A TREATISE ON FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION: IN WHICH ARE ILLUSTRATED THE PROFESSION, MINISTRY, AND FAITH OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Jesse Kersey

Philadelphia: Emmor Kimbor, 1815. Pages 75-88.


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WATER BAPTISM

[P. 75] Friends do not believe that water baptism, under any of the various forms of administration adopted by the various professors of Christianity, is enjoined by any thing said upon the subject in the Scriptures of Truth. But because they have rejected it, and held that it belongs to a dispensation inferior to the Gospel, some have been so uncharitable as to deny [P. 76]  that they were Christians. When I have taken a serious view of the doctrine of water baptism, and admitted, for the sake of examination, that it was necessary, I have always stumbled at the consequences which must connect with such a belief. If, for instance, we say that a soul cannot be saved unless the body of the person is dipped in water, or sprinkled by another, then the consequence must be, that the grace of God, or manifestation of the Spirit, is not a sufficient means for salvation; that even the Almighty cannot perfect the salvation of man, without the aid of one of his creatures to sprinkle or dip the person to be saved. This I could never admit; and yet it must be admitted if there is no salvation without it. But there is, and has been salvation without it; for no one can believe that the innumerable company which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, which stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, &c. were all baptized with water; yet if one of them was saved without it, then salvation is possible without water baptism. But it is even probable that water baptism was not so much as heard of by many of them. The foregoing considerations on the [P. 77] subject were sufficient to satisfy me that this baptism was not a Divine ordinance, intended to be necessary, or entailed upon the Church of Christ. But lest however it should be thought that this is not a sufficient enquiry into the subject, I will pursue it further. John the Baptist was sent to baptize with water unto repentance. But it does not appear to us that his dispensation or service ever extended to the opening of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Christthis we believe remained to be separately reserved as the work of the Spirit. And we apprehend we are authorized to hold this belief because there is no evidence that any after John were commanded to practice the baptism of water. We find no proof that the ministration of John the Baptist was to be continued in the Christian Churchand we doubt not but that every soul which is brought under the baptism of the Spirit of Christ, and abides the refining operation of it, will be saved whether baptized with water or not; and therefore we believe that the only baptism which is saving, is the baptism of the Spirit. Those who think otherwise, and can reconcile all the consequences of their watery baptism must be left until they [P. 78] may be favored to see their way out of it. It is however desirable that when they have fulfilled this form, they may not sit down contented, and suppose, the work of the soul's salvation is accomplished. For this I believe is a consequence which is very liable to attend all those who are dwelling on the fulfilment of outward ordinancesand such appears to have been the judgment of the Apostle Paul. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly, elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of, you, lest I haw bestowed upon you labour in vain." Gal. 49-11. I might add many other passages from the Scriptures, to show that a dependence upon outward means for salvation was disapproved of by the faithful.

In order more fully to state the ground on, which the Society of Friends refuse to own water baptism, I may observe, that a main pillar in the profession of Friends is, that the grace of God, which has appeared unto all men, is all sufficient for salvation. But [P. 79] if water baptism be indispensable, then is this grace or manifestation of the Spirit not sufficientand it ought to be said that by the baptism of water, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, man only can be saved; and that though a soul experience the refining power of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, yet unless the body experience the influence of water baptism, there is no salvation possible. Should the latter be insisted upon, it will be necessary to resort to the Scriptures for proof. But though John baptized with water unto repentance, we do not find that he has in one instance held out that his baptism was sufficient; but he points to Christ, as the all sufficient baptizer. And it appears that for this end he was raised up and qualified; not as the advocates for water baptism suppose, to establish an outward ordinance in the Christian Church; but to point to him, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. And thus he is spoken of by the prophet"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Isaiah, 403. To this end he came, turning the Jews from their desert and wilderness state to Christ, the [P. 80] Son of God. The prophet has, in this summary of the character and mission of John the Baptist, held up no system to be established by him; neither has he shown any connection in the mission of this prophet and Christ; but simply that the former was a preparatory messenger to the Jews; a kind of outward witness which a merciful God condescended to give them of the Messiahthat as they were told by the same prophet that Christ should come so they might have in evidence, his forerunner to prepare them to let go their confidence in the desert and wilderness of ceremony, and be by him turned to Christ, the Lamb of God, who only can take away the sin of the world. To this end we believe John the Baptist came. The prophet Malachi has spoken of him more particularly by name. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Mal. 45. But neither does he attribute to him the authority to set up or establish any system or ordinance in the Church, or clothe this forerunner with power to administer any part of the means of salvation; and the Evangelist Luke, who refers to this prophet, explains this Elijah to mean a messenger in the Spirit and Son of God. The prophet has, in this summary of the character and mission of John the Baptist, held up no system to be established by him; neither has he shown any connection in the mission of this prophet and Christ; but simply that the former was a preparatory messenger to the Jews; a kind of outward witness which a merciful God condescended to give them of the Messiahthat as they were told by the same prophet that Christ should come so they might have in evidence, his forerunner to prepare them, to let go their confidence in the desert and wilderness of ceremony, and be by him turned to Christ, the Lamb of God who only can take away the sin of the world. To this end we believe John the Baptist came; the prophet Malachi has spoken of him more particularly by name. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Mal. 45.But neither does he attribute to hin the authority to set up or establish any system or ordinance in the Church, or clothe this forerunner with power to administer any part of the means of salvation; and the Evangelist Luke, who refers to this prophet, explains this Elijah to mean a messenger in the Spirit and [P. 81] power of Elias; the same that the Jews expected, and ought, upon their own principles, to have received, in evidence to the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning Christbut neither has the Evangelist given him any office in the Church, but considered him simply in the Light of a witness to the Messiahand Luke states the declaration of the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, concerning the mission or service of this forerunner of Christ. "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke, 1:16-17. Now inasmuch as he was to go before, and be, as the Evangelist John has said, "a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believehe was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 17-9; we cannot infer from thence, or from all the testimony combined, that his office was to establish upon amu system, or enjoin any ordinances, upon those who might believe his testimony. But [P. 82]he was clearly a messenger under the law, pointing to the Jews, and informing them of a more glorious dispensation, about to be ushered in. Accordingly we find that when they sent messengers to him, saying, "Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" he immediately informs them of Christ, saying, "I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not. He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me; whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose." John, 125-29. And the next day he informs them again of Jesus, and calls their attention, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." As this was the end to be answered by the ministry of John, so we believe that in fulfilling his office, he very fitly had recourse to water baptism in order to instruct those among whom he was sent that they might know that in like manner as by his baptism, the body was immersed in [P. 83] water, so should the souls of men be dipped or immersed into the Spirit of Christ, by that baptism of the Holy Ghost of which he spake, alluding to Christ, "whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner." Matt. 311-12. Thus we understand this messenger to the Jews, nor does it appear that he ever aimed at any other purpose by his ministry and baptism. Therefore we believe that the office of water baptism, as a Jewish ceremony, designed outwardly to represent an effectual and saving baptism, ended as to its influence and purpose, when Christ, the great and spiritual baptizer of his true believers, came. This appears to us the true state of the case. But it may be said, if water baptism was not intended as an ordinance, why did the Saviour of the world go to John to be baptized? To this we answer, that he knew John was his forerunner, the same of whom the prophets had spokenand therefore if he had not given his baptism countenance, his own disciples might have been left in some doubts, as well as probably some of the Jews, who expected that Elias must first come; and not only so, but an act of submitting himself to that [P. 84] `ministration, he gave evidence to the Divine origin of the call of John to that particular service. He in like manner fulfilled the ordinances of the Jews; as in the instance of his submission to circumcision; and therefore he said, when John hesitated about administering his baptism, "suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." It is proper, even though thy mission has but a temporary existence, that as it was a measure appointed for its proper uses, I should give it my countenance, as I have done every other dispensation of Divine appointment. But that those outward and typical dispensations were not to remain, we apprehend, may be gathered by his own testimony afterwardfor though he informed his disciples that John, who we have already said, was his immediate forerunner, was the greatest prophet born of a woman, yet the least in the Kingdom of Heaven was greater than he. And it is remarkable, that at the time when some of his disciples saw his transfiguration upon the mount, and Moses, the representative of the Jewish law, and Elias talking with him, that both these, passed away, but Jesus remained; and at that time was heard a voice from heaven, informing them, [P. 85] that "this is my beloved Son, hear ye him" which to us appears no less than saying, that though for wise purposes you have had the dispensation of the law, and also that of John the Baptist, yet now these having been as schoolmasters to bring to my beloved Son, you are to lean only upon him. But the disciples remembering the prophecy concerning Elias, queried of Christ, "but how say the scribes that Elias must first come?" he then informed them that Elias had already come, and they had done to him as they listed. By which his disciples knew that he spake of John the Baptist. Wherefore we infer that the Saviour of men, having led his creation through different administrations, and opened the way to come to him, the all sufficient means of salvation, has now completely blotted out the hand writing of ordinances, and given a free and full opportunity to enter the last and highest dispensation. And his pleasure, we believe, is that no outside means of dependence should detach the spiritual members of his Church from leaning upon and following him. He even drew the disciples off from resting upon his person, that they might come to receive and live in his Spirit. It is, says he, [P. 86]expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come. As though he had said, if I remain with you, ye will not be the spiritual followers that I design you to be; you will still lean upon my outward testimony and instructions; but if I go away, I will pray the Father, and he will send you another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, and he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. "But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth. you of all things, and is Truth and no lie." John 2:26- 27. This is the end of all outward Religion. It is neither the law of Moses, the baptism of John, nor any thing less than the Gospel of Christ, which is the Power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The reader may observe, that having given a particular account of the end for which John the Baptist appears to have been sent into the world, and noticed that he was not designed to be the founder of a system, but merely a witness, and minister to the Jews, I have omitted saying any thing about the practice of the Disciples in regard to water baptism; [P. 87] apprehending it would not be necessary. But before I wholly leave the subject, I will add, that when Christ commissioned his disciples to go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as water is not mentioned in the charge, we infer that it was not meant; but that he who sent them to preach in his name, would be with them in Spirit always, even to the end of the world. And having his Spirit and power with them, they should, by its influence, baptize into the Divine nature, those who were willing to receive their testimony. This we consider to be the only saving baptism, not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God.

Having now closed the remarks upon the subject of water baptism, I will just inform the reader, that in going through this point of controversial doctrine, I have apprehended the evidences brought into view are so far conclusive, and so fully manifest that the religion of Christianity is not entangled with Jewish ceremony; that not much is necessary to be remarked upon the profession of others concerning the communion and outward partaking [P. 88] of bread and wine, in commemoration of the Lord's supper. Very littlHaving now closed the remarks upon the subject of water baptism, I will just inform the reader, that in going through this point of controversial doctrine, I have apprehended the evidences brought into view are so far conclusive, and so fully manifest thate, therefore, will be said on that subject.

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