FROM

THE EVANGELIST.

NEW SERIES.

Vol. IX.	Carthage, Ohio, October 1, 1841.	No. 10.

      Has God joined Baptism and Remission of sins together? most assuredly he has. Where then is the authority for disjoining and separating them? There is none from God. He is consistent. He cannot contradict himself. It is a heaven daring assumption of man!

      When Peter, on Pentecost, opened the kingdom to the Jews, he told them, in reply to their interrogatory, "Repent and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." Is there not plainly a connection here between the two? Are they not inseparably connected! no one can assert to the reverse. But on the sectarian theory of conversion, are they not separated: If remission of sins must precede baptism, have they any necessary connections and the principles of the gospel?--are they not entirely disjoined! If a man can receive the remission of his sins, and be baptised in a month or a year after, or never be baptised at all, where is the connection? There can be none. But there is a connection, if we are to "be baptised for the remission of sins."

      Again, Ananias commanded Paul to "arise and be baptised and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Is there no connection here! There is as plain a connection here between baptism and the washing away of sins, as above between it and the remission of them.

      And again in the 6th chap. of Romans, 'as many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as [234] Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should also walk in newness of life."--"Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine [baptised as above] which was delivered you. Being then [when you were baptised as above] made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

      And in Colossians 2nd chap. "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses"--when "buried in baptism," as above.

      Then, woe be to the man who dares in the face of God speaking in his word, to separate baptism and remission. Let him tremble for the consequences. God will not suffer him to do so with impunity; Jesus Christ the Lord of the universe, who has all power in heaven and earth, has declared,--"what God has joined together let no man put asunder."

DISCIPULUS.

[The Evangelist 9 (October 1841): 234-235.]

      Robert Richardson's "Baptism and Remission" was first published in The Evangelist, Vol. 9, No. 10, October 1841. The electronic version of this essay has been produced from the College Press reprint (1980) of The Evangelist, ed. Walter Scott (Cincinnati, OH: Walter Scott, 1841), pp. 234-235. The text has been scanned by Colvil Smith and formatted by Ernie Stefanik.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

 Page       Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 234:    the, remission [ the remission
 p. 235:    righteousness. [ righteousness."
            Collossians [ Colossians
            hath be quickened [ hath he quickened
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Created 9 September 2000.