Page 16 Advertisements Column 7

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17336, 6 December 1919, Page 16

Public Notices. (Reprint from Otago Daily Times*. Friday, November 28.) (Published by Arrangement.) THE ASSEMBLY'S VERDICT OX THE RITE OF BAPTISM. TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—Tour report in to-day's issue of the proceedings of the General Assembly in the Rev. A. A. Murray's case, containing the considered verdict of this august body, will be read with' much interest and some degree of amazement. Mr. Murray has had the audacity to be immersed, thus, as the Rev. Isaac Jolly said, "denying the validity of infant baptism." The case is opportune. In the religious upheaval which the war has tended to produce, it is natural that public attention should be more or less directed to the validity of the doctrines of the Church. One could not but be struck f with the paucity of references in the dei bate to the teaching of the Bible, and with | the deluge of argument on the doctrine of the Church. As a matter of fact, the two do not coincide in regard to the subject of baptism. In the Contession of i aith the ail-sumciency of the Holy bcriptures is laid flown as tne fundamental oasis of Presbyterian doctrines and practice, it oein„ dogmatically aumuxl in chapter i., section 5, mat to j_ioiy scripture uoinng at any time is to be- auued wnemer uy me revelations ol tne spirit or trauitions ol men." .bearing tueoe words in mind, we turn to the cnapter ot the comessicu dealing witn baptism, reading in tne opening paragrapn |ol section 3as iouowb:— .Dipping oi lae I person is not necessary, but baptism is j rightiy administered yy pouring or sprinkj ling water upon tue person. j.ne negaI tive aspect ot tne nrst clause indicates mat ; dipping is recognised as being an est&u- . hsned, practice, but the Cnurch soiemmy declares it not necessary." 'lae Kev. A, ' A. Murray's crime consists in his believing that dipping (or immersion) is distinctly i necessary. He taKes up tnis attitude bol cause fie finds that immersion was tne oniy I and sole mode in New Testament ' times. I That he is on sale ground from the standj point of scholarship is evidenced by the statements of numerous men of eminence »nd divines of note. Take lor example the testimony of Luther, who wrote: —"First, the name 'Baptism' is Greek; in Latin it can be rendered 'immersion,' when we immerse anything into water, that it may bo all covered with water, Calvin, the lather of Presbyterism, wrote in his Institutes: "Though the word 'baptise' itself signifies "immerse,' it is certain that the rite of immersing was obi served by the ancient Church." i Without giving other quotations from later authorities, and there is no lack of them, we leave this aspect of the subject, feeling that unless the Church falls back upon its own authority, the Assembly has a poor case. ! The most significant result of the Assembly's action is the discredit thrown upon

. the scholarship and views held by Presbyterian divines of the present day. whose views are identical with those of the Kev. A. A. Murray. The late Kev. Dr. Marcus Dods, a greater luminary than any that scintillated at Invercargiil, a few days ago, wrote in j "Hastings Dictionary of .Christ and the Gospel": "Baptism a rite wherein by immersion . . . the normal mode was by » immersion of the whole body," and so on. Professor James Denney: "We are buried with Him in the Act of Immersion" ("Expositor Greek Testament"). Dr. John , ' Watson (lan Maclaren): "Without doubt > . the perfect idea of baptism is realised when " one .... is immersed in the waters of baptism" ('Doctrines of Grace"). Seeing that the Presbyterian Church of .New Zealand hint at the necessity of expelling Mr. Murray, where do the two professors named below stand? Professor Jas. Orr, D.D., Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology in the United . tree Church College, wrote within the last 10 years: "Baptism after Oriental custom was administered generally, though not exclusively, by immersion .... the rite was administered oh profession of faith— hence primarily to adults." The Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Professor of New Testament Ijanguage, Literature and Theology in the «r2 w Collee - Edinburgh, wrote in 1913: The very symbolism of the rite is an impressive picture of the believers' experiences. His disappearance beneath the waters .... mergence from the baptismal water." ~ Are these gentlemen to be outlawed with the Rev. A. A. Murray? The Assembly has done an ill thing. Led by Dr. Gibb (who seems to be a kind of supreme intelligence before whom the rank and file of the Assembly are expected to bow) it has grievously blundered. The laity is waking up to the fact that for centuries human tradition has been accepted as Scripture truth, and it demands Bible proof and | scholarly corroboration of the Churches' I position. The recourse by the Assembly to methods characteristic of mediaeval ecciesiaoticism constitutes no sufficient answer. Mr. Murray has raised a. storm of inquiry which it will need more than * bushel of Assembly resolutions to auell. It is for the fair-minded laity to rise up and _ demand that for his honest, outspoken straightforwardness Mr. Murray is not branded as an outcast and proclaimed an outlaw. CovEN-ASTra. Boots and Shoes. TMP.OBTANT. H. REASON, The Popular Shoe-man, Is now showing a fair range of LADIES' PATENT COURT SHOES, . Louis Heel, at Lowest Prices. Address: 58. Victoria Street W., Auckland 'Phone 2161 A. And No. 12. Karangahape Road. Dental. . . i MY OWN SPECIAL METHOD OP PAINLESS EXTRACTION. Possesses Many and Great Advania-^s _ which are Distinctive. . HERE ARE SOME AMONG OTHERS* i 1 NO FAIN. TOH ' I 2. NO NEED to come back the second tim» ' or oftener. as under other met V'la 3. EXPERT EXTRACTION. No hvkw teeth rr stuuio*. !«-(t in the ironm 4. PERFECTLY SAFE for all ages I ran safely use it on a patient of 80 years 6. IF YOU HAVE A WEAK HEART or are suffering from other complaints it ' will not affect you I 6 NO PAINFUL PRICKING. 7. NO SWOLLEN GUMS. 8 ABSCESSED TEETH also painlessly extracted. 9 EXTRACTED FREE when teeth are j ordered. Also, THE Mo«T M4RVFTLOUS TVTSCOVERY IN PENTTPTRY op THE AGF I ANALGESIA. ' j TOD CAN HWE YOUR TFFTTT ' mm. I .FT). FILLED. PREPARED FOR rROWVTVG. RRTPGF WORK PIVOTS Etc. WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST PAIN, WHATEVER. auunitoi YOU ARE CONSCIOUS. .VET UNCON- ; SCIOUS TO PAIN AND I TMVR i K9S?3?t, TUB MOST WONDERFUL : MTHTNE TO BE AN ABSO'r pS ' SUCCESS IN EVERY OPERATION ' THEREFORE PATIENTS WHO ART! : NERVOUS NO LONGER FFAR : THE DENTISTS. n r &AK , PAINLEf.S DENTTfTRY AT MY ROOMS ' IS NOT A MYTH PTTT *-p» Jlii'V* 13 I VOTE THE ADORER--' DENTIST C. MFNRO FMANUEL FIRST FLOOR. FNDF.aEpr BLDGS ! 'Next G.PO.) "«»«». Open Every J nine - aals o. at - Afternoon. ! T>'>r,hoTiP T,o< T,fo, TVyator

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