A PUZZLED DUTCHMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 21

A PUZZLED DUTCHMAN.

One who does not believe in immersion for baptism was holding a protracted meeting, and one night preached on the subject of baptism. In the course of his remarks he said some believed it necessary to go down into the water, and come up out of it to be baptised ; but this he claimed to be a fallacy, for the preposition " into "• of the Scriptures should be rendered differently, for it does nob mean into at all times. " Moses,", he said " wje are told, went up into the mountain, anil the Saviour was taken into a high mountain, &c. Now, we do not suppose that either went into "the mountain, but u?iio it. So- with going down into the waterit means only going down close by or near the water, and being baptised in the ordinary way by sprinkling or pouring." H.e carried this idea out fully," and in due season and style closed his discourse, when an invitation was given for anyone ! so 'disposed*- to^-arlse ' and. express . his thoughts. Quite a number of ■ the brethern arose, and said they were glad they -had been present on the occasion ; and they were pleasedrwith the sound sermon they had just- heard, and felt their souls greatly blessed. Finally a corpulent gentleman of Teutonic extraction, a stranger to all, arose and broke a silence that was almost painful, as follows : — "Mr .Breacher, I ish so glad I vash here to-night, for I has had explained to my mint some dings I never could pelief pefore. Oh ! I ish so glad dat into does not mean into at all, but shust close by, or neer to, for now I can pelief manish dings vot I could not pelieve pefore. We read, Mr Breacher, that Taniel was cast into the ten of lions, and came out alife ! Now, I nefer could pelief dat, for de wilt beast 9 would shust eat him right off ; put now it is f ery clear to my mind. He vash shust close py, or neer to, end tid not get into de ten at all. Oh, I iah so glad I vaah here to-night !

Again we reat dat de Hebrew; children vas cast into de firish furnace, and dat dir alwaysh looking like a peeg story t0,0,> for dey would have peen purnt up ; put/ it ish all plain to my mint now, i or ; dey were shust cast near by ' or close to the firish furnace. Oh, I vash so glad I vash here to-night'! And, dear Mr Breacher, it ish said dat Jonah was cast into de sea, and taken into a whalesh pelly.- Now, I nefer could pelief dat. Italwaysh seemed to me to pc a peeg feesh story, put.it ish all plain to my mint now. He vash not into de whalesh pelly ab all, put shust shumpt on to his pack and rode ashore. Oh, I vash so glad I vash here to-night ! And nowj Mr Breacher, if you will shust explain a bassage of Scripture, I shall pc, oh ! so happy dat I vash here to-night ! It saith de yicked shall be cast into a lake dat purns with fire and primstone alwaysh. Oh, Mr Breacher, shall I pc cast into that lake if I am vicked ? or shust close py or near to, shust near enough- to pc? comfortable ? Oh, I hopes you tell" me I shall pc cast only shust .py a good way off; and I will pc so glad I vash here to-night ! ",