that in his opinion, it is evidently derived not from the Hebrew amad, to stand, but from the Arabic ghamat, to submerge. The signification to stand, he says he does not find at all in the Syriac, unless it be contained in the derivate, amud, a pillar; which usually occurs in the phrase, 'a pillar of cloud,' or 'a pillar of fire.'* 2. Though the Syrians had a score of words signifying immersion, it would not follow that amad has not a similar meaning. The Greeks have several words to express this act, as bapto, baptizo, dupto, etc., of which baptizo alone is used to designate the rite of baptism; and yet Prof. Stuart admits that baptizo signifies immersion. But amad, though the Peshito happens to employ it exclusively, is not the only word used in the Syriac to translate baptizo. The very word (tzeva) which Prof. Stuart mentions as properly signifying immersion, is often used to designate the ordinance of baptism. Prof. Stuart, with Michaelis in his hands, cannot be ignorant of this. See Mich. Lex. Syr. under the word, and authorities there referred to. 3. The assertion that amad evidently appears to mean, confirm, establish. etc., is entirely gratuitous. Where is the evidence of this meaning? Is it in usage? Not in the usage of the New Testament, surely. It is not credible that Prof. Stuart, upon mature reflection, would be willing to read Luke 11:38, And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he [Jesus] had not first confirmed himself (amad) before dinner.' Mark 7:4, And when they come from the market, except they confirm themselves (amadin,) they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold; as the confirmation (maamuditha) of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels and tables.' Heb. 6: 1, 2, 'Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, and of the doctrine of confirmations (maamudi غمت In hac baptizandi significatione conferunt haud pauci cum Hebraico stetit, ita ut, stare, sit stare in flumine, illoque mergi. Mihi verisimilius, diversum plane ab, literarumque aliqua permutatione ortum ex submergere. Standi significationem, reliquis linguis orientalibus communem apud Syros non reperio, nisi in derivato, quod sequitur, s amud, quod ex uno loco Castello citatur, fere ubique reperies, ubi in Hebr. 772 nubis, et x-77 columna ignis, legitur. ever. Mi tha.) Chap. 9; 10. 'Which stood only in meats and drinks, and diverse confirmations (maamuditha). Such an interpretation, if it does not make nonsense of these passages, is an entire perversion of their meaning. The Greek, Roman, and Episcopal churches have a ceremony of confirmation, in which the baptismal vows of the candidate, originally made through the intervention of sponsors, are confirmed, or ratified; but to call baptism itself a confirmation, is at least a novel use of the term; and what idea is to be attached to the word in this connection, I am at a loss to conceive. The idea of confirmation' or 'establishment' is introduced in the New Testament some scores of times, but never in a single instance is it expressed by amad. The word does not occur in this sense in the Old Testament, nor indeed in any author whatIs any evidence of this meaning to be derived from the Lexicons? Not one of them acknowledges it. Castell defines the word, ablutus est, baptizatus est, immersit; to bathe, baptize, immerse. See Castel. Lex. Heptaglot. sub. vc. London, 1669. chaelis defines it, ablutus est, baptizatus est, immersit; to bathe baptize, immerse; and adds, as has already been observed, that it comes from the Arabic ghamat, to submerge. See Mich. Lex. Syr. sub vc. Gottingen, 1788. Schaaf defines it, ablutus se, ablutus, intinctus, immersus in aquam, baptizatus est; to bathe one's self, to bathe, dip, immerse into water, baptize. See Schaaf Lex. Syr. sub. vc. Lyons, 1708. Guido Fabricius defines it, baptizavit, intinxit, lavit; to baptize, dip, bathe. See Lex. Syro. Chal. accompanying the Antwerp Polyglott, sub vc. Antwerp, 1592. Schindler assigns baptizatus, in aquam immersus, tinctus, lotus fuit; to baptize, immerse into water, dip, bathe. See Schind. Lex. Pantaglot. sub. vc. Hanover, 1612. Buxtorf gives baptizari, intingi, ablui, abluere se; to baptize, dip, bathe, bathe one's self. See Buxtorf. Lex. Chal. et Syr. Basle, 1622. Beza, after remarking that baptizo properly means to immerse, and never to wash, except as a consequence of immersion, says: 'Nec alia est significatio verbi quo utuntur Syri pro baptizari; nor does the signification of "amad," which the Syrians use for "baptize," differ at all from this.' See Bezæ An not in Marc. 7: 4. Against this array of authorities, I apprehend it will require something more than mere conjecture, to set aside the established and acknowledged meaning of this word. Indeed I confess I have not the perspicacity to discover how Prof. Stuart can consistently admit that the word is used to signify immersion, in Num. 31: 23, and at the same time undertake to prove that it has not this meaning at all. If it signifies immersion in one instance, it may in a hundred. If it has this meaning in the Old Testament, it may have the same meaning in the New. ETHIOPIC, or ABYSSINIAN. It is generally agreed that the ancient Abyssinian version in the Gheez, or dialect; appropriated to religion, should be dated as early as the introduction of Christianity into that empire, that is, rather earlier than the middle of the fourth century. This version translates baptizo by po, tamak, which Castell says agrees (convenit cum) in signification with ya, tava; and this he defines, immersus, demersus, submersus, fixus, infixus fuit; to immerge, demerge, submerge, fix, infix. AMHARIC. The version in the Amharic, or common dialect of Ethiopia, renders baptizo by the same word (p) as the ancient Ethiopic, or Gheez. The Amharic version, published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, in 1822, was made by Mr. Abraham, a learned Ethiopian, under the superintendence of M. Asselin, the French Vice Consul at Cairo. ARMENIAN, ANCIENT. The ancient Armenian version is universally ascribed to Miesrob, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, and to the patriarch Isaac, at the end of the fourth, or early in the fifth century. See Horne's Introduction, vol. ii. page 208. This version translates baptizo uniformly by mugurdel, which is also employed in 2 Kings 5: 14, where Naaman is said to have dipped himself in the Jordan. This word, according to Father Pascal Aucher, signifies, to baptize; to wash by plunging into water,' and it is applied to both persons and things. See Dictionary of Armenian and English, by Father Pascal Aucher, D. D. Venice, 1825. Also Dictionary of the Armenian language, by Mekitar Vartabed, Venice, 1749. ARMENIAN, MODERN. The modern Armenian version employs the same word as the ancient Armenian, in translating 'baptizo' and its derivates. The Russian Bible Society, and the British and Foreign Bible Society, have printed and circulated editions of both the ancient and modern Armenian Scriptures. GEORGIAN. The Georgian version, which, according to the tradition of the Greek church, was originally made in the eighth century, by Euphemius, the Georgian, and founder of the Ibirian or Georgian Monastery at Mount Athos, employs the word, nathlistemad, as a translation of baptizo. For the meaning of this word, I have no access to the appropriate lexicons, but would refer the reader to the authority of the learned Mr. Robert Robinson, author of The History of Baptism, who states that all the ancient eastern versions render the Greek word baptizo in the sense of dipping. See Rob. Hist. Bap. p. 7. London, 1790. COPTIC. The Coptic was the ancient dialect of Lower Egypt. During the first ages, the Christian Scriptures were read by the churches of Egypt, in the original Greek. The Coptic version has been supposed by some to have been executed in the second century. This, however, is not certain. The learned Louis Picques in Le Long, Biblioth. Sac. pars. i. p. 287, refers it to the fifth century. This version translates baptizo by TMC tomas. For the meaning of this word, the reader is referred to the authority of Mr. Robinson, as above; and also to that of the Baptist Mission Committee, who, in a recent official document addressed to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and relating to the subject of translations, expressly mention the Coptic as rendering baptizo in the sense of immersion. See Annual Report of the Eng. Bap. Miss. Society, for 1834, p. 32. SAHIDIC. The Sahidic version, or that in the dialect of Upper Egypt, appears, from the arguments adduced by Dr. Woide, to have been executed at the beginning of the second century. It is unquestionably one of the oldest versions in existence; and is esteemed of the utmost importance to the criticism of the Greek Testament. This version I have not seen. For the manner in which it renders baptizo, the reader is referred to the authority of Mr. Robinson, as above. ARABIC. There are several Arabic versions of the New Testament, supposed to have been principally executed between the seventh and eleventh centuries, after this language had supplanted the Syriac and Egyptian. There are likewise more modern translations into this language. The Arabic versions render baptizo usually by amad, tzabag, or ï gatas. 'Amad', according to Schindler, signifies the same in Arabic as in Syriac, baptizatus, in aquam immersus, tinctus, lotus fuit ;' to baptize, immerse into water, dip, bathe; Castell, ‘ut Syr. baptizavit,' the same as the Syriac, to baptize; Schaaf, 'tinxit, baptizavit,' to dip, to baptize. Tzabag,' according to Castell, is 'tinxit panem, imbuit, (Isa. 63: 4,) immersit manum in aquam, baptizavit, (per immersionem,)' to dip as bread in the sauce, to dye, to im merse as the hand into water, to baptize by immersion. Gatas, according to Schindler, is natavit, urinavit, mersit, submersit, immersit sub aquam, baptizavit;' to swim, to dive, plunge, submerge, immerse under water, baptize. If therefore these lexicographers are to be trusted, Prof. Stuart is evidently mistaken in supposing with respect to the Syrian amad, that the signification 'to immerse' is unsupported by the analogy of kindred languages. The British and Foreign Bible Society, and the London Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, have, within a few years past, put in circulation several editions of the Arabic New Testament. PERSIAN. The Persian translations of the New Testament are all quite modern. The most ancient is the one by Simon Ibn Joseph Al Tabrizi, a Roman Catholic, made about A. D. 1341, and including only the four Gospels. See Le Long, Biblioth. Sacr. Pars i. p. 268. Another version of the Gospels by Lieut. Colonel Colebrooke, was published at Calcutta in 1804. A version of the entire New Testament in Persian was completed in 1812, by Meer Seyd Ali, under the superintendence of the late Rev. Henry Martyn, which was subsequently printed at Petersburg, Calcutta, and London. The Persian designates the ordinance of baptism by shastanah, wċ ghusl, and the derivate of amad. The two former express ablution; the last has the same meaning in the Persian as in the Arabic. شدستگاه TURKISH. A Turkish version of the New Testament by Dr. Lazarus Seaman, was published at Oxford in 1666; and in the same year a translation of the whole Bible into the Turkish language was completed by Albertus Boboosky, interpreter to the Porte. This manuscript remained at Leyden unpublished, till Dr. Pinkerton, having ascertained its value, recommended it to the British and Foreign Bible Society, at whose expense the N. Testament was published in 1819. This version designates the act of baptism by the derivate of SC amad, the same word that is used in the Arabic and Persian, and expressing the same sense. TARTAR. The Orenberg Tartar, published a few years since by the Russian Bible Society, and which is the only Tartar version I have seen, translates the word in question by following the Turkish and the Arabic. រ amad, HEBREW. The first Hebrew version of the New Testament was made by Elias Hutter, and published in his Polyglot New |