Conversation 13

Mrs. Wiseman (next day)—How glad I would be, James, if you enjoyed these meetings as I do. Oh, how sweet the Word of God is to my soul! I can hardly wait for the meeting time to come. But now it will soon be time to go. I hope you’ll have a good time at home. I stepped over to Sister’s Johnson’s a few minutes since. Did you know she received the forgiveness of her sins the other evening?

Mr. Wiseman—Yes, I heard her husband talking about what a great change there’d been in his wife. He seems to be glad she has joined these people. I think he’s a very foolish man, and I told him so.

Mrs. W.—You shouldn’t discourage him. He requested prayer for himself in the meeting last night. I hope he’ll get saved tonight. Sister Johnson bought one of those books on the ordinances, and she said I could read it first if I wished. I brought it here with me. I thought I’d tell you so you would know I didn’t buy it. I don’t want to do anything contrary to your wishes.

Mr. W.—Thank you. I’m very glad you have such a regard for my wishes.

Mrs. W.—It’s now time that I was off to the meeting. I trust you’ll have a good time at home. Good-bye until I get back. Sit up for me.

Mr. W. (talking to himself)—I feel that my doctrines aren’t worth much. I don’t know what to do. That woman is enjoying something I don’t have. I wish I did; but I’ll not let her know it; I’m too much of a man to yield my position. But I’ll see if I can find that book she spoke about, and if I can, I’ll read it while she’s at meeting. Here it is. (He reads).

Well, I must say I never read anything like this. It gives Bible proof for every statement. I can’t deny it, however much I would like to do so; but I’ll not let my wife know I’ve read it. But it’s the clearest, plainest, and most convincing work on baptism I ever read. I didn’t know there was so much to be said in favor of immersion. However, I’ll not yield my position, no matter how much Bible they give; but if wife wants to be immersed, I’ll not object, although I had intended to do so. I wish our preacher could read this book. I believe he’s coming up the walk now.

Come in; glad to see you, Brother Kent. I was just thinking about you.

Mr. Kent—And what was the nature of your thoughts, Brother Wiseman? I thought I’d step over for a few moments to learn how you’re getting along with those saints. I hear your wife’s going to be baptized. This reproaches her parents’ faith and our beloved church. Can you prevent this in some way?

Mr. W.—You don’t know my wife, Brother Kent. When she’s convinced that God wants her to do a thing, there’s not enough men in town to prevent her.

Mr. Kent—She’s awfully headstrong, I know.

Mr. W.—It’s not just that. She’s kind to me; she’s so submissive in every way to me; she’s devoted and so good, and lives such a pure life that I can find no fault. That’s what troubles me. If she would do something wrong so I could condemn her, then I would have gained quite an advantage; but she lives right. She’s subject to me in everything but her religion. She is decided to go the way she believes God wants her.

Mr. K.—But can’t you convince her by the Bible that God doesn’t want her to be baptized?

Mr. W.—I shall be pleased to have you undertake that; I’ve been undertaking it, and I come out defeated every time. I tell you those saints know more Bible than any people I ever saw. Their literature is nearly all Bible. And they tell me that those preachers who are here now don’t take just one text and no more, as our preachers do, but read texts as they go along and prove from the Bible that what they say is true.

Mr. K.—You’re not weakening are you, and beginning to lean that way?

Mr. W.—No, sir; I’m not, and I won’t: but I get puzzled. I don’t know how to meet all my wife’s arguments, and the way she lives troubles me. I sometimes think I’m no Christian. If we must live like her to be a Christian, I know I’m not one.

Mr. K.—You’rc too thin-skinned and too much of a baby. I wouldn’t let a woman unchristianize me: I’d be more of a man than that. Think how long you’ve been a member of our church and the great good you’ve done! Now, after all this you’re not going to say you’re not a Christian.

Mr. W.—No, sir; I’m not, but I get awfully troubled. Their literature, too, gives more Bible and is simpler and plainer reading than anything else I’ve ever seen. Did you ever read any of it?

Mr. K.—Now, I tell you, Brother Wiseman, I see where your trouble is. If you don’t stop reading that stuff, you’ll very soon be as crazy as your wife. Why don’t you do as I do? Their paper comes into my home—your wife sends it, I suppose—and I put them into the stove just as fast as they come, and I advise you to do the same.

Mr. W.—I do sometimes think I will, and I tell my wife so; but when I go to do it, there’s something that won’t let me. I fully believe it’s my wife’s prayers. Now here’s a book. I didn’t intend to have it in my home; but here it is, and I’ve been reading it all evening. I never read anything like it. It’s on baptism. I wish you’d read it.

Mr. K.—No, indeed; I won’t read it. I know what our theologies teach. I’m not coming down to where I have to go to such people for knowledge. And I tell you, you need to be more of a man; have more backbone!

Mr. W.—Oh, I’m not going to give up or give in; I’m going to stand by my profession and the church of my parents. But there’s a text or two I’d like to have you explain to me if you will.

Mr. K.—Well, I don’t believe much in talking on the Bible. It’s such a book of mysteries that no one can understand it—at least, none but the very best educated.

Mr. W.—Yes, but I remember reading where it says the world by wisdom knows not God, and that he hides spiritual things from the wise and reveals them unto babes. But here is one text that I do want you to give me some light on: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”* (Mark 16:16) It seems from this text that we need to believe before we’re baptized, and I was baptized when only an infant, so of course I didn’t believe.

Mr. K.—Well, our higher critics say that the latter part of this chapter, or from verse nine on, is not found at all in the original manuscripts; therefore it doesn’t belong in the Bible at all.

Mr. W.—Well, I’m glad of that, for it helps me some. But I read again, in the eighth chapter of Acts and the twelfth verse: “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”* (Acts 8:12) Here comes the believing again before the baptizing. I believe our church is right, and I’m going to stand by her, live or die, sink or swim, but I’m troubled sometimes, and I can’t help it. Of course, I don’t want to miss heaven.

Mr. K.—I warn you against those saints. Listen to their deceptive doctrine, and you will miss heaven.

Mr. K.—It’s the Bible that I want explained. You know Peter told the people when they asked what they should do, to repent and be baptized. Here repentance precedes baptism. I didn’t repent, so there I’m puzzled again.

Mr. K.—You’re puzzling yourself about too many things. Believe our theologies. They’re written by men who know the Greek. The words of Peter were used back in the days of the establishing of the church and were all right then; but we don’t need to do that now. This is an age of progress. Time has changed the order of things.

I think I hear your wife coming from meeting. I’ll go out this back door and across the lot; it’s my nearest way home. Good night, Brother Wiseman, keep your wits.

Mr. W.—Good night. Brother Kent, come again. You have strengthened me very much.

Mrs. W. (coming in)—I’m back again, dear, and oh, such a glorious time we had! Have you had a pleasant evening? You look worried. I thought I heard you talking to someone as I was coming up the steps.

Mr. W.—It may have been the dog.

Mrs. W.—I would love to tell you about the meeting, but it’s late and you look so tired. Be of good cheer. I’m as happy as I can be. Good night. I’ll tell you about the meeting tomorrow, the Lord willing.