ARTICLE II.

BAPTISM: THE INTERPRETATION OF ROM. 6: 3, 4, AND COL. 2: 12.

By Rev. Edward Beecher, President of Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois.

[Continued from Vol. V., page 48.]

§ 29. Importance of a correct Interpretation of Rom. 6: 3, 4, and Col. 2: 12.

THE Conclusion to which we have arrived by our previous inquiries is this: Purification is enjoined by a specific command, but no particular mode of purification is enjoined. Of course, any individual may be lawfully purified in the way that he prefers. No result can be more desirable than this, for none tends more directly to harmonize the church. It combines the two fundamental requisites for union, which are, 1, to take from no church any thing which it desires as to its own mode of purification; and 2, to authorize each church to regard the purification of others, though differing from its own, as valid. Who, that loves the harmony of the church, who, that regards the feelings and wishes of Christ, would not rejoice at an issue so auspicious? What can be more desirable than a union without sacrifice of principle, or loss of any valued practice? But this result secures all this; nay, more, it would give to our Baptist brethren, not only the full enjoyment of all they desire without diminution or loss, but add to it the sweet persuasion, that, on this point, all their Christian brethren are also right, and can, in like manner, enjoy the mode which they prefer. Thus all painful barriers to communion will at once be taken away, the middle wall of partition will fall, and all, in Christian love, will be united as one new man.

In proportion then to the desirableness of this event, is the importance of a radical investigation and correct interpretation of Rom. 6: 3, 4, and Col. 2: 12; for, next to the word Bazzilo, these have been, and still are the most serious obstacles to such a result. As I have before stated, our Baptist brethren regard these passages as an inspired exposition of the node of baptism-as proving, irresistibly, that the rite is designed, not

merely to represent purification from sin, but purification in a way significant of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and of the death, burial and resurrection of the believer with him; and although this signification of the rite was not seen by men when it was first established, yet it was fully before the mind of God, and was finally and fully disclosed by the Apostle Paul. In this they are no doubt perfectly sincere, as they are also in the conviction that no mode of purification, devoid of this striking significance, is in accordance with the revealed will of God. Nor are they without authority for interpreting these texts as referring to the mode of the external rite. Indeed, the opinions of the Fathers, whatever they may be worth, so far as I have examined, are entirely with them. This explanation seems to have been adopted at a very early period. But it was most fully developed by Chrysostom; and undoubtedly his authority and eloquence, more than those of any other man, tended to give it currency in the East, whilst the influence of Augustine was equally decisive in the West. Besides, it is strongly sustained by the opinions of many modern critics. Of these, it is enough to mention Luther, Jaspis, Knapp, Rosenmüller, Doddridge and Barnes-none of them Baptists by profession.

Of course we need not wonder that our Baptist brethren feel strong, and express themselves with confidence, and even exultation, in speaking of these passages. Says Mr. Carson (Cox and Carson, p. 234), "I value the evidence of these passages so highly, that I look on them as perfectly decisive. They contain God's own explanation of his own ordinance. And in this, I call upon my unlearned brethren to admire the divine wisdom. They do not understand the original, and the adoption of the words baptize and baptism can teach them nothing. Translators, by adopting the Greek word, have contrived to hide the meaning from the unlearned. But the evidence of the passages in question cannot be hid, and it is obvious to the most unlearned. The Spirit of God has enabled them to judge for themselves in this matter. Whilst the learned are fighting about Barrio and certain Greek prepositions, let the unlearned turn to Rom. 6: 4, and Col. 2: 12, etc." This may be taken as a fair specimen of the strength of feeling that pervades the whole body; and if so, it is plain that all hopes of union are fallacious, until the true interpretation of these passages is ascertained. Most cordially, therefore, do I

unite with Mr. Carson in inviting, not the unlearned only, but all-learned and unlearned-to turn to Rom. 6: 3, 4, and Col. 2: 12.

§ 30. Points at issue-Principles of reasoning.

Let us first present in full these remarkable and important passages of the word of God, and then endeavor to ascertain upon what points the interpretation of them turns. They are as follow : Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ὅτι ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸν θάνατον ἀυτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν ; Συνετάφημεν οὖν ἀυτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἰς τὸν θάνατον· ἵνα ὥσπερ ηγέρθη Χριστὸς ἐκνεκρῶν διὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ πατρὸς οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν. Rom. 6:3, 4. Συνταφέντες αυτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι· ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αυτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Col. 2 : 12.

Upon these passages two distinct questions may be raised. I. Is the BAPTISM of the believer here spoken of external? II. Are the BURIAL and RESURRECTION of the believer here spoken of external?

I here assume the following positions or principles, the first of which has been already proved, and the second of which is so obviously true as to need no proof.

1. The philological question, as to the import of Banrisw, neither depends upon the interpretation of this passage, nor is affected by it. Each stands upon its own ground, and must be decided by its own evidence. And if it were proved that external baptism, burial and resurrection are here referred to, it would only prove, that, under a command to purify, they did in fact purify by immersion. And we must still translate the passage: "We have been buried with him by purification into his death," not by "immersion" into his death. For we have already shown that, as a religious term, Bazzilo does not mean to immerse, but solely to purify. In other words, we could prove immersion, &c. only by the word bury, and not at all by the word baptize.

2. As the baptism is, so is the burial. That is, if the baptism is external, so is the burial; and if internal, so is the burial. We are buried by the baptism spoken of,-Zvverá¶nuer ávτ dià τov ẞanrioμaros, etc. Rom. 6: 4. And an external baptism cannot produce an internal burial, nor can an internal baptism produce an external burial.

§31. Position to be proved-Sources of evidence.

We now proceed to consider the two questions above stated. In answering them, three positions have been taken :

1. The baptism into Christ is external, and of course the burial and resurrection.

2. The baptism is external, but the burial and resurrection are internal.

3. The baptism, burial, resurrection, etc. are all internal, and the passage does not refer to the external rite at all, nor derive any of its language from it; but the language would have been just as it is, if the rite had been administered by sprinkling alone, or even if there had been no external rite.

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The third is the position which I intend to maintain; and it is obviously the direct antagonist of the first, the usual position of the Baptists, and also of the Fathers and others. The second is an intermediate position, advocated by Wardlaw, Prof. Stuart and others, but, as I have indicated above, inconsistent with itself; because if the baptism is external so must be the burial and the resurrection. It is on this ground that Prof. Ripley reasons, and I think conclusively, against Prof. Stuart. "This opinion" (that the burial is internal), he says, effectually opposed by the circumstance that the burying is performed by baptism, an external rite." p. 86. And all, who admit that the external rite is here spoken of, must, it seems to me, be inevitably driven to Prof. Ripley's ground. But, believing as I do that the external right is not meant, and that the external interpretation of this passage is not only false, but injurious to the cause of truth and holiness, I shall proceed to state the evidence which seems to me to overthrow the first position, and to establish the last. My leading arguments may be arranged under the four following heads:

1. Evidence from the logical exigencies of the passages, i. e. from the course of the argument.

2. Evidence from the usus loquendi, as to spiritual death, burial, resurrection, &c.

3. Evidence from the congruity of the interpretation with the general system of truth.

4. Evidence from the moral tendencies and effects of each interpretation.

§ 32. Argument from the logical exigencies of Rom. 6:3, 4. Let us then consider, 1, the course of the argument, and 2, the

logical exigencies of Rom. 6: 3, 4. We shall consider Col. 2:12 by itself. The argument involves three points:

1. An objection stated in the form of a question, v. 1. "What then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Does not the doctrine of the free forgiveness of the greatest sins, by the abounding grace of God through Christ, lead to this result? Or, to put it in the form of a positive objection, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by free grace tends to relax the power of motives to holiness, and to encourage men to live in sin.

2. A reply, v. 2:"God forbid. How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?" Here Paul speaks in the name of all who are really forgiven, and virtually asserts, that all, who are in fact forgiven, are of course dead to sin, and cannot live any longer therein. Implying, of necessity, that the system itself produces this effect on all who experience its true and genuine influence, and that this is necessary and universal. In brief, the objection is: Does not the system encourage men to sin? The answer is: No, it makes them dead to sin, so that they cannot live any longer in it.

3. A proof that the fact alleged is true-i. e. that the system does tend to holiness, with immense power, and not to sin. vs. 3-11.

The question now at once arises, What is good and logical proof of such a point, i. e. of the true and natural operation of a moral system on the human mind? In answering this, we shall perceive at once the logical exigencies of the passage.

Can such proof then be found in external rites, solemn promises, and significant symbols? Or must we look for it in a clear statement of the internal, natural and inevitable operation of the system as a system on the mind? As to the first, I need only ask, what system, be it good or bad, is destitute of significant rites and symbols, and of solemn professions and promises? Papists and Protestants, Arminians, Calvinists, Unitarians, Campbellites, Mormonites-all have them: even the rite of immersion is common to some of the worst with some of the best. But in what case have hese things given to any system a regenerating or sanctifying power sufficient to uproot and destroy the desperate depravity of the human heart? Is it not a well known fact, that the radical effects of all systems depend, not on external rites and solemn promises, but on principles? These are the internal