THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE
T. FANNING,
EDITORS.
D. LIPSCOMB.
VOL. VIII
NASHVILLE, JULY 10, 1866.
NUMBER 28.
EDUCATIONAL ADDRESS BY THE TRUSTEES OF FRANKLIN COLLEGE, TENNESSEE.
DEAR BRETHREN AND FRIENDS:
We desire to make known, as the result of our deliberations, our conclusions in reference to establishing in Middle Tennessee, at as early a date as practicable, an institution of learning, which, we trust, will not only, to some considerable extent, at least, meet the wants of society, but also, prove a lasting blessing to thousands who may occupy the stage when the present actors shall have passed away.
If the Almighty ever, in any clime or country, clearly pointed out the duty of his creatures, he has unmistakably called his people, in the Southern States of our Republic, to provide educational facilities for the thousands and tens of thousands of youths who can never make even respectable attainments in knowledge without the benevolent aid of Christians. Many prosperous years must pass before our impoverished country can afford but the most limited means of a common school education, and consequently, it remains for benevolence and personal exertion to perform what no other influence can accomplish.
While we are disposed to favor every plausible educational enterprise, we consider it our duty to God, and to the destitute youth of our country, to make a vigorous effort to establish a college in our midst, in which a large number of pupils may have advantages “without money and without price,” which very few, indeed, can hope to enjoy for many dreary years to come, from any system that promises to bless the land.
In very plain language, we are in duty bound, either to build up and sustain schools upon our own soil, and assume the intellectual and moral direction of youth, or slavishly commit this holy labor to foreigners, strangers, and such as possess but little sympathy with us, and cannot…
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Possibly appreciate our wants and relations to Heaven and earth. Common self-respect requires an earnest and manly effort on our part, to place the blessings of education in the reach of the ambitious, yet hopeless thousands around us.
Our plans for accomplishing the purposes contemplated, are simple, yet we cannot well see how they can fail of success.
- It will be our first labor to secure funds for the purchase of a College Domain of two to four hundred acres of land, the erection of suitable buildings, purchase of apparatus and libraries, and the endowment of professors’ chairs. From two to three hundred thousand dollars will be required to open a college upon a plan that cannot fail to command respect. The funds we expect to raise by subscriptions of stock, in shares of one hundred dollars each, payable in five equal annual installments, and by donations and bequests.
- Touching our ability to raise the money, we respectfully suggest that the experience of the past five years has taught us, at least, one valuable lesson. The doubtful tenure by which we hold our earthly possessions has been fully demonstrated. While we are poor, most of our people are not to blame for our poverty, and yet our possessions, in many sections, are ample for our comfort. And we still have the means to do good. God made it our duty to use our wealth in honoring him, and this can best be done by ameliorating the condition of our fellow-helpers. So soon as Christians can be made sensible of their duty, we are satisfied that they will cheerfully perform it, and the supply of means for purposes of education will be abundant. The time cannot be far distant when Christians, as God’s stewards, will labor to glorify him in the use of the wealth entrusted to them.
- Our purpose, in the selection, is to select the most favorable location that we can find in the country, taking into consideration advantages of health, convenience of approach, and sites for family residences, for the accommodation of pupils. The formation of society qualified to improve youth and all connected with the institution, will be a subject of the first moment. That the plan is practicable, there can be no doubt, but the details will require future consideration.
- The object is to make education FREE; to all classes. With the means intended to make purchases, erect buildings and endow teachers’ chairs, there will be no difficulty on this score.
We earnestly invite our brethren and the friends of humanity to take the subject of this enterprise into serious consideration, and if they will but partially give it their attention, we entertain no doubt that they will most cheerfully cooperate with us in this great work. The necessity of such an institution was fully discussed in the recent consultation meeting at Henrreesboro, Tenn.; and Christians and Christian teachers generally, were invited to give their aid and influence to the cause.
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Enterprise; and Brethren W. D. Carnes and T. Fauning were requested to make arrangements as soon as convenient, to give their time and energies to the labor of establishing the college.
The foregoing thoughts and suggestions may be regarded more as an introduction to the subject than otherwise; we expect to lay before our brethren and the public much fuller details. In the meantime, agents, who will command respect, we shall place in the field, and shall be pleased to receive suggestions on the whole premises from the friends of Christian education. We think it best to act under the charter of Franklin College for the present, but at the proper time our design is to let old charter and old name pass away, in order that all things may become new.
Trustees
- PHILIP S. FALL
- W. D. CARNES
- J. A. CRAIG
- C. T. CLOW
- J. F. STANFORD
- HENRY H. HUNTER
- J. L. ANTHONY
- JOHN W. RICHARDSON
- JOHN HILL
- T. FAUNING
- D. HAMILTON
Franklin College, Tenn., July, 1866.
DAVID LIPSCOMB, Sec’y
“SWEAR NOT AT ALL”
MARSHALL COUNTY, Ky., June 27th, 1866.
DAVID LIPSCOMB – Dear Brother: – Bro. J. F. McCoy and I were with the congregation at Bethlehem church last Lord’s day last; two penitent believers were buried in baptism. Bethlehem is a place in the upper part of this county where about twenty-five disciples hold membership and meet to worship.
We have heard that it has been said by them of old times, “thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.” Matt. v: 33. This was certainly a quotation from the law of Moses, which was, in a short time, to be nailed to the cross. “But I say unto you swear not at all.” Verse 34. Here Jesus gave to his disciples, Jews under the law, a contrary law on the subject of swearing.
Now it appears to me, inasmuch as his disciples could not keep two contrary laws at the same time, and as Jesus was certainly teaching things pertaining to his approaching reign, that this latter law must have taken effect after the law of Moses was abrogated and the reign of Christ began. “But above all things, my brethren, swear not,” said the Apostle James to subjects in the kingdom. Jas. v: 12.
Now, Bro. Lipscomb, is “swear not at all” positively a law in the kingdom of Christ, and are we…
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Forbiddance to Take Oaths
Forbiddance thereby to take oaths as required by the civil laws of the land? Answer these questions, brother, and you will relieve the minds of many brethren in this section.
Your brother in the faith,
J. R. Jones.
We rejoice much at the growing tendency of our brethren to examine in the light of revelation, the practices into which they have gone with the world. The subject of Christian swearing is certainly one deserving our serious and earnest consideration. Christ and the Apostles condemned the common profane, vulgar oaths, or taking the Lord’s name in vain, as the thing intended. The thing condemned or forbidden by the Savior was something that was tolerated among the Jews. Profane swearing was not tolerated among the Jews; therefore that was not what Christ forbade in this connection. But was it a kind of vowing or calling down evil upon our souls, if we do not perform the things vowed? Such as Jephthah’s vow that resulted in the sacrifice of his daughter? We confess, we have had some difficulty in deciding these points, but are inclined to think all vows and oaths calling down God’s wrath on us on condition of failure to comply, is a violation of the law “swear not at all.” But is there any difference in an “affirmation” and an oath? We think there is when God’s name is not called upon in it. So our practice has been in all cases to affirm, when we could in “qualifying,” as it is called. But when it becomes necessary to do so, we have universally “affirmed” without the name of God being connected with the affirmation. We rejoice at the growing tendency of our brethren to do this, and would rejoice still more to see them universally adopt this practice, if they even will go so far. We would be glad to hear from brethren on this subject.
D. L.
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
It is known to most of our readers that the brethren in Kentucky have had successful operation, for a number of years, an orphan school for girls, at Millbury, Ky. We doubt not it has done a good and lasting work.
It was our fortune to spend a night and part of two days, about twenty months ago, at this school. It was then under charge of Bro. Broadus and his sister wife. So far as we could judge from so short a stay, we recommend them, from their kindly and affectionate manner, well suited for securing the affection and directing the education of the friendless poor. The arrangements of the school were plain and neat. The girls were taught to wait upon themselves and not to think useful and necessary labor a disgrace. Indeed, our estimate of it was such that we thought…
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the surroundings better calculated to promote sound education and the development of true practical Christianity than any other school in Kentucky.
We are glad to see the brethren have a call for a meeting to inaugurate a similar school for orphan boys. The meeting for the purpose is appointed for the 28th of July, at Midway. While we regret much that ill-health prevented our remaining with our brethren at Murfreesboro to the close of their meeting, we yet rejoice to know that their minds, in reference to schools, run in the direction of schools for the poor.
We are satisfied that the whole spirit of the church has been wrong in building large, costly establishments for the rich, providing for their education and catering to their pride and extravagance to the neglect of the poor. Christianity always keeps uppermost in its heart and first in its labors the well-being of the poor, the helpless, the suffering.
Romanism has done more to advance her influence by furnishing cheap schooling for those of moderate means, than by all her learning, show and fashionable attire. ‘Tis true she has pandered to the tastes and habits of the rich, but she has reached out her hand to help and use the poor. This is the chief star of her strength, the strongest spoke in her wheel. In vain may we talk of her tyranny and her hellish oaths, her oppression of the poor and her disposition to keep the people in ignorance and degradation, so long as her efforts to help the poor and suffering stand in so marked contrast with those who abuse her.
We must then arouse ourselves to the true importance to the church and the world, of properly reaching, caring for, educating, converting and using the poor. Especially does the impoverished and orphaned condition of the Southern people demand schools, instruction and charges suited to the poor. Our conviction is that no congregation in the land is in a truly effective working condition that does not supply a school, both Sunday and week, for the children of the poor, free of cost, in which they will be taught the elements of a sound education, but especially of the Christian religion. We have almost a nation of impoverished orphans, white and black, that need the aid and guidance of the Church of Christ.
Shall they not have it?
D. L.
Corinth, Miss., June 17th, 1866.
Bro. Fanning—Dear Sir:
I desire very much to see all of my old college friends and teachers, but especially yourself and Bro. W. Lipscomb, who were the best friends, since my mother, I ever had in life. May God preserve and bless you both for your manifold kindnesses, not only to me, but to hundreds of friendless and penniless youth all over the South, who love and reverence you, not only as fathers in the Church of Christ, but as benefactors in temporal affairs. I hope soon to be able to recompense you amply for the many favors extended me while among you.
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Charity pupil, although you never permitted me to feel as one, but gave not as one who gives grudgingly. War and worldly-mindedness have very nearly made shipwreck of the cause here. There are a few scattered brethren and sisters, however, but we have no place of worship, and consequently do not meet. Please come down yourself and preach a few sermons, the same that you used to preach in our chapel. That is, I am pained to listen, gone. I hoped that I might someday call upon you in your room, and then walk through those halls where the happiest and best days of my life were spent. Come then, and bring Brother Goodall with you, (Bro. Goodall was killed in the war.—T. F.) Your sojourn among us shall, at least, be pleasant, if the wasted and desolate condition of our country will permit us to make it so.
Your brother,
R. L. PRIEST.
Columbus, Miss., June 30th, 1865.
Dear Brother Fanning—With an aching heart I sit in the presence of my darling’s mangled body, to write to you. This morning Robert was murdered by a citizen of this place, and he now lies dead before me. Pray for me, my dear brother, that this terrible visitation may be productive of Christian humility and a more exclusive trust in my God. My earthly stay has been thus suddenly snatched from me, but I have the strong hope of meeting him at the resurrection of the just.
Farewell. Pray for your poor afflicted states,
D. M. PRIEST.
Remarks—We must sincerely sympathize with Sister Priest in her sad affliction, and we would to Heaven that we could calm her troubled spirit; but her own Robert has left to return no more to scenes of blood. We know nothing of the particulars of his death, but we doubt not that it was a legitimate result of the workings of that false system, “An eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth,” under which ninety-nine hundredths of the professors of religion, of the nineteenth century, live and act. The idea of religious editor—and preachers generally advocating a system of self-indulgence, wrath and tumult under the sacred mantle of their relation to God, excites our deepest sympathies, and when we call to mind the hundreds of other young men, who have fallen under the cause of falsehood in the past years, we can exercise but little patience toward these ministers of the prince of this world in high places. Robert L. Priest was but another example of one with noble aspirations who could not withstand the insinuations of Satan’s bloody hand, but when we recall the names of Turner Goodall, Wm. Richardson, Henry Appleton, Julia Calhoun, G. L. Harrington, and scores more of our old students who, after avowing allegiance to the Prince of Peace, were captured by false teachers, and fell under the black banner, our heart sickens at the thought of considering these ministers of darkness the friends of the children of light.
Dear Minister Priest, let us labor to the close of our short career to turn our kindred and countrymen from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. May we light the good light of faith, and be prepared to lay hold on eternal life.
T. FANNING.
THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE
CORNELIUS AN OFFICER OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT
Bro. J. M. Dill, of Milton, Tenn., writes, “There is one thing I would like for you to explain. If I understand you, you take the position that Christians can take no part in the affairs of world-government. I wish to know if Cornelius was not an officer of a world-government when he was converted to Christianity, and if so, have we any evidence that he resigned his office?”
We had hoped that the brethren who have difficulties on this subject would present them before we recommenced the investigation of it again. Not that we expected to reply specifically to each objection, but wished to publish them, lay them before our readers, and then see if we are not prepared to remove them all. But as this is the first and only objection or difficulty on the subject that has reached our office, we propose to answer it specifically.
Cornelius certainly was an officer in Roman government at the time of his conversion. Is there any evidence that he resigned that office? Paul, Matthew, and the Philippian jailer were also officers of the government. Did they resign? Did Paul resign his office? Did Matthew? The Scriptures nowhere announce that either of them ever did. Yet no man believes that either of them retained his office. Why not? Their future lives are written, and we know from what is told us of each of their lives, that they did not retain their offices. If all the workers, whose lives are recorded, forsook their offices, there is at least a very strong presumption that those whose future histories are not recorded did the same thing. Of these are Cornelius and the jailer. But is there nothing more certain than this presumption? To our minds there is not a more certain proposition connected with biblical teaching than that these men did resign their offices.
Let us leave out the requirements of Christianity altogether, and look at the other side. The government of which they were officers was persecuting private Christians, imprisoning and destroying the humblest man or woman in the land that professed Christianity. Is it probable, is it possible that that government would have permitted its officers to profess Christianity and retain their offices? The man, woman, or child that can believe this is easy of faith. The first and special work of the Centurion was, with his men of arms, to arrest and deliver to the jailor, to be cast into the inner prison, those who professed to be Christians, after their condemnation to be their executioners, to be the agents in striving to induce them to recant their profession and deny their faith in Christ their Savior. If they refused to do this, it was his official duty to bring, quarter, cast to the wild beast, and bind to the stake, kindle the fires, cast on the fagots that were to torture the faithful Christian unto death.
Do you think the Roman government would entrust such work to a Christian officer? Did the United States Government ever entrust the work of reclaiming, arresting, and punishing rebels to an open professed rebel? That such was the work of Centurions, we refer you to almost…
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Every chapter of the Acts of Apostles from the xxi. chap. to the close of the book. Could Cornelius, a converted man, a Christian man, do this work? The jailor’s chief duty was to cast Christians into the inner prison, and bind them fast in the stocks. The accidental escape of the prisoners would have brought upon him punishment so dire that he preferred death by his own hands to that punishment. See Acts xvi. 27. If punishment so terrible was the consequence of their accidental escape, what must have been the cruel fate for deliberately turning them loose. The jailor’s course, in turning them loose, shows conclusively that a Christian could not perform the requirements of a Roman jailor at that day. We have not a doubt but that the history of Cornelius and the jailor being given, we would learn that either like Paul they fled the country and jeopardized their lives to the proclamation of the truth in other and distant lands, or that they sealed their faith by deaths of martyrdom from those who succeeded them in office. Three centuries later another centurion of this same government was converted to Christianity. His conversion caused him, “Marcellus, a centurion, to throw away his belt, his arms, and the ensign of his office, and to exclaim with a loud voice, that he would obey none but Jesus Christ the eternal king, that he renounced the use of carnal weapons and the service of all his idolatrous master.” He was condemned for desertion.” Gibbons’ name, vol. ii., page 60. Cornelius and the jailor did not remain officers of the earthly government.
Neither Christianity nor the civil government would have tolerated this. But why was the fact not specifically stated? To appreciate these things we must strive to realize the circumstances under which they transpired. We have so little drifted from the original Christian standpoint, that it is difficult to realize the full three of the touchings and examples of the early Christians. God had led the way to the Christian’s standpoint, through Jewish separation and Jewish exclusiveness, through Jewish enmity to all the governments of earth. To have proselyted one of another nation to Judaism, with its historic exclusiveness, did not require a formal renunciation that he ceased to be a supporter and member of other governments. The very fact of his becoming a Jew, necessarily involved this. It involved the truth that he was then an enemy of all other governments. Christians took the position of the Jewish nation with its separateness, its antagonism to all earthly governments, only, through its Divine Founder, declaring that it was not an earthly kingdom, sought not earthly contest with carnal weapons.
Viewed from the original standpoint prepared of God, to give the true idea of its relationship to the world, the very fact that an individual entered the Church of God, was a distinct announcement that this separated him from all active participation in the offices of earthly governments, just as much as the fact of a former officer of the United States entering the service of the Confederate States was a distinct announce-
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… that he forsook all the offices, emoluments and trusts of the former and all other governments. I hope the brethren will diligently study these questions. The positions that we have assumed we are prepared to maintain and defend, as the teachings of the Bible and the practice of the early Christians. We are willing to do this modestly, kindly, and in Christian spirit wherever and whenever circumstances may demand it. For we do not believe there is any peace, joy, holiness, spiritual prosperity or strength to the church until she ceases her alliances with the world and is fully married with an unqualified fidelity to the Lord.
D. L.
For the Gospel Advocate.
THIS IMAGE
“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
— Matthew xxii: 21
During the late political excitement that swept over the United States of America, and presented its fair face in human blood, the above quotation from the Redeemer of the world—the Prince of Peace, was most licentiously used by political demagogues as a text from which to teach the disciples of the meek and humble Nazarene that it was their duty, on the call of the civil government, to take into their hands carnal weapons and engage in killing their fellowmen. This seemed to be regarded as one of the strongest passages of the inspired writings, by which to prove that the Christian man owes active service to the governments of this world, and to my personal knowledge many persons seek to justify themselves by it, in active participation in civil affairs. This is not only a gross perversion of the lesson taught by the Savior to his disciples, but his language, when properly understood, absolutely prohibits all active participation in the affairs of human governments. I do not propose any learned or lengthy exegesis of the argument, but simply to suggest the point made by the great Teacher on the occasion wherein he employed the language in question.
The Pharisees had taken counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk; and for this purpose sent their disciples with the Herodians to interrogate him. They proceed to their base work in the hypocritical and disingenuous style usual to political chicanery, and after an introductory adulation calculated to secure confidence and dispel suspicion, they propound the question with which they conceive they can involve him in an inextricable dilemma. “What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?” They evidently reasoned in their minds that he would be compelled to answer either affirmatively or negatively. If he answered yes, they would take advantage of the antipathy of the Jews against Roman rule to excite them against him, and if he answered in the negative they could hold him amenable to the Roman authorities. Greatly to their surprise, he evades both horns of their ingenious dilemma. He proceeds to lay a basis for his answer, by …
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Demands from them a coin bearing the image and superscription of Caesar. Having obtained the public acknowledgment that the image was that of Caesar, and that the superscription was his, the answer of infinite wisdom is given to their question, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Now with this entire interview before us, what were the things, in the contemplation of Jesus, that were Caesar’s? Evidently whatever bore his image and superscription (or more properly, inscription). These were the coins of the country, as the standard or commercial value, or such representations as they might have. But what are the things that are God’s? Why, assuredly, “God created man in his own image.” Gen. i: 27. The answer of the Savior there amounts to this, “Render to civil governments the things which they have made, upon which they have stamped their insignia and placed their distinctive inscription, but render unto God the whole man, soul, body and spirit, for he is the image of God, and the Christian man has had the awful and sublime names of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit called upon him.
There are persons, however, who affirm that man lost the image of God by transgression, and that none of Adam’s posterity have borne it. Therefore, in order to give full force to the lesson in hand, it may be well enough to throw in a few incidental sentences to refute this most unfounded philosophy. After the flood, when Noah was installed as the occupant of the new earth and progenitor of a new population, the Lord God, as reason for enacting the law of capital punishment for homicide, says, “For in the image of God made he man.” Gen. 9:6.
Paul says, “For a man, indeed, ought not to cover his head forasmuch as he is (not was) the image and glory of God.” 1 Cor. 11:7. James, speaking of the tongue, says, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are (not were) made after the similitude of God.” So, then, in the days of the inspired apostles, men were still made in the image, likeness or similitude of the eternal God. And, dear brethren, in the Lord, so they are unto this day, and will be made until the end of time. We are in the image of God, and God demands that we render unto him our entire offerings of soul, body and spirit, and he will, in the end, exalt us to the glory of “Christ men made perfect,” when “our vile bodies shall be changed, and made like unto the glorious body of the Son of God.”
Render unto the governments of the darkness of this world, their arbitrary representatives of artificial value, in the shape of tribute or tax, as much as they may demand from you, but if you would not be a robber of God, which it is, I beseech you not to transfer from him to Caesar one particle of the service due him. Beyond a mere passive submission to worldly powers, the payment of tribute is the only debt enjoined by the law of the Lord.
Render the paltry dollar which bears the image and inscription of Caesar.
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sar (its maker) to him to whom it belongs, but, the noble man, a creature of such inestimable value in the eye of his Creator, as to justify the blood of Christ to be given for his redemption, render unto God, his Master and Redeemer. The spirit being sanctified to the service of God, becomes a priest to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ, and the offering it must continually make is the body which must be presented a living sacrifice, and must be disposed of according to the law of the record, which is sufficient to make the man of God perfect, and to thoroughly furnish him unto all good works. Whatever we cannot find directions for doing in the Holy Scriptures, no Christian should ever engage in. This is the true rule of Christian life, and he who observes it will never be found wrangling in the darkness of this age, but will continually walk in the light, and those who walk in the light will all be found walking together, they will be of the same mind and speak the same things.
Beloved brethren, let us remember that we are the children of light, and that our citizenship is in Heaven, whence we look for our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His own good time will show who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. I have much to say on this subject, but will defer it until another time. In the blessed hope of eternal citizenship in the perfect and glorified kingdom, where wars and strifes will never rage.
I subscribe myself,
IRA C. MITCHELL
Ottumwa, Iowa, June 12th, 1866.
PROGRESS TOWARD UNION
The Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Penn., and the Church of Christ in Allegheny City, have agreed to mutually regard each other as Churches of Christ, receive and interchange fraternal greetings and receive members one from the other on letters of commendation. In short, recognize each other as Churches of Christ. This statement we saw some weeks ago in the Religious Herald.
The Church of Christ at Augusta, Ga., being without a minister, has obtained the services of Baptist brethren. So says the Religious Herald.
Noting, these interchanges and associations cannot deal. There should be no smothering of truth, upon either side. But, with a free and full recognition of the difference as they exist, the result cannot fail to result in good.
We fitted to a contribution of two dollars from Graves County, Ky., by a Christian brother, for the destitute South. It was no part of our intention to overlook this because the amount was small. The Savior has given us appreciation of the small gifts.
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from the poor, in the widow’s might that was cast into the treasury. So the poor ought to learn from this that their offerings are just as much demanded as, and more highly appreciated by God than the abundance of the rich.
A brother writes that many small contributions would be sent from that section but for [j!lll’ they would be more trouble and would hardly reach their destination. To such, we say send in a letter by mail. It will come with a reasonable degree of certainty. Should it be lost or failed to be remembered by us, there is one who never falls to note and report the “widow’s mite” of the offering of the poor.
D. L.
ERRATA
In our article headed “An Explanation,” with reference to the position of our papers with regard to religion and politics, a couple of typographical errors occur. “Animosities,” fourth line from bottom of page 3, should read “anomalies.” A more important one occurs on page 38, tenth line from the top. It should read “And yet themselves not engaged in war.” We regret this, as it represents that Brother Franklin engaged in war, which we have never understood him to do.
BAPTISTS AND THEIR ANCESTRY
We have submitted and are ready to defend the claims of the Baptists to have descended from the dissenters from Roman assumptions and Romish corruptions through the centuries of her greatest wickedness previous to the days of Martin Luther. The ancestors of the Baptist churches, through years of bitter persecution, sealed their testimony against the practices of and assumptions of Romanism with their own lives freely given up for the sake of Jesus. We propose to present to you faith and practice of those ancient churches of God, on some points of interest, that we may see whether our modern Baptists are true to the faith of their fathers. We propose to present their faith on the subject of remission of sins, with its conditions. We shall quote first from Orchard’s History of the Baptists.
Orchard, himself, was a Baptist minister of England. He wrote his history with a view of showing an unbroken succession of churches, practicing believer’s immersion back to the days of the apostles. The history was published by the Baptist Publication Society; with an introduction he traced in America written by J. R. Graves. In tracing the history of the activity, our historian has found the object of design connected with it. Passing over the clear text on the position assigned by Jesus Christ at the appointment of baptism, we will examine societies which scripturally administer Jordan to the British Thames.
Page 12, paragraph 1, our history:
We now turn to the writing…
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lugs, next in importance to the Sacred Oracles, in order to ascertain the views encouraged by the early fathers on baptism. Barnabas, Paul’s companion, (Acts xiii: 2,) and, like him, sound in the faith. This worthy minister says on baptism, “Consider how he hath joined both the Cross and the Water together; for this he saith, blessed are they who, putting their trust in the cross, descend into the water.”
Austin, “We go down into the water, full of sin and pollution, but come up again bringing forth fruit; having in our hearts the fear and hope which is in Jesus.”
Hermas, whom Paul salutes in the church at Rome, (Rom. xvi: 14,) writing about A. D. 93, speaking of baptism and backsliders, says, “They are such as have heard the word, and were willing to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but when they call to mind what holiness is required of those who professed the truth, withdrew themselves.” Again, “Before a man receives the name of the Son of God, he is ordained to death, but when he receives that seal, he is freed from death, and delivered unto life; now that seal is water, by which men descend under obligation to death, but ascend out of it, being appointed unto life.”
Justin Martyr says, A. D. 150, “Then we bring them to some place where there is water, and they are regenerated by the same way of regeneration by which we were regenerated; for they are washed in the water of the Father, &c.” Again, “This food we call the Eucharist, of which none are allowed to partake, but such only as are true believers, and have been baptized in the laver of regeneration, for the remission of sins, and live according to the precepts of Christ.”
On page 16, the year 190, Clement says, “The baptized ought to be children in malice, but not in understanding, even such children who, as the children of God, have put off the old man with the garments of wickedness, and have put on the new man.”
Origen on baptism observes, A. D. 185, “They are rightly baptized who are washed unto salvation. He that is baptized unto salvation receives the water and the Holy Spirit; for baptism is accompanied with bringing the flesh, and rising again to newness of life, is the approved baptism.”
Page 35, A. D. 271, Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, says, “Faith and baptism are two means of salvation nearly allied and inseparable; for faith is perfected by baptism, and baptism is founded on faith; and the confession which leads us to salvation goes before, and baptism, which seals our covenant, follows after.”
Page 44, Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, (A. D. 388,) asserts, “That the regeneration wrought in baptism ought not to be attributed to the water, but to a divine virtue; that by dipping the person under water three times, the death and resurrection of Jesus…
THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE
Christ is represented, that without baptism no man can be washed from sin. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, says, “The body was plunged into this water to wash away sins.” Page 229. Dr. Ecbcrtus, in the year 1160, says, “The principal reason the Arnoldists bring against infant baptism, is Matt. xxviii. 19, and Mark xvi. 16. The Albigenses say, concerning the baptism of children, that through their incapacity it nothing protecteth them to salvation; and that baptism ought to be deferred till they come to years of discretion, and when they can, with their own mouth, make a profession of faith.” On page 335, the Bohemian Waldenses contend that infants cannot be saved by baptism, as they do not believe; they condemn the custom of believers communicating not more than once a year, whereas they communicate every Lord’s day. Whatever is presented without Scripture proof, they account no better than fables. A. D. 1655, the Waldenses taught, “that God doth not only instruct and teach us by his word, but has also ordained certain sacraments to be joined with it as a means to unite us to Christ, and to make us partakers of his benefits, and that there are only two of them belonging in command to all the members of the church under the New Testament, to-wit: baptism and the Lord’s supper.” Page 291, Orchard says, “the church of Jerusalem is sufficient to negate this statement, viz: that no distinct Baptist organization had been kept up from the beginning, excluding others from their communion) with the first account of church discipline extant, which says, ‘This food we call the eucharist, of which none are allowed to be partakers, but such only as are true believers, and have been baptized in the river of regeneration for the remission of sins, and live according to Christ’s precepts.’ Page 317. The Anabaptists, of Germany, say, “We do from our hearts acknowledge that baptism is a washing, which is performed with water, and doth hold out the washing of the soul from sin.” Page 321, A. D. 1024.
Pope Innocent III, in the year 1198, “Represented the heretics (Waldenses and Anabaptists) as teaching that it was to no purpose to baptize children, since they could not have forgiveness thereby, as having no faith, charity, &c.” Page 201. Again, page 234, year 1194, “They (Waldenses) professed their belief of Christianity by being baptized and their love to Christ and one another, by receiving the Lord’s supper. In giving an account of the reasons for requiring proselytes from other churches to be baptized say, ‘When, from a multiplicity of ceremonies, the original design is obscured, and it ceases to make manifest the disciples of Christ, John i. 13, and the cleansing properties of this work, Acts xxii. 16, it ceases to be Christ’s appointment.’ The earliest dissenters were guided by this view, and yet were not Anabaptists.” We could multiply quotations from Orchard and other Baptist historians, as well as Pædobaptist historians, almost without number, showing plainly that all the practisers of believer’s immersion, previous to their corruption by too intimate an…
THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE
447
Association with the Prido-Baptist churches held baptism to be the act of submission to God, in which our Father promised the remission of sins. That baptism of the believing penitent was God’s appointment for conducting us out of the State of condemnation, into a state or condition of pardon and acceptance with God. The idea then of an assurance or pardon before submission of the soul, mind, and body to God by a burial to sin and resurrection in Christ Jesus, to a new and holy life, is not only unscriptural, but in opposition to the teachings of that persecuted and oppressed body who maintained through centuries of trial and affliction, the unbroken succession of the apostolic faith, apostolic ordinances and a apostolic congregations—from the Jewish Jordan to the British Thames and the American Mississippi. We therefore appeal to our Baptist friends to return to this teaching, both of Christ the Lord, and his loyal inspired and uninspired servants for eighteen centuries. You, not we, have removed the ancient landmarks of our Father’s dominion and…
EXCHANGES
Among our exchanges which seem to regard Christianity not political, we note with pleasure the Christian Herald, a semi-monthly of twenty-four pages, published by Dudley Downing and John W. Lacy, at Enfield, Ill., at two dollars per year. It is a worthy publication. Also “The Herald of Truth,” published at DeSoto, Ill., by our brother, H. D. Buntau and John Lindsey. The publisher of these is well known to most of our readers in Middle and West Tennessee as a true and faithful minister of the word, and they will at all times rejoice with us at his success in spreading the truth, whether by mouth or pen. The Herald is a weekly sheet, “devoted to the advocacy and defense of Apostolic Christianity, education, church news, miscellaneous, and general religious.” The first number of the Herald that we saw gave some indications that it might be tinctured with politics in its correspondence. We had heard that Bro. Buntau kept a clear record for himself during the four years of passion and strife through which we have passed. But knowing the difficulty of an editor keeping out everything that he thought ought to be kept out, and admitting all that ought to be admitted into his columns, we were led to fear that the Herald would fall into the popular style of mixing up politics and religion. The latter numbers have banished our fears, and we can heartily wish the Herald complete success in its work. Terms, two dollars a year in advance. Address H. D. Buntau, DeSoto, Ill.
D. L.
SPECIAL NOTICE
All communications and remittances of names and money intended for the Gospel Advocate, or for David Lipscomb, should be addressed to Nashville, Tenn. All letters and communications for Elder… running personally, will be directed to him at Franklin College. The sending of lists and communications for the Advocate to Franklin College frequently delays them several weeks. Will correspondents and subscribers please note this?
D. L.
448
THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE
OUR LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE
When we have traveled through this vale of tears—this wilderness of sin and temptations, and have reached the shore of the dark, cold Jordan of Death, if we have loved and obeyed the Great Sovereign of the universe—if we have spent one time in His service, then, while this world, with all its fading treasures, is receding from our views, we are passing slowly over the shadowy river. What ineffable emotions of rapture must take possession of the mind as the “promised land,” in all of its heavenly beauty, extends out before it.
And the thought, too, of living, not a few years only, but throughout the never-ending ages of Eternity, with the good people of all times, and the holy angels, and in the pure and peaceful presence of Him “who left His radiant home above,” and came to earth, and suffered and died, to procure for us a place in the bright realms of celestial bliss. What is a life worth spent in the vain pursuit of this world’s pleasures, compared to the glorious anticipations of a Christian’s dying hour?
OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS
We thank our brethren from West Tennessee for the large lists of subscribers we are almost daily receiving from that portion of the State. We again ask our brethren everywhere to an increased activity in behalf of the ADVOCATE. The way to make a good paper is to place the means in the hands of the publishers for so doing. We wish the ADVOCATE improved and put upon a firmer footing than it has heretofore occupied. Every dollar received for it shall be devoted to its improvement and in arrangements for its permanency and increased usefulness. Will the brethren make an earnest effort in its behalf during the summer and fall? We ought to double our present list before the year ends. Remember from the first of July till the end of the year, or 26 numbers of 48 pages for $1.25 to single subscribers, or $1.00 each for clubs of ten. We cannot furnish over fifty back numbers.
D. J. NEWMAN.
Brenham, Texas, June 2d, 1866.
Dear Brothers Fanning & Lard:—I am much pleased in the reception of your very welcome visitor, the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. I have ever been pleased with the subject, spirit and manner in which it is conducted. I am so much pleased with Brother L’s views on the Church of Christ and World-Powers. I hope he will continue until the church will learn that the Christian cannot engage in “strife and bloodshed,” and to keep out of the political machinations and strifes of the world for the sake of posts of honor and profit, and let Caesar govern his own affairs. I must say that I feel equally gratified with Bro. Fanning’s defense of the Church of Christ as built upon the rock, the precious cornerstone laid in Zion, the foundation of prophets and apostles—Jesus Christ. Yes, Bro. F., stand firm on that foundation, that neither threats, nor expedients, nor the gates of hell will ever be able to move it.
A. NEWMAN.