Twenty-five years in the West

by E. Manford

16. My friend maintains, that immersion is the door to discipleship, to the kingdom, to salvation, pardon, heaven. If he is right, is it not remarkable that there is not a particle of evidence, that one of our Lord’s disciples entered that door? When some of them were called, they were on the shore of the sea, but not a word is recorded of their being immersed to prepare them for their mission. Never afterward did they speak or write of being immersed, nor did any others refer to it. The unavoidable inference is, that they were not baptized in water, and so according to Mr. Smith, their sins were never forgiven, they were not saved, never members of the kingdom of God. But let Mr. Smith and his friends ponder well the fact, that men in those days could be disciples of Jesus without immersion. Why not now?

17. This theory is immoral in its influence, as it affirms that the unimmersed are under no obligation to do any thing which implies spiritual life. The following are Mr. Campbell’s remarkable words: “No prayers, songs of praise, no acts of devotion in the new economy, are enjoined on the unbaptized.” (Christian Baptist, page 439.) If Mr. Campbell is right, it is a great sin for any one who has not been immersed in water to perform any of these acts. Ministers, then, of all denominations, except immersionists and their congregations, spend each returning Sabbath, not in serving God, but in open rebellion against him. Christians, all over the world, morning, noon and evening, in offering their prayers to God, and singing his praise, are guilty of heinous sins. They do what they have no right to do. Their prayers, their songs, and all their devotions, are so many sins against heaven, and for which, by and by, they will be turned into hell. Such teachings can have no other than an immoral influence.

18. On page 204, of “Christian System,” Mr. Campbell has the following curious remark: “And we know so much of human nature as to say, that he that imagines himself pardoned, will feel as happy as he that really is so.” This is in reply to an objection, that according to his theory, no one can be saved, pardoned, without immersion in water. His reply is, that there is no evidence such can be saved; but they can imagine themselves saved, pardoned; can fool themselves into the idea that they are pardoned, yet full of sin all the time, and will be just as happy as they would be if their sins were all forgiven, and their souls pure as the angels. Where he got his mental philosophy I know not, but surely not from the Bible. According to this wisdom, a man, drunk and wallowing in the gutter, if he imagines himself a sober man and virtuous citizen, “will feel as happy as he that really is so.” Or a murderer, with innocent blood on his hands, and murder in his heart, if he only imagines he is innocent, “will feel as happy as he that really is so.” All such absurd notions proceed from the position of my friend, that there is no salvation, no forgiveness, without immersion in water.

19. The Scriptures teach that all sin is to be forgiven. “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.” “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” The angel told Joseph, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matt. i. 21. John, the forerunner of Jesus, pointed to him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John i. 29. Many more passages might be cited, showing that all sin is to be forgiven, abolished, taken away, made an end of. Now, my friend’s theory is, that no sin can be forgiven without the aid of water baptism. But only a small portion of mankind are immersed, and therefore, if he is right, all those scriptures which teach the extinction of sin, are so many mistakes. If all sin is to be forgiven, Mr. Smith is mistaken.

20. “And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John iv. 14. The men of Samaria, after hearing Jesus speak of his mission, went away and said, “We have heard him ourselves and know that this is the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John iv. 42. If Christ was sent by the Father to save the world, and if he saves only the few who are immersed in water, instead of saving the world, he will save but a very small part of it; instead of doing his Father’s business, he will leave most of it undone. How can you reconcile these precious promises with your very partial salvation?

21. “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN to me.” John xii. 31, 32. According to my friend, we can go to Christ only through immersion, and as but a small part of all men are immersed, the conclusion is, that only a small part of mankind can go to Christ. But this conclusion from Mr. Smith’s premises contradicts the Savior. Jesus says, he will draw all men to him. It is clear that my friend’s theory contradicts the letter and spirit of the New Testament.

22. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor. xv. 22. When Jesus shall have made an end of sin, saved the world, drawn all men to him, then will all who die in Adam be in Christ. But Mr. Smith contends that no one can get into Christ, save by immersion. That is a fundamental point with him; but as ultimately all men are to be in Christ, he must be mistaken. Try, my friend, to reconcile your faith with that glorious passage. Nearly all mankind die without being water-immersed into Christ. All children, idiots, Jews, Pagans, Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Friend Quakers, Unitarians, Universalists, and hosts of other Christians, live and die without being immersed into Christ, and it follows from your proposition, they never can be in Christ; never can be saved from their sins. None of these, you assert, have their sins forgiven in this world. Pray, tell what will become of us all? You have evaded this question long enough. I have urged you to let us sinners know what is to be our fate beyond the grave. We know what is the condition of all these classes in this world, according to Mr. Smith’s theory—they are all sinners, all condemned, all out of Christ, all out of the kingdom, children of the devil, without God and without hope in the world. Now, it surely is not impertinent to insist that Mr. Smith tell us, plainly and without equivocation, what is to be the doom of these countless millions beyond the grave. I charge his system with involving the endless sinfulness and wretchedness of all these multitudes of Adam’s race. If I am mistaken, let him show wherein I am. Let us have no more of this dodging. It looks bad, very bad, on the part of my friend, to evade this point as he has done.

23. The apostle Paul writes, “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” 1 Cor. i. 17. This is surely a remarkable declaration, if water baptism is a soul-saving institution. If he had believed that water baptism is a condition of salvation, would he have said he was not sent to baptize? According to Mr. Smith’s understanding, where Paul speaks about “obeying the gospel,” he means baptism. If Mr. Smith is right, Paul was not sent to induce men to obey the gospel. Again: Paul labored for the conversion of souls, and Mr. Smith says, conversion is baptism. Then the apostle was not sent to be instrumental in converting men. If the gentleman is correct, the great apostle was not sent to labor for men’s salvation, or their conversion, or to induce them to obey the gospel. This all follows, if water baptism is a condition of salvation, for Paul declares, that he was not sent to baptize; that is, was not sent to do the very thing that must be done to insure salvation. This declaration of the apostle, that he was not sent to baptize, is a perfect refutation of Mr. Smith’s proposition, that water baptism is a condition of salvation.

24. In looking over Mr. Campbell’s “Christian System,” page 60, I find the following wonderous things, said to be consummated by dipping a man or woman in water: “The change which is consummated by immersion, is sometimes called in sacred style, ‘being quickened,’ ‘made alive,’ ‘passed from death to life,’ ‘being born again,’ ‘having risen with Christ,’ ‘turning to the Lord,’ ‘being enlightened,’ ‘conversion,’ ‘reconciliation,’ ‘repentance unto life.’” In another place, he asserts the subject comes out of the water as “pure as an angel.” But mark, no one can be thus purified, quickened, made alive, etc., without water baptism, and yet, St. Paul says, he was not sent to baptize. If that apostle believed in baptism, as Mr. Smith does, would he have made that remark?

25. Mr. Campbell again says, “Baptism is designed to introduce the subjects of it into the participation of the blessings of the death and resurrection of Christ.” “To the believing penitent, it is the means of receiving a formal, distinct, and specific absolution, or release from guilt.” (page 58.) Baptism is THE MEANS by which God designs to confer all these immortal and heavenly blessings on men, and yet one of his greatest apostles declares, he was not sent to baptize; that is, was not sent to use the means by which alone men can participate in these blessings.