the Catholic
Church was practicing immersion. That is the history of the change, and
explains, Mr. Sterling, why you and your church practice pouring. You
inherit it from your Catholic ancestors. You have it because the
Catholics abandoned immersion and put their seal on pouring. I do not
say it in any unkind spirit, but am simply giving you some ancient
history."

"Father, it does look as if the main part of the Christian world is
using a substitute for the baptism which Christ has given us, and that
they received this mode from the Catholics. Mr. Sterling, how can you be
willing for the Catholic Church to dictate your baptism in that way?"
Dorothy's eyes flashed as she uttered the question and she seemed
horrified at the thought.

"Mercy alive, let me run out and catch my breath," said Mr. Sterling.
"These are startling things that I am hearing tonight. If it is true
that we have sprinkling or pouring simply because the Catholic Church
happened to have it when the Reformation came, then I must confess it
puts our denomination in the attitude of having our baptismal ceremony
foisted on us by the Catholics, and we are now seeking from Scripture to
justify our position. But, Mr. Walton, that cannot be so."

"I refer you to history. I have given you the places where these
statements can be found."

"How did we get back into the subject of immersion?" asked Mr. Sterling.

"I was stating," said Mr. Walton, "that the truths of the Baptists were
gradually permeating the ranks of the other denominations, and I
remarked that the principal scholars in the different denominations
admitted that immersion was the original Scriptural mode, the
implication being that, though it was the original mode, yet the
church--and you see it was the Catholic Church--had the right to change
it. It is a fact that members of other denominations are asking for
immersion at the hands of Baptist ministers. Only last fall I baptized a
very prominent Methodist minister who had become convinced from his
study of the Scriptures of the evils of infant baptism and the
scripturalness of immersion."

Mr. Page, with a smile and a wink at Mr. Sterling, remarked: "Exactly,
and you had better be on the lookout, Sterling; these Baptists will have
you under the water yet."

Mr. Sterling colored considerably, for Mr. Page's banter had struck
deeper than Mr. Page thought.

"What I can't understand," said Mr. Page, "is how these Baptists can be
such wonde