USA > Ohio > Twenty-five years in the West > Part 21
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Our cause has always been feeble in St. Louis. The Unitarian church is old, numerous, and rich ; but instead of aiding us by its sympathy and co-operation, it has ever stood off cold as an iceberg. I hear of the love of Uni- tarians for us, but have never seen much evidence of their affection. They doubtless would like to have Unitarians. and Universalists unite, but it must be like the marriage of man and woman, according to Blackstone - the twain one, and that one, Unitarian. We would be fine fellows if we allowed ourselves to be swallowed, head and heels, without kicking.
About this time; I published a pamphlet entitled, "Salvation not by Water Baptism." The Disciples, a numerous and growing sect in the West and South, con- tend, as is well known, that immersion in water is a con- dition of salvation. This pamphlet is designed to refute that strange notion. The following is from said pam- phlet :
'" Then said Peter unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins ; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' Acts ii. 38.
"If ' baptized' here means water baptism, it is the only place in the New Testament where it is connected with ' remission of sins.' And shall all that Christ and his apostles said about salvation by grace, hope, faith, repen- tance, be set aside, because in one instance baptism and remission of sins are mentioned in connection with each other ? But even in this passage, repentance is coupled with ' remission of sins.' Repentance means to reform, to cease doing evil and learn to do well, and when that is done, of course, our sins are remitted. If a drunkard repents, the sin of intemperance is remitted, and so of all
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other sins - when we abandon them, they abandon us. If we resist the devil he flees from us. That is what for- giveness, pardon, remission of sin, means. And that is what Peter means in the above words, as is evident from his address to the people in Acts iii. 19. ' Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.' Here baptism is left out, clearly showing the author, in the other place, did not mean that water baptism puts away sin. The same is taught by Jesus. 'And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.' Luke xxiv. 47. Nothing about baptism being preached in his name. The apostle teaches the same. ‘Whom God hath sent forth to be a propitiation through FAITH in his blood, to declare his righteousness, for the REMISSION OF SINS. ' Rom. iii. 25. Here again, baptism has no credit for remitting sin ; it is done through faith. This apostle also says : 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them : and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where REMISSION of these is, there is no more offering for sin.' Heb. x. 16, 17, 18. Of course, when the law of God reigns supreme in men's hearts, their sins are remitted, whether they have been baptized or not. It is the law of faith and love that banishes sin-not baptism. It is evident from the above testimony that water baptism does not put away sin, and that the Disciples have departed far from the truth in their notions about the saving influence of that rite.
"And here is another error they commit : they are for- ever telling us that the kingdom of God was set up on the day of Pentecost.' Their notion runs about thus
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- Jesus Christ set up his kingdom on 'the day of Pen- tecost.' The key thereof being given to Peter, he unlocked it on that occasion, and commenced baptizing men and women into the kingdom. Baptism is the door. Not a living man, woman, or child was inside the door when Peter opened it. On this theological curiosity I have a few words to offer. 1. There is not a particle of evidence that the kingdom of God was set up on said occasion. Peter, who was the sole speaker, said not a word about the kingdom of God, not a word about its keys, not a word about unlocking it, not a word about baptism being the door into the kingdom, not a word about immersing anybody into it. If the august kingdom of the living God was really set up, opened, dedicated, and Jesus commenced his reign on 'the day of Pentecost,' it is very remarkable there is not one word said about any of these important matters by the great apostle. The Disciples draw largely on their imag- ination for their facts when they expatiate about Pente- cost. 2. Water baptism is the door into the kingdom, is it ? What an idea ! It was reserved for the nineteenth century to make the discovery that the kingdom of God is entered as a beaver enters his hut - under water. 3. If our friends are right I should like to be informed how the first one got into the kingdom. When Peter opened it not a soul was inside, and no one could get in without baptism. Now, how did the first one get inside ? Did Peter baptize him in? But Peter was an 'outsider.' And will any pretend that one out of the kingdom could lawfully initiate one into it ? This, though, must have been done, or one or more must have slipped inside with- out immersion, and then went to work in good earnest putting others through the watery door into the spir-
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itual kingdom. 4. If they are right, not one of the twelve apostles were members of the kingdom of God, for they were not baptized before, at, or after Pentecost. Not even Mathias, who was chosen after the resurrec- tion of Christ, was baptized. They did not enter through this singular door. How then can they be saved ?"
Soon after this pamphlet appeared, I made arrange- ments with B. H. Smith, then pastor of the Disciple church in St. Louis, but now President of Christian University, to have a discussion in the Magazine on the efficacy of water baptism. He agreed to furnish twelve articles in defense of this proposition - " Water Bap- tism is a Condition of Salvation." But seven ex- hausted his proof, and he would write no more. I learn, that the reason he gives for stopping short of the promised number of communication is, that he was young and inexperienced, though he was about forty years old, and had been in the ministry several years. A poor excuse, is said, to be better than none. The fol- lowing is part of my reply to his first letter :
" You advocate a proposition that consigns nearly all mankind to hopeless ruin. You affirm water baptism to be a condition of salvation; that there is not, and can- not be, any salvation without baptism. Your brethren, generally, adopt the same theory. Alexander Camp- bell, well known to be a prominent man in your fra- ternity, distinctly avows your position. Speaking of the " ACT OF FAITH' which he declares to be immersion in water, he says: 'Whatever the Act of faith may be, it necessarily becomes the line of demarkation between the two states before described. On this side, and on the other side, mankind are in quite different states. On one side they are pardoned, justified, sanctified, recon-
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ciled, adopted and saved : and on the other, they are in a state of condemnation. This Act is sometimes called IMMERSION, regeneration, conversion,' (Christian System, page 193.) This 'ACT OF FAITH,' you see, is immersion. On one side, that is, all who are immersed, are ‘saved, pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, and adopted,' but those on the other side, that is, not immersed in water, are condemned, lost, unpardoned, unsanctified, etc. In one word, immersion is the line between heaven and hell, between the saved and the damned, between those God loves and those he hates. On page 197, he says that 'Immersion is inseparably connected with the remission of sins,'-' no person was said to be converted until he was immersed ; and all persons who were im- mersed, were said to be converted.' All through Mr. Campbell's writings immersion is represented as a savior. But, sir, reason, common sense, common justice, and every thing else that even squints toward the true and right, condemn such a theory.
"Your doctrine of the purifying power of water baptism, is rank Heathenism. The Pagans, publicly and privately, used lustral water, which they thought had the virtue of purifying the soul, and of remitting the punishment of sins. 'The Indians,' writes Bonchet, a missionary to India, 'say that in bathing - that is, immersing - in certain rivers, sins are entirely remitted ; and that their mysterious waters, wash not only the bodies, but also purify the souls in an admirable manner.' This testi- mony, Chateaubriand adds, is confirmed by the ‘Memoirs of the English Society of Calcutta.' The waters of the Ganges are supposed by the Hindoos to purify those who are immersed in them. This sounds very much like your proposition. The Catholics, like yourself, have incor-
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porated this item of Heathenism into their faith. Their General Catechism treats on baptism thus :
Q. "' What is baptism ? '
A. "' A sacrament which cleanses from original sin, makes us Christians and children of God ; and heirs to the kingdom of heaven.'
Q. "'Does baptism also remit the actual sins committed before it? '
A. "' Yes; and all the punishment due them.'
Q. "'Is baptism necessary to salvation ? '
A. "'Yes; without it, we cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"
"You agree exactly with the Romish church. Both you and Popery contend, that baptism cleanses the soul, makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs of heaven. You say, 'baptism is a condition of salvation,' the Pope says, 'baptism is necessary to salvation.' The Pagans call the baptismal water, 'lustral water;' the Catholics, 'holy water,' and your people, 'regenerating . water.' 'No one acquainted with Peter's style,' says Mr. Campbell, 'will think it strange that Paul represents as saved, or cleansed, sanctified by WATER - may not he then call that water, of which a person is born again, the water, or bath of regeneration ?' (Christian System, page 265.) It will be observed that you, the Catholics and Pagans, are beautifully harmonious concerning the saving power of water.
" The Indians of the West, appear to have been equally superstitious concerning the regenerating influence of water. In the early settlement of the West, two whites were captured by a band of prowling savages; and when on the bank of the Ohio, were led into the river and im- mersed by their savage captors. The chief then informed
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his prisoners, that this act, this immersion had changed their characters - they were no longer pale faces, but Indians, and members of the tribe. We smile at the red man's absurdity, but let us be careful that we are not equally absurd."
Delivered several discourses in Bentonsport, Iowa, and made arrangement for a discussion to commence April Ist, 1857, with Elder Gates, of Williamsport, Pa., and continue four days, on the "Second Coming of Christ in Judgment." He was a Second Adventist- supposed said coming would soon take place, when the physical universe would be smashed into pi. The de- bate came off and here is part of one speech :
The Elder said, Christ's second coming in judgment was to take place at the end of the world. He is right. But what does the New Testament mean by the end of the world ? It certainly does not mean the end of this earth. The Greek word, kosmos, which means the earth, often occurs in the Bible, but the Book never speaks of the end of the kosmos. When the end of the world is spoken of, another word is always employed, having an entirely different meaning. But kosmos is the very word if this earth was intended. But it was not in- tended, hence another word is used, and that is aion, and Elder Gates knows, every scholar knows, we all know, aion means era, age, dispensation. I need not spend a moment to prove this, as the Elder knows it is so. He has not denied it; he will not deny it. Let it be fixed in your mind, then, that the end of the world, in the New Testament, always means the end of some age. What age ? When Jesus and his apostles were on earth an important age was near its end-the Jewish age or dispensation - and Jesus and his apostles often
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spoke of its near approach. In our English version, the truth is disguised by calling the end of the Jewish dispensation the end of the world. On that false ren- dering, Second Adventism is built, Millerism is built, and the common Orthodox view of the end of the earth is built. The rendering is deceptive, and those isms and that doxy are based on a deception. St. Paul's words explode this delusion: "Now once in the end of the world - aion - hath Christ appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. ix. 26. Had this, and kindred passages, been translated right, Adventism and Millerism would not have been heard of.
Mr. Gates also told us, Christ would come in "this generation ; " and he emphasized "this," thereby tried to make us think that Jesus, when he uttered those words, meant the Second generation of the Nineteenth Century ! Likely he has humbugged many a poor sim- plewon by that dishonest trick, for dishonest it is, as he knows better. He will succeed better at that game in the dark valleys of the Alleghany mountains than on these prairies where there is so much sun-light. Jesus, doubtless, meant exactly what he said. By " this gener- ation " he meant the generation then living, not the gen- eration that might be on earth eighteen hundred years thereafter. Yes, Jesus was to come in the power and majesty and glory of truth in the generation in which he lived on earth, hence the Elder is altogether mistaken in supposing the coming to be now a future event.
Mr. Gates said, that wonderful signs were to herald Christ's coming - wars, pestilence, famine, earthquakes- and as these things have recently occurred, his coming must be at hand. Is the man so ignorant as not to know there have been famine, pestilence, earthquakes,
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war and rumors of wars, in all ages ? In mentioning the " signs " the Elder should have profited by what I heard one of his Advent preachers say recently. He gravely told his hearers, that the "hog cholera and chicken cholera," then prevailing, were " sure signs of the coming of the Son of Man and the end of the world." He shed some tears right there, and the breth- ren looked solemn.
After the debate closed, the Elder traveled all through Southern Iowa boasting how he had " used me up," and he may be yet on that mission.
During the month of August, 1858, I had a discussion in Carlinville, Ill., with Dr. McMillan, a Presbyterian clergyman of much ability,and of fine acquirements. Here is the conclusion of my closing speech : Dr. McMillan in the speech you have just heard, told you that our faith in the supremacy of Good over evil, of Right over wrong, of Joy over sorrow, of Happiness over misery, of Life over death, is infidel, immoral, dangerous! If this is so, the converse must be divine, holy, every way safe - faith in eternal evil, eternal hate, eternal wrong, eternal sorrow, eternal misery, eternal death, is Christianizing, sanctifying, and purifying. Others are thrice welcome to all the piety, holiness, and purity, that faith in an angry divinity, malicious demons, eternal burnings, pro- duces. I want none of it. The goodness of God leads to repentance - not the flames of perdition, or the wrath of heaven.
But why is this view of the divine economy infidelity, and immoral? What is there about it tending in that direction ? All admit God is good enough now to per- mit all while on earth, to seek and to walk in the ways of salvation. No one sees any infidelity or immorality
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in that. Such kindness is rather magnified, extolled and ,glorified. The Lord is thanked, and blessed, and praised, in every pulpit in the land every Sunday for such love and mercy. Such goodness, it is said, ought to melt every cold heart, and subdue every rebellious soul. But because we preach God will be as good to us on the other side; will be as forgiving there as he is here ; will bless all there with good opportunities as he does here, we are called infidels, and it is said we preach immorality. I might with the same propriety assert, that telling men God is good enough to allow them to repent in this world, is infidelity and immorality. If it is dangerous to tell men God will be their Father in the immortal world, that he will love them there, bless them there with means of salvation, I say, if this is danger- ous preaching, it is equally dangerous to tell men that God is their Father now, loves them now, blesses them now with means of salvation.
Of course men may abuse their privileges ; take advan- tage of God's mercy and forbearance. The popular idea of our privileges in this world is correctly expressed by Dr. Watts :
" Whilst the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return."
It will not be denied, this is preached all over the land, and incorporated in all the creeds. And do not many who accept of it, put off the day of repentance year after year, from youth to manhood, then to old age, intending to change their manner of life ere the lamp of life goes entirely out ? This will not be denied. They take advantage of this benevolent feature of their creed and postpone the day of salvation as long as possible. Will you expunge it because wicked men take advantage of it? Will you say it is immoral because wicked men
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delay living a Christian life in consequence of it? You will hardly do that. And, suppose some who pretend to believe that God's mercy extends beyond the grave, and that wherever and whenever we sincerely repent he will accept of us, and that the time and place of repentance is unlimited, and so defer the time of reformation, would that prove that the eternal forbearance of God is immoral in its influence ?
This benevolent tenet of the Orthodox creed is coupled with the belief that a religious life is one of gloom and despondency, and also, with the falsity that virtue is not rewarded or vice punished in this world. These append- ages are immoral. They cause wicked men, who love the beastly pleasures of sin, to put off, year after year, Chris- tian living. It is not the mercy of God which prompts them to do so, but these false views of a sinful and Chris- tian life. They are immoral. They weaken the hand of virtue, and strengthen the hand of vice. But our view of a saintly and sinful life are very different. We contend that virtue is now rewarded, and vice now punished. That godliness has the promise of the life that now is, as well as that which is to come. That a religious life is a cheerful life, a happy life. We also contend, that irre- ligion and vice fill the cup of life with regrets, with disappointments, with sorrow, with misery. And as happiness is our being's end and aim, if men properly understood. the vast difference between a life of vice, and of virtue, they would universally choose the Christian life. Our faith in God's present mercy and future and eternal mercy, is not burdened by the demoralizing. tenet, that the life of the Christian is one of hard toil, and that of the sinful of freedom and ease. The religion of Christ, as we understand it, presents innumerable induce-
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ments and attractions to live a righteous life. It tells us that virtue is our chief good; that there is no real happiness in time or eternity without it. And as sure as we live a sinful life we reap the sad results, and reap them now. It also tells man, that God is his Father - his eternal Father : that he loves him with a father's love, and regards him with a father's care. That his mercy pursues him, and encompasses him from the cradle to the grave, and from the grave through his eternal being ; that wherever and whenever a sinful man aspires to live righteously, godly, divine aid is extended to him, let him be where he may, in this world or in the world to come. " Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." That was so three thousand years ago; it is so now, and will be so, forever and ever. It is an eternal truth. And we are called on by the horrors of sin, by the beauties and glories of virtue, by the present mercy and the eter- nal mercy of God, to walk in the ways of salvation now, and to walk in them forever. There is nothing, then, in this beautiful faith that is infidel or immoral ; and if it is cherished in the soul deep and strong, it will transform our characters into the divine image, and save us with an everlasting salvation. May we who have this divine faith on our lips, also cherish it in our inmost being. How horrible it sounds to hear a woman utter profanity and see her debased and degraded. It is in dreadful discord with her womanly nature. And how shocking it sounds to hear a man who pretends to believe that God is his father, and he, consequently a child of the most High, uttering ribaldry, profanity, and to see him reveling in sin and shame. It is enough to make angels weep to behold such a sad spectacle, and hence Jesus tells us that angels rejoice when sinners repent.
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May we all properly understand our nature, our duty, our destiny, our relation to God, and may we, one and all, live in perfect harmony with the facts of our eternal, immortal being and existence.
A few weeks after this, I had an oral debate of four days' continuance at Loami, a village near Springfield, Ill., with Elder Johnston, pastor of the Disciple church at Springfield. He is a bigoted, self-sufficient gentleman, and delighted in personalities, which were the staple of his speeches. Not liking that kind of argumentation myself, I told the people, that if a jackass kicked me, I certainly should not kick him. I thus spoke of the evil things that are said of us :
The sublime faith we cherish, is evil spoken of here to-day, is evil spoken of in many quarters. That is what might be expected. Though it is old in the coun- cil of Heaven, old as revelation, it is new in many places, new to many hearts; and we all know that what is new to us we are apt to misunderstand, mis- represent, and oppose. It has been thus the world over, in all ages, and among all kinds of people. When Jesus was on earth teaching the principles we now cherish teaching the impartial love of his Father and our Father, teaching that mankind constituted one great brotherhood, one in their origin, and one in their destiny, it was said he had a devil, and uttered blasphemies. His apostles, who taught the same gospel, were called babblers, and their teachings delusions and impositions. How con- temptuously Tacitus, the great Roman historian, who lived while the apostles were preaching, wrote of Christ, his followers and their sublime faith. He called Jesus a fanatic, Christians, infidels, and Christianity a miserable superstition. But that "fanatic," those "infidels " and
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that " superstition," drove Paganism out of the Roman Empire, and dashed to pieces its temples and its gods, and then it was no longer a cross to be called a Chris- tian.
But a re-action took place, and Paganism was partially restored in the name of Catholicism; and when Luther posted his ninety-six thesis on the church door in Wet- tenburg, and thundered and lightened through Germany against this mongrel system, he was belied, slandered and his life threatened. When Wesley saw more light than Luther, and prayed and labored for a stronger, deeper faith, and a holier life, all manner of evil things were spoken of him and his "Methodism," as it was contemp- tuously called. When John Locke would have all worship God as their light dictated, he was called a fool and an enemy of religion. When the fathers of our Republic said, after Jesus, that all men were created equal, what a storm it raised in Old England, where it was supposed most of mankind were created for the benefit of kings and lords, who reign by the grace of God.
What ridicule and contempt have been heaped upon inventors and discoverers in all ages and climes. They have generally been neglected, condemned, and lived and died in obscurity and poverty, while they enriched the world. When Galileo announced that the earth was racing round the sun, he was called an infidel, and his astronomy a humbug. When Columbus begged the sovereigns of Europe to aid him in discovering a new world in the far distant Atlantic, he was deemed a knave and a madman. A woman only had the wisdom to assist him. She parted with her jewels for that purpose, so strong was her faith. Without her aid, perhaps, this
-
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We need woman now to save the country she helped discover; and those who have faith in her for that pur- pose, must not be surprised or discouraged if the finger of scorn is pointed at them. So the world goes: its benefactors are often cast out, are crucified, but monu- ments are built on their graves, to which pilgrims devoutly resort, and lament the follies and blindness of their ancestors, while they are crushing those who are toiling for the good of man as earnestly as did those who sleep beneath their feet.
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