---
title: Times and Seasons
description: Issues of 1844 to 1845.
authors:
  - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
editors:
  - Ebenezer Robinson
  - Don Carlos Smith
  - Smith, Joseph, Jr.
  - Taylor, John
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - newspaper
  - times-and-seasons
  - nauvoo
  - nineteenth-century
periodical: Times and Seasons
volume: 5
number: 7
published: 1844-04-01
publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor
publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois
language: en
type: article
reference: "“Baptism by Immersion,” *Times and Seasons* 5, no. 7 (April 1, 1844): 485."
printed_title: BAPTISM BY IMMERSION.
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-04-01_5_7
  transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v5n07.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair)
  identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-04-01_5_7
start_page: 485
end_page: 485
curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1844 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States
  source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-04-01_5_7
  publication_year: 1844
---

# Baptism by Immersion

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Now for testimony on this subject, we will call on some of the most pious, most learned, and most elevated pædo-baptists that have ever written.

Dr. Witsius, of North Holland-born 1708, learned in the oriental languages. So learned and eminent divine, that he was chosen professor of divinity, 1st, at Franeker, after at Utrecht, last at Leyden. He testifies as follows:

"It cannot be denied that the native signification of baptein and baptizein is to plunge, to dip. So that it is doubtless, more that epipolazein, which is to swim light on the surface: but less than dunein, which is to go down to the bottom, to be destroyed. Yet I have observed, that katadusis is frequently used by the ancients, with reference to baptism. "To baptize means to plunge, to dip; not to swim lightly-not to sink to the bottom, to destroy."-But it means to dip in, and take out again.

Salmasius, an eminent French scholar; educated at Paris Heidleberg-his knowledge of language extensive-succeeded Scaliger in the university at Leyden. Salmasius-Baptism is immersion; and was administered in ancient times, according to the force and meaning of the word. Now it is only rhantism or sprinkling; not immersion or dipping.

Calvin, John, known and read of all men, says "the word baptize, signifies to immerse; and the rite of immersion was observed by the ancient church.

Beza-a Catholic-1543 went to Geneva and publicly abjured popery. After he accepted a Greek professorship in Lausanne, which he filled for ten years, and returned to Geneva. Here he became a colleague to J. Calvin, through whom he was appointed rector and theological professor. He succeeded Calvin, at his decease, in his offices and influence, and was thence considered the head of the Calvinistic church.

Beza says "Christ commanded us to be baptized, by which word it is certain immersion is signified. Baptizesthai in this place is more than Kerniptein; because that seems to respect the whole body, this only the hands. Nor does Baptizein signify to wash, only by consequence; for it properly signifies to immerse for the sake of dyeing. To be baptized in water, which is the external ceremony of baptism. Baptizo differs from the verb dunai, which signifies to plunge into the deep and to drown." So he says it does not mean to drown, but it does mean to immerse.

Calmet. "Generally people (speaking of the Jews) dipped themselves entirely under water; and this is the most simple and natural notion of the word baptism."

Martin Luther. "The term baptism is a Greek word. It may be rendered a dipping when we dip something in water, that it may be entirely covered with water. And that custom be entirely abolished among the generality (for neither do they entirely dip children, but only sprinkle them with a litle [little] water) nevertheless they ought to be entirely immersed, and presently to be drawn out again; for the etymology of the word seems to require it. The Germans call baptism tauff from the depth, which they call tieff in their language: as if it were proper those should be deeply immersed, who were baptized. And, truly, if you consider what baptism signifies, you shall see the same thing required: for it signified, the old man, and our nativity, that is full of sins, which is entirely of flesh and blood, may be overwhelmed by divine grace. The manner of baptism, therefore, should correspond with the signification of baptism, that it may show a certain and plain sign of it."