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Mr. Joseph Marsh says (Gospel Luminary, Vol. III. p. -273, 1830), "I have said, and now contend, that repentance and baptism are inseparably connected." Remarking on Mark 16: 16. Acts 2: 38. 22: 16, he says, "These and other passages positively place baptism before salvation or forgiveness of sins." "The Samaritans, and the Eunuch, were not filled with joy until they were baptized." "Paul's sins were not forgiven, or washed away, until he was baptized."

It is justice, however, to remark, that Mr. Campbell and his friends do not say, (as has been charged upon them,) that immersion will itself save, without a belief of the "facts" of the Bible; but simply that no one can possibly be saved, who is not immersed. See ut supra, in connection with Mill. Har. Vol. VI. p. 83, 84.

(3) Mr. Campbell and his friends teach, that immersion in water is absolutely essential to forgiveness of sin.

This is apparent from some of the preceding extracts. But, that the system may be perfectly understood, we will give this position a more particular consideration.

In Mill. Har. Er. No. 1. p. 31, Mr. Campbell says, "Those who are thus begotten and born of God, [i. e. by immersion] are children of God. It would be a monstrous supposition, that such persons are not freed from their sins. To be born of God, and born in sin, is inconceivable. Remission of sins is as certainly granted to the born of God, as life eternal and deliverance. from corruption will be granted to the children of the resurrection, when born from the grave."

Again, p. 41: "Some ask, how can water, which penetrates not the skin, reach the conscience? But little do they think, that in so talking, they laugh at and mock the whole divine economy, under the Old and New Testament institutions."

Again: "Under the government of the Lord Jesus, there is an institution for the forgiveness of sins, like which there was no institution since the world began. The meaning of this institution has been buried under the rubbish of human traditions for hundreds of years. It was lost in the dark ages, and has never been, till now, disinterred," p. 2.

“Under the former economy, blood was necessary to forgiveness; and under the new economy, water is necessary." Christian Baptist, Vol. VII. p. 163.

"He (God) appointed baptism to be, to every one that believed the record he has given of his Son, a formal pledge on

his part, of that believer's personal acquittal or pardon; so significant and so expressive, that when the baptized believer rises out of the water, is born of water, enters the world a second time, he enters it as innocent, as clean, as unspotted as an angel." Debate with Mr. M' Calla, as reported by A. Campbell, p. 137.

The following illustration will make it manifest that these extracts do not misrepresent the views of this sect on the subject before us.

"In religion a man may change his views of Jesus, and his heart may also be changed towards him, but unless a change of state ensues, he is still unpardoned, unjustified, unsanctified, unreconciled, unadopted, and lost to all christian life and enjoyment." "Begotten of God he may be, but born of God he cannot be, until born of water."-"Lavinia was the servant of Palemon, and once thought him a hard master. She changed her views of him, and her feelings were also changed towards him; still, however, she continued in the state of a handmaid. Palemon offered her first his heart, and then his hand, and she accepted them. He vowed, and she vowed before witnesses, and she became his wife. Then, and not till then, was her state changed. She is no longer a servant,—she is now a wife. No change of views and feelings led to this change of state; for Maria, who was another handmaid of Palemon, changed her views of him, and her feelings towards him, as much-nay, more-than did Lavinia; yet Maria lived and died the servant maid of Palemon and Lavinia." Extra, No. 1.

We might greatly extend these extracts, but think it best to permit the foregoing pathetic "analogy" to conclude them, that the impression may remain in full force upon the reader's mind. There is one other topic, however, in connection with this subject, that we must here introduce, to place the system fully before the reader's mind.

(4) The Campbellites declare that immersion in water, and regeneration, are two names for the same thing.

However inconsistent this may be with the foregoing statements, we, of course, are not answerable. The inconsistency will be seen upon perusing the subjoined extracts, if the preceding passages have not already made it apparent.

In Mill. Har. Ex. No. 6. p. 360, Note, Mr. Campbell thus speaks: "We contend that being born again, and being immersed, are, in the apostle's style, two names for the same thing.” and "When we speak in the exact style of the living oracles on

this subject, we must represent being born again (John 3: 5), and regeneration (Tit. 3: 5), as relating to the act of immersion alone."

He says, however, at the same time, that he does not, by regeneration, mean all that evangelical Christians mean by it.* But it is sufficient for us to know, that he professes to mean by immersion, or the act of immersion, all that the New Testament means by regeneration, or being born again.

وو

In Extra, No. 1. p. 27, 28: "Being born again, and being immersed, are the same thing.' "Regeneration and immersion are, therefore, two names for the same thing." "Immersion

and regeneration are two Bible names for the same act."

In showing the amazing power which immersion in water exerts upon the soul, and illustrating the velocity which it thereby acquires, Mr. Campbell remarks: "Like a strong impulse given to a ball, which puts it into motion, immersion for the forgiveness of sins carries the mind forward, far beyond all the experiences formerly demanded as preparatory to immersion. A change of state so great, so sensible, so complete, so sudden, operates more like the ancient cures, than the cold, dark, and tedious mental regenerations of the philosophising theologues." And then we have the "analogy," or illustration, which is as follows: "He that passes from Virginia into Pennsylvania, passes over a mere imaginary geographical line, without scarcely perceiving the transition; but he that passes from Virginia into the state of Ohio, by swimming the river, the natural and sensible boundary, immediately realizes the change."

These quotations are surely more than sufficient to give the reader an idea of this ridiculous travesty of the gospel. We would, however, before leaving this topic, remind Mr. Campbell that his claim to originality in this discovery of a method to cleanse the soul from sin, is not so clear as to be indisputable. For we recollect that shortly after "the dark ages," there was a certain old gentleman at the head of a denomination, who made the same discovery, and affirmed that, "If any one shall say that baptism is indifferent, that is, not necessary to salvation, let him be accursed." He affirmed many other things in re

His words are: "Our opponents deceive themselves and their hearers, by representing us as ascribing to the word immersion, and to the act of immersion, all that they call regeneration." Ut supra, p. 369. Si quis dixerit, Baptismum liberum esse, hoc est non necessarium ad salutem; anathema sit. Conc. Trid. Les. VII. die Mart. 111. 1547. Can. 5. de Baptismo.

lation to it, which have been summed up by the Roman Catholic bishop Hays, in his Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine, approved by archbishop Maucal; and some of them are as follows: "Baptism brings to the soul sanctifying grace-washes away the guilt of original and actual sin-gives a new and spiritual birth-makes us Christians-entitles us to actual gracepreserves the sanctity gotten at baptism,-and gives a right to eternal happiness.'

And

We are not sure but Mr. Campbell must also yield to another claimant. One of our missionaries some time ago meeting an old Brahmin, aged eighty, asked him: "Do you know how your sins are to be pardoned, and what will be your state after death?" He replied: "My hope is in the Ganges." when further pressed, he confessed that "If the Ganges could not take away his sins, he knew not what could." See Miss. Her. Vol. XXIX. p. 97. It would be amusing to speculate upon the manner in which a Campbellite would have treated the subject with the aged priest.

We should be sorry to take away from Mr. Campbell all merit of originality in relation to his illustrious discovery; but as he has so boldly ventured bis claim, it may be proper to introduce to his acquaintance one other old gentleman, who, previous to Mr. Campbell's having advanced his pretensions to originality, published the same discovery in a work entitled "A Refutation of Calvinism." The reader can compare the following extracts, and then decide for himself, to whom belongs the palm. "Those who are baptized are immediately translated from the curse of Adam to the grace of Christ. They become reconciled to God-heirs of eternal happiness,-acquire a new name, a new hope, a new faith, a new rule of life. This great and wonderful change in the condition of man is as it were a new nature, a new state of existence; and the holy rite by which these invaluable blessings are communicated is by St. Paul figuratively called regeneration, or new birth. The word regeneration, therefore, is in Scripture solely and exclusively applied to the one immediate effect of baptism once administered," etc.

These, then, are the great fundamental, or distinctive doctrines of Campbellism. If we have been prolix in our citations, it was to avoid misrepresentation, and because we wished to hold up the system in every point of view, in which it is presented by its advocates.

As the remaining sentiments of this sect, which it is our intention hereafter to notice, are not so strictly distinctive as the foregoing, we shall treat them in a historical, and not a controversial manner. We propose, however, first, to subject the foregoing principles, and especially those relating to regeneration, to a somewhat thorough examination. The views entertained of this last subject, especially, constitute the difference between this sect and other sects of Unitarians, as we shall show hereafter. Mr. Campbell himself admits that these views of faith, forgiveness, and regeneration, are essential to the very existence of his system. Hence, if they are proved to be erroneous, or destitute of support, this whole theological fabric, confessedly, falls to the ground.

The foregoing Views Examined.

We observe, 1. That the faith which the Campbellites contend for, has, confessedly, no connection whatever, with regeneration. They are truly separate. A man may exercise this faith truly, and properly, and yet be entirely unregenerated; as much a child of hell as the vilest infidel. The proposition, therefore, that "we are justified by faith" is to this sect intrinsically absurd.

2. They teach that faith has no real connection with the pardon of sin. For a man may exercise it in the fullest manner, and yet be unpardoned.

3. From the preceding extracts it further appears that, agreeably to Campbellism, a sinner believes to the saving of the soul, without the agency of the Spirit of God; by his own unaided efforts alone. In fact Mr. Campbell repeatedly ridicules the idea of the agency of the third person of the Trinity either in the exercise of saving faith or in regeneration.

How very opposite all this is to the whole tenor of the gospel will be seen by a mere allusion to such passages as the following. He that believeth hath everlasting life," John 5: 24. 3: 16, 36. "With the heart man believeth unto justification," Rom. 10: 10. "By grace ye are saved, through faith," Eph. 2: 8. "Sirs, What must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house," Acts 16: 30, 31. "Being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we