one will have the audacity to assert that He who gave His life and shed
His blood that we may obtain eternal life, has not the right to estab-
lish the conditions upon which we may secure the benefits of that aton-
ing blood. His promise is plain, and in language unmistakable, "He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved" and let us not forget that
the declaration is equally positive that "He that believeth not shall
be damned." [Mark 16:16] Nor is John the Beloved less im^ex^plicit in his statement of
what the Savior said to Nicodemas (John 3, 5th) "Jesus answered, verily
verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Here is a declaration from
the great Master Himself that ought to be sufficient answer to all who
fondly imagine that they can find some other way. Again, there are
those who believe that if they live a life of honor and integrity among
men, and serve God according to the best light they have, that they will
be entitled to an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. To all such let
the Scriptures once more declare the fact. (Acts 10, 1-6)and 48th) "There
was a man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a Centurion of the band called
the Italion Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his
house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway. He
saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an Angel of
God coming in to him and saying unto him,—Cornelius; and when he looked
on him he was afraid and said,—What is it, Lord? and He said unto him
Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God; and
now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose sir name is Peter.
He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side. He
shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Ah! Cornelius, thou God-
fearing, alms-giving, prayerful man, there is something that you have
not done! Though your faith has reached unto heaven, and your prayers
have been heard and your alms-giving considered by the Almighty, yet
there is something that you have not done of such great importance that
the windows of heaven were opened and an angel sent forth unto you as a
messenger, to notify you of the fact. What is it, Cornelius? He sent
for Peter as he was commanded, and when Peter came, saw their faith and
heard their words and they believed on the Lord Jesus, "He command-
ed them to be baptized." [Acts 10:48] This is the door into the Kingdom of God.

Now there is a great diversity of opinion among men as to the grand
object for which Baptism was institutied; some believing that it should
be performed in the presence of a great number of people as a testimony
to them that the humble penitent has put on Christ; others again, claim-
ing that it is an "outward sign of an inward grace", and still others,
that it was intended as a witness before men of a "change of heart". Not
a word can be found in the Scriptures to support any of these positions,
but on the other hand, evidence abounds in the sacred Record to prove
that the ordinance of baptism was for the purpose of "washing away" and
"for the remission of sins". Let us take the testimony of Saint Mark 1,4;
"John did pbaptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins;" of St. Luke 3, 3, "And he came into all the
country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the re-
mission of sins;" Acts 2, 38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and
be baptised, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re-

one will have the audacity to assert that He who gave His life and shed His blood that we may obtain eternal life, has not the right to establish the conditions upon which we may secure the benefits of that atoning blood. His promise is plain, and in language unmistakable, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" and let us not forget that the declaration is equally positive that "He that believeth not shall be damned." Nor is John the Beloved lessexplicit in his statement of what the Savior said to Nicodemas (John 3, 5th) "Jesus answered, verily verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Here is a declaration from the great Master Himself that ought to be sufficient answer to all who fondly imagine that they can find some other way. Again, there are those who believe that if they live a life of honor and integrity among men, and serve God according to the best light they have, that they will be entitled to an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. To all such let the Scriptures once more declare the fact. (Acts 10, 1-6and 48th) "There was a man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a Centurion of the band called the Italion Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him,—Cornelius; and when he looked on him he was afraid and said,—What is it, Lord? and He said unto him Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God; and now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose sir name is Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Ah! Cornelius, thou Godfearing, alms-giving, prayerful man, there is something that you have not done! Though your faith has reached unto heaven, and your prayers have been heard and your alms-giving considered by the Almighty, yet there is something that you have not done of such great importance that the windows of heaven were opened and an angel sent forth unto you as a messenger, to notify you of the fact. What is it, Cornelius? He sent for Peter as he was commanded, and when Peter came, saw their faith and heard their words and they believed on the Lord Jesus, "He commanded them to be baptized." This is the door into the Kingdom of God.

Now there is a great diversity of opinion among men as to the grand object for which Baptism was instituted; some believing that it should be performed in the presence of a great number of people as a testimony to them that the humble penitent has put on Christ; others again, claiming that it is an "outward sign of an inward grace", and still others, that it was intended as a witness before men of a "change of heart". Not a word can be found in the Scriptures to support any of these positions, but on the other hand, evidence abounds in the sacred Record to prove that the ordinance of baptism was for the purpose of "washing away" and "for the remission of sins". Let us take the testimony of Saint Mark 1,4; "John didbaptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;" of St. Luke 3, 3, "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;" Acts 2, 38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptised, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re-