ON WATER BAPTISM.

Liverpool, June 14, 1847.

Reverend and Dear Sir,—You, sir, need no argument to convince you that WATER BAPTISM is the first ordinance, after faith and repentance, that initiates the believer into the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is to be established upon the earth, according to the pattern of the heavenly order, which is the first principle taught in the memorable prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, which prayer will be pertinent to all believers on earth, until the object of the prayer is fully achieved and the kingdoms of this world have universally become the kingdom of God. And if we were to search the kingdom of God from one end to the other, and from side to side, we should not find a single adult believer in the whole heaven, who had not been baptized with water.

Do you ask why I make such a bold declaration, and how I know this seemingly exclusive and uncharitable truth? I know it, sir, by the voice of God from the heavens, and this voice is to you as well as me, if you will receive it. Do not you believe the scripture that saith, "except a man be born of the WATER and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God?" I know that you believe this scripture, and am persuaded that your ingenuous mind will not seek to pervert it from its plain and obvious import.

Whatever an over-jealous mind may fear concerning the state of the penitent thief on the cross, and of devout and upright men that have lived and died in every age of the world, still let God's word be accounted true, and every man that gainsays it be esteemed a liar! No man ever puts on the uniform of Christ's followers, such as is worn by subjects of the kingdom of Christ, until he is "baptized into Christ" for "remission of sins." Hereby he "puts on Christ," When an ambassador of Christ finds a man or woman that heartily repents of his or her rebellion against the laws of Christ, he baptizes him unto repentance for "remission of sins." By the ordinance of baptism, the rebellious subject virtually says, I hereby signify to all men my repentance; and the lawful administrator as virtually says, on the part of Jesus Christ, whose Ambassador I am, (being called by revelation, and being authorized to act in his name and for him), I pronounce this person's sins remitted, according to his genuine repentance and faith in Christ.

Now, sir, what objection can there be for a man sent from God to remit sins by baptism, in the name and by the authority of the King of heaven? If Christ has power on earth to forgive and remit sins, may He not send forgiveness and remission by another, even by whom he will? And will not such a remission and forgiveness of sins be as valid as though He administered the ordinance of baptism himself? Undoubtedly it will be indisputably valid. And what ordinance is so beautifully significant as that which expresses both the penitence of the subject and the cordial acceptance of the Ruler and Lord?

Has not Jesus Christ a right to remit sins by baptism unto repentance? Who shall say that the penitent believer's sins are not remitted by baptism? Who shall lay any sins to his charge? Is it not God that justifies? Has not Christ died? Has he not a right to say who are fit subjects for baptism? Has he not a right to say by what ordinance sins shall be remitted? He has never said that repentance and faith shall secure remission of sins to any one without baptism. It is not in the power of any man or angel to find a license in the Bible to receive a person into the kingdom of God without baptism. Jesus Christ has never given any license, but, on the other hand. He has explicitly said, in the most unequivocal language possible, that NO MAN can "enter the kingdom" without water baptism, or being "born of the water."

Do you ask, if I call baptism a saving ordinance? I reply, that repentance and faith will not save any body in the kingdom of God without baptism. Some men, whose crimes are unpardonable in this world, may, and doubtless do, repent and believe; but they cannot be baptized for the remission of sins, nor forgiven "until the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord in the restitution of all things." Righteous Noah was "saved by water;" and the apostle Peter, rehearsing the fact, says that baptism saved believers in his day in like manner.

You, sir, must be perfectly aware that Jesus Christ has said, by the mouth of his servant John, that BAPTISM constitutes no less importance of character than one of the THREE GREAT WITNESESS of adoption and citizenship into the kingdom of God on the earth—the SPIRIT, the WATER, and the BLOOD. These three bear witness on the earth and agree in one. One of these THREE performs the double office of bearing witness on the earth, and also of bearing record in heaven. Three witnesses appear to be requisite in order to prove our title good to a place in the kingdom of God; and the testimony of these THREE, and nothing less, is recorded in heaven by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Who will dare to say that the THREE in heaven will accept of the testimony of the two witnesses on earth, when God has explicitly said that he requires the testimony of THREE, and nothing less?

Do we forget that all men are to be judged out of the books? And if the books show the absence of one WITNESS, and the consequent disagreement of the three before named, can that person that is thus deficient of testimony, stand acquitted from the books out of which he is judged? By no means! The THREE witnesses will agree in one; and when they agree, the Spirit will bear the testimony of the Water and the Blood to the recording angel, and these united with his own seal, will be placed on record until the books are brought forward for judging the nations of the earth.

Furthermore, no man can ever be born of the Spirit until he has first been born of the water. The Holy Ghost will never condescend to become the covenant-guide and instructor, and holy comforter of any one, until he has been baptized or born of water. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye were baptized? Peter told penitent believers that they might receive the Holy Ghost after they were baptized; so said John the Baptist to those he baptized. If, in a single instance, the Holy Ghost was given before baptism, still it was no part of Christ's instructions to his apostles ever to confer the Holy Ghost until after baptism—and then it was to be done by the laying on of hands.

Men may receive a measure of the Spirit of God before baptism (even as a child has in embryo the germ of life before parturition); but no one has a large measure of the Spirit, nor has any covenant claim to the Spirit, or, in other words, can be born of the Spirit, until he has been baptized in water. "Jesus came by water," and was baptized in water for the remission of the original sin of the world. He knew that baptism for remission of sin was necessary as an example, and also that by his "obedience many might be made righteous" even as by the "offence of one, many were made sinners." Jesus needed not only the testimony of water-baptism, but also, after baptism, the testimony of the other witness—the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost was a personage inferior in office to himself, but still the Holy Ghost was conferred upon him, while coming out of the water, in "the form of a dove."

The third witness to adoption is the "Cup of Blessing, or Sacramental Cup of Wine," which, if men "drink not, they have no life in them." Now, sir, let us abide strictly by the "law and the testimony," even as Jesus our pattern has done, and consider nothing unessential which our lawgiver has both enjoined and exemplified for obedience and salvation. Who is prepared to say that the faithful will not take the cup of blessing, even in the heavens, and drink wine in our heavenly Father's kingdom? Who can say that the river of life that proceeds from the throne of God in the celestial city, shall not be employed to perpetuate the remembrance of baptismal water of adoption, and even perpetuate sinless purity, like the leaves of healing that grow on the banks of the crystal stream?

Is it a thing incredible with you, sir, that God should remit sins through baptism? It is with difficulty that I can persuade myself that you are so distrustful of the power or wisdom of God! You read and expound the scriptures from Sabbath to Sabbath. You certainly believe that Naaman's leprosy was washed away by water-baptism in Jordan; you also must believe that men were healed of mortal diseases, by simply looking at a brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness. Do you not believe that the walls of Jericho fell down under the simple blast of the rams' horns? and that the simple touch of the hem of a garment, or of handkerchiefs, was attended with healing virtue to them that believed?

Why were the learned and devout Judaic churches surprised that Peter should proclaim to thousands—"be baptized for the remission of your sins?" and, on another occasion, even command Cornelius, as pious and devout a believer as yourself, to be baptized in order that he might be "saved"—telling the churches in a general circular epistle, that baptism would save them as much as water saved Noah? Why should those same churches withdraw fellowship from Paul because he believed Annanias, saying to him, "arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins," even as your church have disfellowshipped me, because I believe as Paul did, and obey the same gospel which he preached, with all its miraculous gifts, blessings, and priesthood? The secret and solution of the whole surprise of the Judaic and modern churches are, that both overlook the efficacious simplicity of Christ's ordinances, and know not the "power of God," by which a mere look, touch, baptismal rite, or the imposition of a hand, may secure blessings rich as heaven—power as great as Gabriel's—knowledge as high as the throne of God—and life and felicity as endless as eternity!

Greatly blessed, sir, is that man commissioned immediately from the heavens to administer baptism unto repentance for remission of sins; and blessed are they who receive remission of sins from the hands of those who act in "Christ's stead." Hence the grateful acknowledgements of David, repeated by Paul—"Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Men who obey the gospel are as well satisfied that their sins are forgiven through baptism, as you, sir, would be satisfied of the validity and legality of a deed, signed and sealed by his excellency the chief magistrate of your State. They rejoice in the same, without ambiguity or fear of being deceived. The spirit of bondage and fear (which is in sectarian churches) does no longer wither up their hope, and blight the joy of their acceptance with God.

The heavens, that before seem clouded with dismal forebodings and doubtful omens, that kept the excellent Dr. Payson even, on a tumultuous sea of mental storms and calms, is now clear and tranquil all the day and all the year. They rejoice in the Lord ever more; and they know of a truth, that by keeping the commandments of God, their peace is like the gentle and ever-onward current of a river. Driven from "city to city, and from one nation to another people;" and "every where spoken against," belied, robbed, and arraigned before "magistrates" for thefts, treason, blasphemy, &c., they are distressed indeed, but not with mental doubts and fears. No; far from it; they are borne down with expulsion from place to place—burning their houses—despoiling their goods under shadow of legal prosecution—whippings—priestly and editorial calumnies! These things, sir, distress their bodies, and cause cold, and nakedness, and hunger, and an uncertain dwelling place; but do not by any means impair their peace in believing, or their joy in the Holy Ghost. None of these things move them.

Yours,

ORSON SPENCER.