle and in no sectarian light, but simply as great vitalizing and organizing elements of the truth; to point out their peculiar and gracious adaptations to human wants; to lift them, in short, out of the coldness of merely intellectual statement, and to exhibit them with something of the warmth and freedom of living forces. Nor do I believe that anyone, however well satisfied he may be of their superiority to other and rival principles, and however clear and full be his logical comprehension of them, can properly appreciate their divine significance and real value until he has removed them from the plane of partisan contention into the region of life and use.

I have deemed it necessary to make these remarks in connection with the special subject which I am now considering, because more than any other it has been abused and maltreated. Every foot of ground which it covers has been fought over, no only once, but again and again. These contests have always been warm, and sometimes even bitter. Of course, the memory of them lingers still, while in many hearts the old passions and prejudices are but lightly slumbering. Let us not awake them, but lull them, if possible, into deeper sleep.

I should love, if it might be, to forget the things that are behind, and to write without a moment’s consciousness of the bearings what I may say upon any preoccupied position. But whether I succeed in this or not, in any case nothing can deprive me of the comfort of knowing that personally I am totally indifferent to whatever controversial interests may be involved. If I can succeed in finding and exhibiting the doctrine of baptism as it is taught in the Holy Scripture, my single aim and object will have been reached. I may, therefore, safely pretermit any argumentative discussion of the question whether infants are proper subjects of the ordinance, as the answer will be necessarily implied in the statement of what the Scriptures really teach. This we shall now seek to ascertain.

Recurring once more to the commission, we notice that the Saviour required the apostles to baptize those whom they “discipled.” Primarily the obligations rested upon them, and then of course, as a resulting duty, upon all who should subsequently carry on the work of making disciples. Briefly stated, therefore, the obligation to baptize rested and still rests upon the Church, or people of God. These are the active agents, and are responsible to Christ for the performance of the duty. The subject of the baptism is passive. Of course he must voluntarily act in coming to the Church and placing himself in her hands. This, however, is not baptism; and having done this, he becomes simply passive, and submits to be baptized. As an inducement to this coming and this submission, the Church is required to teach him that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

The word baptism, as we have already seen, means in the commission immersion, or, as elsewhere explained in the Scripture, a “going down into the water,” as the necessary preliminary to a burial in it. The word dipping covers the whole of this double action; that is, the putting under and the lifting out, or the burial and the resurrection. The mere force of the word does not embrace the element in which the baptism is to take place. We might, for example, dip in oil or wine, or any yielding substance; but we learn from numerous passages in the Scriptures that the element must be water. Thus expanded, the meaning of Saviour’s requirement, expressed in the simplest terms—the meaning of the obligation which the laid upon his people—was this: “Make disciples of all the nations, dipping them in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

I enter no further into the question, already briefly considered, whether some other action will answer as well as dipping, or whether the whole church, or any part of it, would have the right and authority to change the only action in an ordinance which her Lord commanded her to keep. These are serious and solemn questions which she must answer for herself in view of her responsibility to God. What she teaches on the subject, through her authorized and accredited ministry, her converts will receive as baptism. As she along is active, while they are passive, it could hardly be otherwise. Whatever errors may be committed under such circumstances, we hand not doubt that the Righteous Judge will attach the responsibility where it properly belongs; and we surely believe that the unlearned and ignorant, who could not know his will, and who were obedient in heart and intention, will not be punished with many stripes.

We may safely conclude, from all that has gone before, that what the Saviour originally designed — disregarding here all questions of changes and of authority for such changes — what he ordained, and required his Church to observe, was the immersion of believers into the holy name of Father, Son and Spirit.

We proceed, therefore, to consider next the place which this divine institution fills as one of the elements or first principles of the gospel; for while it might be taken for granted that it was ordained in the interest of the sinner, it will be well for us if we can see in what way it responds to his condition, and contributes to his spiritual comfort and salvation.

Let it be remembered, then, that we have traced his progress step by step up to this point. We have seen that his feelings of alienation and enmity were overcome by the preaching of the gospel, with its amazing demonstrations of divine benevolence and love; that in consequence of believing this he became deeply and painfully sensible of the sinfulness of his previous life of unbelief; that under the influence of such feelings he repented towards God, changed his mind and purpose, and resolved to seek him, and, if possible, to get back into friendly relations with him; and that in the execution of this purpose he came out publicly and confessed with his mouth the faith that was in his heart, to wit, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Thus he is brought before the face of his Father, humbly confessing his sin and shame, and pleading for favor and forgiveness. We may know the heart of that Father, but as yet he cannot. He must still feel that his own unworthiness will in some way be taken into the account, and prevent his perfect restoration. His heart can only say: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” It is true he does not now suggest the servant’s place, as he thought he would before he came, but still his conscience tells him he has forfeited that of a son. And so, hesitating and trembling, he can but stand and wait for the decision of his case. Nor has he to wait long. The Father looks upon him with eyes of compassion. His full heart overflows with its love. He speaks, but as yet not to the prodigal sinner, but to his servants—the his Church: “Bring for the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.” Do for him all that love itself can do, for he is my son; he was dead and is alive again: he was lost, and is found.

And now, in obedience to this commandment, the Church, by her authorized servant, takes the trembling sinner, whose condition the Great Teacher so beautifully portrays, and leads him down into the water—going with him into it—and there, amid the solemn hush of the world, and while the prayers of pious hearts are going up like incense to God, she solemnly and authoritatively baptizes him into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit — and the work is done! Reconciliation is complete. The soul has come back to God; nay, it has come into God, for it has come into his name, which is himself—himself, truly, but not in the awfulness of his absolute Being, nor yet as manifested in the lightnings and thunders of Sinai, but in his tri-personal and most gracious manifestation as he is revealed in Christ.

It has been evident from the time the sinner was first brought to believe the gospel, that what he consciously needed and most earnestly sought was to be restored to proper relations with God. Every step in his progress, “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,” has had reference to such restoration. The significance and value of baptism lie in the fact that it is the final step in this progress—the end of the soul’s journey from darkness to light. Here, where God has recorded his name, he meets with the lost sinner, and blesses him—blesses him with the personal assurance that he is welcomed back; that the past is all forgotten; and that the present is only joy and rejoicing. Thus baptism, rightly administered to a properly prepared subject — the baptism which is from God—is the consummation or final completion of the process of conversion, where man is brought practically into right relations with God; where he begins to live with him and for him in a “newness of live,” in which his daily communion is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ, through the gracious aid of the ever-present and Holy Spirit.