THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

all the world, also to the cold northern regions where a form of baptism was required which could be practiced in all seasons, winter and summer, under all human circumstances/ 08 on sick and death beds, so that one did not need to chop a hole through the ice first in order to be able to baptize by immersing the body of the candidate in the ice-cold water, as is customary nowadays. And this baptism by sprinkling our Mennonite Church has always practiced after the Reformation, since Menno Simons joined the so-called Anabaptists, for some 150 years; and because of differences of opinion about the form of baptism he evidently never fellowshipped with Baptists [should perhaps read Dompelaars?], which can clearly be seen from the second part of the Martyrs ’ Mirror, a true church history.” 4. ) “Baptism by immersion has its origin in the words ‘baptisms’ and ‘baptizo’; baptism and baptize are derived from the Greek language of the original text from which Luther translated the New Testament. And thus one has come to understand baptism to mean simply a complete dipping or immersion in water. But because this was not in 308 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH agreement with the language of John the Baptist, with his with water, one has found, after more careful investigation, that because of a dearth of vocabulary in the Greek language, the two words do not designate only dipping and immersion, but also sprinkling and pouring. [Correct: cf. above our “Exegesis” and footnote at #136.8.u] ( Dictionary of Four Languages, Amsterdam, in the Revenstinianischen Press, in 1634. Lit. 13.M Sp. pp. 142-143.) 5. “Nowadays much greater emphasis is placed on the baptism of John than on the baptism of Christ, because Christ was also baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan, although also with water. But the latter appears as rather insignificant to the rational mind of the ‘natural man.’ One often hears the words, ‘What good can that little bit of water do?’ [?], from which one indwelt by Christ’s Spirit may immediately conclude whose child the questioner is. And such people abandon the baptism of Christ with which they have been baptized, a baptism based on Holy Scripture and taught in the catechism according to Matthew 28:19, and a dmini stered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Naturally, it is only a baptism with water, as were all baptisms of which we read in the New Testament. Such people now belatedly undergo a further baptism with the baptism of John in water, but not with water, as was the practice of John, allowing the entire body to be submerged. In so doing, they abandon the acquired faith of their forefathers and are baptized, on the basis of a new faith, with much water and by immersion of the whole body. Thus, a cleasing power [?!] is ascribed to the sheer quantity of water in baptism instead of, to the blood of Christ, according to 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5-6, and so outward b