h: Baptism is necessary to salvation, because
Christ and His apostles teach thus. Others hold: This is not true;
Baptism is a mere outward sign indicating obedience toward the command
of the Lord and nothing more; Baptism is not at all necessary unto
regeneration, as regeneration is wrought by the Holy Spirit without any
means whatever. Some say: It is right to baptize children. Others
maintain: Infant Baptism is an institution of the Pope. Others: It is of
the devil. Some reject every kind of baptism. Such and similar are the
people who constitute the present so-called Christendom: opinions,
opposing one another, and that always will be opposed to each other! All
these are supposed to be united in one church, and to become one
congregation and one flock, all under the care of one shepherd. That
would be like stabling together sheep, goats, lambs, cows, oxen, horses,
bears, wolves, wildcats, foxes, and swine, and putting them under the
care of one shepherd, saying, 'Here you have a united flock which now
you may feed and pasture in peace; you have many heads under one hat,
take your place among them.' That some were much displeased by this
objection to the general union is not to be wondered at, for some of
that stripe were present. There were also some of almost all religious
parties in attendance." (B. 1820, 26.) It is apparent from these
statements that a general union of all denominations, irrespective of
their doctrinal differences, was certainly not relished by Tennessee in
1820. Twenty years later Synod still occupied the same position. In
1841, after discussing an appeal which had gone out to unite all the
different religious parties in one big body, Tennessee "resolved that
whereas the Church of Christ is a gathering of all true believers, and
is not now, nor ever has been, divided; and whereas it is impossible
that all the different, contradictory teachings should agree with the
Word of God; and whereas it is also impossible to bring about a
Christian union of all the different denominations without the unity of
opinions; and whereas the teachers do greatly differ in their views on
religion and the form of church-government: a union of all the various
denominations in one large body is both impossible and improper; and
even if brought about, instead of furthering the kingdom of our
Redeemer, it would harm the welfare thereof and jeopardize the religious
liberty of our happy land." (B. 1841, 11.)

115. Refusing