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In the Steps of John Wesley
in Christ as Saviour, a seal on salvation already received. It was not regarded as essential to salvation, nor was it made a condition of membership. Infants were dedicated, and in rare instances water was sprinkled on the child to meet the susceptibilities of the parents. George Sharpe, with his Church of Scotland, Methodist Episcopal and Congregational background retained the practice of infant baptism. He baptised his mother after her conversion, probably by sprinkling, no doubt because she had not been baptised in infancy. He had little sympathy with the immersion of adults. The eclectic nature of the church polity of the Church of the Nazarene is reflected in its article on baptism in the 1907 Manual: Christian Baptism is a sacrament, or ordinance, signifying one's acceptance of the benefits of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is to be administered by ordained ministers of the Gospel to believers as declarative of their faith in Him as their Saviour, and full purpose of obedience in holiness and righteousness. Baptism, being the seal of the New Testament, young children may be baptized upon request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary Christian teaching. Baptism may be administered by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, according to the choice of the applicant. In case a preacher, when requested to administer baptism in a mode which he deems unscriptural, has conscientious scruples against so administering the ordinance, he shall not be required to do so, but shall see to it that the candidate for baptism shall be baptized in the mode desired by the applicant. 28
After various modifications the article attained its present form in 1928, in which no mention is made of a minister administering baptism, nor of his not being required to minister it in a form against which he has conscientious scruples and in which baptism is described as "the symbol" not "the seal" of the New Testament. Five traditions are merged in the article: paedo-baptism, believer's baptism, sprinkling, pouring and immersion. It was not that baptism was thought to be unimportant, but rather that every man should be allowed to choose the time and mode in the light of conscience, illuminated by the reading of the Scriptures. It has meant that some Nazarenes have been baptised as infants, according to the choice of their parents, and later baptised as believers according to their