Edited by Honza Pokorny honza@pokorny.ca June 6, 2019 in Canada
由洪扎·波科尔尼编辑 honza@pokorny.ca 2019年6月6日于加拿大
Through a series of conversations with a wise, older pastor, William strips away his preconceptions about baptism and returns to the plain, clear truth that the Bible teaches.
通过与一位智慧的年长牧师的一系列对话，威廉剥去了他对洗礼的先入之见，回到了圣经所教导的朴实、清楚的真理。
中文下载
James Chaney first used this unique format of personal dialogue to explore baptism and its modes in this timeless book, and his observations are just as powerful and needed today.
詹姆斯·钱尼在这本永恒的书中首次使用这种独特的个人对话形式来探讨洗礼及其方式，他的观察在今天同样有力且必需。
He sheds light on a controversial topic by confining his argument to the Word of God alone, first examining the meaning of baptism through its uses in Scripture, then exploring the significance of the ceremony, and finally examining the evidence of cases of baptism in the New Testament.
他通过将论证仅限于神的话语来阐明这个有争议的话题，首先通过圣经中的用法考查洗礼的意义，然后探讨这个仪式的重要性，最后考查新约中洗礼案例的证据。
The Bible is the best work on the subject of baptism.
圣经是关于洗礼主题的最佳著作。
In the early part of my ministry, when the Presbytery was in session at the church of which I had just taken charge, a colporteur in attendance introduced me to a gentleman who, as he thought, ought to unite with the church.
在我事工的早期，当长老会在我刚刚接管的教会开会时，一位在场的书商向我介绍了一位绅士，他认为这位绅士应该加入教会。
After a short conversation with him, I agreed with the colporteur, and remarked that the Session would meet in a few minutes, and suggested that he should present himself for admission into the church.
与他短暂交谈后，我同意了书商的看法，并说明堂会将在几分钟内开会，建议他应该申请加入教会。
After a moment’s pause, he said he was “laboring under a difficulty that rendered such a step impracticable.”
停顿片刻后，他说他”正在为一个困难而苦恼，这使得这样的步骤不可行。”
Upon inquiry I found that he believed that immersion is the proper mode of baptism.
经询问我发现他相信浸水是洗礼的正确方式。
I told him that was no difficulty; in D— was a Baptist church, where he would be welcomed.
我告诉他那不是困难；在D—有一个浸信会教会，他会受到欢迎。
“But,” said he, “I prefer the Presbyterian Church.”
“但是，”他说，”我更喜欢长老会教会。”
The colporteur proposed to sell him some books on the subject of baptism.
书商提议向他出售一些关于洗礼主题的书籍。
My reply was, “Mr. E., let his books alone.
我的回答是，”E先生，不要管他的书。
If you have immersion in your head, my first advice to you is, go and unite with the Baptist Church .
如果你头脑中有浸水洗礼的想法，我给你的第一个建议是，去加入浸信会教会。
If you are not satisfied, take your Bible alone, and examine the subject in the light of God’s Word, praying for the guidance of the Spirit; after such examination, act according to the conclusion reached.”
如果你不满意，就单独拿你的圣经，在神话语的光照下考查这个主题，祈求圣灵的引导；经过这样的考查后，按照得出的结论行动。”
About four months after this conversation, he presented himself to the Session of our church for admission.
在这次对话后大约四个月，他向我们教会的堂会申请加入。
I asked him if he was satisfied on the question of baptism.
我问他对洗礼问题是否满意。
His answer was, “Thoroughly.”
他的回答是，”完全满意。”
He proved to be one of the most intelligent Bible Christians I ever knew, and remarkable for the conscientious discharge of duty.
他证明是我所认识的最聪明的圣经基督徒之一，以尽责的良心履行职责而著称。
As I subsequently learned, every influence had been exerted on him to convince him that immersion is baptism.
据我后来了解，各种影响都曾施加在他身上，要说服他浸水就是洗礼。
What the people want is, not a learned dissertation on the classic meaning of words in a language of which they know nothing, but a simple exposition of passages in the Bible with which they are familiar.
人们想要的不是关于他们一无所知的语言中词汇经典意义的学术论述，而是对他们熟悉的圣经段落的简单解释。
In the following treatise I have confined myself to the Word of God alone, examining the subject in what I conceive to be an exhaustive method, to wit:
在以下的论述中，我仅限于神的话语，用我认为是详尽的方法来考查这个主题，即：
- To ascertain the meaning of the word used to designate the rite; to do this by examining those passages where the word occurs, and, from the context and attending circumstances, to ascertain in what sense the word is used by the sacred writers.
- 确定用来指定这个仪式的词语的意义；通过考查出现这个词的段落，从上下文和相关情况中，确定圣经作者使用这个词的意义。
- To inquire what is the significance of the rite, and see what light this throws on the question of mode.
- 询问这个仪式的意义是什么，看看这对方式问题投下什么光亮。
- To examine the cases of its administration found recorded in the New Testament; to examine these in the light of circumstantial evidence.
- 考查在新约中记录的其施行案例；在环境证据的光照下考查这些案例。
These methods are independent of each other; and if they unite in bringing us to the same conclusion, we may be assured that we have the truth.
这些方法彼此独立；如果它们一致地把我们带到相同的结论，我们可以确信我们拥有了真理。
I have chosen the conversational method of discussion, because it serves better than any other to bring to the attention of the reader the particular point to be impressed on the mind.
我选择了对话式的讨论方法，因为它比任何其他方法更好地将要印在头脑中的特定要点带到读者的注意中。
The only objection to such a method is that it offers temptations to caricature the views we would assail.
对这种方法的唯一反对意见是它提供了讽刺我们要攻击的观点的诱惑。
I have endeavored carefully to avoid such a weakness.
我努力仔细避免这种弱点。
It was not my purpose to introduce anything of the romantic; but this seemed the only practicable method of introducing the discussion, and bringing out certain points regarded of great importance: from the place assigned it by Jesus, as a symbol of the Spirit’s work, down to the useless purpose of symbolizing, in a very awkward manner, an event that had nothing to do with man’s redemption.
我的目的不是引入任何浪漫的东西；但这似乎是引入讨论的唯一可行方法，并带出被认为极其重要的某些要点：从耶稣赋予它的地位，作为圣灵工作的象征，到以非常笨拙的方式象征一个与人的救赎无关的事件的无用目的。
The evil of such perversion is aggravated when we remember it necessitates the denial, on the part of immersionists, that we form any part of the church of God .
当我们记起这种歪曲的邪恶加剧了浸水礼主义者的否认，即我们构成神教会的任何部分时，这种邪恶就加重了。
If we are in error, let us acknowledge it, and have our practice correspond with the truth.
如果我们有错误，让我们承认它，并让我们的实践与真理相符。
If our practice is in accordance with the command of the Savior, let us not hesitate to affirm that immersion is not a scriptural mode of baptism.
如果我们的实践符合救主的命令，让我们毫不犹豫地确认浸水不是洗礼的圣经方式。
Some will object to such a view as extreme, and think it as objectionable as the claims of immersionists on the question of mode.
有些人会反对这种观点太极端，认为它和浸水礼主义者在方式问题上的声称一样令人反对。
The view of some is that one mode is as good as another, and that it is a question not worthy of discussion.
有些人的观点是一种方式和另一种方式一样好，这是一个不值得讨论的问题。
But such must remember what is involved in this statement.
但这样的人必须记住这个陈述涉及什么。
It implies that the significance of the rite is of no importance, because the whole difference centers here.
它暗示仪式的意义不重要，因为整个差异集中在这里。
Transubstantiation is no greater perversion of the Lord’s supper than is the burial theory a perversion of baptism.
变质说对主餐的歪曲不比埋葬理论对洗礼的歪曲更大。
When immersionists abandon this theory, they will not be slow in conforming their mode to the simplicity of the gospel.
当浸水礼主义者放弃这个理论时，他们不会迟缓地使他们的方式符合福音的简朴。
If any apology is needed for presenting this discussion to the public, I am happy to be able to lay a share of the responsibility on many friends who read the manuscript and urged its publication, and especially among these, the Rev. Drs. J. L. Yantis, John Montgomery, and N. L. Rice, who, having carefully read the manuscript, encouraged me to hope that its publication might be attended with profit to the church of God.
如果需要为向公众呈现这个讨论而道歉，我很高兴能够将一部分责任归于许多读过手稿并催促出版的朋友，特别是其中的J. L. 扬蒂斯牧师博士、约翰·蒙哥马利和N. L. 赖斯，他们仔细阅读了手稿后，鼓励我希望它的出版可能对神的教会有益。
With the prayer that God will bless it in checking, in some measure, the gross perversion of a sacred rite, I bid it go wherever readers may be found.
怀着祈祷神会赐福它在某种程度上制止对神圣仪式的严重歪曲，我让它去到可能找到读者的任何地方。