December 20, 2025 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

This afternoon, Susan and I took a little drive to see what we could see. When we started, we had no specific destination in mind. Along the way, we arrived at the Home Gallery, a home decor business showcasing potential room designs by an upscale builder. The Home Gallery is located in The Meadows, near Wentzville, Missouri.
As we entered a beautiful dining room, I noticed a book placed on a piece of furniture that could have served as a buffet. I had seen similar items in another room. When I opened what appeared to be a book, I realized it was merely an empty volume.
In the dining room, I assumed this was another example of the same decor technique. I was wrong.
The spine read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA ELEVENTH EDITION, VOL. 3 AUS TO BIS.
At this point, some of you know why my interest was immediately piqued. This was the famous eleventh edition, which includes the article on baptism by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, M.A., D.Th. It was published in 1910-1911 in twenty-nine volumes.
When a gentleman working in the Home Gallery noticed my interest, he said he thought they could reduce the price to $7.00.
Susan said, “Merry Christmas!” In addition, she bought the attractive magnifying glass to help me read the small text.
At another time, I will discuss Conybeare’s views on water baptism. For now, I will share only a portion of his remarks on the baptismal formula:
“The trinitarian formula and trine immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning, nor did they always go together. The Teaching of the Apostles, indeed, prescribes baptism in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but on the next page speaks of those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord — the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid” (page 365).
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