Thoughts on Baptism

CHAPTER IV. ONE BAPTISM OR THREE BAPTISMS

There are those who affirm that three immersions (“trine immersion”) are necessary to the full consummation of the ordinance; and they are accustomed to refer, with great confidence, to the practice of certain people or churches, as proving the correctness of their views. We have no regard whatever for the practice of churches, except wherein they conform to the specified requirements of the sacred word. Neither age nor popular consent gives warrant to error. Our inquiry is not, What has been practiced? but, What is truth? We care nothing for what people have done, but for what they ought to have done. We know that many grievous errors were brought into the church at a very early age. But we have no more confidence in, or respect for, a practice or an institution which can be traced to the darkness of the third century, than if it could be traced only to the fifteenth century. “What say the Scriptures?” is our sole inquiry. TOB 46.6

But it is urged thus: “The Greek Church practice trine immersion, and we ought to give place to them in the understanding of their own language.” We reply to this, There is no mention of trine immersion in the Greek of the New Testament. There is a commandment to be baptized (âáðôéóçôù) and the Greeks, in obedience to this precept, are immersed. So far we safely trust their knowledge of the Greek tongue. But the Greek also says, Ephesians 4:5, there is one baptism ([original illegible] âáðôéóìá), and if they depart from this and practice three baptisms, then they depart from the text of their own language, and we may not follow them. For trine immersion is nothing else but three baptisms, as the following will show:— TOB 47.1

1. They who practice trine immersion never sprinkle; they agree with us that the Greek word is properly translated immerse; and therefore we are agreed that baptism is equivalent to immersion. Hence, if Ephesians 4:5, were translated throughout, it would read, “One Lord, one faith, one immersion.” Therefore their system is clearly contrary to this scripture; for they really have three baptisms. To reply, as they always do, that they have one baptism with three immersions, is only to contradict their own avowed faith, that baptism is immersion. For if baptism is properly translated immersion, then the expression, “one baptism with three immersions,” is as much of a paradox as if they said, one baptism with three baptisms, or one immersion with three immersions. This is certainly so, unless we admit that baptism is not identical with immersion. But if we do this we concede the entire ground, and the question of mode has yet to be settled; that is, it will remain to be proved that immersion, and that only, is baptism. TOB 47.2

2. It does not appear reasonable that three baptisms are required because there are three names given in the commission. That view involves too much separation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even in commercial transactions, anything done by an agent for a firm of three parties is done once for them all; as a debt of one thousand dollars could not be collected three times, once for each one of the firm, if one thousand were the sum specified. But the union of a firm in business comes far short of representing the unity existing between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and one baptism is the specified requirement. TOB 48.1

3. It is not correct to claim that the ellipses of the language of the commission can only he supplied by the reading, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and baptizing them in the name of the Son, and baptizing them in the name of the Holy Ghost.” It is against the facts of Scripture and the analogies of language. Separately baptizing in each name is three baptisms, and it cannot be denied. As to analogy, we read that Jesus will come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and in that of the holy angels. Their method of argument would make it read thus: “When he shall come (once) in his own glory, and come (twice) in the glory of his Father, and come (three times coming) in the glory of the holy angels.” But that is not the truth. It is but one coming in the three-fold glory. TOB 48.2

There is full better reason to affirm on Exodus 3:6, that there are three Gods,—“the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” There is a just difference between the use and the abuse of language, and all should recognize it. TOB 49.1

4. But, again, their practice is not consistent with their theory. They insist that three immersions are necessary to one baptism. Then if we read the commission as they do, and apply the definition of baptism as they claim it, it will stand thus: baptizing them (thrice immersing) in the name of the Father, and baptizing them (thrice immersing) in the name of the Son, and baptizing them (thrice immersing) in the name of the Holy Ghost. And thus nine immersions are necessary to fulfill the commission! They cannot possibly avoid this conclusion unless they acknowledge that they properly and truly baptize in each name by one immersion in each name, which is to say that one baptism is truly administered by one immersion, which is fatal to their theory. TOB 49.2

5. Hebrews 6:2, is quoted by them (“doctrine of baptisms”) as proof that there is a plurality of baptisms. But if this is proof in point, why do they deny that they practice three baptisms? and what is the necessity for their inventing the paradoxical expression of “one baptism of three immersions”? The text quoted is truth, but not in the sense in which they take it. The Scriptures speak of one baptism of water and one baptism of the Spirit. To admit of three of one kind most surely contradicts Ephesians 4:5. Whether Ephesians 4:5, speaks of the baptism of water or of the Spirit, it certainly proves that there is but one of the kind of which it speaks. TOB 49.3

6. Paul, in Romans 6:3, says we are baptized into the death of Christ, or planted in the Zlikeness of his death. 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4, says that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. This is the order. And that it is this to which the apostle refers in Romans 6:1-3, is plain, for he gives our baptism or burial as proof that we are dead; he makes death (very properly) precede the burial. We inquire, then, Did Christ die three times? We insist that he died as often as he was buried. And if we are buried three times, we are not planted in the likeness of his death; for he died and was buried but once. This is decisive on the subject. TOB 50.1

Whether a person should be buried face downward, as the trine immersionists baptize, may be, perhaps, a matter of taste, but we think no such method of burial was ever known. One author says we cannot safely appeal to custom in this matter, because the Romans cremated or burned the dead, instead of burying them! But the Saviour was not cremated, nor was this a custom with the Jews. Could it be shown that Jesus was laid in the grave face downward, there would be some show of reason for that practice. But we do not think he was; nor do we think burial in that manner is at all seemly, and we shall ever follow that which appears to be a more proper way. TOB 50.2

Tertullian mentioned three immersions, by which we learn that such a practice was introduced as early as his day. But Prof. Stuart quotes him as saying on this subject:— TOB 51.1

“Thence we are thrice immersed, answering, i. e., fulfilling, somewhat more than the Lord has decreed in the gospel.”—De Corona Militis, § 3. TOB 51.2

If we can rely upon the language of the gospel, Tertullian was right in thus saying. Three immersions were never decreed by our Lord in the gospel. To the contrary, by specifying “one immersion,” the other practice is positively forbidden. TOB 51.3

But one more point we will notice, to show somewhat the nature of the proof on which they rely. One of their prominent authors affects to find trine immersion in the supposed fact that the Jewish nation were three times baptized, once at the Red Sea, once by John, and once in the gospel commission. Weak, indeed, is that cause which must put forth such arguments to support itself. We will examine this briefly. TOB 51.4

1. The assertion which it contains is not true. The same individuals were not baptized in the Red Sea and by John; nor was the Jewish nation baptized under the gospel commission. Individuals of that nation were baptized in the gospel, but in doing this they renounced all that separated them from the Gentiles. See Romans 2 and Ephesians 2. 2. If they were three times baptized, then again the claim is put forth in favor of three baptisms. But this they deny. TOB 51.5

3. If there is no true baptism without three immersions, as they claim, then, inasmuch as Paul says they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea, they must have been immersed three times in the cloud and in the sea. But they were not; and this again proves that one immersion is baptism, according to the Scriptures. TOB 52.1

4. If we apply to this text the rule of language which they apply to the commission in Matthew 28, it would read, they were all baptized (once) in the cloud and (once more) in the sea; one baptism for each. But they were not; as it took both the cloud and the sea to inclose them or surround them once. Here, again, their rule is shown to be erroneous. TOB 52.2

5. Once more applying both their rule and their definition to this instance, namely, one baptism for each, and three immersions for one baptism, and we then have them baptized (thrice immersed) in the cloud, and baptized (thrice immersed) in the sea—six immersions at the passage of the Red Sea. To deny either branch of this conclusion is fatal to their theory. TOB 52.3

While we dismiss the theory as one hedged in on every side by its own absurdities, we cheerfully acknowledge our respect for the German Baptists (Dunkers) who teach and practice trine immersion. They are generally found to be a quiet, orderly people. But this should not prevent our exposing the error into which they have fallen. To the contrary, our regard for them, our interest in them, increase our desire to see them set right on this important subject. TOB 52.4