The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 40

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40

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

“You see, we use water to baptize, but that Baptist
Church to which you belonged, uses no water to
‘christen’ the babies. When Jesus commands all
people to be baptized, He wants water to be used.
You know, Selina, that the Baptist Church, where
you want Baby Nellie ‘christened,’ does not baptize
children before they have reached their twelfth

_ birthday.”

“That’s the truth,” said Selina. After thinking
a moment, she continued: “We really ought to do
what Jesus tells us to do. I'll speak to my husband

‘about it when he comes home to-night.”

Here ended the conversation on this subject for
the day. But Mary is not one of those who easily

_give up. She was determined also in this case to

heaved a sigh of relief.

continue to persuade Selina to have her baby bap-
tized. Thus it happened that Mary went across the
street to Mrs. Selina again the very next day. Since
Selina’s sister was doing the cooking this day, Mary
took some fruit to her neighbor.

“Just thought I’d come to see whether I can
do something for you and to find out what your
husband said last night,” said Mary when she had
entered the house.

“That sure is kind of you, Mary, always to be so
willing to do something for other people. I wish
I had the will you have to help others. No, there
is nothing I need right now. But come, Mary, sit
down by me, and we'll speak about things to make
the time pass by a little faster,” said Selina, actually
happy that her old friend Mary had come again.

The two spoke about days gone by, of pretty
dresses for baby, and, finally, also about having the
baby baptized. It was Mary who started the subject
of Baptism again. “But now you must tell me what
your husband said last night about baptizing the
baby, won’t you?”

Selina’s face showed signs of an inward struggle
when Mary started speaking about Baptism, but
after a few moments of silence she said with down-
cast eyes: “I am sorry my husband did not consent.”

“That’s too bad,” Mary replied. “Did he give

. you any reason for objecting to have Baby Nellie

baptized ?”

_ 0 yes, he did give a reason,” Selina answered.
“He thonght it would be terrible to put baby under
water. If baby would be big, we wouldn’t, mind
having her immersed, but she is too young for ,that
now. Why, the poor little thing might catch a severe
cold in this weather.”

Selina’s words gaye Mary a ray of hope, and she
“So he would consent,”

_ Mary queried after a little pause, “he would consent

if the baby would not have to be put under water
when she is being baptized?”

“T think so,” said Selina.

‘Well, it surely makes me feel good to know
that,” Mary exclaimed joyfully. “You sce, Selina,
the Lutheran Church does not immerse those who
are to be baptized. It applies the water by pouring.
Too bad you have never been at a baptism in my
church. You see, to baptize means to apply water.
When Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the
Triune God, He simply means that we should apply
water to the person to be baptized in the name of
God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He does not
tell us how to apply the water. He leaves that
to us. And by the way, I also asked my pastor where
the Bible says that through Baptism babies become
believers on Jesus and children of God and wliere
the Bible says that by Baptism their sins are washed
away, and he told me that I should find the proof
Galatians 3, 26. 27 and Acts 22, 16. I looked up
those passages in my Bible, and they really say
that. I reckon your husband will not object to
having little Nellie baptized when he learns that
she need not be put under water.” a

“We'll see what we’ll do,” Selina said somewhat
coolly. “I can’t say whether we’ll have Baby Nellie
baptized or not. I’d like to have her baptized be-
cause, as you say, Jesus wants every one to be bap-
tized. We ought to do what Jesus says. But you
see baby’s godfather and godmother may not be satis-
fied, and we may have to have baby ‘christened’ in
the Baptist way. I’ll let you know later what we’ll
do,” Selina said, and with this the conversation
turned to other things of less importance.

A little more than a month had passed since the
birth of Baby Nellie. Mary again went over to visit
Mrs. Selina as she had so often done during the past
month. It was on a Monday morning. When she
was crossing the street, Selina noticed her through
the window and went up to the door to meet her.
Mary noticed that there was something on Selina’s
mind. And it did not take long until Selina un-
burdened herself. “Mary,” she faltered, “I got
a surprise for you. We had our baby ‘christened’
Baptist yesterday.”

This came so suddenly that it almost took Mary’s
breath away. After somewhat collecting her mind,
she burst out into tears and said, “Why, Selina, how
could you do that? I believe you will yet regret
what you have done? Your baby is not baptized,
and you therefore don’t know whether it is God’s
child; for. God tells us nothing of those children
that are not baptized. How happy you would be,