Theodosia Ernest : $b Complete in two volumes

"Theodosia Ernest" by A. C. Dayton is a religious novel written in the mid-19th century. It centers on a conscientious young Presbyterian woman whose encounter with a river baptism prompts a rigorous, scripture-driven inquiry into the nature and meaning of baptism, pitting personal conviction against tradition. Through dialogues with her brother, her suitor, her pastor, and a thoughtful schoolmaster, the story probes immersion versus sprinkling and the claims of church authority versus individual obedience to Christ. The opening of the novel follows Theodosia and her brother Edwin as they witness a Baptist immersion, sparking Edwin’s blunt question to their mother about whether they were ever truly baptized and stirring Theodosia’s private, prayerful resolve to obey whatever Scripture requires. In conversations that evening, her suitor Mr. Percy treats baptism as a nonessential “form,” while Theodosia insists that love for Christ means keeping his commands; they agree to study the issue. Their first night’s study turns on the word baptize, with Greek lexicons indicating baptizo means to dip or immerse, and Theodosia arguing that Christ’s own baptism fixes the ordinance’s meaning. The second night brings Pastor Johnson, who vaguely appeals to sprinkling, followed by a close reading of Barnes’s Notes and Old Testament usage (tabal = dip), reinforced by Mr. Courtney, and by citations from respected Pedobaptist authorities (McKnight, Chalmers, Calvin, Wesley, Luther) acknowledging immersion’s meaning and early practice; this unsettles Theodosia’s mother, while Theodosia resolves to follow Scripture alone. The excerpt closes as Pastor Johnson prepares to counter the growing doubts and returns to press his case.