IT is an unfavorable step toward “educating a man up to the importance of being buried with his Lord and Master in baptism,” to set the law of God requiring it aside, and receive him without it. This would only lead him to doubt whether we saw or cared for the importance of it ourselves. It never can have a good influence on any sensible man to see religious people so anxious to get him into their party as to set aside their own established principles, and what they hold to be clearly the law of God, for a man not willing to submit to the law of induction into the heavenly family. This is not liberality, but disloyalty all around. It is not a question about what we will do, but what the Lord will do.
Mere refinement and respectability have nothing to do in the matter. It is a matter of faith and respect to the supreme and absolute authority. Has a man the faith, the humility and the obedient spirit that will learn of Jesus and yield to what he requires? We are not vying with any people in this country in efforts to be liberal and easy in our views and practice, but we desire to see who can live nearest to the Lord and follow him most closely. He laid down the law of induction, or the law for receiving members, and we have no discretionary power in the matter. We do not make the terms, but simply exhort men to comply with them, as found in the Book of God.