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with great zeal; they destroyed the altars of idolatry, and were now to keep the passover." "But "there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified." What was to be done with them? "For [verse 18] a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves""yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written." "But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. But did the Lord hearken to this prayer? Yes, verily; (verse 20.) "And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." But the position, "The Lord looketh on the heart," is more than sustained. Any other view is as absurd and unphilosophical, as it is unscriptural. We esteem that monarch happy, and honorable too, who possesses the hearts-the affections of his subjects; but who envies the tyrant who is surrounded by trembling slaves and fawning sycophants? And what says the great King concerning those "who draw nigh to him with their mouths, and honor him with their lips, while their hearts are far from him"? We say that "the God of nature is the God of grace." Let us then look at nature: The genial influences of the sun are enjoyed not according to state, or location, but according to position, or inclination. The mountain, located far away, in the inhospitable regions of the North, which rears ittelf on high, and throws up its bosom to the sun, receives on its sunny side life and heat; whilst the mountain's side turned from the sun is bound in perpetual frost, almost under his vertical rays. Again, our hemisphere, during our summer, is so inclined as to receive the full force of the sun's rays; then it is covered with glory and beauty: but, anon, it is "turned away backward," and then the chilling blast and the desolations of winter succeed; although our earth is then three millions of miles nearer the sun than in summer.

Thus the Lord says of his ancient people, "They have turned the back to me, and not the face." I could multiply texts almost to infinity to justify these illustrations; but I forbear. There is no other criterion which will divide the human family into two classes as the scriptures do. With any other we must make instead of two, a thousand, or perhaps a thousand millions: but with the view before us all difficulty vanishes, even to the eye of philosophy. The man of a weak and uncultivated mind may have many faults and fall into many errors, and yet cordially hate sin and sincerely love the Lord. For such the Saviour has made gracious provision: "If thy brother trespass against thee

† Will not my brethren be as compassionate as this good king, and permit those whose hearts are prepared to seek God, to eat the passover with them, although they be not sauctified according to the law?

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seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn unto thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. On the other hand," the man of a refined and philosophical mind may be free from any external fault, whilst his heart is as cold, and as hard too, as an "adamant stone." As quoted in a former essay, "It is the state of passionateness in the soul-not the thousand passionate acts." On the highlands of the Western Reserve, which divide the waters running into the Ohio river from those running into lake Erie, there stood, a few years since, an old building, so situate upon the summit, that the rain which fell on one side was borne to the lake, and that which fell on the other was borne to "The › Beautiful River;" yea, the kindred drops might fall so near together that they kissed each other by the way; yet a hair's breadth difference in their position might determine, with unerring certainty, that the one would be borne to the gulph of St. Lawrence, and commingle with the polar seas; while the other would, by the same law of gravitation, be carried to the great Mexican Gulph-to the regions of perpetual spring.

Reader, on which declivity art thou? If thou art on the wrong side, no matter how near thou art to the dividing line, thy doom is inevitable, unless thou dost repent. But, unlike the drops of water, thou choosest thy position, and canst change it. "Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye die?" Receive the rays of the "Sun of Righteousness" into thy bosom; so shalt thou "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

And to my brethren let me say, Be not exclusive; "examine yourselves;" "prove yourselves whether you be in the faith;" "be not deceived;" it is not state, but character-it is not location, but position, that is to decide our eternal destiny. There is animal and vegetable life in the regions of the polar bear, and there is perpetual frost and snow under a tropical sun-there are republicans in Europe, and there are tyrants in America-there are saints in Babylon, and hypocrites and sinners in Jerusalem. "Let him that readeth understand."

CHRISTIANOS.

REPLY TO CHRISTIANOS—No. III.

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Brother Campbell, BEFORE I enter upon the admission of the sects, I must notice the case of Cornelius, so much relied on, and a few sayings of our friend.

What was the condition of the Gentiles? How were the Jews ever to know that they were fellow-citizens by divine authority? And how should we be certain of our right at this day to be called Christians, and possess

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the Christian character, without this evidence which God gave to Peter and his Jewish brethren? Let us examine first what it was done for, and then show the errors contended for.

Cornelius, though a Gentile, was not ignorant of Israel's Saviour. "The WORD which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ; (he is Lord of all;) THAT WORD, I SAY, YE KNOW which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached." Thus he was taught and believed what was truth. See Acts x. 36, 37. It was an exercise of the sovereignty of God, in giving his Holy Spirit to the believing Gentiles in the same manner as he had given it to the believing Jews. It was designed of God to prohibit any man or set of men from forbidding to a Gentile believer the water of baptism, as God had granted them repentance unto life. It is true the Jews arraigned Peter for having admitted them into the Christian kingdom. He appealed to the gift of the Spirit and tongues conferred on the Gentiles, as evidence "that God was no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him and wORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ACCEPTED WITH HIM." It was given to Cornelius and his household as a wilness that they did believe; and he designed to put no difference be tween the Jew and the Gentile, or to bring them upon an equality. See Acts xv. 8, 11. A witness to whom? To the Jews, who were of opinion that God was peculiarly the God of the Jews, and that Christianity was a national religion. The Holy Spirit was to guide the Apostles into all truth; and the Gentiles' privileges are important items of revealed truth. The Holy Spirit was given before baptism: but such a gift is not now received before or after baptism; nor is it needed. He that says it is, let him prove it by the same evidence Peter produced to his Jewish brethren, and then, and not until then, will we believe it. To quote this case to sustain any opinion of uninspired men, at this day, is a wresting the word of God from its object, which was to show he would elevate the obedient believing Gentiles to equal honors with the Jews, his peculiar people, in his spiritual kingdom.

Let us now show the errors contended for in the gift of the Holy Spirit to Cornelius, We say, "It was not given before faith, in order to produce faith in their hearts." For the Holy Spirit was conferred upon both Jews and Gentiles when they had believed on the Lord Jesus. Acts xi. 17. It was not given to "purify their hearts;” for God purified their hearts by faith. Acts xv. 9. It was not given "to save them;" for they were to be saved by words. Acts xi. 14. It was not given "in order to remission of sins;" for that was through the name of Jesus. Acts x. 43. It was not given to them "to reveal the gospel to them," for Peter was

sent to tell

* Our friend says, "Cornelius realized the assurance of the Saviour." How? If a man IS MINDED To do his will, &c. There is no such text that I can find in the New Testament. It reads, "If a man WILL DO his will."

them the words of salvation which must be obeyed. Acts x. 48. It was no "secret operation of the Spirit to enable Cornelius to believe the word of God;" for he believed the message communicated by the angel, and the words spoken by Peter, before pouring out of the Holy Spirit. See the whole 10th chapter of Acts. Thus our friend's case, "directly to the point," fails him. He will have a man a Christian, without any scriptural evidence, since the day of Pentecost, or setting up of the Christian king. dom, that his sins are remitted. Remember it is through the name of Jesus Peter taught Cornelius bis sins were to be remitted. Now no man is authorized to put the name of Jesus upon sinners, but through faith in him, repentance towards God, and immersion into the name, &c. Paul has settled this question forever: "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (How is this done, Paul?) "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus; and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to promise." It is painful to me to see this "positive ordinance" "undervalued" by our Baptist friends. It is equally painful to hear sprinkling called baptism, and made a Saviour to unconscious babes that cannot believe nor repent. We give to baptism no more than Jesus and his Apostles-that is, the institution appointed of God as the immediate evidence of the remission of our sins through faith in his name and the shedding of blood. We rejoice to say, we have never been treated by the Pedobaptists, or wicked men, as we have been by the Baptists, for believing in, and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ according to the plain "letter" of his word.

Our friend has said in support of "his views" that there are "Christians among the sects"-"there are many republicans in England and monarchists in the United States." Does this prove the republicans in England are constitutional citizens of these United States? If so, this would not prove that teachers of Christiany have a right to make citizens of the kingdom of heaven according to their views. "To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this (God's) word, it is because there is no light in them." See Isaiah, ch. viii. "Bind up the testimony, and SEAL THE LAW AMONG MY DISCIPLES." Whatever may be the character of a foreigner, he can never be a citizen, or inherit any real property, without obeying the letter of the constitution. To admit such to be citizens, without taking the oath as prescribed by the constitution and laws, is to make the constitution void-a useless-powerless thing. To admit that any men or women are Christians without immersion, whatever their characters may be, (and there are many valuable characters we cheerfully acknowledge,) is to lower down the divine standard, and make it just what our Baptist friends have it—a useless and powerless institution among themselves. There is no standard among them by

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which a man can be assured from the word of God his sins are remitted.— There being little, great, weak, strong, and many other kinds of faith, added, leaves men and women doubting all the days of their lives whether they are Christians." Repentance being the work of every day, they are equally uncertain of their being Christians. But we have a Thus saith the SON OF GOD, "He that believes and is immersed shall be saved.” Thanks to him for such an institution, where all who wILL, CAN enjoy the same assurance, except those who have suffered the decrees and teaching of men to- blind their minds. All others, Christianos makes their ‘ignorance' as culpable as “wilful disobedience." The case as quoted by him, proves this, in the death of Uriah, if his reasoning be correct.

But to my promise: Ask the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Methodists if they do not believe their systems of faith and practice to be Christianity. They will answer, Yes. Take, for example, our Methodist friends: ask them if a man may not be a Methodist, and not a Christian. They will answer, Yes-"we take them on trial for six months." Ask them if a man can be a Christian, and not a Methodist. They will say, Yes. This admission, come from what sect it may, proves that system is nót Christianity; for if Methodism (or any other ism) is Christianity, no man could be a Methodist without being a Christian—no man could be a Christian without being a Methodist. This is demonstration. Why, then, should any man contend for "Christians among the sects"? A Christian is a Christian, thongh he may not be as intelligent, obedient, holy, active, and useful as he ought to be. There are "little children," "young men" and "fathers" in the Christian kingdom.

Our friend intends, no doubt, to reprove us for "overvaluing" "positive ordinances." Are we not as morally bound to obey the "positive crdinances" as the law of Mount Sinai? We do not set aside moral obligations, nor "place them in competition with moral and devotional precepts. We contend for a REAL REMISSION OF OUR SINS, and A REAL SPIRIT OF HOLINESS, in order to our present salvation. Faith and immersion put us in possession of this remission as certainly as God is in heaven, or that Jesus Christ has visited and taught the sons of Adam. Then the Holy Spirit produces a real spirit of holiness in them that obey him. If this be to "undervalue" or "overvalue positive ordinances," we are ignorant of it, and ask him to teach us better. Yours as ever,

NO. IV.

THOMAS M. HENLEY.

Brother Campbell,

I MAY be asked by Christianos or some of his friends, What is the difference between us, seeing he makes "a man as truly culpable for voluntary ignorance as for wilful disobedience?" for he shows, he says,

The Saviour says, "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."—"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Is not sprinkling, &c. commandinents of men?

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