FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES.
The audience had increased in numbers when the time for the continuance
of the gospel exposition arrived. Rev. Fitzallen was not present; he
had an engagement elsewhere, was the word he left; but his absence was
compensated for by the presence of two or three others.
But little time was spent in formality, and a beginning was effected by
our legal friend saying:
"Mr. Durant, you closed last night with a definition of the first
principle in the series of steps to be taken by the convert to
Christianity, with a promise that tonight we should have the second
explained. Will you now proceed to fulfill the promise?"
"Most willingly, if it is desired."
Unanimous approval was at once manifested, and the western man
proceeded.
"The second follows the first, just as naturally as the second step
follows the first when a child learns to walk. When faith in God is
once created, the knowledge that we have at some time, perhaps many
times during our lives, done things displeasing to Him, naturally
follows immediately, therefore repentance makes its appearance as
the second principle of the gospel. When John came preaching in the
wilderness, as the forerunner of Christ, his message to the people
was, 'Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' (Matt. iii:
2.) When Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom
of God, it was with a message calling them to repentance. (Mark i:
15.) When He chose His disciples and began sending them forth, it was
to call mankind to repentance. (Mark vi: 7-12.) When He upbraided the
cities wherein the most of His mighty works were done, it was because
they repented not. (Matt. xi: 20.) True repentance is that which will
cause him who stole to steal no more; that which will keep corrupt
communications from our mouths; that which will cause us to so conduct
our walks through life as not to grieve the Spirit of God; that which
will cause all bitterness, wrath, anger, and evil speaking to be put
away from us, and will make us kind one to another, tender-hearted and
forgiving even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. (Ephesians
iv: 28-32.) When he who has committed a sin shall commit it no more,
then he has repented with that Godly sorrow which worketh repentance
to salvation, and not with the sorrow of the world, bringing with it
death. (II. Cor. vii: 10.) When a sinner repents with such repentance
more joy is found in heaven than over ninety and nine just persons who
need no repentance. (Luke xv: 7.) This, then, ladies and gentlemen, is
the second round in the gospel ladder according to the plan given us
by the Master, and without it, faith is of no substantial consequence
whatever."
"Your reasoning is both logical and just," said Brown, "and no one can
find fault with those doctrines. This world of ours would certainly
be more pleasant if these teachings were followed, and when a person
is filled with that kind of faith, and has truly repented with such
repentance, it must be manifest that he is entitled to salvation."
"But he must not stop at that," the speaker went on, "there are other
principles just as important, just as necessary, for him to obey. If
I am in possession of enough faith to convince me that I have sinned
against you, and the knowledge of this causes me sincerely to repent, I
must not and cannot rest until I am satisfied I have your forgiveness
for the wrong. So it is with sinning against God and His laws; He has
marked out the path of repentance and it is our duty to follow that
divine way until we arrive at the sacred altar of forgiveness. Sin must
be forgiven before it can be wiped out, and God in His wisdom selected
and placed in His Church water baptism, as spoken of last night, for
this purpose. It is a means whereby man can receive forgiveness of sin."
"And do you really believe that baptism brings forgiveness of sin?"
queried the lawyer.
"Certainly, provided, however, honest faith and sincere repentance go
before it, and the ordinance is administered in the proper way by one
who is endowed with divine authority; otherwise I believe it is of no
avail whatever."
"It seems to me you surround the principle of baptism with more
safeguards than anyone else of whom I have ever heard. Why so?"
"Perhaps I do, and yet it should not be the case. Every principle of
the gospel should be well and carefully protected, and the failure
on the part of man to do this is the main cause of so many different
so-called plans of salvation existing among us today, when there should
be only one true and perfect plan, as found in the days of Christ."
"You are certainly giving me ample information on religious conditions.
It does seem strange that there should be so many different roads,
leading, as is claimed, in one direction. I declare, I never thought of
that before."
"Well, we will try to cover all those points before we finish. Let
us examine this principle. Let us see if the idea of water baptism
appears reasonable. The Lord has wisely and kindly selected this form
of ordinance for the remission of sins. It was with this object in view
that John advocated the principle. (Mark i: 4.) Peter promised it on
the day of Pentecost. (Acts ii: 38.) Saul also received aid to arise
and have his sins washed away. (Acts xxii: 16.) And so it was taught by
different disciples as a means whereby God would forgive sins."
"And as you have already stated, there are various modes of baptism
among different sects. What is your method?"
"The only correct form, as stated before, is that explained in the
Bible. Baptism was performed anciently by immersion, in fact no other
mode was thought of until centuries after the day of Christ. The word
baptize is from the Greek _baptizo_ or _bapto_, meaning to plunge or
immerse, and such noted writers as Polybius, Strabo, Dion Cassius,
Mosheim, Luther, Calvin, Bossuet, Schaaf, Baxter, Jeremy Taylor,
Robinson, and others, all agree that with the ancients immersion, and
no other form, was baptism. The holy record itself explains the mode
so plainly that even a wayfaring man might understand. John selected
a certain place on account of there being much water. (John iii: 23.)
Christ Himself was baptized in a river, after which He came up out of
the water. (Mark i: 5-10.) Both Philip and the eunuch went down into
the water (Acts viii: 38, 39), and Paul likens baptism to the burial
and resurrection of Christ, dying from sin, buried in water, and a
resurrection to a new life. (Rom. vi: 3-5.) Jesus declares that a man
must be born of the water as well as of the spirit. (John iii: 5.) By
being immersed we are born of the water, and we cannot liken baptism
to a birth when performed in any other way. How mankind can accept any
other form, in the face of all these facts, is more than I can account
for. I think enough has been said to show that I am correct in my views
regarding the object and mode of baptism, so now let us enquire who are
proper subjects."
"Why, all who have souls to save, I suppose," said the doctor.
"Yes, providing they have obeyed the two principles, already mentioned;
that is, faith and repentance; for Christ commanded His apostles to
teach before baptizing. (Matthew xxviii: 19 and 20.) The candidate
must believe before he can be baptized. (Mark xvi: 16.) Before Philip
baptized the people of Samaria they believed the Gospel as he taught
it. (Acts viii: 12.) When the eunuch asked for baptism at the hands
of this same disciple, Philip answered: 'If thou believest with all
thine heart, thou mayest.' (Acts viii: 37.) All persons, then, who are
capable of understanding, are fit subjects for baptism as soon as they
believe and have repented. None are exempt, not even was Cornelius of
old who was so generous that a report of his good deeds reached the
throne of God. His prayers were so mingled with faith that they brought
down an angel from heaven; yet through baptism alone was it possible
that he could gain membership in the fold of Christ. (Acts x.) We
see, then, that all, except little children, are proper subjects for
this ordinance, providing, as stated, they have faith, and have truly
repented of their sins."
"And do you claim that little children are exempt?" said the doctor.
"I do; baptism is for the remission of sins, and little children, being
free from sin, are of necessity exempt."
"I do not see how you make that doctrine accord with the teachings of
the Bible. Did not Jesus say, 'Suffer little children to come unto me?'"
"He did, but instead of administering the ordinance of baptism unto
them, He took them in His arms and blessed them, declaring at the
same time that they were pure and free from sin like unto those who
were in the kingdom of heaven. A little child is free from sin, is
pure in heart, humble and merciful, in fact is the great example of
goodness which Christ points out for us to follow. (Mark x: 13-16.)
This ordinance, then, is for people who are old enough to embrace it
intelligently, not for children who cannot understand its significance,
and who already belong to the kingdom of heaven.
"We have now examined three of the fundamental principles of the
gospel of salvation. There is one more that I wish to touch upon,
after which we will discuss a subject that is of more interest to
you, perhaps, than any of these. The principle which I wish to speak
of now, is the gift of the Holy Ghost, which in olden times always
followed the embracing of the principles we have discussed, and when
once received brought with it some of the gifts of the gospel. When the
first sermon was delivered after the crucifixion of Christ, at the time
when the apostles were endowed with power from on high, a multitude
of people were pricked in their hearts, and asked Peter and the rest
of the apostles what they should do. Peter undertook to answer this
all-important question, and so far as authority to do so was concerned,
we must admit that he, of all men at that peculiar time, was fully
capable, for he was in possession of the keys of the kingdom of God
bestowed upon him by Christ Himself. He was the chief apostle and, with
his brethren, had been endowed with power from above. Therefore, he,
more than any minister of our day, occupied a place that enabled him to
answer correctly, and with authority."
"You are stating the case properly, but what did he tell them?" queried
the interested man of law.
"His answer is found in the second chapter of Acts, beginning with the
38th verse. You will observe that as soon as he discovered that they
had faith, he immediately taught them repentance, then baptism for the
remission of sins, and followed these doctrines with a promise of the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
"Yes, commencing at the verse mentioned it says: 'Then Peter said 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to
all that are afar off, _even_ as many as the Lord our God shall call.'"
"But how were they to receive the Holy Ghost?"
"By the laying on of hands. When Peter went down into Samaria for the
purpose of bestowing this gift on those whom Philip had baptized, he
did it by the laying on of hands. (Acts viii: 17.) Ananias conferred
it upon Paul in the same manner (Acts ix: 17), and Paul did the same
in the case of those who were baptized at Ephesus (Acts xix: 2-6); and
when people received this birth of the Spirit (John iii: 5), they also
received the promised blessings; they were entitled to the signs which
He promised would follow; for said He, 'These signs shall follow them
that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick
and they shall recover.' (Mark xvi: 17, 18.) We have now discovered
the conditions: faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins,
and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, with
the promise of Christ that the signs will follow. Can you tell me now,
which of all these different denominations has the gospel of Jesus
Christ? Or as Wesley has questioned in one of his hymns which we may
with profit quote in full: 'Show me where true Christians live.'"
"Happy the souls that first believ'd,
To Jesus and each other cleav'd,
Joined by the unction from above,
In mystic fellowship of love.
"Meek, simple foll'wers of the Lamb,
They liv'd, and spake, and thought the same;
They joyfully conspir'd to raise
Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise.
"With grace abundantly endued,
A pure believing multitude;
They all were of one heart and soul,
And only love inspir'd the whole.
"Oh, what an age of golden days!
Oh, what a choice, peculiar race!
Wash'd in the Lamb's all-cleansing blood,
Anointed kings and priests to God.
"Where shall I wander now to find
Successors they have left behind?
The faithful, whom I seek in vain,
Are 'minish'd from the sons of men.
"Ye diff'rent sects, who all declare,
'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'Christ is there!'
Your stronger proofs divinely give,
And show me where true Christians live."
"You must remember, my friend, that the signs were only given in order
to establish the church in the day of the apostles, but now they are
abrogated and are no longer needed."
"'To the law and to the testimony,'" replied Durant "and give me
chapter and verse to substantiate the assertion you have just made."
"If you will read the 13th chapter of the 1st Corinthians, you will
learn that 'whether there be prophecies they shall fail, and whether
there be tongues they shall cease.'"
"If you will take pains to read the two verses following, you will see
that 'we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which
is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.'
My friend, instead of this quotation proving that these things are
done away, it establishes the assertion that they shall remain until
perfection shall come. Surely no sane man will say that we have come to
perfection."
"I have understood that these gifts were no longer needed. This
certainly is the conclusion the ministers of the day have come to."
"But this is not surprising to me, for this good old Bible declares
that the time will come when the people will turn from sound doctrine
to fables." (II. Tim. iv: 4.)
"I must admit that you have convinced me that baptism is a necessity,
and when I am baptized, the ordinance will be performed in the proper
manner," said the doctor.
"I am pleased to learn that, but I may have another surprise for you
yet. May I ask, who do you intend shall baptize you?"
"My minister, I suppose; why?"
"If the words of the Bible be true, there may be a doubt as to whether
your minister is authorized to baptize you."
"Do you mean to prove that these men, ministers of the gospel, have
no authority to officiate in that ordinance? I wonder what you will
undertake next, but proceed, for I am now prepared for surprises."
"I assure you, my dear sir, I only wish to refer to a few doctrines
from the Bible which are necessary to be understood by you in order
that you may obtain eternal life. Thus far we have only examined the
first principles of the gospel, but now we will speak of the officers
whom Christ placed in His Church, and learn by what means men receive
authority to act in the name of God. Paul tells us that God has placed
'first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after which
gifts of healing,' etc. (I. Cor. xii: 28), and says the work is built
upon the foundation of apostles. (Eph. ii: 20.) He furthermore declares
that these officers have been placed in the Church for the work of the
ministry, and to remain until we all come to a knowledge of the truth.
(Eph. iv: 11-13). Have all mankind come to a knowledge of the truth? If
not, why has the church dispensed with the officers that God placed in
it for the purpose of bringing all to a unity of the faith? Paul tells
us that these officers were placed in the Church to keep us from being
tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine which is
taught by man. (Eph. iv: 12-14.) At the present time, when men declare
that they have no need of apostles or prophets, they are divided,
and subdivided, and in fact carried about by every doctrine that is
promulgated--as Paul saw that they would be, if inspired apostles and
prophets were not found to lead them. In losing these officers, the
Church lost her authority, together with all her gifts and graces,
and the so-called Christian churches today are disrobed of all her
beautiful garments; and even those who pretend to defend her are crying
out that her gifts, graces and ordinances are useless in this age of
the world. Did Christ establish the true order or did He not? We say He
did, and would ask, has any man a right to change it? And if any man
or even an angel from heaven should alter it in the least, will he not
come under the condemnation that Paul uttered when he said: 'Though
we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed?' (Gal. i: 8.)
Christ placed these officers and the ordinances in the Church for the
perfection of the Saints; and any one teaching contrary to this is a
perverter of the gospel, and an anti-Christ in the full meaning of the
word. The difference between the true Church of Christ on the one hand,
and the Catholic Church, with all her posterity composing the whole
protestant world on the other hand, amounts to this: one had apostles,
prophets, etc., who led the Church by inspiration or by divine
revelation; while the others have learned men to preach learned men's
opinions; have colleges to teach divinity instead of the Holy Ghost;
instead of preaching the gospel without hire, their ministers must have
large salaries each year, and they are not certain of the doctrines
which they teach, when they should be in possession of the gifts of
knowledge, prophecy and revelation. Now then in what church do we find
apostles and prophets?"
The doctor replied, "There are none; but you must remember there must
be a preacher, for 'how shall they hear without a preacher?'" (Rom. x:
14.)
"And in the next verse he asks, 'How shall they preach except they be
sent?' This same apostle says that no man is to take the honor unto
himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron. (Heb. v: 4.) Aaron
was called by revelation (Ex. iv: 14-17); hence we see that no man
is to preach the gospel except he be called by revelation from God.
As I said, instead of men being called by revelation as the Bible
declares they should be in our day they argue that God has not revealed
Himself for almost eighteen hundred years. Go and ask your minister
if he has been called by revelation, and he will tell you that such
manifestations are not needed now, which assertion I think will prove
to you that he has no authority to baptize for the remission of sins."
"But did not Jesus say, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel?'"
"He did; but was He talking to modern ministers then? When He gave His
apostles authority to preach, did that give all men who feel disposed
to take the honor unto themselves, the same authority? He gave His
apostles to understand that they had not chosen Him, but He had chosen
them (John xv: 16); but in this day men reverse the condition. Then
again, He sent His servants into the world to preach His gospel without
purse or scrip. (Luke x: 4.) Paul says his reward is this, 'That when I
preach the gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that
I abuse not my power in the gospel.' (I. Cor. ix: 18.) Now, go and ask
your minister if he does the same, and I think you will find that he
must have a salary."
"Then what has become of the gospel?" said the lawyer.
"Paul says that the coming of Jesus Christ will not be, save there
be 'a falling away' (II. Thess. ii: 3), and that 'in the last days
perilous times shall come.' (II. Tim. iii: 1.) People 'will not endure
sound doctrine,' but will 'heap to themselves teachers having itching
ears, and shall turn from the truth to fables (II. Tim. iv: 3, 4),
and will have a form of godliness but will deny the power thereof.
(II. Tim. iii: 5.) Peter also says these false teachers will make
merchandise of the souls of men. (II. Peter ii: 1-3.) They are doing
so by demanding a salary for preparing sermons to tickle the people's
itching ears. (Micah iii: 11) says, their heads judge for reward, their
priests teach for hire, and their prophets divine for money, yet they
lean upon the Lord and say, is not the Lord among us? Now, my friends,
do not the different sects of the day present us with a literal
fulfillment of all these sayings? Have they not transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant? (Isaiah
xxiv: 5.) John Wesley in his 94th sermon, referring to the condition of
the church after it had departed from the right way and lost the gifts,
says: 'The real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost
were no longer to be found in the Christian Church was because the
Christians were turned heathens again and had only a dead form left."
"It would appear, then, that God has forsaken mankind and left us
without any hope," said Mr. Marshall.
"No, he has not; but this falling away, is the result of mankind
forsaking God, by changing His gospel and departing from its teachings,
as I have already shown. But He has promised, through his servants,
that there would be a dispensation when He would gather together all
things in Christ (Eph. i: 10), and would restore all things which He
has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
(Acts iii: 20, 21.) This dispensation was called the dispensation
of the fullness of times. (Eph. i: 10.) Daniel, who received, by
revelation, the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, saw what
would take place in the latter times, when the God of heaven would set
up a kingdom. (Dan ii: 44.) John, the revelator, while on that desolate
island, Patmos (some ninety years after Christ), saw how this gospel
would be restored: namely, that an angel would bring it from heaven
(Rev. xiv: 6), and Christ says it 'shall be preached in all the world
as a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.' (Matt.
xxiv: 14.) As God is always the same, and has but one plan for the
redemption of the human family, we may expect to see the same gospel
with like promises preached in a similar way. Where do we find it as
it existed anciently? But as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it
be also in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. (Matt. xxiv: 37;
Luke xvii: 26, 27.) Noah was sent by the Lord to foretell the coming
of the flood, but the people rejected his testimony, in fact, whenever
God has revealed His mind and will to man in days gone by, the world,
instead of receiving the same, have rejected the message and said all
manner of evil concerning the prophets, and in many instances have
killed them, as was the case with Christ Himself. Now then, my friends,
we are living in the dispensation of the fullness of times, when God
is gathering together all things in Christ. An angel has come from
the heavens and brought the everlasting gospel, and on the 6th day
of April, 1830, God--through revelation to man organized the kingdom
spoken of by Daniel, in the exact pattern of the kingdom as it existed
in the days of Christ, with apostles and prophets, and since that day
the servants of God have been traveling through the world preaching the
same, as a witness that the end will soon come. They call upon mankind
to exercise faith in God our eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus
Christ, also to repent of, and turn from their sins, and be baptized by
one who has been called of God by revelation, and receive the laying
on of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost. As servants of God
they then promise that the convert shall know of the doctrine, whether
it be of God or man (John vii: 17); and, furthermore, that the signs
which followed the believers in the days of the ancient apostles will
follow the believer at the present time, for the same cause will always
produce the same effect. My friends, as a servant of God, I call upon
you to obey these principles and you shall have the promised blessings."
The doctor said: "Much that you say is convincing, some of it excites
curiosity, and all is entertaining. I will now announce that the Town
Hall has been obtained for Saturday night and as that involves a little
longer stay than you intended, I suggest that a collection be taken and
turned over to you."
"I beg you, do nothing of that kind," said the missionary. "If the hall
is free, the lecture shall be also; and I can doubtless spend the time
pleasantly enough till then."
"Very well, if that is your pleasure. There will be such an attendance
as this town has rarely seen, I promise you."
And then after a few pleasantries in the usual vein, and a general
"good night," the party separated just as the clock struck twelve, each
in the best humor.
In view of the coming lecture it was mutually agreed that the veranda
gatherings should be discontinued for the present at least.