Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. THE MODE OF BAPTISM. Meaning of the word Bapto—Difference betwem Bapto and Baptizo. Section I.—The word BAPTO, from which is formed BAPTIZO, Bonifies primarily, to dip; and, as a secondary meaning obviously derived from the primary, it denotes to dye. Every occurrence of the word may be reduced to one or other of these acceptations. It has been said, that it signifies also to wash; but, though this is given by the lexicographers as one of its meanings, and is admitted by many Baptist writers, it is not warranted by a single decisive example, either in the Scriptures, or in the classical authors. It has also been said that it is a generic word, and, without respect to mode, or inclusive of all modes, denotes any application of water. So far from this, the idea of water is not at all in the word. It is as applicable to every fluid as to water. Nay, it is not confined to liquids, but is applied to every thing that is penetrated. The substance in which the action of the verb is performed, may be oil, or wax, or mire, or any other soil matter, as well as water. Except when it signifies to dye, It Denotes Mode, And Nothing But Mode. Bapto and Baptizo are considered by most writers as perfectly identical in their signification. On the other hand, there are writers on this subject, on both sides of the great question, who have assigned a difference of meaning, which is merely fanciful. Some have alleged, that the termination zo makes baptizo a diminutive; but utterly without countenance from the practice of the language. Others have erred as far on the other side, and equally without authority make baptizo a frequentative. The termination zo has no such effect as either class of these writers suppose; and the history of the word, both in sacred and classical use, j... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.