,,the ,,church1 ,,the ,,falling ,,away1 ,,and ,,the ,,restoration ,,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,shepherd ,editor of ,handbook on ,baptism1 ,queries and ,answers1 ,salvation of ,sin1 ,what is the ,new ,testament ,church8 ,,gospel ,,advocate ,,company ,nashville1 ,tenn4 #aifa ,copyright #aibi ,by ,f4 ,l4 ,rowe ,gospel ,advocate ,co41 ,owner ,nashville1 ,tenn4 ,,contents ,preface #c ,,part ,,one ,the ,church ,what ,should the ,church of the ,present ,be8 #e ,the ,church and the ,temple #i ,infant ,baptism #af ,conditions of ,membership #be ,conditions of ,admission #be ,agencies #bh ,conditions #bh ,conditions of ,continued ,membership #bi ,the ,worship #cb ,the ,apostles' ,teaching #cf ,the ,fellowship #ch ,breaking ,bread #ci ,prayers #dj ,singing #dj ,polity #db ,the ,word of ,god #db ,names #dc ,congregational ,independence #dd ,elders #de ,deacons #dg ,evangelists #dg ,,part ,,two ,the ,falling ,away ,the ,falling ,away ,predicted #di ,the ,falling ,away #ed ,the ,confessional #fc ,indulgences #fg ,john ,tetzel #fi ,,part ,,three ,the ,reformation ,in ,europe ,john ,wyckliffe #gd ,translates the ,bible ,into ,english #ge ,william ,tyndale #gi ,erasmus ,arrives in ,england #hj ,tyndale ,translates the ,bible ,into ,english #hb ,goes to ,hamburg #hd ,bishop of ,london ,supplies ,money #hf ,betrayed and ,murdered #hh ,martin ,luther #hi ,a ,friend ,indeed #ij ,becomes a ,monk #ia ,makes a ,pilgrimage to ,rome #id ,professor of ,theology at ,wittenburg #if ,the ,ninety-five ,theses #ig ,debates ,with ,john ,eck and ,burns the ,papal ,bull #ajj ,before the ,diet of ,worms #ajc ,under ,imperial ,ban #aaj ,a ,change ,comes ,over ,luther #aab ,retains ,what ,is ,not ,forbidden #aae ,origin of ,protestantism #aaf ,the ,reformation in ,switzerland #abb ,the ,reformation in ,england #abf ,changes ,made by ,edward ,,vi #abi ,bloody ,mary #aca ,elizabeth1 the ,protestant ,queen #acc ,the ,reformation in ,scotland #ach ,the ,independents #ach ,haldane and ,aikman #ada ,the ,scotch ,baptists #adb ,the ,separatists #add ,,part ,,four ,the ,restoration ,movement ,in ,america ,spiritual ,unrest in ,many ,places #adh ,barton ,w4 ,stone #aec ,confronted by ,many ,difficulties #aec ,ordained to the ,ministry #aeg ,remarkable ,meeting at ,cane ,ridge #afj ,a ,time of ,distress #afc ,last ,will and ,testament #aff ,the ,witnesses' ,address #afg ,practices ,modified in ,many ,particulars #afi ,shakerism #agj ,the ,work ,prospers #aga ,thomas ,campbell #age ,conflict ,with the ,seceders #age ,the ,declaration and ,address #ahj ,alexander ,campbell #ahh ,subject and ,act of ,baptism ,settled #ahh ,the ,redstone ,association #aie ,a ,wider ,field #aii ,the ,campbell-,mc,calla ,discussion #bjc ,visits the ,kentucky ,baptists #bjg ,john ,smith #bji ,soul ,struggles #baj ,desires to ,preach #bac ,terrible ,calamity #bae ,preaches at ,crab ,orchard #bae ,the ,christian ,baptist #bag ,fetters ,cast ,off #bah ,resolves to ,preach the ,simple ,gospel #bbj ,ancient ,order--,baptists in ,kentucky #bbd ,walter ,scott #bca-bcf ,a ,sincere ,truth ,seeker #bcb ,turning ,point in ,his ,life #bce ,reformers in ,other ,states--,john ,wright #bdf ,herman ,christian ,dasher #bdi ,the ,christians and ,reformers ,unite #bea ,,preface ,an effort is made in the following pages to set forth what the ,new ,testament church was when it came into the world through the preaching of inspired men2 how it was led into apostasy2 and an account of some of the many attempts to restore it to its original purity and simplicity4 ,in proportion as any religious work becomes a potent force in affecting the welfare of mankind1 its early history becomes interesting and important4 ,this is especially true of the very beginning of its history where those influences which have molded its character are most clearly seen4 ,it is due to the world no less than to the heroic men who were chief actors in such a movement1 that the motives which inspired them1 the principles which guided them1 and the forces which opposed them1 together with the results of this conflict1 should be set down accurately for the information and for the benefit of those who are seeking the truth4 ,if the writer did not most profoundly believe that this effort to restore the ,new ,testament church was one of those providential movements designed by ,jehovah to correct existing evils1 and to purify religion from its corruptions that the gospel may run and be glorified in the earth1 then he would feel but little interest in its history and achievements4 ,but recognizing1 as ,i do1 the hand of ,god in this remarkable movement of the nineteenth century1 it is believed that an important service is being rendered by putting on record the causes which gave birth to it1 and the influences which by action and reaction have made it what it is4 ,if ,god overrules in human affairs1 and teaches men by means of history1 then he who faithfully records historic facts fulfills an important service in the education of men4 ,this is pre-eminently true of that kind of history which deals with the struggles of the human mind and heart to know ,god1 and to understand his will concerning human redemption4 ,it is of the very greatest importance to the successful carrying forward of the ,lord's work that the younger generation should become thoroughly acquainted with the spirit which animated1 and the principles which controlled the men who1 under ,god1 gave the primary impulse to this great work4 ,they should become familiar with the conflicts of those early days and with the tremendous sacrifices made by those valiant men and women who loved the truth more than popularity1 more than ease1 more than wealth1 friends1 and family ties4 ,it is only as we shall be able to perpetuate this love of truth1 this freedom from the bondage of tradition and inherited opinions1 that we shall be able to carry forward1 successfully the work they inaugurated4 ,we need the same dauntless heroism1 the same faith in ,god1 the same zeal for truth and the same underlying principles which characterized them and who have transmitted to us the responsibility of carrying forward the work which they began4 ,if this volume which is now sent forth shall serve to inspire the workers who are to succeed us with the same passion for pure apostolic ,christianity1 with the same spirit of loyalty to ,christ1 which marked the beginning of their work1 the purpose of the writer shall have been fulfilled4 ,j4 ,w4 ,shepherd4 ,birmingham1 ,ala41 ,july #be1 #aibi4 ,,part ,i4 ,the ,church4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,what ,,should ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,the ,,present ,,be8 ,that the church is the bride of ,christ is clearly expressed in the following3 ,wherefore1 my brethren1 ye also were made dead to the law through the body of ,christ2 that ye should be joined to another1 even to him who was raised from the dead1 that we might bring forth fruit unto ,god 7,rom4 #g3d74 ,for ,i am jealous over you with a godly jealousy3 for ,i espoused you to one husband1 that ,i might present you as a pure virgin to ,christ 7,,ii ,cor4 #aa3b74 ,in these passages the bride evidently means the church4 ,that the bride will remain till the ,bridegroom comes there can be no reasonable doubt2 that she has ever waited his coming is equally certain4 ,she has been in great distress1 being driven into the wilderness and deprived of much of her glory1 but she has ever looked for the coming of her espoused4 ,in what condition the ,bridegroom will find her is a question about which there has been much speculation4 ,unless we believe that the ,bridegroom1 when he comes1 will find his bride in dishonor--living in fornication with the world--we may not measure the church by human standards4 ,that the bride will be found wearing the name of the ,bridegroom and living in chastity when he comes to claim her1 there is no room for reasonable doubt4 ,the world may be deeply defiled by crime1 but the church will be arrayed in her robes of righteousness4 ,hence1 while the church may have its impurities1 as everything composed of humanity has1 it must at least be uncontaminated to the extent of fidelity to ,christ4 ,this may cut off much of what the world calls the church1 but not what ,god regards as the church4 ,this has ever been the case since the apostasy1 and will doubtless so continue to the end4 ,in the days of the apostles1 ,god had a people in ,babylon1 but while they were in ,babylon they were not of ,babylon4 ,hence the ,lord says3 ,come forth1 my people1 out of her1 that ye have no fellowship with her sins1 and that ye receive not her plagues 7,rev4 #ah3d74 ,god doubtless has a people in ,babylon now2 but they and ,babylon are two distinct things4 ,god's church is not composed of the ,babel of sectarianism4 ,just who ,god's people are who may now be in ,babylon it is not my purpose to determine4 ,god has revealed to us the things that pertain to his church--the faith1 the practice1 and the promises--and with these it is my purpose to deal4 ,here1 all is faith and assurance2 beyond this1 all is opinion and fruitless speculation4 ,concerning those in ,babylon we have but one living direction4 ,come forth1 my people1 out of her4 ,to this we should give faithful heed4 ,for to console people in the ,babylon of sectarianism1 and to reconcile them to their bondage1 we have no divine right2 but to deliver them from it is a divine obligation4 ,therefore ,god's church is an institution separate and distinct from the ,babel of denominationalism4 ,in determining1 then1 what the church should be1 it will be necessary to ascertain the characteristics of the apostolic church4 ,if the church of the present day be essentially different from the apostolic as a matter of preference1 it can not be the church of which ,god is the author4 ,hence it can not be a divine institution1 neither can it be the virgin bride of ,christ4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that the church must possess the following characteristics3 #a4 ,it ,must ,be a ,divine ,institution ,at the beginning the church was a divine institution1 and it can not cease to be divine and still be the church of ,god1 for ,god does not begin with the divine and end with the human4 ,beginning in the spirit the things of ,god are not made perfect in the flesh4 ,a divine institution must have for its organization and essential features divine authority1 for the world can not make an ordinance or an institution divine4 ,it must be specially appointed of ,god4 ,no human institution1 therefore1 nor combination of institutions for which there is no special divine appointment1 can ever constitute the church of ,god1 for it is of ,god and not of men4 ,hence the church must be in all its essential features of specific divine appointment4 ,these appointments are all found in the ,new ,testament2 therefore1 the church to be a divine institution must be fashioned after that model4 #b4 ,it ,must ,be ,governed ,wholly by ,divine ,authority4 ,the church was governed wholly by divine authority at the beginning4 ,should it substitute human for divine authority it would cease to be the church of ,god4 ,a substitute for a divine thing can never itself be divine2 therefore1 anything substituted for the church as it was in the beginning is not that church4 ,just as certainly therefore1 as ,christ will own and accept his church when he comes again1 so certainly will it be governed by his authority4 ,christ will accept only the church which he established4 ,that which he established was governed wholly by divine authority3 therefore the church of today must be so governed4 #c4 ,it ,should ,have ,only the ,names ,it ,had at the ,beginning4 ,in the ,new ,testament there are various names applied to the church and to its members4 ,all these names have their significance1 for the ,holy ,spirit never used them by accident1 and for these names1 and for these only1 is there divine authority4 ,the true church of to-day will be governed by divine authority2 therefore1 only these will the church accept4 ,this with it is not simply a matter of taste1 but of loyalty to ,christ4 ,names unknown to the ,new ,testament have come of the apostasy4 #d4 ,it ,must ,have the ,form of ,government ,given to the ,church in the ,beginning4 ,it must necessarily be true1 since it recognizes only the same authority4 ,the church of to-day could not disregard the government of the ,new ,testament church and still be the same church4 ,its congregations are not bound in the coils of an ecclesiasticism as merciless as it is unscriptural4 ,its bishops are not diocesan1 but congregational4 ,there are not a plurality of churches1 under one bishop1 but a plurality of bishops in one church4 ,its government is not in the hands of a legislative body1 but it is under the legislation of ,christ1 executed by the several congregations4 #e4 ,it ,has the ,unity of the ,church of the ,new ,testament4 ,this conclusion is reached from several considerations4 7#a7 ,since the church is governed only by divine authority1 has the same form of government that it had in the beginning1 and wears only the names found in the ,new ,testament1 the unity that characterized the first church follows as a consequence4 7#b7 ,the destruction of the unity of the church was the work of the apostasy2 hence when the church is reclaimed from the apostasy it will be freed from this disunion4 7#c7 ,there can be no doubt that ,christ's prayer for the unity of his people can now be fulfilled as it was at the beginning4 ,this unity can never exist through denominational walls4 ,there were no denominational walls between the ,father and the ,son1 neither was there any between the first disciples4 ,hence1 if that prayer is answered in the restoration of the church1 and it must be1 there must be the same unity that characterized the church in the beginning4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,church ,,and ,,the ,,temple ,under the ,patriarchal and ,jewish dispensation there were numerous animal sacrifices by divine appointment4 ,not only so1 but the people generally1 who knew not the true ,god1 have1 all down the ages1 poured sacrificial blood upon altars innumerable4 ,this must have come about by the perversion of divinely-appointed sacrificial institutions1 or from the felt need of fallen man for some way of mediation and of approach to ,god4 ,that the need was felt by true worshipers is not open to doubt1 for if sacrifice were devised by man1 it would only have arisen from a sense of that need2 and1 on the other hand1 if ordained of ,god1 it could only have been acceptably offered under a consciousness thereof4 ,sacrifices1 altars and priests have generally stood together2 and so long as they have been upon divine lines have been highly beneficial4 ,but it has been alleged that priests have been a curse rather than a blessing to the nations1 and ,i am not prepared to dispute the allegation4 ,but neither ,god nor the ,bible is responsible1 because the priesthood as instituted by the ,jews was a good and not an evil to that people2 while1 on the other hand1 the priestly system has no place in ,christianity4 ,the priests of heathendom and of ,christendom are not of ,god4 ,then how widely different1 how completely opposite1 is the unpriestly worship of the ,church of ,christ from the sacerdotal ceremonies of the ,jewish economy4 ,there we find the costly temple1 in the construction of which were gold1 silver1 precious stones and costly fabrics in unrestricted abundance2 sacred places over which the people may not pass1 and which the feet of priests and ,levites only may tread2 ceremonials which bring death to those who touch them with other than priestly hands2 altars and fires1 blood and incense1 and priests1 all of divine ordering1 so that we read3 ,then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before ,jehovah4 ,and ,king ,solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen1 and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep4 ,so the king and all the people dedicated the house of ,god4 ,and the priests stood1 according to their offices2 the ,levites also with instruments of music of ,jehovah1 which ,david the ,king had made to give thanks unto ,jehovah 7for his loving kindness endureth forever71 when ,david raised by their ministry2 and the priests sounded trumpets before them2 and all ,israel stood4 ,moreover ,solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of ,jehovah2 for there he offered and burnt offerings1 and the fat of the peace offerings1 because the brazen altar which ,solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering1 and the meat offering1 and the fat4 ,so ,solomon held the feast at that time seven days1 and all ,israel with him1 a very great assembly1 from the entrance of ,hamath unto the brook of ,egypt4 ,and on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly3 for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days1 and the feast seven days4 ,and on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month1 he sent the people away unto their tents1 joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that ,jehovah had showed unto ,david1 and to ,solomon1 and to ,israel his people4 7,,ii ,chron4 #g3d-aj47 ,the significance1 and richness1 and glory of that economy surpassed anything that the world had ever seen2 but in the fullness of time it was superseded by a higher and more glorious dispensation1 concerning which the ,apostle ,paul wrote3 ,and such confidence have we through ,christ to ,god-ward3 not that we are sufficient of ourselves1 to account anything as from ourselves2 but our sufficiency is from ,god2 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant2 not of the letter1 but of the spirit3 for the letter killeth1 but the spirit giveth life4 ,but if the ministration of death1 written1 and engraven on stones1 came with glory1 so that the children of ,israel could not look steadfastly upon the face of ,moses for the glory of his face which glory was passing away3 how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory8 ,for if the ministration of condemnation hath glory1 much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory4 ,for verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect1 by reason of the glory that surpasseth4 ,for if that which passeth away was with glory1 much more that which remains is in glory4 7,,ii ,cor4 #c3d-aa47 ,shall we1 then1 look for still greater material splendor and wealth in temples1 vestments1 altars and instruments of music8 ,if not1 why not8 ,and still1 if not1 why did the like exist under the former and inferior economy8 ,we should look for nothing of the sort1 nor suffer its intrusion upon the ,church of ,christ1 and that for one reason1 sufficient without others equally good--the former economy1 in all its ceremonials1 was typical of spiritual blessings then to come4 ,there was a perfect typical system most expressive and opposite1 but rendered useless when its antitypes appeared4 ,the cross took the place of the altar2 the ,high ,priest of our confession came in the room of the ,aaronic priesthood1 the sacrifice of praise1 that is the fruit of our lips1 set aside the praise by trumpets1 psaltery and cymbal4 ,these were good and expressive in their day and place4 ,a shadow of things to come2 but the body is ,christ 7,col4 #b3ag74 ,for the law having a shadow of good things to come1 not the very image of the things1 can never with the same sacrifices year by year1 which they offer continually1 make perfect them that draw nigh4 ,else would they not have ceased to be offered8 7,heb4 #aj3a74 ,so we see that the ,holy ,spirit very aptly informs us that the body or substance1 is ,christ's1 and when he came and filled to the full the types and shadows of the law1 they passed away in their entirety1 giving place to higher institutions1 by means of which the worshipers could be made perfect4 ,and not only so1 as a ripe ,bible student very forcefully says1 but just in proportion as these abandoned shadows are intruded into the church and worship of ,god they become injurious and more or less substitutes for the realities of which1 in their day and place1 they were the proper types and symbols4 ,consequently1 in setting in order1 by the apostles1 of the ,church of ,christ1 the temple and its worship were in no degree taken as models1 and this is highly reasonable1 inasmuch as the existence together of the type and the antitype would be completely inadmissible4 ,nothing could have been easier than for the apostles to have adopted priestly1 or modified priestly vestments4 ,there could have been no manner of difficulty in burning incense as an act of praise of worship4 ,it can not be supposed but that1 long before the close of the apostolic ministry1 they could have used and enjoined the use of instrumental music4 ,but no6 ,nothing of the kind2 no trace even of a leaning1 or of a desire1 in that direction4 ,the things of the shadows were done with1 and those of the substance took their place4 ,that the church is not modeled after the temple1 but after the synagogue1 is established beyond doubt by the testimony of the learned men in the denominational world4 ,if objection be made to the inconsistency of denominational scholars putting forth such views1 ,i answer that it is a well-known fact that men do confess truths that they fail to carry into effect2 but the truth is not weakened thereby1 but rather derives additional weight from the fact that it forces confession1 even against the interests and associations of those who utter it4 ,but however that may be1 they write the truth abundantly clear4 ,the first witness ,i introduce is ,richard ,watson1 who the ,mc,clintock and ,strong ,cyclopedia says gave the first systematic treatment of ,wesleyan theology4 ,his ,institutes1 though not the legal1 have been the moral and scientific standard of ,methodist doctrine4 ,all aspirants to the ,methodist pulpit are required to study ,watson's ,theological ,institutes4 ,he says3 ,the course of the synagogue worship became indeed the model of that of the ,christian ,church4 ,it consisted in prayer1 reading and explaining the ,scriptures1 and singing psalms2 and thus one of the most important means of instructing nations1 and of spreading and maintaining the influence of morals and religion among people1 passed from the ,jews into all ,christian countries4444 ,the mode of public worship in the primitive church was taken from the synagogue service2 and so1 also1 was its arrangements of offices4444 ,such was the model which the apostles followed in providing for the future regulation of the churches they had raised up4 ,they took it1 not from the temple and its priesthood1 for that was typical1 and was then passing away4 ,but they found in the institution of the synagogues a plan admirably adapted to the simplicity and purity of ,christianity1 444 and which was capable of being applied to the new dispensation without danger of ,judaizing4 7,theological ,institutes1 pages #fdj1 #fhc1 #fhd47 ,lyman ,coleman1 ,presbyterian1 who was eminent in solid abilities1 in accurate scholarship1 in stores of accumulated learning1 and in extended usefulness1 says3 ,he 7,jesus7 was a constant attendant upon the religious worship of the synagogue1 and1 after his ascension1 his disciples conformed their acts of worship to those of the synagogue4 ,they consisted in prayer1 in singing and in the reading and exposition of the ,scriptures1 as appears from the writers of the ,new ,testament1 from the earliest ,christian fathers1 and from profane writers of the first two centuries4 7,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified1 page #id47 ,the eminent scholar of the ,church of ,england1 ,g4 ,a4 ,jacob1 in his ,ecclesiastical ,polity of the ,new ,testament1 which is used as a text-book in some of the ,episcopal theological seminaries in this country1 says3 ,in the temple was the priest consecrated according to a precise regulation1 and a sarcedotal succession laid down by ,god himself1 with the altar and its sacrifices at which he officiated1 the incense which he burned1 the holy places into which none might enter but those to whom it was especially assigned4 ,in the synagogue was the reader of the ,scriptures1 the preacher or expounder of religious and moral truth1 the leader of the common devotions of the people1 unconsecrated by any special rites1 and unrestricted by any rule of succession2 with a reading desk or pulpit at which he stood1 but with no altar1 sacrifice or incense1 and no part of the building more holy than the rest4 ,and without attempting now to dwell upon all the remarkable contrasts thus displayed1 it may suffice to say that the temple exhibited in a grand combination of typical places1 persons and actions4 ,god dwelling with man1 reconciling the world unto himself in the person and work of ,christ2 and pardoning1 justifying and graciously receiving those who come to him through the appointed ,saviour2 while the synagogue exhibited a congregation of men1 already reconciled to ,god1 assembled as devout worshipers for prayer and praise1 for instruction in divine knowledge1 and edification in righteous living4 ,and the two systems--the one gorgeous and typical1 the other simple and real2 in one1 ,god drawing near to man1 in the other1 man drawing near to ,god--never clashed or interfered with each other2 were never intermingled or confounded together4 ,in the temple there was no pulpit1 in the synagogue there was no altar4444 ,they 7apostles7 retained and adapted to ,christian use some ,jewish forms and regulations2 but they were taken altogether not from the temple1 but from the synagogue4 ,the offices which they appointed in the church1 and the duties and authority which they attached to them1 together with the regulations which they made for ,christian worship1 bore no resemblance in name or in nature to the services of the priesthood in the temple4 ,the apostles had been divinely taught that those priests and services were typical forms and shadows1 which were centered1 and fulfilled1 and done away in ,christ2 and to reinstate them in the ,church would have been in their judgment to go back to the bondage of weak and beggarly elements from the liberty1 strength and rich completeness of the ,gospel dispensation4 ,they saw that as the ordinances of the temple represented the work of ,god wrought out for man1 not man's work for ,god1 to continue them after that work was finished in the life and death of ,jesus1 would be in effect so far to deny the efficacy of the ,saviour's mission1 and to thrust in the miserable performances of men to fill up an imagined imperfection in the ,son of ,god4 7,ecclesiastical ,polity1 pages #if-ih47 ,the apostles1 therefore1 by the directions of the ,holy ,spirit adopted official arrangements similar to those of the synagogue1 and discarded those of the temple1 in the institution of church offices1 and plainly showed by this circumstance that no priestly powers or duties were attached to their ministrations4 ,another argument which leads to the same conclusion is deduced from the condition of the members of the ,church as it appears in the ,new ,testament1 and the equality of standing in ,christ1 which ,christians possessed4 ,the way of access to ,god being open to all without distinction through the priesthood of ,christ1 there was nothing for a priest to do--no sacerdotal work or office for him to undertake4 ,on this phase of the subject1 ,mr4 ,jacob has said some very pointed things1 and ,i will call on him to give testimony4 ,he says3 ,a distinct proof that the office bearers in the ,church of the ,apostles were not1 and could not be priests1 or perform any sacerdotal duties1 is seen in a condensed form in the epistle to the ,hebrews1 and is found at large in the whole of the ,old and the ,new ,testaments1 of which that epistle1 as far as the subject reaches1 is so valuable an epitome4 ,we there learn that from the very nature of the priestly office1 it is necessary for those who hold it to be specially called and appointed by ,god1 either personally by name1 or according to a divinely instituted order of succession2 and that1 since the patriarchal dispensation1 only two orders of priesthood have ever had this necessary divine sanction granted to them4 ,the two orders are the order of ,aaron and the order of ,melchisedek4 ,the priests of the former order belonged to the ,jewish dispensation only1 and have indisputably passed away4 ,the only priest after the order of ,melchisedek1 even mentioned in the ,bible1 is our ,lord ,jesus ,christ--the priest upon his throne1 without a successor1 as he had none before him1 in the everlasting priesthood of his mediatorial reign4 ,this argument appears to me to be conclusive4 ,it appears to me that the epistle to the ,hebrews shuts out the possibility of there being any other priest in the ,church besides ,christ himself4 ,but this does not so appear to a large number of our clergy4 ,bishops as far back as the third century claimed to be successors or vicegerents of ,christ on earth2 and our presbyters do not hesitate to declare that they are priests after the order of ,melchisedek4 ,to my mind and feeling this is an impious claim2 but countenanced as they are by numberless past and present examples1 good men are not conscious of impiety in making it4 ,but1 then it is necessary to ask the priests for their credentials4 ,where is the record of their divine appointment to the sacerdotal office8 ,in what part of the ,new ,testament1 and in what form of words1 is the institution of such priests1 and the manner of their succession1 to be found8 ,and to such inquiries no satisfactory answer has been or can be given4 7,ibid1 pages #ajb-ajd47 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,infant ,,baptism ,another point in which the ,church of ,christ and the ,jewish ,covenant are at exact opposites is that of infant membership4 ,in the ,apostolic ,church baptism preceded membership1 and faith was prerequisite to baptism1 consequently there was not1 neither could be any place for infant membership4 ,on this account we have in the ,new ,testament neither precept for1 nor example of1 infant baptism1 but on the contrary1 much that renders it totally incompatible with apostolic teaching4 ,but we are reminded by the advocates of infant baptism that in some sense baptism stands to its subject and the ,church as circumcision did under the ,abrahamic covenant4 ,they emphasize that as an unquestioned fact1 and seem to think there ought to be something in it1 somewhere or somehow1 in favor of infant baptism4 ,some claim that circumcision initiated into the ,church under the former dispensation1 and that baptism is initiative now2 and that infants were formerly initiated by circumcision1 and should now be initiated by baptism4 ,others hold that circumcision was a declaration of church membership under the ,jewish dispensation2 and that baptism is a declaration of membership now3 and that as circumcision was extended to infants1 so baptism should be extended4 ,they further claim that infants were put in the ,church which was established in the family of ,abraham2 that the ,church of the old dispensation is identical with that of the new2 that no law has since been enacted to put them out2 and that they were then initiated by circumcision and that1 as baptism has superseded circumcision1 infants should now be initiated by baptism4 ,to some this is a strong and satisfactory argument1 but a few plain1 simple facts should decide the question whether the ,church of the new covenant is identical with that of the old and that baptism takes the place of circumcision3 7#a7 ,the covenant of circumcision 7,acts #g3h7 was a covenant with ,abraham and to him that is born in thy house1 and he that is bought with thy money 7,gen4 #ag3ab1 #ac72 while the new covenant embraces believers in ,jesus ,christ1 without respect to ,abraham's flesh or money4 7,see ,,ii ,cor4 #e3af1 #ag2 ,gal4 #c3bf-bi2 ,heb4 #h3h-ab47 7#b7 ,male children alone were subjects of circumcision4 ,if baptism took the place of circumcision1 none but the males should be baptized2 but the advocates of infant baptism contend that infants should be baptized regardless of sex1 flesh or money4 7#c7 ,if baptism came in the place of circumcision1 persons already circumcised could not be baptized4 ,if the one came in the place of the other1 the two could not exist at the same time in the same person4 ,but all the ,jews that had been circumcised on believing in ,christ were baptized4 ,the children of ,jewish ,christians were still circumcised4 ,is it possible that pedobaptists are so blinded in their contention for infant baptism that they can not see this8 ,that there is a point of similarity between circumcision and baptism there is no doubt1 for ,paul says3 ,in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands1 in the putting off the body of the flesh1 in the circumcision of ,christ1 having been buried with him in baptism1 wherein ye were also raised with him through the faith in the working of ,god1 who raised him from the dead 7,col4 #b3aa1 #ab74 ,in circumcision the foreskin of the flesh was cut off by the hands2 so in baptism the sins were put off1 and this putting off the sins was called a circumcision not made with hands4 ,the ,mosaic law given to the fleshly family of ,abraham typified to some extent the spiritual family of ,god4 ,circumcision marked those born of the flesh as members of the kingdom of ,israel2 baptism marks those begotten of the ,spirit as members of ,god's spiritual kingdom4 ,to affix the spiritual mark to the fleshly birth is to do violence to the figure and to introduce those born of the flesh into the spiritual kingdom4 ,now faith is the first manifestation of the spiritual begetting1 and only those begotten of the ,spirit and manifesting it in faith can be introduced into the spiritual kingdom1 or should have the mark of ,god's spiritual child4 ,to place the mark of the birth of the ,spirit upon one born of the flesh is to mislead and deceive that child and make the impression that it is one of ,god's spiritual children when it is not4 ,the ,spirit of ,god always connects the fleshly mark with the fleshly birth into the fleshly kingdom1 and the spiritual mark 7baptism7 with the spiritual birth into the spiritual kingdom4 ,hence the ,holy ,spirit says3 ,go ye therefore1 and teach all nations1 baptizing them into the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,spirit 7,matt4 #bh3ai74 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to the whole creation4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned 7,mark #af3ae1 #af74 ,repent ye1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ unto the remission of your sins 7,acts #b3ch74 ,and now why tarriest thou1 arise1 and be baptized and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord 7,acts #bb3af74 ,only those capable of believing1 repenting and of thus showing that they are begotten of the ,spirit1 are fit subjects for baptism4 ,to bestow the mark of the spiritual birth on those born of the flesh is to break down and carnalize the kingdom of ,god4 ,the prophet says3 ,behold1 the days come1 saith ,jehovah1 that ,i will make a new covenant with the house of ,israel1 and with the house of ,judah3 not according to the covenant that ,i made with their fathers in the day that ,i took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of ,egypt3 which my covenant they brake1 although ,i was a husband unto them1 saith ,jehovah4 ,but this is the covenant that ,i will make with the house of ,israel after those days1 saith ,jehovah3 ,i will put my law in their inward parts1 and in their hearts will ,i write it2 and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor1 and every man his brother1 saying1 ,know ,jehovah3 for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them1 saith ,jehovah3 for ,i will forgive their iniquity1 and their sins will ,i remember no more4 7,jer4 #ca3ca-cd47 ,this shows that a new covenant different from that he made at ,sinai would be made4 ,that was a fleshly covenant with the house of ,israel1 into which they were born by a fleshly birth2 but in the new covenant the law was to be written on their hearts1 and all were to know him1 from the least to the greatest4 ,that is1 all must know the law of ,god1 accept it in their hearts before they could become members of the ,church of ,god4 ,so ,paul asks3 ,what then is the law8 ,it was added because of transgressions1 till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made 7,gal4 #c3ai74 ,the seed that was to come was ,christ1 and this plainly shows that because of the transgression this law was to continue only until ,christ should come4 ,then the new spiritual covenant was to go into force1 and the members of it were all to believe in ,christ4 ,the following significant contrast is drawn by the ,apostle ,paul3 ,ye are our epistle written in our hearts1 known and read of all men2 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of ,christ1 ministered by us1 written not with ink1 but with the ,spirit of the living ,god2 not on tables of stone1 but in tables that are hearts of flesh4 ,and such confidence have we through ,christ to ,godward3 not that we are sufficient of ourselves1 to account anything as from ourselves2 but our sufficiency is from ,god1 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant2 not of the letter1 but of the spirit3 for the letter killeth1 but the spirit giveth life4 ,but if the ministration of death1 written and engraven on stones1 came with glory1 so that the children of ,israel could not look steadfastly upon the face of ,moses for the glory of his face2 which glory was passing away3 how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory8 ,for if the ministration of condemnation hath glory1 much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory4 ,for verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect1 by reason of the glory that surpasseth4 ,for if that which passeth away was with glory1 much more that which remaineth is in glory 7,,ii ,cor4 #c3b-aa74 ,in this the ,ten ,commandments1 written upon the tables of stone1 is contrasted with the law of ,christ1 written in the hearts of ,god's children4 ,the law written on stones is called the letter that killeth4 ,it convicted of sin1 but had no power to deliver from it4 ,the sins were rolled and rolled year by year until ,jesus came and shed blood1 not only for our sins but for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant that they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance4 ,the letter to the ,hebrews was written to show the change from the old covenant to the new1 and to show the immense superiority of the new to the old4 ,to turn back from the spiritual law and the ,church of ,christ to the fleshly law and institution of ,judaism is called falling away from grace4 ,ye are severed from ,christ1 ye who would be justified by the law2 ye are fallen away from grace 7,gal4 #e3d74 ,since it is so very evident that there is no ground whatever for infant baptism based on the arguments on the analogy of circumcision and the identity of the covenants it is quite appropriate to close this article with quotations from two great pedobaptist scholars4 ,dr4 ,jacob ,ditzler1 claimed to be the best debater the ,methodist ,church has produced1 says3 ,i here express my conviction that the covenants of the ,old ,testament have nothing to do with infant baptism4 7,graves-,ditzler ,debate1 page #fid74 ,moses ,stuart1 ,congregationalist1 ,professor of ,sacred ,literature in ,andover ,theological ,seminary1 called ,the ,father of ,biblical ,literature in ,america1 says3 ,how unwary1 too1 are many excellent men1 in contending for infant baptism on the ground of the ,jewish analogy of circumcision6 ,are females not proper subjects of baptism8 ,and again1 are a man's slaves to be all baptized because he is8 ,are they church members of course when they are so baptized8 ,is there no difference between ingrafting into a politico-ecclesiastical community1 and into one of which it is said that it is not of this world8 ,in short1 numberless difficulties present themselves in our way1 as soon as we begin to argue in such a manner as this4 7,old ,testament ,canon1 ,s #bb1 page #cfi47 ,in the investigation thus far we have learned that under the old covenant infants were included1 so were slaves1 taken in war or bought with money4 ,the covenant was with a nation1 involving national laws and customs1 and promising national and temporal blessings4 ,the duly recognized1 as embraced under that covenant1 were not thereby entitled to eternal life4 ,as the entire flesh of the nation1 for national purposes1 was included1 the infants of that nation1 from the moment of birth1 stood in covenant relation with ,god and the covenant people4 ,there was no ceremonial by which they entered into that relationship--they were born into it4 ,they came not in by circumcision1 for the male infant1 continuing uncircumcised1 was not said to be debarred from entering1 but was to be cut off from the people which implies previous covenant relationship4 ,but all this is reversed under the new covenant4 ,no one nation is chosen1 but the people of the covenant are to be those who respond to a call made to all nations4 ,no family is chosen1 but the blessing is offered to each of all the families of earth4 ,no infant is either invited or excluded1 except as it comes to faith in1 and obedience to1 the ,son of ,god4 ,the covenant blessings are not national and eternal1 based upon a living and active faith4 ,as a consequence1 infants are not1 and could not possibly be embraced in the new covenant2 and as the ,church of ,christ1 as to its divinely-ordained membership1 consists of those who have thus believed in him1 infants are not and can not be in the ,church of ,christ1 therefore are not subjects of baptism1 for all who are ,scripturally baptized enter into the church4 ,we now turn our attention to the remaining methods by which the practice of infant baptism could be proven4 ,they are3 7#a7 ,express command of an inspired man2 or1 7#b7 by an example from ,scripture where an inspired man baptized infants1 or where it was done in his presence1 by his consent and approval4 ,inasmuch as it is admitted by renowned pedobaptists that there is neither express command for or example of infant baptism in the ,new ,testament1 ,i will make no attempt to answer the arguments to prove it1 but let the most learned of their number speak for themselves4 ,this is legitimate and has the divine sanction1 for ,jesus said3 ,out of thine own mouth will ,i judge thee 7,luke #ai3bb72 and ,paul1 in meeting opposition to his preaching1 said3 ,as certain even of your own poets have said 7,acts #ag3bh72 and again3 ,one of themselves1 a prophet of their own1 said 7,titus #a3ab74 ,henry ,alford1 one of the most variously-learned clergymen that the ,church of ,england has produced1 says3 ,the language of the ,bible is against them2 and1 on their own ground1 which is a very sore perplexity4 ,there is one escape1 and that is a perfectly effectual one2 but they are unwilling to avail themselves of its assistance4 ,they might declare1 and they ought to declare1 that infant baptism was a practice unknown to the apostles2 that not only does the ,new ,testament not give one single expression which plainly and necessarily implies that infants were baptized in the apostolical churches1 but it can be fairly argued from a passage in chapter #g of ,,ii ,corinthians #g that such a practice could not have existed at ,corinth4 ,the recognition that the baptism of adults was the only baptism known to the apostles would clear every difficulty on this point out of the way of the ,low ,churchmen4 ,it is natural that the sacred writers should assume that men who1 at great worldly sacrifice1 not free from risk of life1 came forward to profess the ,christian faith by a solemn initiatory rite1 possessed the frame of mind which that fact implied--that they were honestly changed and renewed beings4 ,and then it would be easy to pass on the conclusion that the baptismal service of the ,church of ,england has been constructed on the language of the ,bible1 and that the embarrassment has proceeded not from a mistaken view of baptism1 but from the application of the words used by ,scripture of an adult person to an unconscious and1 so to say1 mindless infant4 7,contemporary ,review1 ,vol4 #aj1 page #cbi47 ,joseph ,ager ,beet1 one of the finest scholars that the ,english ,wesleyan ,methodist ,church has produced1 ,professor of ,systematic ,theology in the ,wesleyan ,theological ,college1 ,richmond1 ,england1 says3 ,it must be at once admitted that the ,new ,testament contains no clear proof that infants were baptized in the days of the apostles4 7,christian ,baptism1 page #bh47 ,albert ,taylor ,bledsoe1 of whom it has been truthfully said1 ,he was one of the most candid and trustworthy writers that the ,methodist ,church has produced1 says3 ,it is an article of our faith1 that the baptism of young children 7infants7 is in any wise to be retained in the church1 as one most agreeable to the institution of ,christ4 ,but yet1 with all our searching1 we have been unable to find1 in the ,new ,testament1 a single express declaration1 or word1 in favor of infant baptism4 ,we justify this rite1 therefore1 solely on the ground of logical inference1 and not on any express word of ,christ or his apostles4 ,this may1 perhaps1 be deemed1 by some of our readers1 a strange position for a pedobaptist4 ,it is by no means1 however1 a singular opinion4 ,hundreds of learned pedobaptists have come to the same conclusion2 especially since the ,new ,testament has been subjected to a closer1 more conscientious1 and more candid exegesis than was formerly practiced by controversalists4 7,southern ,review1 ,vol4 #ad1 page #ccd47 ,john ,calvin1 the founder of the ,presbyterian ,church1 says3 ,as ,christ enjoins them to teach before baptizing1 and desires that none but believers shall be admitted to baptism1 it would appear that baptism is not properly administered unless when preceded by faith4 7,harmony of the ,evangelists1 ,vol4 #c1 page #ch47 ,heinrich ,august ,wilhelm ,meyer1 ,german ,lutheran1 the prince of ,new ,testament exegetes1 says3 ,the baptism of the children of ,christians1 of which no trace is found in the ,new ,testament1 is not to be held as an apostolic ordinance2 but it is an institution of the church1 which gradually arose in post-apostolic times in connection with the development of ecclesiastical life and of doctrinal teaching1 not certainly attested before ,tertullian1 and by him still decidedly opposed1 and although already defended by ,cyprian1 only becoming general after the time of ,augustine in virtue of that connection4 7,commentary on ,acts #af3ae1 page #cab47 ,august ,wilhelm ,neander1 ,lutheran1 who is unanimously conceded to be by far the greatest of all ecclesiastical historians1 and is surnamed the father of modern church history1 says3 ,baptism was administered at first only to adults1 as men were accustomed to conceive baptism and faith as strictly connected4 ,we have all reason for not deriving infant baptism from apostolic institution somewhat later1 as an apostolical tradition serves to confirm this hypothesis4 7,church ,history1 ,vol4 #a1 page #dbd47 ,moses ,stuart1 a ,congregationalist1 called the father of ,biblical literature in ,america1 says3 ,on the subject of infant baptism ,i have said nothing4 ,the present occasion did not call for it2 and ,i have no wish or intention to enter into the controversy respecting it4 ,i have only to say that ,i believe in both the propriety and expediency of the rite thus administered2 and therefore accede to it ex animo4 ,commands1 or plain and certain examples1 in the ,new ,testament relative to it1 ,i do not find4 ,nor1 with my views of it1 do ,i need them4 7,mode of ,christian ,baptism1 pages #ahi1 #aij47 ,but ,i have given enough2 it is a thing made out that infant baptism was not an apostolic practice4 ,so1 indeed1 have all the scholars who have thoroughly investigated this subject conceded4 ,i know of no subject which seems to be more clearly made out1 and ,i can not see how it is possible for any candid man who examines the subject to deny this4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,conditions ,,of ,,membership ,as we have already learned that infant baptism was not an apostolic practice1 we will give it no further attention at present4 ,the conditions of membership in the apostolic ,church naturally divide themselves into two classes--those of admission into the ,church and those of continued membership4 ,,conditions ,,of ,,admission ,concerning admission into the ,church it is said in connection with its establishment that the ,lord added to them day by day those that were saved 7,acts #b3dg74 ,this implies that the ,lord saved the people and added them by one and the same process4 ,they were not first saved and then added1 nor added and afterward saved1 but they were saved in being added1 and added by being saved4 ,hence it was not a formal adding to a local congregation by extending the hand of fellowship after salvation from sin1 but an adding to the one body of ,christ in the obtaining of salvation by obedience to the ,gospel4 ,while they were added by the ,lord1 he added them through certain agencies1 both human and divine--the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,gospel and the preacher--all present and active in the work4 ,what the ,lord did1 therefore1 he did through these agencies4 ,in the second chapter of ,acts the ,holy ,spirit gives the directions that ,god gave to guide sinners into the ,church4 ,this being the first time that men were guided into the ,church1 the directions given would necessarily be more minute and particular in every step than after the way was fully made known to men4 ,after his resurrection from the dead ,jesus said to his disciples1 ,all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth1 to show them that he had the right and authority to speak the words that come next3 ,go ye1 therefore1 and make disciples of all the nations1 baptizing them into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit3 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i commanded you3 and lo1 ,i am with you always1 even unto the end of the world 7,matt4 #bh3ai1 #bj74 ,they were not to go yet1 for he had sealed their lips4 ,on the day of his ascension to heaven he said unto them3 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to the whole creation4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned 7,mark #af3ae1 #af72 but tarry ye in the city1 until ye be clothed with power from on high 7,luke #bd3di74 ,so they returned to ,jerusalem and waited for the coming of the ,spirit who was to unseal their lips and to speak to the world in the name of ,jesus4 ,the day of ,pentecost came1 they were in the temple1 when suddenly a sound from heaven filled the house where they were sitting1 and they felt themselves moved inwardly by a new power1 under which they began to speak to the multitude in the temple1 addressing them in all the different languages represented by the nations there assembled4 ,the time had come when they can tell to the world all they know about ,jesus fully and freely4 ,and when they had praised ,god1 to the amazement of the people1 in all their tongues1 ,peter arose1 now having the keys to the kingdom in his hands1 now ready to execute his high commission to open the gates and admit those who were entitled to enter1 and for the first time in his life begins to inform men who ,jesus is4 ,he delivers a discourse in which he says3 ,ye men of ,israel1 hear these words3 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 a man approved of ,god unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which ,god did by him in the midst of you1 even as ye yourselves know2 him1 being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god1 ye by the hands of lawless men did crucify and slay3 whom ,god raised up1 having loosed the pangs of death4 ,he quotes language of the prophets to prove this4 ,he then presents the testimony of himself and his fellow apostles to the effect that ,jesus had been raised from the dead1 and that they had seen him with their eyes and handled him with their hands4 ,he further states that ,god had said to ,jesus3 ,sit thou on my right hand1 till ,i make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet1 and closes this powerful argument with this soul-stirring appeal3 ,let all the house of ,israel therefore know assuredly that ,god hath made him both ,lord and ,christ1 this ,jesus whom ye crucified4 ,three thousand of those who stood in the hearing of ,peter's voice believed this1 felt pricked in their hearts--that sense of guilt which overwhelmed them when they realized that they had been guilty of murdering the ,son of the living ,god1 the greatest crime that human being ever committed--and in great agony of soul1 they cried out3 ,brethren1 what shall we do8 to get rid of this pricking of our hearts1 to get rid of the awful crime1 to get rid of our sins before ,god and escape its consequences in the day of ,god's wrath against sin4 ,moved by the ,holy ,spirit1 ,peter answered3 ,repent ye1 and be baptized1 every one of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ unto the remission of your sins2 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this was ,god's answer1 that enabled them to get rid of their guilt and condemnation at once4 ,and to assure them still further1 he said3 ,for to you is the promise 7the remission of sins and the gift of the ,holy ,spirit71 and to your children1 and to all that are afar off1 even as many as the ,lord our ,god shall call unto him1 for the commission was to all nations1 even unto the end of the world4 ,but ,peter did not stop here1 for with many other words he testified1 and exhorted them1 saying1 ',save yourselves from this crooked generation4' ,then they that received his word were baptized2 and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls4 ,now1 let us see if we can gather from this brief narrative what agencies ,god used in bringing about the conversion of these people1 and what conditions they had to comply with in order to receive the benefits of the redemption which was provided by the blood of ,christ4 ,,agencies #a4 ,the ,holy ,spirit4 #b4 ,the apostles1 speaking as the ,spirit gave them utterance1 testifying of the ,christ and pleading with sinners1 were the leading human agents in this case of conversion1 as they are still and ever will be2 for though dead they yet speak through the ,gospel which they first preached through the ,holy ,spirit sent down from heaven4 ,as they were agents then through their spoken testimony1 so they are agents now through their written testimony4 ,their words live in all their vitalizing power1 and can never be destroyed4 #c4 ,the sinners themselves1 guilt-stricken and inquiring1 had also an agency in this work which so vitally concerned themselves4 ,it was theirs to attend to the things spoken by the apostles1 to hearken to the divine counsel1 to learn of ,jesus1 and to receive the truth that they might be made alive4 ,they had the divinely-given power to do this2 and they also had the power to reject the ,gospel and die1 otherwise the apostle could not say1 ,save yourselves from this crooked generation--seize the help ,god was holding out from heaven4 ,,conditions #a4 ,they heard 7vs4 #h1 #aa1 #ad1 #bb1 #cg74 #b4 ,believed 7vs4 #cj71 in accordance with the apostle's appeal to them1 otherwise they would not have been pricked in their hearts4 #c4 ,they repented4 #d4 ,were baptized in his name4 ,thus they entered through these divinely-appointed conditions into the enjoyment of the blessings graciously provided for them through the death and mediation4 ,this was the first time the ,gospel in its fullness was ever preached under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 leading men into the ,church of ,god and into the remission of their sins1 under the world-wide commission of ,jesus1 the ,lord and ,master2 for ,peter1 in giving an account of the conversion of ,cornelius1 said3 ,as ,i began to speak1 the ,holy ,spirit fell on them1 even as on us at the beginning 7,acts #aa3ae74 ,on the first occasion1 when the world knew not the way1 there was of necessity a demand for a fullness and specificness of direction1 a careful and distinct enumeration of the steps to be taken in their connection1 and the agencies used1 that was not needful in after references2 after the steps to be taken and the order was once clearly made known1 an allusion to one leading step or point or the order called up all of them4 ,these were the steps to be taken1 this the rule to be followed1 the fixed directions of the spirit of ,god1 sealed by the blood of ,christ1 worldwide in its application1 and to stand to the end of the world4 ,no human power can abrogate1 change or modify this commission of the ,lord ,jesus1 this guidance of the ,spirit2 and ,i feel sure that no one can have a well-grounded assurance of citizenship in that kingdom until he has complied with the conditions presented in the blood-sealed commission of ,jesus ,christ1 given under the infallible guidance of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this brings us to the discussion of the second division of the subject-- ,,conditions ,,of ,,continued ,,membership ,to all those who entered into the apostolic ,church the exhortation was given3 ,putting away1 therefore1 all wickedness1 and all guile1 and hypocrisies1 and envies1 and all evil speakings1 as new-born babes1 long for the spiritual milk which is without guile1 that ye may grow thereby unto salvation 7,i ,peter #b3a1 #b74 ,they were also taught to let the word of ,christ dwell in them richly 7,col4 #c3af74 ,this was necessary in the mind of inspired men because they realized that to be a ,christian was to be like ,god4 ,it was to be like ,god in the flesh4 ,jesus ,christ was ,immanuel--,god with us in the flesh4 ,he came in the flesh to take on himself all the feelings1 temptations1 and weaknesses of humanity1 to show what and how the ,christian should live4 ,with this in mind it is easy to see that with them the ,christian was ,god growing in the flesh up to the stage of maturity in man and perfection under the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus4 ,in the growth of the ,christian there was a constant but gradual growth of all the desires and affections into the likeness of the character affections that move ,god2 a growth in character in the feelings and in thoughts and in actions to the life and character of ,god4 ,the ,christian's life was a continual growth into a nobler life with ,god4 ,they were to grow in thoughts and feelings1 in purposes and actions1 into the likeness of ,god4 ,solomon said3 ,for as he thinketh within himself1 so is he 7,prov4 #bc3g74 ,the thoughts and feelings that a man cherishes in his heart mold and shape the character and make him what he is4 ,a spirit that loves as ,god loves and seeks to do good and bless as ,god does will grow into the likeness of ,god4 ,they were taught that a man must not only think as ,god thinks2 but that the thoughts must grow into permanent principles cherished in the heart2 that they must mold the actions to make him act as ,god acts4 ,faith in ,god made them desire to think1 feel and act like ,god1 which is the end and accomplishment of the turning to ,god4 ,but all who entered into the apostolic ,church did not choose to thus develop themselves into the likeness of ,god and continue in the fellowship with him1 for some were put away4 ,there were reasons for this4 ,since some were and some were not1 it follows that there were conditions of continued fellowship4 ,some have interpreted the parable of the tares 7,matt4 #ac3bd-cj7--,let both grow together until the harvest--to mean that there is to be no exclusion from the ,church1 but this is to make parabolic language conflict with plain1 unfigurative statements and historical facts1 which is not admissible4 ,the ,saviour directed that he who would not hear the church should be as the ,gentile and the publican 7,matt4 #ah3ag74 ,concerning the incestuous man in the church at ,corinth ,paul said3 ,for ,i verily1 being absent in the body but present in spirit1 have already as though ,i were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing1 in the name of our ,lord ,jesus1 ye being gathered together1 and my spirit1 with the power of our ,lord ,jesus to deliver such a one unto ,satan for the destruction of the flesh1 that the spirit may be saved in the day of the ,lord ,jesus 7,i ,cor4 #e3c-e74 ,and to the ,thessalonians he gave practically the same directions3 ,now we command you1 brethren1 in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly 7,,ii ,thess4 #c3f74 ,the ,holy ,spirit mentions the following things as the works of the flesh3 ,fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness1 idolatry1 sorcery1 enmities1 strife1 jealousies1 wraths1 factions1 divisions1 parties1 envying1 drunkenness1 revelings1 and such like2 of which ,i forewarn you1 that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god 7,gal4 #e3aj-ba74 ,those guilty of such things can not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,such things are disorderly1 else they would not deprive one of the kingdom of ,god4 ,for those that walk orderly enjoy the divine favor4 ,since such things are disorderly1 and the ,church is to withdraw from those who walk disorderly1 it follows that the ,church is to withdraw from all such4 ,therefore1 the congregation that did not do it1 disregarded the law and authority of ,jesus ,christ4 ,of course1 it is understood that an earnest1 faithful effort was to be made to bring such offenders to repentance1 and an orderly life2 but when such efforts failed1 they were compelled by the law of ,christ to put them away4 ,consequently the condition of continuing in the membership of the ,church of ,god was an orderly ,christian life1 as ,i have already shown4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,worship ,of the people under the new covenant the ,holy ,spirit1 through ,peter1 said3 ,but ye are an elect race1 a royal priesthood1 a holy nation1 a people for ,god's own possession1 that ye may show the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light 7,i ,peter #b3i74 ,they constitute a nation--not a republic1 but a kingdom--so we read3 ,unto him that loveth us1 and loosed us from our sins by his blood2 and he made us to be a kingdom1 to be priests unto his ,god and ,father2 to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever 7,rev4 #a3f1 #g74 ,and madest them to be unto our ,god a kingdom and priests 7,rev4 #e3aj74 ,a nation or kingdom of priests is equal to a nation or kingdom without priests4 ,and so the whole ,church of ,god is his lot1 heritage1 clergy1 or priesthood4 ,as a kingdom1 not of this world1 though in the world4 ,when on trial for his life1 ,jesus said3 ,my kingdom is not of this world3 if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight1 that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews2 but now is my kingdom not from hence 7,john #ah3cf74 ,though on earth1 not earthly1 and its honors and grandeur are not akin to those of the nations of this world4 ,the subjects of this kingdom were born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god 7,john #a3ac72 born of water and the ,spirit4 ,they were all the sons and daughters of the ,lord ,almighty4 ,congregated for worship and service they were not only a priesthood1 but their edification was committed to the whole body of male members1 excluding from ministering therein only those incapable of edifying4 ,there were elders1 required to be apt to teach1 not to be the sole instructors of the church1 but taking part therein2 securing order and propriety on the part of all4 ,every member was taught to attend the worship regularly1 but this was not the end4 ,even if every member attended regularly and punctually1 this was not to be the end of the teaching1 the worship1 the service4 ,these were necessary1 because without these the end could not be attained4 ,the end was to excite and secure the active and earnest labor of every member in serving ,god and teaching and helping humanity4 ,one could not serve ,god without helping others4 ,he was to help them spiritually1 morally1 intellectually and materially4 ,the end of all the teaching and training of men in the church was that they might bear fruit in doing good to men4 ,paul said of ,christ ,jesus3 ,who gave himself for us1 that he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify unto himself a people for his own possession1 zealous of good works 7,titus #b3ad74 ,they were to cease to do evil and be zealous in good works4 ,faithful is the saying1 and concerning these things ,i desire that thou affirm confidently1 to the end that they who have believed in ,god may be careful to maintain good works4 ,these are good and profitable unto men4444 ,and let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses1 and that they be not unfruitful 7,titus #c3h-ad74 ,the end of the teaching and the worship was to develop the activity and direct the energies of every member in good works4 ,the first element of true good to others was to bring them into proper spiritual relations to ,god1 for without this no good can be enjoyed4 ,but this spiritual harmony with ,god must show itself in bringing every thought into harmony with the will of ,god and so direct the bodily energies as to bring all good--spiritual1 intellectual and material--to all creatures4 ,every member of the ,church was to participate in all the services of the church2 and the members not only were competent to do all the work pertaining to the church1 but they needed this work and service for their own spiritual growth4 ,in this service alone could the ,christian find the food and exercise needed for his growing wise and strong in the inner man4 ,the spiritual man could no more grow strong and active without himself doing the worship and work of the church than the body could grow strong while refusing the food and exercise needed for its growth and life4 ,in this service in the church man could alone find the highest development of the soul and the mind and the body4 ,one could no more worship and do the work in the church by proxy and grow spiritually thereby than he could eat and take exercise by proxy and his body grow thereby4 ,the well-being of every member demanded that he should take active part in the worship1 the well-being of the church demanded the help of every member that it may grow up in all things unto him1 who is the head1 even ,christ2 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth1 according to the working in due measure of each several part1 making the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love 7,eph4 #d3ae1 #af74 ,the point emphasized here is that every member had his work to do1 his office to fill1 and by this harmonious working of all the parts the body grew into the well-proportioned body of ,christ--the ,church4 ,the welfare and development of the whole was dependent upon the proper workings of each and every member4 ,every child of ,god1 by virtue of his birthright into ,god's family1 a family of priests to ,god1 had the right to perform any and every service connected with the ,church of ,god1 limited only by ,god's directions and by the ability to do it decently and in order4 ,all were encouraged to take part in the service1 and in doing the service each member manifested his talent for the work and trained himself for fitness in ,god's work4 ,every dispensation has had its peculiar worship4 ,that of the ,jewish dispensation differed from the patriarchal4 ,the worship under the ,christian dispensation is radically different from both4 ,the worship which was acceptable under the patriarchal would condemn a ,jew2 and that which would justify a ,jew would condemn a ,christian4 ,during the patriarchal dispensation religion was confined to the family4 ,every one was his own priest1 and he could build his own altar and offer his own sacrifices for himself and for his family4 7,gen4 #d3d2 #h3bj2 ,job4 #a3e47 ,but when the priesthood was changed1 and confined to the family of ,levi 7,ex4 #bh3a2 ,num4 #be3aa-ac71 this worship was no longer permitted by those included in the ,sinaitic covenant2 hence no longer acceptable4 ,it is likewise true that the sacrifices offered by the ,levitical priesthood ceased to be acceptable after the death of ,christ and the establishment of the ,church4 ,when ,christ ascended to the ,father the priesthood was changed4 ,the high priesthood then passed into the hands of one belonging to another tribe1 from which no man hath given attendance at the altar4 ,for it is evident that our ,lord hath sprung out of ,judah2 as to which tribe ,moses spake nothing concerning priests 7,heb4 #g3ac1 #ad74 ,the priesthood being changed1 a change of the ,worship follows as a necessity4 ,for the priesthood being changed1 there is made of necessity a change also of the law 7,heb4 #g3ab74 ,while the worship of the three dispensations had some things in common1 each had its distinctive peculiarities4 ,since ,christianity is distinguished from every other religion by its institutions and worship1 it of necessity follows that1 in order to its preservation1 these must be strictly observed4 ,nothing short of this can preserve the ,church from degeneracy and final extinction4 ,as we have already learned1 a fundamental feature of the worship in the ,church of ,god is the ,universal ,priesthood of its membership4 ,all the members of ,god's family have became a royal priesthood1 who no longer offer bloody sacrifices of the law of ,moses1 but they offer their bodies a living sacrifice 7,rom4 #ab3a71 and the sacrifice of praise to ,god continually1 that is1 the fruit of lips which make confession to his name 7,heb4 #ac3ae74 ,since all were priests1 all worshiped ,god without any mediatorship other than that of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,they could all come with equal boldness to the throne of grace4 ,such clerical distinction and arrogance as we have at the present time had no place then4 ,that the apostles taught the churches to do all the ,lord commanded will not be called in question by those who receive the ,bible as authority4 ,whatever1 then1 the churches did by the appointment or concurrence of the apostles1 they did by the commandment of ,jesus ,christ4 ,whatever acts of worship the apostles taught and sanctioned in one congregation1 they taught and sanctioned in all1 because all under the same government of the same ,king4 ,but the church in ,troas met upon the first day of the week 444 to break bread 7,acts #bj3g71 and ,paul exhorts the ,hebrew brethren to consider one another to provoke unto love and good works2 not forsaking our own assembling together1 as the custom of some is1 but exhorting one another2 and so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh 7,heb4 #aj3bd1 #be74 ,from the manner in which this meeting of the disciples at ,troas is mentioned by ,luke1 two things are very evident3 7#a7 ,that it was an established rule of the disciples to meet on the first day of the week2 7#b7 that the primary object of their meeting was to break bread4 ,and ,luke also tells us that the ,jerusalem church continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship1 in the breaking of bread and prayers 7,acts #b3db71 which shows us that the breaking of bread was a prominent item in those stated meetings4 ,other corroborating evidences of the stated meetings on the first day of the week for religious purposes are indicated by the instructions ,paul gave to the church in ,galatia and ,corinth3 ,now concerning the collection for the saints1 as ,i gave order to the churches of ,galatia1 so also do ye4 ,upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store1 as he may prosper1 that no collections be made when ,i come 7,i ,cor4 #af3a1 #b74 ,as we have seen that whatever the primitive churches did by the approval of the apostles1 they did by divine authority1 now1 as ,paul approved their meeting on the first day of the week1 it is as high authority as could be required for the practice of meeting to worship on the first day of every week4 ,the items of their worship were3 ,,the ,,apostles' ,,teaching ,they believed that the teaching of the apostles was from ,god and they constantly and diligently studied it1 that they might know and do the whole will of ,god4 ,the constant study of and the profound reverence for the ,word of ,god were recognized traits of their character4 ,they certainly had the word of ,christ dwelling in them richly4 ,not only was reading the ,scriptures a part of all the public worship1 it was a daily custom in private life--in the family1 the social circle1 and even at their toil4 ,on this point ,i will give the testimony of ,lyman ,coleman1 who has gathered much information on this subject4 ,he says3 ,no trait of the primitive ,christians was more remarkable than their profound reverence for the ,scriptures and their diligent study of them4 ,the ,word of ,god1 dwelling in them richly and abounding1 was their meditation all the day long4 ,those who could read never went abroad without taking some part of the ,bible with them4 ,the women1 in their household labors1 wore some portion of the sacred roll hanging about their necks2 and the men made it the companion of their toil in the field and the workshop4 ,morning1 noon and night they read it at their meals4 ,by the recitals of the narratives of sacred history1 by constant reading1 by paraphrase1 by commentary1 and by sacred song1 they taught the ,scriptures diligently unto their children2 talked of these heavenly themes when they sat in their house1 when they walked by the way1 when they laid themselves down1 and when they rose up4 ,one relates with great delight that he never sat at meat with ,origen1 ,a4 ,d4 #bbe1 but one of the company read to the other4 ,they never retired to rest without first reading the ,bible4 ,so diligent were they in this divine employment that prayers succeeded reading of the ,word1 and the reading of the ,word to prayer4 7,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified1 ,page #eg47 ,augustus ,neander says3 ,the nature of single acts of ,christian worship will be evident from what we have remarked respecting its essence generally4 ,as the elevation of the spirit and heart of the united ,church of ,god was the end of the whole1 so instruction and edification by uniting in the common contemplation of the divine ,word1 constituted1 from the first1 a principal part of ,christian worship4 ,the mode in which this was done might1 like the form of the church constitution1 be closely connected with the arrangement of the assemblies of the ,jewish communities in the synagogues4 ,as in the synagogue assemblies of the ,jews the reading of portions from the ,old ,testament formed the basis of religious instruction1 so the same practice passed over into the ,christian assemblies4 ,the ,old ,testament was read first1 particularly the prophetic parts of it1 as referring to the ,messiah2 next1 the gospels1 and finally the apostolic epistles4 ,the reading of the ,scriptures was of the greater consequence1 since it was desired to make every ,christian familiar with them4 7,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 #a1 ,page #dab47 ,,the ,,fellowship ,the leading idea of this term is that of joint participation4 ,we have fellowship with ,god because we are made partakers of the divine nature1 as we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust4 ,we have fellowship with ,jesus ,christ because of the common sympathies which his life and sufferings have established between himself and us4 ,to be in fellowship with him means to take part in his poverty and want1 to share in his sorrows1 his sufferings and self-denial in this world1 as well as to partake of the joys and hopes1 the consolations and blessedness of this world1 and the hopes and glories of the world to come4 ,we have fellowship with one another because of the mutual participation in each other's affections1 joys1 sorrows and needs4 ,the word as here used includes the contribution which was regularly made on the first day of every week4 ,paul says3 ,upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store as he may prosper 7,i ,cor4 #af3b74 ,the small offering of the poor was as much demanded as the greater ones of the rich1 and just as acceptable4 ,the regulation governing this was3 ,for if the readiness is there1 it is acceptable according as a man hath1 not according as he hath not 7,,ii ,cor4 #h3ab74 ,god never valued the offerings brought to him by their intrinsic value1 but by the sacrifice made by the one making the offering4 ,it was also required that the worshiper should be liberal and cheerful in giving4 ,he that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly2 and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully4 ,let each man do as he hath purposed in his heart2 not grudgingly1 or of necessity3 for ,god loveth a cheerful giver 7,,ii ,cor4 #i3f1 #g74 ,this shows that a cheerful1 bountiful offering to ,god is but a reasonable measure of liberality4 ,god expected this of every worshiper4 ,,breaking ,,bread ,that the churches in apostolic times met on the first day of every week to partake of the ,lord's ,supper1 is well at tested by both inspired and uninspired writers4 ,it is plainly stated that the disciples at ,troas gathered together to break bread2 and what one church did by the authority of the ,lord1 as a part of his instituted worship1 they all did4 ,that they met for this purpose is not to be inferred1 for ,luke says3 ,and upon the first day of the week1 when we were gathered together to break bread1 ,paul discoursed with them1 intending to depart on the morrow2 and prolonged his speech until midnight 7,acts #bj3g74 ,from the way this meeting is mentioned two things are quite obvious3 7#a7 ,that it was an established custom for the disciples to meet on the first day of the week2 and 7#b7 that the primary object of this meeting was to break bread4 ,all ,biblical scholars and church historians1 without regard to denomination1 generally concede that the apostolic church observed the ,lord's ,supper on the first day of every week4 ,out of the many proofs that might be given of this ,i will give the testimony of only one4 ,mosheim says3 ,the first of all the ,christian churches founded by the apostles was that of ,jerusalem2 and after the form and model of this1 all the others of that age were constituted4 ,that ,church1 however1 was governed immediately by the apostles1 to whom the presbyters and the deacons1 or overseers of the poor1 were subject4 ,though the people had not withdrawn themselves from the ,jewish worship1 yet they held their own separate meetings1 in which they were instructed by the apostles and presbyters1 offered up their united prayers1 celebrated the sacred supper1 the memorial of ,jesus ,christ1 of his death1 and the salvation he procured4444 ,the ,christians of this century assembled for the worship of ,god and for their advancement in piety on the first day of the week1 the day on which ,christ reassumed his life2 for that this day was set apart for religious worship by the apostles themselves1 and that1 after the example of the ,church of ,jerusalem1 it was generally observed we have unexceptional testimony4 7,ecclesiastical ,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 page #df1 #he47 ,this testimony is confirmed by the pagan ,pliny in his well-known letter to ,trajan 7about ,a4 ,d4 #ajj71 written while he presided over ,pontus and ,bithynia4 ,he says3 ,the ,christians affirm the whole of their guilt or error to be that they were accustomed to meet together on a stated day1 before it was light1 and to sing hymns to ,christ as a god1 and to bind themselves by a sacrimentum1 not for any wicked purpose1 but never to commit fraud1 theft1 or adultery2 never to break their word or to refuse1 when called upon1 to deliver up any trust2 after which it was their custom to separate1 and to assemble again to take a meal1 but a general one1 and without guilty purpose4 7,epistle ,x1 #ig47 ,,prayers ,simplicity characterized everything in the primitive worship4 ,consequently the prayers of the first ,christians were of the most simple and artless character4 ,they regarded prayer as a quickening spirit1 drawing forth the inward inspirations of the soul after ,god1 and accompanied every important act of their public and private life with this holy privilege1 and ,paul exhorts his readers to pray without ceasing4 ,on this subject ,lyman ,coleman says3 ,the prayers of the ,church were offered in language the most artless and natural4 ,even the most learned of the apologists and early fathers1 such as ,justin ,martyr1 ,theophilus of ,antioch1 ,clement of ,alexandria1 ,origen1 ,tertullian1 ,cyprian1 ,arnobius1 and ,lactantius1 who were no strangers to the graces of diction1 refused all ornamental embellishments in their addresses to the throne of grace1 alleging that the kingdom of heaven consists not in words1 but in power4 ,their prayers were accordingly offered in the greatest simplicity1 and as far as possible in the phraseology of ,scripture4 ,this artlessness and elegant simplicity appears in striking contrast with the ostentation and bombast of a later date4 ,this contrast appears equally great also in the brevity of these prayers4 ,it was a maxim of the primitive ,church that many words should never be employed to express what might be better said in a few4 7,ibid1 page #caf47 ,,singing ,their singing was a real heartfelt service4 ,the ,holy ,spirit said3 ,and be not drunken with wine1 wherein is riot1 but be filled with the ,spirit2 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing and making melody with your hearts to the ,lord 7,eph4 #e3ah1 #ai74 ,and again1 ,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly2 in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing with grace in your hearts unto ,god 7,col4 #c3af74 ,in this delightful service the whole congregation doubtless took part4 ,it has been contended1 recently1 that the singing of the first churches was not congregational1 and therefore our congregational singing is as unscriptural and unauthorized as any musical performance in the worship4 ,the testimony of history is against this statement4 ,on this subject ,philip ,schaff says3 ,the song1 a form of prayer1 in the festive dress of pietry and the elevated language of inspiration1 raising the congregation to the highest pitch of devotion1 and giving it a part in the heavenly harmonies of the saints4 ,this passed immediately1 with psalms of the ,old ,testament1 those inexhaustible treasures of spiritual experience1 edification and comfort1 from the temple and the synagogue into the ,christian ,church4 ,the ,lord himself inaugurated psalmody into the new covenant at the institution of the holy ,supper1 and ,paul expressly enjoined the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs as a means of social edification4 7,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 page #dfc47 ,to the same effect testifies ,lyman ,coleman3 ,the prevailing mode of singing during the first three centuries was congregational4 ,the whole congregation united their voices in the sacred song of praise1 in strains suited to their ability4 ,their music1 if such it could be called1 was1 of necessity1 crude and simple4 ,indeed1 it appears to have been a kind of recitative or chant4 ,the charm of their sacred music was not in the harmony of sweet sounds1 but in the melody of the heart4444 ,but1 however this may be1 the most ancient and most common mode of singing was confessedly for the whole assembly2 men1 women and children blend their voices in their songs of praise in the great congregation4 ,such is the testimony of ,hillary1 of ,augustin and ,chrysostom4 ,formerly all came together and united in their song1 as is still our custom4 ,men and women1 the aged and the young1 were distinguished only by their skill in singing1 for the spirit which led the voice of each one blended all in one harmonious melody4 7,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified1 pages #cbi1 #ccj47 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,polity ,by the term polity ,i mean the organic structure and government of the ,church4 ,nothing is more obvious from the ,new ,testament record than the simplicity which characterized its primitive organization4 ,in this particular ,christianity was in marked contrast with ,judaism4 ,with temple1 tabernacle or altars2 without priests or ,levites1 and almost without ceremonies1 it made known at once its character and purpose as spiritual and not carnal1 as1 in fact1 a kingdom of ,god not of this world4 ,its only authority was ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god ,we have already seen that the only creed of the primitive ,church was the central truth of ,god's revelation to man--,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4 ,the whole ,new ,testament is but an expansion of this thought4 ,the early ,christians1 in confessing their faith in ,christ1 accepted the whole revelation of ,god based upon it as their absolute and only authority4 ,the teaching of inspired men was to them what the ,new ,testament is to us1 till their teaching was recorded and the necessity for oral inspiration ceased4 ,the all-sufficiency of the ,holy ,scriptures is thus expressed by the inspired apostle3 ,every scripture inspired of ,god is also profitable for teaching1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction which is in righteousness3 for the man of ,god may be complete1 furnished completely unto every good work 7,,ii ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag74 ,this most evidently refers to the ,old ,testament as a whole--the book that ,timothy had known from his childhood4 ,the teaching of ,jesus and the apostles in connection with the examples1 the teachings1 the warnings of the ,old ,testament ,scriptures1 are sufficient to thoroughly furnish the man of ,god with instruction necessary to carrying out all the requirements of ,god in every relationship of life4 ,paul's confidence in the sufficiency of the ,word of ,god is also expressed in these words3 ,and now ,i commend you to ,god1 and to the word of his grace1 which is able to build you up1 and to give the inheritance among them that are sanctified 7,acts #bj3cb74 ,in the ,lord's prayer1 just before his arrest and tragic death1 he said3 ,sanctify them in the truth2 thy word is truth 7,john #ag3ag74 ,from what is here stated it is evident that the early ,christians were fully convinced that the ,word of ,god in the work of redemption was all-sufficient for the accomplishment of the following things3 7#a7 ,teaching4 7#b7 ,reproof--conviction of sin4 7#c7 ,correction--for setting men upright4 7#d7 ,instruction in righteousness4 7#e7 ,build men up4 7#f7 ,sanctification4 7#g7 ,give an inheritance4 7#h7 ,and perfection in good works4 ,since the ,bible furnishes all this1 it would be difficult to conceive any want it does not supply4 ,it leaves no room for a human creed1 nor any other authority in matters of faith4 ,hence it is a fact1 conceded by all ,biblical students1 that the apostolic ,church accepted the ,word of ,god as its absolute and only authority in all religious affairs4 ,,names ,those who became followers of ,christ in the early days of ,christianity were designated by several names1 all of which were significant4 ,they were called saints because they had been set apart to the service of ,god2 brethren1 because of their relation as members of a common family2 elect because they were chosen of ,god in ,christ by the ,gospel2 children of ,god1 because of their relation to him as a common ,father2 believers1 because of their devotion to ,christ and of their faith in him2 disciples1 because they were learners in the school of their ,master2 ,christians1 because they were followers of ,christ and citizens of his kingdom4 ,it was natural1 therefore1 that the last name should soon become the most prominent and be freely used by the friend and foe in times of persecution4 ,peter says3 ,if a man suffer as a ,christian1 let him not be ashamed2 but let him glorify ,god in this name 7,i ,peter #d3af74 ,it was the name that united believers in the government of ,christ1 and was the most comprehensive of all the names of those given to those who composed the body of ,christ4 ,to be called a ,christian carried with it all the honors implied in all the other names4 ,all these names were worn by divine authority1 and were evidently given by inspiration4 ,,congregational ,,independence ,each congregation was independent of all others in its government4 ,they sustained a fraternal relation to each other as parts of the body of ,christ1 but no one was under the ecclesiastical authority of another4 ,there is no ecclesiastical authority recognized in the ,new ,testament except that of a single congregation1 and that only when acting strictly in obedience to the will of ,christ4 ,from such a decision there is no court of appeal4 ,on this point ,i submit the testimony of a few distinguished men1 who1 while they stood identified with an eccleciasticism ruling the individual congregation1 admit that no such thing was known to the ,new ,testament4 ,mosheim says3 ,all the churches1 in those primitive times1 were independent bodies2 or none of them subject to the jurisdiction of any other4 ,for though the churches which were founded by the apostles themselves frequently had the honor shown them to be consulted in difficult and doubtful cases1 yet they had no judicial authority1 no control1 no power of giving laws4 ,on the contrary1 it is as clear as the noon-day1 that all ,christian churches had equal rights1 and were in all respects on a footing of equality4 ,nor does there appear in this first century any vestige of that consociation of the churches of the same provinces1 which gave rise to ecclesiastical councils1 and to metropolitans4 ,but1 rather as is manifest1 it was not till the second century that the custom of holding ecclesiastical councils first began in ,greece1 and thence extended into other provinces4 7,ecclesiastical ,history1 ,vol4 #a1 page #gb47 ,concerning the churches of the second century1 ,mosheim says3 ,during a great part of this century1 all churches continued to be as at first1 independent of each other1 or were connected by no consociation or confederation4 ,each church was a kind of small independent republic1 governing itself by its own laws1 enacted or at least sanctioned by the people4 ,but in the process of time it became customary for all the ,christian churches within the same province to unite and form a sort of larger society or commonwealth2 and in the manner of confederated republics1 to hold their conventions at stated times1 and there deliberate for the common advantage of the whole confederation4 7,ibid1 page #aaf47 ,of the independence of the apostolic churches1 ,prof4 ,lyman ,coleman says3 ,these churches1 whenever formed1 became separate and independent bodies1 competent to appoint their own officers1 and to administer their own government without reference to subordination to any central authority or foreign power4 ,no fact connected with the history of these primitive churches is more fully established or more generally conceded1 so that the discussion of it need not be renewed at this place4 7,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified1 page #ie47 ,from this we learn3 7#a7 ,that during the first century and the early part of the second the churches were independent2 and 7#b7 that so soon as they confederated for the common interest their independency was destroyed and a tyrannical ecclesiasticism established4 ,much more might be given to establish the face of the congregational independence of the apostolic churches1 but as that is so well established and so generally admitted1 it does not seem necessary4 ,,elders ,in every fully-developed church in apostolic times there was a plurality of elders or bishops4 ,luke says3 ,and from ,miletus he ,paul sent to ,ephesus1 and called to him the elders of the church4 ,and when they were come to him he said unto them1 444 ,take heed unto yourselves1 and to all the flock1 in which the ,holy ,spirit hath made you bishops1 to feed the church of the ,lord which he purchased with his own blood 7,acts #bj3ag-bh74 ,from this we not only learn that there was a plurality of elders at ,ephesus1 but they were also called bishops1 which clearly proves that the terms elder and bishop are used synonymously4 ,of ,paul and ,barnabas it is said3 ,and when they had preached the gospel to that city ,derbe1 and had made many disciples1 they returned to ,lystra1 and to ,iconium1 and to ,antioch1 confirming the souls of the disciples4444 ,and when they had appointed for them elders in every church1 and had prayed with fasting1 they commended them to the ,lord1 on whom they had believed 7,acts #ad3ba-bc74 ,from this we learn that elders were appointed in every church4 ,that there were a plurality of elders in every fully-developed church is abundantly proved by historical testimony4 ,the eldership is the most sacred trust of ,god to his church4 ,god is the legislator1 the only lawmaker of his people4 ,his authority is absolute1 his power omnipotent4 ,to the elders is committed the work of teaching and enforcing the laws of ,god and of guarding them against all perversion or corruption by adding to or taking from1 or by bringing in the customs1 traditions1 or doctrines of men4 ,no elder can be faithful to ,god without holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching1 that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine1 and to convict the gainsayers 7,titus #a3i74 ,the ,holy ,spirit through ,peter charges them to tend the flock of ,god which is among you1 exercising the oversight1 not of constraint1 but willingly1 according to the will of ,god2 nor yet for filthy lucre1 but of a ready mind2 neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you1 but making yourselves ensamples to the flock 7,i ,peter #e3b-d74 ,their office is to feed the flock on the ,spiritual milk which is without guile that they may grow thereby unto salvation4 7,see ,i ,peter #b3b47 ,they are the guardians of ,god's heritage1 to keep it from being led away from him4 ,they are to make no rules of their own1 as though they are the lords or rulers over ,god's house4 ,they have no authority save to enforce the law of ,god1 and so set an example of fidelity to ,god to be followed by the church4 ,if elders conscientiously confine themselves to the law of ,god1 they can give account with joy2 otherwise with grief4 ,the spirit in which this is to be done is given by ,paul in his charge to the elders at ,ephesus3 ,take heed unto yourselves1 and to all the flock1 in which the ,holy ,spirit hath made you bishops1 to feed the church of the ,lord which he purchased with his own blood4 ,i know that after my departing grievous wolves enter in among you1 not sparing the flock2 and from among your own selves shall men arise1 speaking perverse things1 to draw away disciples after them4 ,wherefore watch ye1 remembering that by the space of three years ,i ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears1 and now ,i commend you to ,god1 and to the word of his grace1 which is able to build you up1 and give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified 7,acts #bj3bh-cb74 ,this exhortation was given to guide the elders in their work4 ,a fundamental and all-pervading principle of this counsel is that nothing is to be taught or practiced of the precepts of man4 ,the elders are to guard and preserve the purity of ,god's word1 the faith and peace of the church and so promote the salvation of man4 ,their labors were confined to the congregation in which they held their membership1 and to which they were responsible for their conduct4 ,,deacons ,there were also a plurality of deacons in every full-developed congregation4 ,luke tells us 7,acts #f3c7 that the ,church in ,jerusalem selected seven deacons4 ,it is true that they are not here called deacons1 but the work to which they were called corresponds to that of the deacons as described by ,paul in his letter to ,timothy4 ,the work of both is expressed by the same word in the ,greek4 ,paul addressed a letter to all the saints in ,christ ,jesus that are at ,philippi1 with the bishops and deacons4 ,hence there were a plurality in the ,church at ,philippi4 ,this being true1 and ,jerusalem being the ,church after which the others were modeled1 ,i conclude that what was true of these churches was true of all the others4 ,,evangelists ,in the ,new ,testament ,church there was a class of laborers called evangelists4 ,their work differed very materially from that of the elders and deacons4 ,philip1 who was one of the seven that were appointed deacons in the ,church at ,jerusalem1 is the first evangelist of which we have any account4 ,he went down to the city of ,samaria1 and proclaimed unto them the ,christ4 ,and the multitude gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by ,philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did4444 ,and when they believed ,philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of ,god and the name of ,jesus ,christ1 they were baptized1 both men and women 7,acts #h3e-ab74 ,thence he went1 in obedience to the instruction of the angel1 unto the way that goeth down from ,jerusalem unto ,gaza1 where he met a man of ,ethiopia1 and preached unto him ,jesus4 ,and as they went on their way1 they came unto a certain water2 and the eunuch said1 ,behold here is water2 what doth hinder me to be baptized8444 ,and they both went down into the water1 both ,philip and the eunuch2 and he baptized him4 ,from this we learn that a deacon may soon develop into an evangelist4 ,timothy was exhorted to do the work of an evangelist2 hence it is legitimate to infer that he was one4 ,from the letters to ,timothy and ,titus it appears that the general work of an evangelist was to preach the ,gospel in other fields than the congregation in which he held his membership1 establish churches and take care of them1 appoint elders and deacons when such work was appropriate1 and to labor for such congregations as needed assistance1 whether with or without an eldership4 ,,part ,,ii ,the ,falling ,away ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,falling ,,away ,,predicted ,the ,saviour1 when about to leave his apostles1 prayed the ,father1 that as he till then had kept them1 so they might be kept when he was no longer personally with them1 adding3 ,i pray not that thou shouldst take them from the world1 but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one 7,john #ag3ae74 ,and his prayer was answered1 for though ,jew and ,gentile sought their death1 yet they were preserved until the church stood forth in the measure of the stature of the fullness of ,christ--till the perfect had come4 ,and what a perfection it was6 ,perfect unfolding of the love of ,god1 so far as that can be comprehended in this life2 perfect exhibition of the plan of salvation2 perfect deliverance of the faith2 perfected canon of ,scripture2 perfected church policy2 perfected hope1 blooming with immortality4 ,the last of the apostles were preserved to the church till the entire apostolic work was done4 ,the perfect had thus come1 and apostles were no more needed1 and have no more been had4 ,but notwithstanding perfection so varied1 the world is not yet brought to the ,saviour4 ,this would surprise us did we not know that departure from the faith and order has been as complete and widespread as could be4 ,this sad condition1 however1 did not come unawares upon the church1 for our ,saviour himself1 and his apostles1 foretold the apostasy1 and so minutely that its very existence stands out that prophets and apostles spake from ,god1 being moved by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in the ,sermon on the ,mount we have this solemn note of warning3 ,beware of false prophets1 who come to you in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves4444 ,by their fruits ye shall know them 7,matt4 #g3ae-bj74 ,these false prophets were men who would tear and rend the sheep to satisfy their own greed2 coming not only as enemies1 but in sheep's clothing1 arising from among the flock4 ,on careful examination it will be found that the apostles never taught the disciples to look for an unbroken triumph of ,christianity4 ,paul gives warning to the ,ephesian elders concerning grievous wolves who would not spare the flock in the following words3 ,take heed unto yourselves1 to feed the church of the ,lord which he purchased with his own blood4 ,i know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you1 not sparing the flock2 and from your own selves shall men arise1 speaking perverse things1 to draw away disciples after them 7,acts #bj3bh-cj74 ,these grievous1 tearing wolves were to arise1 not only in the church1 but from among the elders4 ,they would care for the fleece1 not for the flock2 speaking perverse things to draw away from the truth of ,god4 ,paul's epistles repeat the warning to the ,ephesian elders in various and awful forms4 ,he wrote his second letter to the church in ,thessalonica for the express purpose of guarding the church against the expected return of the ,lord before the falling away in the church1 and the man of sin be revealed1 the son of perdition1 he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called ,god or that is worshiped2 so that he sitteth in the temple of ,god setting himself forth as ,god 7,,ii ,thess4 #b3c1 #d74 ,in this it is clearly set forth that a principle was at work in the church that would work out developments and organizations that would set aside the authority of ,god4 ,the place or prerogative of ,god is to sit as lawmaker1 to make laws for his kingdom and his people1 and whoever or whatever proposes to legislate1 make1 repeal or modify the laws of ,god1 add to or take from what ,god has said1 is the man of sin1 the son of perdition4 ,organizations in the church or over the church to do the work that ,god has committed to individual ,christians and the churches are the works of the man of sin4 ,concerning false apostles ,paul gave this warning3 ,for such men are false apostles1 deceitful workers1 fashioning themselves into apostles of ,christ4 ,and no marvel2 for even ,satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light 7,,ii ,cor4 #aa3ab1 #ad74 ,it was no wonder that false prophets and apostate elders were transforming themselves into apostles of ,christ when their master was setting them the example4 ,all who sought to turn people from ,god's appointments were ministers of ,satan1 even though they thought they were serving ,god4 ,the end of all such shall correspond to their works4 ,from this we learn a needful warning in our day1 that a man calling himself an apostle1 or the successor of the apostles1 is no security that ,satan is not his prompter4 ,no wonder1 then1 the apostasy came soon and lasts long4 ,in the following the apostle again plainly foretells the apostasy3 ,but the ,spirit expressly saith that in latter times some shall fall away from the faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons1 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies 7,,ii ,tim4 #d3a1 #b74 ,every one that teaches that man can in any manner set aside the law and appointments of ,god1 or substitute man's devices for the order of ,god1 is a seducing spirit that turns man from the truth4 ,seducing spirits carry on their evil work through men who speak lies in hypocrisy4 ,again the apostle brings up the awful subject3 ,but know this1 that in the last days grievous times shall come4 ,for men shall be lovers of self1 lovers of money1 boastful1 haughty1 railers1 disobedient to parents1 unthankful1 unholy1 without natural affection1 implacable1 slanderous1 without self-control1 fierce1 no lovers of good1 traitors1 head-strong1 puffed up1 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of ,god2 holding a form of godliness1 but having denied the power thereof3 from these also turn away 7,,ii ,tim4 #c3a-e74 ,the condition here depicted was as certain as important4 ,timothy was to have no doubt about it1 and he was to be continually calling it to mind4 ,the men of the last times were to be lovers of self and avaricious4 ,men had always been so in all ages2 but the characteristic of the men in question was that they were to be holding a form of godliness1 but denying the power thereof4 ,but ,paul is not the only one who confirms the prediction of the ,lord4 ,the whole body of the apostles are at one on this point4 ,james says3 ,whence come wars and whence comes fightings among you8 come they not hence1 even of your pleasures that war in your members8 ,ye lust1 and have not2 ye kill1 and covet1 and can not obtain3 ye fight and war2 ye have not1 because ye ask not4 ,ye ask and receive not1 because ye ask amiss1 that ye may spend it on your pleasures 7,james #d3a-c74 ,the wolfish work had already begun2 but it was little compared with what was to follow1 when the proud1 money-loving priest would find emperors and kings to arm in his quarrel4 ,peter1 too1 writes3 ,but there arose false prophets among the people1 as among you also there shall be false teachers1 who shall privily bring in destructive heresies1 denying even the ,master that bought them1 bringing upon themselves swift destruction4 ,and many shall follow their lascivious doings2 by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of 7,,ii ,peter #b3a1 #b74 ,jude also gives warning against the apostates predicted by ,christ1 and ,paul1 and ,peter1 and denounced by ,james4 ,he says3 ,for there are certain men crept in privily1 even who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation1 ungodly men1 turning the grace of ,god into lasciviousness1 and denying our only ,master1 ,jesus ,christ 7,jude #d74 ,the self-styled vicar of ,christ1 with all his horde of dignitaries1 and all the multitude of corruptions in other sectarian bodies1 are sure that this can have no reference to them1 because they have never denied ,christ2 but on the other hand have filled the world with their various creeds and confessions of faith4 ,but it deserves consideration1 whether works are not always more weighty than words4 ,lord1 ,lord1 is loathsome to him in the mouths of the workers of iniquity2 and ,paul expressly declares that some profess that they know ,god2 but by their works they deny him1 being abominable1 and disobedient1 and unto every good work reprobate 7,titus #a3af74 ,coming down to ,john1 the last of the apostles1 and1 in point of time1 nearest to the apostasy1 we read3 ,little children1 it is the last hour2 and as ye heard that antichrist cometh1 even now have there risen many antichrists2 whereby we know that it is the last hour4 ,they went out from us1 but they are not of us2 for if they had been of us1 they would have continued with us2 but they went out1 that they might be made manifest that they are not of us 7,i ,john #b3ah1 #ai74 ,these antichrists were not open enemies1 but wolves in the garb of sheep4 ,then we read3 ,beloved1 believe not every spirit1 but prove the spirits1 whether they are of ,god2 because many false prophets are gone out into the world 7,i ,john #d3a74 ,not into the world as openly declaring their departure from the faith1 but as destroyers thereof by false doctrine1 while professing to be servants of ,christ4 ,further3 ,for many deceivers are gone forth into the world1 even they that confess not that ,jesus ,christ cometh in the flesh4 ,this is the deceiver and the antichrist4 ,they went forth into the world professedly as preachers of the ,gospel of ,christ1 yet denying his true character4 ,again3 ,i wrote somewhat unto the church3 but ,diotrephes1 who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them1 receiveth us not4 ,therefore1 if ,i come1 ,i will bring to remembrance his works which he doeth1 prating against us with wicked words3 and not content therewith1 neither doth he himself receive the brethren1 and them that would he forbiddeth and casteth them out of the church 7,,iii ,john #i1aj74 ,thus this bloated wolf had acquired such power in the church as to exclude those who held the truth as taught by the apostles4 ,in the last message that ,god ever made to man1 he said3 ,to the angel of the church in ,ephesus write3 ,these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand1 he that walketh in the midst of seven golden candlesticks3 ,i know thy works1 and thy toil and patience1 and that thou canst not bear evil men1 and didst try them that call themselves apostles1 and they are not1 and didst not find them false 7,rev4 #b3a1 #b74 ,thus it appears that what ,paul informed the elders of the church at ,ephesus he knew would come to pass after his leaving them4 ,the wolves in that case claimed to be the accepted apostles of ,christ1 but were found liars4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,falling ,,away ,the origin of the ,roman hierarchial system is obscured in pious frauds2 but it is certain that it arose gradually4 ,as we have already learned1 the apostolic churches had a plurality of elders or bishops4 ,at the first the elders of any particular congregation would select one of their number to preside at their meetings for the transaction of business1 and in the course of time he came to be known as ,the ,bishop4 ,little by little he came to feel his importance till he was exalted above his fellow elders4 ,this the presbyters would not concede4 ,divisions arose out of these troubles1 and the authority of the bishops1 closely united among themselves1 came victorious over the presbyters1 who opposed them singlehanded4 ,the power and authority of these bishops were regulated by the prominence of the cities in which they presided4 ,as ,rome was the chief city of the world at that time1 the bishops of cities of less importance regarded it an honor to themselves to concede to the bishop of ,rome the pre-eminence in all things2 and so he extended his authority from time to time1 till almost the whole world bowed to his authority4 ,the changes which produced this condition are strikingly expressed by ,lyman ,coleman4 ,he says3 #a4 ,in the college of equal and co-ordinate presbyters1 some one would naturally act as moderator or presiding officer2 age1 talent1 influence1 or ordination by the apostles1 might give one an accidental superiority over his fellows1 and appropriate to him the standing office of president of the presbytery4 ,to this office the title of bishop was assigned2 and with the office and the title began to be associated the authority of a distinct order4 ,jerome alleges that the standing office and authority of a bishop were a necessary expedient to still the cravings and strife for preferment which by the instigation of ,satan1 arose in process of time among the presbyters4 ,whatever may have been the cause1 a distinction began to be made1 in the course of the second century1 between bishops and presbyters1 which finally resulted1 in the century following1 in the establishment of the episcopal prerogatives4 #b4 ,without reference to the causes which occasioned the distinction between the clergy and the laity1 this is worthy of notice as another important change in the constitution of the ,church1 which gradually arose in connection with the rise of episcopal power4 ,in opposition to the idea of universal priesthood1 the people now became a distinct and inferior order4 ,they and the clergy begin to feel the force of conflicting interests and claims1 the distinction widens fast1 and influence1 authority and power centralize in the bishop1 the head of the clerical order4 #c4 ,the clergy claim for themselves the prerogatives1 relations and authority of the ,jewish priesthood4 ,such claims1 advanced in the third century by ,cyprian1 were a great departure from the original spirit and model of the ,church derived from ,christ and the apostles4 ,it was falling back from the ,new to the ,old ,testament1 and substituting the outward for the inward spirit4 ,it presented the priesthood again as a mediating office between man and his ,god4 ,it sought to invest the propitiating priest with awful sanctity1 as the appointed medium by which grace is imparted to man4 ,hence the necessity of episcopal ordination1 the apostolical succession1 and the grace of the ordinances administered by consecrated hands4 ,the clergy1 by this assumption1 were made independent of the people2 their commission and office were from ,god2 and1 as a ,mosaic priesthood1 they soon began to claim an independent sovereignty over the laity4 ,god makes the priests was the darling maxim of ,cyprian1 perpetually recurring in identical and varied phraseology4 ,no change1 perhaps1 in the whole history of the changing forms of church government can be specified more destructive to the primitive constitution of the ,church1 or more disastrous to its spiritual interests4 ,this entire perversion of the original view of the ,christian ,church1 says ,neander1 was itself the origin of the whole system of the ,roman ,catholic religion--the germ from which sprang the popery of the ,dark ,ages4 #d4 ,few and simple were the offices instituted in the ,church by the apostles2 but after the rise of episcopacy1 ecclesiastical offices were multiplied with great rapidity4 ,they arose1 as may appear in the progress of this work1 from different causes and at different times2 many were the necessary results of changes in the ,church and in society2 but1 generally1 they will be found to have1 as their ultimate effect and end1 the aggrandizement of the episcopate4 ,they are an integral1 if not an essential1 part of the ceremonial1 the pomp and power of an outward religion1 that carnal perversion of the true idea of the ,christian ,church1 and the legitimate consequence of beginning in the spirit and seeking to be made perfect in the flesh4 7,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified1 pages #ig-ii47 ,this testimony is confirmed by ,neander1 who says3 ,the changes which the constitution of the ,christian ,church underwent during this period related especially to the following particulars3 7#a7 ,the distinction of bishops from presbyters1 and the gradual development of the monarchico-episcopal church government2 7#b7 ,the distinction of the clergy from the laity1 and the formation of a sacerdotal caste1 as opposed to the evangelical idea of the priesthood2 7#c7 ,the multiplication of church offices4 7,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 page #bei47 ,since it has been shown that episcopacy was the outgrowth of a wicked ambition for leadership and power that culminated in the papacy1 ,i deem it important to give ample proof1 since it is yet very popular in many of the denominations of this day4 ,i now invite attention to the testimony of ,mosheim4 ,he says3 #a4 ,the form of church government which began to exist in the preceding century was in this century more industriously established and confirmed in all its parts4 ,one president1 or bishop1 presided over each church4 ,he was created by the common suffrage of the whole people4 ,with presbyters for his council1 whose number was not fixed1 it was his business to watch over the interest of the whole ,church1 and to assign to each presbyter his station4 ,subject to the bishop and also to the presbyters were the servants or deacons1 who were divided into certain classes1 because all the duties which the interests of the ,church required could not well be attended to by them all4 #b4 ,during a great portion of this century second all the churches continued to be1 as at first1 independent of each other1 or were connected by no consociations or confederations4 ,each church was a kind of small1 independent republic1 governing itself by its own laws1 enacted or at least sanctioned by the people4 ,but in the process of time it became customary for all the ,christian churches within the same province to unite and form a sort of larger society or commonwealth2 and in the manner of confederated republics1 to hold their conventions at stated times1 and there deliberate for the common advantage of the whole confederation4 ,this custom first arose among the ,greeks1 with whom a political confederation of cities1 and the consequent convention of their several delegates1 had been long known2 but afterward1 the utility of the thing being seen1 the custom extended through all the countries where there were ,christian churches4 ,such conventions of delegates from several churches assembled for deliberation were called by the ,greeks synods and by the ,latins councils2 and the laws agreed upon in them were called canons1 that is1 rules4 #c4 ,these councils--of which no vestige appears before the middle of this century--changed nearly the whole form of the ,church4 ,for by them1 in the first place1 the ancient rights and privileges of the people were very much abridged2 and1 on the other hand1 the influence and the authority of the bishops were not a little augmented4 ,at first the bishops did not deny that they were merely the representatives of their churches1 and that they acted in the name of the people2 but little by little they made high pretensions1 and maintained that power was given them by ,christ himself to dictate rules of faith and conduct to the people4 ,in the next place1 the perfect equality and parity of all bishops1 which existed in the early times1 these councils gradually subverted4 ,for it was necessary that one of the confederated bishops of a province should in those conventions be intrusted with some authority and power over the others2 and hence originated the prerogatives of metropolitans4 ,and lastly1 when the custom of holding these councils had extended over the ,christian world and the universal ,church had acquired the form of a vast republic composed of many lesser ones1 certain head men were to be placed over it in different parts of the world as central points in their respective countries4 ,hence came the ,patriarchs1 and ultimately the ,prince of ,patriarchs1 the ,roman ,pontiff4 7,ecclesiastical ,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 pages #aaf1 #aag47 ,concerning this1 ,i note the following facts3 #a4 ,that in the second century they digressed so far from apostolic practice as to have one bishop over each church1 and that he had his elders under his control4 ,he was the pastor of that church4 #b4 ,that there was a confederation of churches into councils4 #c4 ,these councils began to be held about the middle of the second century1 and resulted in augmenting the power of the bishops and diminishing the privileges of the people4 ,this power on the part of the clergy was not assumed all at once1 but gradually assumed as the people would bear it4 ,these councils soon began to enact laws1 and claimed authority from ,christ to thus dictate to the people4 #d4 ,that when the custom of holding these councils had extended over the ,christian world1 and the ,church had acquired the form of a vast republic composed of many lesser ones1 certain head men were placed over it in different parts of the world2 hence came the patriarchs1 and ultimately a prince of patriarchs1 the ,roman pontiff4 ,for centuries the struggle between the ,church of ,rome and the ,state raged furiously1 so that when we reach the age of ,hildebrand 7,a4,d4 #ajgc-ajhe7 we find plots and counterplots the order of the day4 ,it was the height of his ambition to subordinate the ,state to the ,church1 and subject the ,church to the absolute authority of the ,pope4 ,the course pursued by ,hildebrand and by aspiring pontiffs who succeeded him resulted in an open conflict between the papacy and the empire4 ,in the persistent contest which followed the papacy gained a decided advantage4 ,that the emperor was commissioned to preside over the temporal affairs of men1 while it was left for the pope to guide and govern them in spiritual things1 was a rule too vague for defining the limits of spiritual and temporal jurisdiction4 ,the co-ordination1 the equilibrium of the two powers was a relation with which neither party would be content4 ,it was a struggle on both sides for universal monarchy4 ,the popes1 by strategy and shrewd diplomacy1 gained complete supremacy over ,western ,europe1 and for many years the pope was everywhere acknowledged head of the ,latin ,church4 ,it was during the progress of the struggle with the empire1 says ,professor ,fisher1 that the papal power may be said to have culminated4 ,in the eighteen years 7#aaih-abaf7 in which ,innocent ,,iii reigned the papal institution shone forth in full splendor4 ,the enforcement of celibacy had placed the entire body of the clergy in closer relation to the sovereign pontiff4 ,the vicar of ,peter had become the vicar of ,god and of ,christ4 ,the idea of a theocracy on earth1 in which the pope should rule in this character1 fully possessed the mind of ,innocent1 who united to the courage1 pertinacity and lofty conceptions of ,gregory ,,vii a broader range of statesmanlike capacity4 ,in his view the two swords of temporal and ecclesiastical power had both been given to ,peter and to his successors1 so that the earthly sovereign derived his prerogative from the head of the ,church4 ,the king was to the pope as the moon to the sun2 a lower luminary shining with borrowed light4 ,acting on this theory1 he assumed the post of arbiter in the contention of nations1 and claimed the right to dethrone kings at his pleasure4 ,in the ,church he assumed the character of universal bishop1 under the theory that all episcopal power was originally deposited in ,peter and his successors1 and communicated through this source to bishops1 who were thus only the vicars of the pope1 and might be deposed at will4 ,being thus lifted up1 he said3 ,jesus ,christ wills that the kingdom should be priestly1 and the priesthood kingly4 ,over all he has set me as his vicar upon earth1 so that as before ,jesus 'every knee shall bow1' in like manner to his vicar all shall be obedient1 and there shall be one fold and one shepherd4 ,moreover1 he applied to himself the words of ,jesus1 ,all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth4 ,and again1 we hear one of them say3 ,for every human creature it is a condition of salvation to submit to the ,roman pontiff4 ,not only did they assert the necessity of obedience to the pope1 but they actually claimed the power to forgive sins and to bestow eternal life4 ,this is a striking fulfillment of what ,paul said to the ,thessalonians3 ,he opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called ,god or that is worshiped2 so that he sitteth in the temple of ,god1 setting himself forth as ,god 7,,ii ,thess4 #b3d74 ,the corruption of the government of the ,church naturally led to the corruption of everything connected with ,christianity4 ,a departure from the divine government in one thing opens the way for other departures4 ,such a course will soon cause men to lose sight of the ,lord's directions and cause them to follow the doctrines and commandments of men4 ,prominent among the early departures from the divine order was the substitution of infant baptism for that of believers4 ,this practice originated in the third century1 and grew out of the doctrine of original sin4 ,it was contended that baptism was regeneration in the sense of washing away original sin2 that infants were depraved by original sin1 and could not be saved without this washing away of that sin1 and therefore they baptized infants that they might be saved4 ,on this point ,neander testifies3 ,but when now1 on the one hand1 the doctrine of corruption and guilt1 cleaving to human nature in consequence of the first transgression1 was reduced to a more precise and systematic form1 and1 on the other from duly distinguishing between what is outward and what inward in baptism 7the baptism by water and the baptism by the ,spirit71 the error became more firmly established that without external baptism no one could be delivered from that inherent guilt1 or could be saved from the everlasting punishment that threatened him1 or raised to eternal life2 and when the notion of a magical influence1 a charm connected with the sacraments1 continually gained ground1 the theory was finally evolved of the unconditional necessity of infant baptism4 ,about the middle of the third century this theory was already generally admitted in the ,north ,african ,church4 7,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 pages #dbf1 #dbg47 ,to the same import is the testimony of ,dr4 ,philip ,schaff4 ,he says3 ,the practice of infant baptism in the church1 with the customary formula1 for the remission of sins1 and such accompanying ceremonies as exorcism1 presupposes the dominion of sin and of demoniacal powers even in infancy4 ,since the child1 before the awakening of self-consciousness1 has committed no actual sin1 the effect of baptism must relate to the forgiveness of original sin and guilt4 ,this was a very important point from the beginning of the controversy1 and one to which ,augustine frequently reverted4444 ,constrained by the idea of original sin1 and by the supposed necessity of baptism to salvation1 he does not shrink from consigning unbaptized children to damnation itself4444 ,the ,catholic doctrine of the necessity of outward baptism to regeneration and entrance into the kingdom of ,god1 forbade him a more liberal view respecting the endless destiny of that half of the human race which die in childhood4 7,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 pages #hce1 #hcf47 ,the departure from the practice of immersion1 the original act performed in baptism1 to affusion1 was largely due to the idea of the magical effect of water to cleanse the polluted souls of men4 ,it was believed to contain the whole forgiving power of ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit4 ,on this account many put off baptism till death threatened them1 that their iniquities might be removed as the ,king of terrors carried them into the land of spirits4 ,the first case of the kind on record is that of ,novatian 7,a4 ,d4 #bea71 who was baptized by affusion in the bed as he lay4 ,at first this practice caused a schism in the ,church1 but in the course of time that which was the exception became the rule4 ,on this radical change from apostolic practice the learned ,roman ,catholic bishop1 ,karl ,joseph ,hefele1 says3 ,the ,church has always been tender toward the sick2 she has hastened to confer baptism upon them1 because it is necessary to salvation2 and for that reason she introduced clinical baptism4 7,history of ,church ,councils1 page #aec47 ,there were no serious controversies about the ,lord's ,supper until the early part of the ninth century1 when one ,paschasius ,radbert1 a monk of great acuteness of mind1 wrote a book in which he promulgated the doctrine of transubstantiation4 ,in this book he took the position that the wine in the ,lord's ,supper is the very blood that ran out of the ,saviour's side upon the cross1 and for that reason water is mingled with the eucharistical wine2 and the bread is the very flesh of our ,saviour which was born of the ,virgin4 ,at first the doctrine was repugnant to the cultivated1 but it was broached in a rude age1 and the monks favored it2 the materialistic character of ,european thought assisted it1 and gradually it had a host of friends and was prepared to frown down all opposition4 ,the controversy1 however1 continued with fury till ,a4 ,d4 #abae1 when ,pope ,innocent ,,iii assembled a council in ,rome1 in the ,lateran ,church1 consisting of #dab bishops1 in whose hearing he read seventy canons which he had drawn up2 among these was the famous canon which gave transubstantiation a legal place in the ,catholic ,church4 ,the important part of the canon is3 ,there is one universal church of the faithful1 out of which no one at all is saved2 and in which ,jesus ,christ himself is at once priest and sacrifice2 whose body and blood1 in the sacrament of the altar1 are truly constrained under the species of bread and wine1 which1 through the divine power1 are transubstantiated1 the bread into the body1 and the wine into the blood2 that for the fulfillment of the mystery of unity1 we may receive of that which he received of ours4 ,another step was taken about #cej years later1 when the ,council of ,trent declared the host an atoning sacrifice3 ,and1 since in the divine sacrifice which is performed in the mass1 the same ,christ is contained and offered in an unbloody manner1 who1 on the altar of the cross1 offered himself1 with blood1 once for all2 the holy synod teaches that that sacrifice is1 and becomes of itself1 truly propitiatory1 so that if1 with a true heart and a right faith1 with fear and reverence1 we approach to ,god1 contrite and penitent1 we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need4 ,the ,lord1 forsooth1 being appeased by the offering of this1 and granting grace and the gift of repentance1 remit crimes and sins1 even great ones2 for it is one and the same host1 the same person now offering by the ministry of the priests1 who when offered himself upon the cross1 only in a different manner of offering2 and by this unbloody sacrifice1 the fruit of that bloody one are abundantly received2 only far be it that any dishonor should be done to that by this4 ,wherefore according to the tradition of the apostles1 offering is duly made1 not only for the sins1 pains1 and satisfactions1 and other necessities of the faithful who are alive1 but also for the dead in ,christ1 who are not yet wholly cleansed4 ,this same council further declared3 ,if any one shall deny that in the sacrament of the most holy eucharist1 there is contained really1 truly1 and substantially1 the body and the blood together with the soul and divinity1 of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and so whole ,christ1 but shall say he is only in it in sign1 or figure1 or power1 let him be accursed4 ,not content with this it declares that3 ,if any one shall say that in the holy sacrament of the eucharist1 there remains the substance of the bread and wine1 together with the body and blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and shall deny that wonderful and remarkable conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the body1 and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood1 while only the appearance of bread and wine remain1 which conversion the ,catholic ,church most appropriately names transubstantiation2 let him be accursed4 ,the ,council of ,tridentine says there is a whole ,christ in every particle of the ,mass3 ,if any one shall deny that ,christ entire is contained in the venerable sacrament of the eucharist1 under each species1 and1 when they are divided1 under every particle of each kind2 let him be accursed4 ,the climax of blasphemy is reached when the ,council of ,trent asserts3 ,there is1 therefore1 no reason to doubt but that all ,christ's faithful people1 in their veneration1 should render this most holy sacrament the same worship which is due to the true ,god1 according to the custom which the ,catholic ,church has always received4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,confessional ,as the mass is the aggregate of the ,romish doctrine1 the confessional is the chief of the papal system4 ,by it the decrees of the infallible ,church are applied and carried out with unequaled measure of minuteness and rigor4 ,that the ,new ,testament requires the confession of sin is not denied2 but such a thing as secret confession in the ear of a priest1 to secure his absolution1 was entirely unknown in the early churches4 ,even in ,rome it was not till about the year #cij that there was a place appointed for the reception of penitents1 when they stood mourning during the public service1 from which they were excluded4 ,they cast themselves upon the ground with groans and lamentations2 the bishop who conducted the ceremony prostrated himself and wept2 flooded with fears the people groaned aloud2 then the bishop arose from his humble position and summoned up the people1 and1 after praying for the people1 he dismissed them4 ,this custom1 with slight changes1 was universal4 ,for some sins men were required to do penance during the whole of their lives1 and absolution was only granted them in death2 but the common course of penance consigned men for ten1 fifteen or twenty years to its various humiliating stages4 ,after the long1 distressing penance was completed1 the candidate for restoration knelt down between the knees of the bishop1 or1 in his absence1 between those of the presbyter1 who1 laying his hand upon his head1 solemnly blessed and absolved him4 ,the people received him with transports of joy1 as one escaped from the coils of the old serpent4 ,they were then received into communion with the imposition of hands1 and the prayer of the whole church for them4 ,the form of their prayer was3 ,o ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,son of the living ,god1 that takest away the sin of the world1 remit1 blot out and pardon their sins1 both voluntary and involuntary1 whatever they have done by transgression and disobedience4 ,and whereinsoever thy servants have erred from thy commandments1 in word or deed1 or whatever curse or peculiar anathema they have fallen under1 we pray and beseech thine ineffable goodness to absolve them with thy word1 and remit their curse and anathema1 according to thy mercy4 ,o ,lord and ,master1 hear our prayer for thy servants and deliver them from eternal punishment4 ,bingham informs us that the form1 ,i absolve you1 was not known in the practice till the beginning of the thirteenth century4 ,thomas ,aquinas was one of the first men to write in defense of it4 ,in his day the expression excited much opposition4 ,pope ,innocent ,,iii1 ambitious to establish a number of superstitions1 called the fourth ,council of the ,lateran1 ,a4 ,d4 #abae1 which declared that the church has always understood that an entire confession of sins was always appointed by the ,lord1 and that it is of divine requirement necessary to all who have lapsed after baptism4 ,because our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 when about to ascend from earth to heaven1 left his priests1 his vicars1 to be1 as it were1 the presidents and judges1 to whom all mortal sins into which ,christ's faithful people should fall should be brought1 in order that1 by the power of the keys1 they might pronounce sentence of remission or retention4 ,for it is plain that the priest can not exercise this judgment without knowledge of the cause1 nor can they observe equity in enjoining penalties if men declare their sins only generally1 and not particularly and separately4 ,from this it is inferred that it is right that the penitent should recount in confession all the deadly sins of which1 upon examination1 their conscience accuses them1 even though they be the most secret1 and only against the last two commandments1 which not unfrequently grievously wounds the soul and are more dangerous than those which are openly practiced4 ,this invests the priesthood with the prerogative of ,god himself1 who is the searcher and discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,to this demand all the members of the ,catholic ,church1 whether old or young1 are required to bow1 as is shown by the twenty-first canon of the ,lateran ,council1 which is as follows3 ,every one of the faithful of both sexes1 after he shall have reached the years of discretion1 shall1 by himself alone1 faithfully confess all his sins1 at least once a year1 to his own priest1 and strive to perform according to his ability the penance imposed upon him1 reverently partaking of the sacrament of the eucharist1 at least at ,easter2 unless perhaps1 by the advice of his priest1 for some reasonable cause1 he should judge that for a time he should abstain from partaking of it2 otherwise1 let the living be hindered from entering the church1 and let the dead be deprived of ,christian burial4 ,on this account this salutary statute shall be frequently published in the churches that no one may pretend as an excuse the blindness of ignorance4 ,but if any one should wish to confess his sins to a foreign priest1 for proper reasons1 he must first ask and obtain a license from his own priest1 since otherwise he would not be able to bind or loose him4 ,the confessional as it exists today is chiefly the work of the ,council of ,trent1 and those who lived in the age immediately after4 ,in order to strike terror to the hearts of all who might refuse to accede to the demands of the priesthood1 the ,council of ,trent published a number of canons on penance1 pronouncing the most awful curses on those who refused obedience4 ,i have not space to give the canons1 but they teach that the form of the sacrament of penance in which its force especially lies is placed in the words1 ,i absolve thee1 and that this absolution is not in words merely1 but that the ministers of ,god truly absolve4 ,the priest is declared to represent ,christ in the confessional1 and therefore is invested with divine attributes and powers4 ,the language used is3 ,moreover1 in the priest who sits a legitimate judge over him1 he should venerate the person and power of ,christ the ,lord2 for in administering the sacrament of penance1 as in the other sacraments1 the priest discharges the office of ,christ4 ,they further teach that the confession of sins to a priest is necessary to salvation2 and that every mortal sin1 even the most secret and infamous1 must be confessed to a priest1 otherwise there can be no pardon from ,god4 ,thus we see that they make the priest the judge of the soul1 and that in the confessional he sits instead of ,jesus ,christ and that he can keep the sins of any man bound upon him1 or loose them1 according to his discretion4 ,in the confessional the penitent kneels beside the priest1 makes the sign of the cross1 saying3 ,in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4 ,then with her lips near the cheek of the priest she asks the priest's blessing in these words3 ,pray1 father1 give me your blessing4 ,i have sinned1 after which the penitent repeats3 ,i confess to ,almighty ,god1 to blessed ,mary1 ever ,virgin1 to blessed ,michael1 the archangel1 to blessed ,john the ,baptist1 to the holy ,apostles1 ,peter and ,paul1 and to you1 father1 that ,i have sinned exceedingly1 in thought1 word and deed1 through my fault1 through my fault1 through my most grievous fault6 ,many of the questions of the confessional are too horrible to quote4 ,were ,i to do so ,i would lay myself liable to prosecution by the ,government authorities4 ,but every question put by the priest must be answered by the penitent on the peril of damnation2 he sits instead of ,christ1 the penitent is confessing to ,god1 the voice of the priest is ,immanuel's2 it is the ,almighty that is addressing the trembling penitent4 ,and for this reason the priest hears everything1 however shocking1 shameful1 frightful2 everything in thoughts1 feelings1 words1 looks and deeds4 ,that the modesty of women should be placed on the rack in the confessional by a bachelor priest1 full of curiosity as well as sanctity1 and torn and lacerated1 under the awful sanctions of the ,almighty1 is indeed a dreadful thought4 ,the confessional is the most odious espionage ever invented by cunning despots4 ,it is the most flagitious outrage upon the rights of husbands and wives1 parents and children1 the sinning and the sinned against1 that ever shocked modesty or ground trembling hearts under its fatal heel4 ,it is strongly believed to be the greatest incitement to vice that a holy ,god ever permitted2 frightful examples of which are on record4 ,it turns priests into odious receptacles for the accumulated stench and nastiness of all the foul corruptions of thousands1 making them the sons of the ,man of ,sin1 ready bearers of the iniquities of whole communities4 ,yes1 it is a withering curse1 a cruel tyranny1 without one redeeming quality1 which the ,lord ,jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth1 and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,indulgences ,in order to make the absolution effective1 the sacrament of confession comprises penances by which the wrongs done are paid4 ,originally the amount of satisfaction was measured by the time alone during which the state of penance should last4 ,as we have already seen1 this situation inflicted the greatest disgrace1 and caused the greatest distress of mind4 ,but gradually a change was wrought1 and penitents who showed undoubted sorrow were relieved of their penance earlier than the old usage demanded4 ,this abridgement of the long sentence was called an indulgence1 and was really the beginning of that system which reached its infamous maturity under ,leo ,x and in the preaching of the wicked ,tetzel4 ,in that age no one knew anything of purgatory or the treasury of merits acquired by the saints1 and disposed by the ,pope2 or even of the supreme bishop at ,rome1 with authority over all the churches and clergy everywhere4 ,at first indulgences were limited exclusively to church penances1 but in process of time they embraced all the temporary punishments due the soul on earth and in purgatory4 ,christ1 it was said1 had endured and removed the eternal penalties of sin2 but the sufferings short of everlasting continuance must be borne in purgatory1 pilgrimages1 or be removed by indulgence4 ,the earthly sufferings could be enduring by deputy--any amount of fasting1 flagellation or pilgrimage work could be discharged by substitute--and throngs of monks in time of papal darkness were competitors for the repulsive service4 ,it was argued that when a man performs his allotted task for the day he deserves additional reward or credit for any further services he may render4 ,such labors are beyond what his agreement demands2 they are works of supererogation4 ,so when a ,christian leading a blameless life is persecuted and killed1 as his sins did not draw his sufferings1 these pains were meritorious1 they were higher than a man's deserts--these were works of supererogation4 ,it was claimed that millions of saints in heaven had left a legacy of such merits to the ,church1 and that in it she had a treasury of good deeds of immense value1 incapable of exhaustion1 no matter how many drafts1 through indulgences1 the ,holy ,mother might make upon it4 ,sometimes it was said that one drop of the ,saviour's blood was sufficient for the sins of the whole world1 and that all the rest went into the treasury1 which the ,church might give to souls in purgatory1 or rich men on earth who had money to buy it1 or to men not so wealthy who had some means4 ,this was the paid-up capital of the bank of indulgences4 ,the doctrine and practice of indulgence constitute the very center of the hierarchial system4 ,in the fifteenth century the disposal of indulgences became a common traffic1 and public sale of them was generally preceded by some specious pretext4 ,often the pretenses for selling them were in reality bloody1 idolatrous and superstitious4 ,pope ,john ,,xxiii empowered his legates to absolve penitents from all sorts of crimes upon the payment of sums of money proportioned to their guilt4 ,d',aubigne1 in his ,history of the ,reformation1 tells us that when such indulgences were to be published1 the disposal of them was commonly farmed out2 for the papal court could not always wait to have the money collected and conveyed from every country of ,europe4 ,and there were rich merchants at ,genoa1 ,milan1 ,venice and ,augsburg who purchased the indulgences for a particular province1 and paid to the papal chancery handsome sums for them4 ,thus both parties were benefited4 ,the chancery came at once into large sums of money1 and the farmers did not fail of a good bargain4 ,they were careful to employ skillful men to sell the indulgences1 persons whose boldness and impudence bore due proportion to the eloquence with which they imposed upon the simple people4 ,yet1 that this species of traffic might have a religious aspect1 the ,pope appointed the archbishops of the several provinces to be his commissaries1 who in his name announced that indulgences were to be sold1 and generally selected the men to sell them1 and for this service shared the profits with the merchants who farmed them4 ,these papal hawkers enjoyed great privileges1 and1 however odious to the civil authorities1 they were not molested4 ,complaints1 indeed1 were made against these contributions1 levied by the popes upon all ,europe4 ,kings and princes1 clergy and laity1 bishops1 monasteries and confessors1 all felt themselves aggrieved by them2 the kings1 that their countries were impoverished1 under the pretext of crusades that were never undertaken1 and of wars against heretics and ,turks2 and the bishops1 that their letters of indulgence were rendered inefficient1 and the people released from ecclesiastical discipline4 ,but at ,rome all were deaf to all these complaints1 and it was not till the revolution produced by ,luther that unhappy ,europe obtained the desired relief4 ,,john ,,tetzel ,leo ,x1 in order to carry on the expensive structure of ,st4 ,peter's ,church in ,rome1 published indulgences1 with a plenary remission to all such as should contribute toward erecting that magnificent building4 ,the right of promulgating these indulgences in ,germany1 together with a share in the profits arising from the sale of them1 was granted to ,john ,tetzel1 a ,dominican friar1 a licentious wretch1 but an active and enterprising spirit1 and remarkable for his noisy and popular eloquence4 ,assisted by the monks of his order1 selected as his chief agent for retailing them in ,saxony1 he executed the commission with great zeal and success1 but with no less indecency4 ,that my readers may have some idea of the course pursued1 ,i give one of his harangues4 ,after the cross had been erected and the arms of the ,pope suspended from it1 ,tetzel went into the pulpit1 and with a tone of assurance began to extol the value of indulgences in these words3 ,indulgences are the most precious and most noble of ,god's gifts4 ,this cross has as much efficacy as the very cross of ,jesus ,christ4 ,come and ,i will give you letters1 all properly sealed1 by which even the sins you intend to commit may be pardoned4 ,i would not change my privileges for those of ,saint ,peter in heaven2 for ,i have saved more souls by my indulgences than the apostle by his sermons4 ,there is no sin so great that an indulgence can not remit2 and even if one 7which it doubtless is impossible7 had offered violence to the ,virgin ,mary1 ,mother of ,god1 let him pay--only let him pay well1 and all will be forgiven him4 ,reflect then1 that every mortal sin you must1 after confession and contrition1 do penance for seven years1 either in this life or in purgatory2 now1 how many mortal sins are there not committed in a day1 how many in a week1 how many in a month1 how many in a year1 how many in a whole life6 ,alas1 these sins are almost infinite1 and they entail an infinite penalty in the fires of purgatory4 ,and now1 by means of these letters of indulgence1 you can once in your life1 in every case except four1 which are reserved for the apostolic see1 and afterward in the article of death1 obtain a plenary remission of all your penalties and all your sins6 ,do you know that if any one desires to visit ,rome1 or any country where travelers incur danger1 he sends his money to the bank1 and for every hundred florins that he wishes to have1 he gives five or six or ten more1 that by means of the letters of this bank he may be safely repaid his money at ,rome or elsewhere4444 ,and you1 for a quarter of a florin1 will not receive these letters of indulgence1 by means of which you may introduce into paradise not a vile metal1 but a divine and immortal soul1 without its running any risk4 ,but more than this1 indulgences avail not only for the living1 but for the dead4 ,for that repentance is not even necessary4 ,priests6 nobles6 merchant6 wife6 youth6 maiden6 do you not hear your parents and your other friends who are dead1 and who cry from the bottom of the abyss3 ,we are suffering horrible torments6 ,a trifling alms would deliver us2 you can give it1 and you will not6 ,at the very instant that the money rattles in the bottom of the chest1 the soul escapes from purgatory1 and flies liberated to heaven4 ,oh1 stupid and brutish people1 who do not understand the grace so richly offered6 ,now heaven is everywhere opened6 ,do you refuse to enter now8 ,when1 then will you enter8 ,now you can ransom so many souls6 ,stiff-necked and thoughtless man6 with twelve groats you can deliver your father from purgatory1 and you are ungrateful enough not to save him6 ,i shall be justified in the day of judgment2 but--you will be punished so much the more severely for having neglected so great salvation4 ,i declare to you1 though you should have but a single coat1 you should strip it off and sell it1 in order to obtain this grace4 ,the ,lord our ,god no longer reigns4 ,he has resigned all power to the pope4 ,do you know why our most ,holy ,lord distributes so rich a grace8 ,it is to restore the ruined ,church of ,saint ,peter and ,saint ,paul1 and those of a multitude of martyrs4 ,the saintly bodies1 through the present state of the building1 are now1 alas1 beaten upon1 inundated1 polluted1 dishonored1 reduced to rottenness1 by the rain and the hail4 ,alas1 shall these sacred ashes remain longer in the mire and in degradation8 ,blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see3 for ,i tell you1 that many prophets and kings have desired to see1 and have not seen them2 and to hear those things1 which ye hear1 and have not heard them6 ,when ,tetzel concluded his discourse he immediately left the pulpit1 ran to the money box1 and1 in the sight of the people1 dropped into it a coin1 being very careful to make it rattle so that it could be heard by the excited people4 ,this was the signal that indulgence had established its throne in the place with due solemnity4 ,confessionals1 decorated with the pope's arms1 were arranged in convenient places4 ,on each of these confessionals were posted in large letters the names1 the surnames and titles of the under commissaries and of the confessors4 ,men1 women and children crowded around these confessionals1 all with money in their hands4 ,even those who lived on alms found money to buy indulgences6 ,after having privately explained to each individual the greatness of indulgence1 the confessors addressed the following question to each penitent3 ,how much money can you conscientiously spare to obtain so complete a remission8 ,the demand1 said the instructions of the archbishop of ,mentz to the commissaries1 should be made at this moment1 in order that the penitents might be better disposed to contribute4 ,to all who should aid in building the cathedral of ,saint ,peter in ,rome1 the following graces were promised3 7#a7 ,the full pardon for every sin2 7#b7 the right of choosing a confessor1 who1 whenever the hour of death appeared at hand1 should give absolution for all sin1 even from the greatest crimes reserved for the apostolic see2 7#c7 a participation in all the blessings1 works and merits of the ,catholic ,church1 prayers1 fasts1 alms1 and the pilgrimages2 and 7#d7 redemption of the souls that are in purgatory4 ,to obtain the first of these graces it was said to be necessary to have contrition of heart and confession of mouth1 or at least an intention of confessing4 ,but as for the three others they might be obtained without contrition1 without confession1 simply by paying4 ,the intention was to make it appear that whoever possessed money could1 by using it in the purchase of indulgences1 introduce souls into heaven4 ,the indulgence mongers said3 ,as for those who would deliver souls from purgatory and procure the pardon of all their offenses1 let them put money into the chest2 contrition of heart or confession of mouth is not necessary4 ,let them only hasten to bring their money3 for thus they will perform a work most useful to the souls of the dead1 and to the building of the ,church of ,saint ,peter4 ,the confession over1 there was a rush to the trafficker1 who examined very closely the dress1 manner1 gait and appearance of the applicant4 ,the sum required was measured by his judgment of the financial ability of the individual4 ,if he made a mistake about the price set1 he was empowered to make the best bargain possible1 and all was to be arranged according to the data of sound reason1 and the generosity of the donor4 ,for adultery1 polygamy1 sacrilege1 perjury1 murder1 witchcraft1 infanticide1 and fratricide he had a particular tax4 ,in fact1 there was no vein in the gold mine that they did not find the means of working4 ,tetzel executed the commission with great zeal and success1 but with no less indecency4 ,he assured the purchasers that their crimes1 however enormous1 would be forgiven2 that the efficacy of indulgences was so great that the most heinous sins would be expiated and remitted by them1 and the person freed both from punishment and guilt2 and that this was the unspeakable gift of ,god to reconcile men to himself4 ,in order that my readers may understand more fully the frightful extent of the wickedness to which the traffic led1 ,i give the usual form of the letters of absolution1 which was as follows3 ,may the ,lord ,jesus ,christ have mercy upon thee1 and absolve thee by the merits of his most holy passion4 ,and ,i1 by his authority1 that of his apostles ,peter and ,paul1 and of the most holy pope1 granted and committed to me in these parts1 do absolve thee1 first1 from all ecclesiastical censures1 in whatever manner they may have been incurred2 then from all thy sins1 transgressions and excesses1 how enormous soever they may be2 even such as are reserved for the cognizance of our most holy father the pope and for the apostolic see4 ,i remit to thee all punishment which thou deservest in purgatory on their account2 and ,i restore thee to the holy sacraments of the ,church1 to the unity of the faithful1 and to the innocence and purity which thou possessedst at baptism2 so that when thou diest the gates of punishment shall be shut1 and the gates of the paradise of delights shall be opened2 and if thou shall not die at present1 this grace shall remain in full force when thou art at the point of death4 ,in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,friar ,john ,tetzel1 commissary1 has signed with his own hand4 ,this abolished all guilt and fear of hell in the minds of the purchasers1 and inasmuch as the sale of indulgences was universally prevalent1 the ,church of ,rome was everywhere triumphant1 darkness covered the earth1 and gross darkness the people2 the children of ,god were driven to caves and secret places of the earth1 hunted by armed bands at the command of the apostate ,church4 ,the condition was appalling6 ,,part ,,iii ,the ,reformation in ,europe ,,chapter ,i4 ,,john ,,wyckliffe ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 as we have already seen1 had reached such a degree of corruption in doctrine and practice1 so deep and widespread1 that it would seem quite impossible for it to reach further degradation4 ,the name of ,christ was everywhere professed1 but a devout believer was seldom found4 ,the ,christ was hidden that his pretended representatives might be all in all4 ,justification by faith was denounced in order to open up a trade in indulgences to enrich the papacy by the sale of salvation4 ,the commands of ,god were openly made void by the doctrines and commandments of men4 ,apostolic order and ordinances had given place to those of the man of sin4 ,the mystery of lawlessness stood out in full proportions4 ,and yet1 notwithstanding all this1 there were forces at work1 in different parts of ,europe1 moving on to conflict and reform that were destined to break the all but universal sway of the papacy4 ,there can be no doubt that the invention of printing1 the gradual revival of learning1 and the enlarged acquaintance with the ,scriptures1 all made directly against the then existing conditions4 ,the ,reformation was effected and the names of its chief actors have come down to us with deserved honor1 and yet how imperfect the work done and the spirit of the doers of it4 ,measuring both by the doctrine and practice of the apostles can not but compel the conclusion that the ,reformation from the first onward needed immense reformation to bring it up to the measures of the divine standard4 ,and still it may be that any nearer approach to a completely scriptural work and spirit would have been quite futile under the existing conditions4 ,john ,wyckliffe1 who flourished in the latter part of the fourteenth century1 popularly called the ,morning ,star of the ,reformation1 was the first to distinguish himself in fighting against the supremacy of the pope1 the doctrine of transubstantiation1 and the abuses of the hierarchy4 ,as early as #acfj he became known as the opponent of the mendicant friars who infested ,england1 interfering with school discipline1 as well as domestic relations4 ,he exposed the venality and superstition of the monkish orders with a vigor of reasoning and a keen satire4 ,efforts were made by a commission appointed by the king to have the evil abrogated1 and such arrangements were finally made2 but the pope soon violated the compact and ,parliament again took action against the ,roman usurpations4 ,these developments fully opened the eyes of ,wyckliffe to the intolerant corruption of the ,roman ,see1 and he began henceforth to argue and teach1 preach and write1 boldly and without reserve against the papal system4 ,,translates ,,the ,,bible ,,into ,,english ,but the greatest work of ,wyckliffe for the enlightenment of the world was the translation of the ,bible into the ,english language4 ,but in order to appreciate the difficulties of his task1 we should remember that ,rome had not only utterly neglected and contemned the ,sacred writings1 but had interdicted their translation into any vernacular tongue4 ,she claimed that it was not only unlawful1 but injurious1 for the people at large to read the ,scriptures4 ,nor was this idea left to pass current merely as a received opinion1 but it was a subject which was considered by councils1 and canons were enacted against it4 ,not to mention other proofs of this1 more than one hundred and fifty years before ,wyckliffe had finished his translation of the ,bible1 in the year #abbi1 at the ,council of ,toulouse1 forty-five canons were passed and issued for the extinction of heresy and the re-establishment of peace4 ,one of these canons involved the first court of inquisition1 and another1 the first canon1 forbade the ,scriptures to the laity1 or the translation of any portion of them into the common tongue4 ,the latter was expressed in the following very pointed terms3 ,we also forbid the laity to possess any of the books of the ,old or ,new ,testament1 except1 perhaps1 the ,psalter or ,breviary for the ,divine ,offices1 or the ,hours of the ,blessed ,virgin1 which some1 out of devotion1 wish to have2 but having any of these books translated into the vulgar tongue1 we strictly forbid4 ,in the face of all this1 and far more than ,i can now explain1 ,wyckliffe performed his arduous task of translation4 ,of this great work1 a competent critic most appropriately remarks3 ,from an early period of his life he had devoted his various learning1 and his powerful energies of mind1 to effect this1 and1 at length1 by intense application on his part1 and from assistance from a few of the most learned of his followers1 he had the glory to complete a book1 which1 alone1 would have been sufficient 7or at least ought7 to have procured the veneration of his own age1 and the commendation of posterity4 ,while engaged in this work1 in the year #acgi1 he was taken violently ill1 and the friars1 imagining that his course was now near its end1 contrived to visit him4 ,four of their ablest men had been selected1 or a friar from each of the mendicant orders1 and they were admitted to a patient hearing4 ,after reminding him of the great injury he had done to their order1 they exhorted him1 as one near to death1 that he would now1 as a true penitent1 bewail and revoke1 in their presence1 whatever he had said to their disparagement4 ,as soon as they had done1 ,wyckliffe1 calling for his servant1 desired to be raised up on his pillow2 and then collecting all his strength1 with a severe and expressive countenance1 and in a tone not to be misunderstood1 exclaimed3 ,i shall not die1 but live to declare the evil deeds of the friars4 ,confounded at such a reply1 they immediately left him2 and he recovered1 to finish in the next year his translation of the entire ,bible4 ,as this was before the invention of printing1 the translation could only be diffused by the laborious process of transcription2 but transcribed it was most diligently1 both entire and in parts1 and as eagerly read4 ,there were those who1 at all hazards1 sought wisdom from the ,book of ,god1 and their number could not be few4 ,a contemporary writer1 an enemy1 and in the language of hatred and fear combined1 with the wish to damage the cause1 affirmed that a man could not meet two people on the road1 but one of them was a disciple of ,wyckliffe4 ,certainly the opportunity was gladly received by the people2 and while the word of the ,lord did not have free course1 there can be no question that it was glorified in the reception given it by many4 ,the same bitter opponent1 in the tone of deep lamentation1 makes the following remarkable admission about the wonderful progress made in the face of bitter persecution3 ,the soldiers1 with the dukes and earls1 are the chief adherents of this sect1 its most powerful defenders1 and its invincible protectors4 ,this ,master ,john ,wyckliffe hath translated the ,gospel out of ,latin into ,english1 which ,christ had entrusted with the clergy and doctors of the ,church1 that they might minister it to the laity and weaker sort1 according to the state of the times and the wants of men4 ,so that by this means the ,gospel is made vulgar1 and laid more open to the laity1 and even to women who can read1 than it used to be to the most learned of the clergy and those of the best understanding6 ,and what was before the chief gift of the clergy and doctors of the ,church1 is made forever common to the laity6 ,at about the same time another papal dupe1 in the same spirit1 most vehemently urged3 ,the prelates ought not to suffer that every one at his pleasure should read the ,scriptures1 translated even into ,latin2 because1 as is plain from experience1 this has been many ways the occasion of falling into heresies and errors4 ,it is not1 therefore1 politic that any one1 wheresoever and whensoever he will1 should give himself to the frequent study of the ,scriptures4 ,these men just quoted referred to the period between #achj and #adjj1 and it was one1 though but too short1 which distinguished ,england from every other country in ,europe4 ,however transient1 it was one that had much to do with wresting the world from the appalling darkness and ruin wrought by the papacy1 and flooding the world with the glorious sunlight of eternal truth4 ,it was all in vain that the bishops1 with the primates of ,canterbury at their head bellowed and remonstrated with the people1 wrote letters to and received letters from ,rome1 made and executed fearful threats of punishment2 the ,bible had been translated1 the people transcribed and read1 and sent copies of it far and near4 ,in #adjj ,parliament enacted a law that gave bishops the power to hand over obstinate or relapsed heretics to sheriffs and magistrates1 who were enjoined to have them publicly burnt4 ,in #adja ,william ,sawtre1 a devout man1 was burnt at ,smithfield as a heretic4 ,of the many victims1 ,i have only space to mention ,j4 ,badby1 who was burnt in a barrel2 and especially that generous friend of the ,reformation1 ,sir ,john ,oldcastle1 who frequently sheltered preachers of reform in his castle1 and devoutly did he adhere to these doctrines1 since1 as he himself attested his whole life through them had undergone a change4 ,henry ,v had made vain efforts to induce him to change from his faith2 but he refused to recant1 and was condemned as a pernicious heretic in #adac4 ,but during the respite granted him1 he managed to escape into ,wales1 where he concealed himself till #adag1 when he was captured and executed at ,st4 ,giles' ,fields1 amidst the most barbarous tortures1 being roasted over a slow fire4 ,the escape of ,oldcastle and the rumors of a ,lollard insurrection the following year were made the occasion for fresh measures of persecution4 ,in #adad it was ordered that all public officials should bind themselves by oath to aid in the extirpation of heresy1 and that the lands and possessions of those convicted of heresy should be confiscated4 ,in #adaf a regular inquisition was instituted in every parish of the diocese of ,canterbury4 ,among the common people1 however1 the desire for ,biblical knowledge continued to spread2 secret conventicles were held2 and though the persecution1 which lasted till #adca1 may have crushed the heresy1 the principles lived and spread worldwide1 and became the influence that led to reformation in other parts4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,william ,tyndale ,if ,i were to follow the strictly chronological order1 ,i would here give a sketch of ,luther and his work1 but as ,i have given an account of the work of ,wyckliffe1 it is proper to give attention to the work of ,william ,tyndale1 because ,i am now seeking the basic principle of the return to apostolic purity and simplicity4 ,at the opening of the sixteenth century1 a period of great interest to all the world1 were four men--,le ,fevre1 in ,france2 ,zwingli1 in ,switzerland2 ,luther1 in ,germany1 and ,tyndale1 in ,england--destined to make a great impression on the world for all time4 ,but they were wholly unknown to each other4 ,in ,france1 ,switzerland and ,germany were the living voices throughout life1 of the men raised up1 calling upon their countrymen to hear and obey the truth2 and so it was in ,england a century and a half before1 in the case of ,wyclif4 ,but in the case of ,tyndale1 the procedure is entirely different1 and out of the usual course pursued in other lands4 ,he had1 it is true1 lifted up his voice with some effect1 but he was driven from his native land1 never to return4 ,in the other cases the men lived and died at home4 ,le ,fevre when above one hundred years old wept because he had not felt and displayed the courage of a martyr2 ,zwingli1 in battle for his country2 and ,luther1 after his noble intrepidity1 expired in his sick chamber2 but ,tyndale was strangled and his body burnt to ashes in a foreign land4 ,englishmen1 ,scotchmen and ,germans were gathered together against him2 yes1 men of three nations at least concur to confer upon him the martyr's crown1 so that among all his contemporaries1 in several respects1 but especially as a translator of the ,scriptures1 he stands alone4 ,the political and literary condition of ,england under ,cardinal ,wolsey did not afford the slightest indication that the ,scriptures were about to be given to the people in their native tongue1 but the reverse4 ,in justice to that event it is necessary to observe1 also1 the nature of that connection which had existed for ages between ,britain and ,rome4 ,indeed1 under ,henry ,,viii it reached its climax4 ,this connection sustained a peculiarly complicated character4 ,there were no fewer than twelve distinct sources of revenue that went directly to ,rome4 ,these altogether were operating on the inhabitants without exception1 and with as much regularity as the rising and setting of the sun4 ,it was a pecuniary connection of immense power1 made to bear upon the general conscience1 which knew no pause by day or night2 falling1 as it did1 not merely on the living1 but on the dying and the dead6 ,in no other country throughout ,europe was the papal system in all its oppressive and fearful integrity more fully maintained4 ,under the unscrupulous and imperative ,henry ,,viii1 who gloried in his knowledge of divinity and prided himself on his orthodoxy1 with a prime minister so well known in every foreign court1 and who himself yearned for the pontificate1 ,england had become the mainstay of the system4 ,in ,worcester diocese above every other part of ,england was this power of ,rome most intensely felt1 yet here in about #adhd was ,william ,tyndale born whose labors were destined to work the overthrow of its power in the realm4 ,,erasmus ,,arrives ,,in ,,england ,erasmus arrived in ,england in #adih1 and was delighted to find a taste for the study of ,hebrew1 ,greek and ,latin so pronounced1 and he pursued his studies with great diligence and satisfaction4 ,his zeal so inspired others that the influence of his residence there may be regarded as the opening of a new era in letters in that country4 ,in #aeaf the first edition of his ,greek ,new ,testament was published1 accompanied by a new ,latin translation1 and spread far and wide4 ,he received the hearty congratulations of his friends1 but its appearance raised up a host of enemies4 ,notwithstanding the opposition during the period during #adgg to #aebf1 fourteen editions of the ,bible in ,hebrew and ,greek were published1 and not one of the sacred originals had ever been restrained by any government4 ,in fact1 at this time1 so far from such restraint being imposed in ,england1 it was encouraged2 as not a man in high authority seems to have foreseen that the cultivation of the knowledge of the original language would necessarily lead to a translation of the sacred volume into the common tongue4 ,even ,henry ,,vii transmitted to the university a royal mandate that study of the ,scriptures in the original language should not only be permitted1 but received as a branch of the academical institution4 ,and this was at the period when ,tyndale resided at ,cambridge and ,oxford4 ,the advantages thus combined fully explain the source of the superior attainments in learning which he afterward turned to such wonderful account4 ,about #aejd ,tyndale went to ,oxford ,university1 and took his degree of ,b4,a41 in #aejh4 ,one of the colleges at ,oxford had forbidden the entrance of the ,greek ,new ,testament within its walls by horse or by boat1 by wheels or on foot4 ,possibly owing to this enmity ,tyndale left ,oxford for ,cambridge1 where ,erasmus was teaching ,greek and issuing his edition of the ,greek ,new ,testament4 ,about the close of #aeba we find ,tyndale as tutor in the family of ,sir ,john ,walsh1 at ,little ,sudbury1 in ,gloucestershire1 twelve miles north of ,bristol4 ,walsh always kept a good table1 and abbots1 deans1 archdeacons1 and divers other doctors who were fond of discussion1 were often invited to share his hospitality4 ,in these discussions ,tyndale always bore a conspicuous and decided part4 ,he had an uncomfortable way of crushing his opponents by clinching his arguments with a thus saith the ,lord4 ,his outspoken way caused ,lady ,walsh many an uneasy hour1 and she often reminded him that bishops1 abbots and others having an income of hundreds of pounds yearly held views the very opposite of his1 and were it reason that we should believe you before them8 ,not being so skilled in the use of ,scripture knowledge as some in these days of ,gospel light and liberty1 this was very embarrassing to him1 a moneyless man1 coming from such a source4 ,in order to strengthen his position with his wavering hostess by the testimony of ,erasmus1 whose fame was resounding throughout ,europe1 he translated his ,christian ,soldier into ,english and presented it to ,walsh and his wife4 ,this won her1 and they did not invite the clergy to their table any more4 ,this change was attributed to ,tyndale1 and ever afterward they treasured a grudge against him4 ,of this opposition ,fox says3 ,these blind and rude priests1 flocking together to the alehouse1 for that was their preaching place1 raged and railed against him2 affirming that his sayings were heresy1 adding of their own heads moreover unto his sayings more than ever he spake4 ,,tyndale ,,resolves ,,to ,,translate ,,the ,,bible ,,into ,,english ,fortunately ,tyndale has left on record his reflections at this period of his life4 ,he says3 ,a thousand books had they lever rather to be put forth against their abominable doings and doctrines1 than that the ,scripture should come to light4 ,for as long as they may keep that down1 they will so darken the right way with the mist of their sophistry1 and so tangle them that either rebuke or despite their abominations with arguments of philosophy1 and with worldly and apparent reasons of natural wisdom1 and with wresting the ,scriptures to their own purpose1 clean contrary unto the process1 order1 and meaning of the text2 and so delude them in descanting upon it with allegories1 and amaze them1 expounding it in many senses1 whose light the owls can not hide1 that though thou feel in thy heart1 and art sure1 how that all is false that they saw1 yet couldst thou not solve their subtle riddles4 ,which thing only moved me to translate the ,new ,testament4 ,because ,i have proved by experience1 how that it is impossible to establish the lay people in any truth1 except the ,scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue1 that they might see the process1 order and meaning of the text2 for else1 whatever truth is taught them1 these enemies of all truth quench it again--partly with the smoke of their bottomless pit 7,rev4 #i71 that is with apparent reasons of sophistry1 and traditions of their own making2 and partly in juggling with the text1 expounding it in such a sense as it is impossible to gather of the text itself4 ,the ,convocation of ,canterbury had expressly forbidden any man to translate any part of the ,scripture in ,english1 or to read any such translation without authority of the bishop1 an authority not likely to be granted4 ,the study of the ,bible was not even a part of the preparatory study of the religious teachers of the people4 ,writing against ,alexander ,alesius to ,james ,v of ,scotland1 ,cochlus1 the notorious ,roman ,catholic theologian1 writes about the ,bible as follows3 ,the ,new ,testament translated into the vulgar tongue1 is in truth the food of death1 the fuel of sin1 the veil of malice1 the pretext of false liberty1 the protection of disobedience1 the corruption of discipline1 the depravity of morals1 the termination of concord1 the death of honesty1 the well-spring of vice1 the disease of virtues1 the instigation of rebellion1 the milk of pride1 the nourishment of contempt1 the death of peace1 the destruction of charity1 the enemy of unity1 the murderer of truth4 7,demaus' ,biography of ,william ,tyndale1 page #ceh47 ,with such a sentiment prominent among the clergy1 there is no surprise at the danger to which ,tyndale subjected himself when in a warm discussion he revealed his intention4 ,of this incident ,fox says3 ,communing and disputing with a certain learned man in whose company he happened to be1 he drove him to that issue1 that the learned man said1 ,we were better to be without ,god's law than the pope's4 ,master ,tyndale hearing that1 answered him1 ,i defy the pope and all his laws2 and if ,god spare my life many years1 ,i will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the ,scripture than you do6 ,after this1 the murmurings of the priests increased to a fury4 ,such language flew over the country as on the wings of the wind4 ,they branded him as a heretic1 and hinted loudly of burning him4 ,it was now evident to ,tyndale that a crisis had been reached1 and he saw too clearly that it would be impossible for him to remain longer at ,little ,sudbury in the home of ,walsh in peaceful prosecution of his great purpose4 ,this purpose he was determined to prosecute whatever inconvenience or danger it might bring upon him2 and it seemed to him quite possible that he might find that liberty in some other part of ,england4 ,he resolved1 therefore1 to give up his position which he held in the family of ,walsh4 ,so with the good will of ,walsh1 he made his way to ,london1 hoping to find in ,cuthburt ,tunstal1 ,bishop of ,london1 a liberal patron under whose protection the work might be prosecuted4 ,tunstal accorded him an interview1 acknowledged his scholarship1 but said that his house was already full1 and advised him to seek a place elsewhere4 ,while in ,london ,tyndale preached at ,st4 ,dunstan's-in-the-,west1 and greatly impressed ,humphrey ,monmouth1 a wealthy1 educated1 traveled cloth merchant1 who took him into his house1 where he remained six months diligently engaged in translating the ,new ,testament4 ,for this kindness ,monmouth was imprisoned in the ,tower4 ,while in ,london1 ,tyndale saw men around him led to prison and to death for having or reading the writings of ,luther1 which were finding their way into ,england1 and he knew well that a ,bible translation would be still a more dangerous book4 ,at last he understood not only that there was no room in my lord of ,london's palace to translate the ,new ,testament1 but1 also1 that there was no place to do it in all ,england4 ,but ,tyndale was not the man to put his hands to the plow and then turn back4 ,if only a life in exile could do the work1 a life of exile he would gladly accept4 ,as ,fox remarks3 ,to give the people bare text of ,scriptures1 he would offer his body to suffer what pain of torture1 yea1 what death ,his ,grace 7,henry ,,viii7 would so that this be obtained4 ,,goes ,,to ,,hamburg ,having now fully decided on going abroad1 he sailed direct to ,hamburg1 about ,may1 #aebd1 never to set foot on his native soil again4 ,scarcely a year before1 he entered ,london with bright anticipations of success1 but all his anticipations had been cruelly disappointed1 and now in sorrow and sadness he was sailing forth on the untried dangers of solitude and exile4 ,had he been able to read the future that awaited him1 and which he afterwards so patiently bewailed1 the poverty1 the exile from his own native land1 the bitter absence from his friends1 the hunger1 the thirst1 the cold1 the great danger wherewith he was everywhere compassed1 the innumerable hard and sharp fightings which he had to endure1 doubtless his loving soul would have been melted with the spectacle1 and yet1 no doubt1 the stout and brave heart would have gone forward1 hoping with his labors to do honor to ,god1 true service to his prince1 and bestow unspeakable blessings upon his priest-ridden people4 ,in ,hamburg he diligently applied his whole time to translating1 but on being interrupted he moved to ,cologne about the first of ,may1 #aebe1 where he put his translation into the hands of the printer4 ,not only was the entire sacred text then translated1 but his prologue was composed before he began to print4 ,at this time ,john ,cochlus1 dean of ,frankfort1 the watchdog of ,romanism1 was at ,cologne1 an exile from his own city on account of uprisings of the peasants against the clergy4 ,he was occupied at ,cologne printing a book4 ,in consequence of this he became acquainted with the printers of ,cologne1 whom he heard confidently boasting over their cups that whether the king and cardinal would or not all ,england in a short time would be furnished the ,new ,testament in ,english4 ,he heard that there was an ,englishman there1 learned1 skilled in languages1 eloquent1 whom1 however1 he never could see or converse with4 ,inviting1 therefore1 some printers to his lodging1 and1 after exciting them with wine1 one of them disclosed to him that the ,new ,testament had been translated into the ,english language2 that it was then in the hands of the printers1 who were then printing an edition of three thousand copies2 and that the expenses were being met by ,english merchants1 who were to convey it secretly to ,england and dispense it widely throughout the realm before the king or the cardinal could discover or prohibit it4 ,though mentally distracted between fear and wonder1 ,cochlus disguised his grief in a cheerful manner2 and after having considered sadly the magnitude of the danger1 he deliberated with himself how he might conveniently obstruct these very wicked attempts4 ,so he went to ,herman ,rinck1 a ,senator of ,cologne1 and a knight1 well known both to the ,emperor and the ,king of ,england1 to whom he made known the whole affair4 ,on hearing this ,rinck went to the ,senate of ,cologne1 and procured an order interdicting the printers from proceeding further with the work4 ,tyndale contrived1 however1 to procure the printed sheets1 and sailed up the ,rhine to ,worms about ,october1 #aebe2 but ,rinck and ,cochlus wrote at once to the king and cardinal and the ,bishop of ,rochester to take the utmost precaution in all the seaports of ,england1 lest that most pernicious article of merchandise should be introduced4 ,apparently nothing could have been more complete than the triumph of ,cochlus4 ,he had not only interrupted the printing of the ,new ,testament at ,cologne1 but had disclosed the secret of ,tyndale's intentions to those who were most able to take effectual steps to prevent the introduction of the work in ,england1 if he should ever succeed in getting it printed at all4 ,this interruption1 though felt most keenly at the time by ,tyndale1 only inflamed his zeal1 and the remarkable result was that two editions were issued by him in the same period in which he had contemplated only one4 ,thus the hostility of ,cochlus1 which1 as we have seen1 threatened to arrest the progress of the work1 only delayed its completion for a time and enabled ,tyndale to issue six thousand copies of his translation instead of three thousand4 ,early in #aebf both editions were sent into ,england in cases1 in barrels1 in bales of cloth1 in sacks of flour1 and in every other secret way that could be thought of4 ,the reception in ,england was remarkable4 ,they were eagerly bought and read to the inexpressible joy and comfort of thousands who had long walked in darkness1 and as eagerly proscribed and sought out for destruction4 ,sir ,thomas ,more fiercely attacked the translation as ignorant1 dishonest and heretical4 ,in the autumn ,tunstal and ,warham issued mandates for the collection and surrender of copies4 ,tunstal attacked it in a sermon at ,st4 ,paul's1 and professed to have found three thousand errors in it4 ,so the cardinal and all the bishops decided that the book should be burned1 which was vigorously carried out4 ,but this was all in vain1 for the tide was fairly flowing and it could not be checked4 ,a formidable organization was ready in ,england to welcome and circulate the books4 ,in proportion to the violence with which the clergy condemned the books was the esteem in which they were held by those in ,england to whom the light was breaking4 ,,bishop ,,of ,,london ,,supplies ,,money ,,to ,,print ,,bibles ,in #aebi ,bishop ,tunstal went to ,antwerp to seize ,tyndale's ,testaments1 and by a singular coincident ,tyndale also was there and so it happened that one ,parkington1 who favored ,tyndale1 was at ,antwerp at the same time4 ,on being informed by the bishop that he would be glad to buy the ,testaments1 ,parkington told him that1 as he knew those who had them for sale1 he could buy every book of them that is imprinted and is here unsold4 ,the bargain was made1 and as has been said by the quaint chronicler3 ,the bishop1 thinking he had ,god by the toe1 when indeed he had1 as after he thought1 the devil by the fist1 said3 ,gentle ,mr4 ,parkington1 do your diligence and get them2 and with all my heart ,i will pay for them whatsoever they cost you1 for the books are erroneous and nought1 and ,i intend surely to destroy them all1 and to burn them at ,paul's ,cross4 ,augustus ,parkington came to ,william ,tyndale1 and said3 ,william1 ,i know that thou art a poor man1 and hast a heap of ,new ,testaments and books by thee1 for which thou hast both endangered thy friends and beggared thyself2 and ,i have now gotten thee a merchant1 which1 with ready money1 shall dispatch thee of all thou hast1 if thou think it so profitable for yourself4 ,who is this merchant8 said ,tyndale4 ,the ,bishop of ,london1 said ,parkington4 ,oh1 that is because he will burn them1 said ,tyndale4 ,yea1 marry1 quoth ,parkington4 ,i am the gladder1 said ,tyndale1 for these two benefits shall come thereof3 ,i shall get money to bring myself out of debt1 and the whole world will cry out against the burning of ,god's ,word2 and the overplus of the money that shall remain to me shall make me more studious to correct the ,new ,testament1 and so newly to imprint the same once again1 and ,i trust the second will much better like you than ever did the first4 ,and so went forward the bargain2 the bishop had the books2 ,parkington had the thanks1 and ,tyndale had the money4 ,after this1 ,tyndale corrected the same ,new ,testament1 and caused them to be newly imprinted1 so that they came thick and threefold over into ,england4 ,when the bishop perceived that1 he sent for ,parkington1 and said to him3 ,how cometh this1 that there are so many ,new ,testaments abroad8 ,you promised me that you would buy them all4 ,then said ,parkington3 ,surely1 ,i bought all that were to be had1 but ,i perceive they have printed more since4 ,i see it will never be better so long as they have letters and stamps2 wherefore you were best to buy the stamps1 too1 and so you shall be sure4 ,at which the bishop smiled and so the matter ended4 ,it so happened that shortly after this that ,george ,constantine was apprehended by ,sir ,thomas ,more1 suspected of certain heresies4 ,during the time he was in custody1 ,more said to him3 ,there are beyond the sea ,tyndale1 ,joyce1 and a great many of you1 ,i know they can not live without help1 and ,i pray thee tell me who they are that help them thus8 ,my lord1 quoth ,constantine1 ,i will tell you truly1 it is the ,bishop of ,london that hath helped us1 for he hath bestowed among us a great deal of money upon ,new ,testaments to burn them2 and that hath been1 and yet is1 our only succor and comfort4 ,now my troth1 quoth ,more1 ,i think even the same1 for so much ,i told the bishop before he went about it4 ,,betrayed ,,and ,,murdered ,tyndale's enemies endeavored to decoy him into ,england1 but he was too wary to be so easily entrapped1 for he well knew what displeasure ,henry ,,viii felt at his tract1 called ,the ,practice of ,prelates1 and what penalty the royal indignation would speedily inflict4 ,but his enemies in ,england1 whose power had been shaken by the wide circulation of the ,english ,new ,testament1 were the more enraged against him1 and conspired to seize him on the ,continent1 in the name of the ,emperor1 and through the treachery of one ,henry ,philips1 a smooth1 treacherous villain1 in the employ of ,stephen ,gardiner1 after having invited ,tyndale to dine with him1 had him arrested and had him put in the ,state prison of the ,castle of ,vivorde1 twenty-three miles from ,antwerp1 ,may #bc1 #aece4 ,the ,english merchants aggrieved by the loss of an esteemed friend1 and by this treacherous assault of their rights and privileges1 made every effort to secure his release1 but all in vain4 ,the neighboring ,university of ,louvain thirsted for his blood4 ,he was speedily condemned1 and on ,friday1 ,october #f1 #aecf1 he was strangled at the stake and his body then burned to ashes4 ,at the stake1 with a fervent zeal and a loud voice1 he cried3 ,lord1 open the ,king of ,england's eyes4 ,as an apostle of liberty1 ,tyndale stands foremost among the writers of his day1 whose heroic fortitude and invincible love of the truth were heard with a force superior to royal and ecclesiastical injunctions2 and the very flames to which fanaticism and tyranny consigned his writings burnt them into the very hearts of the people1 and made them powerful instruments in attacking and converting multitudes to the principles of the ,reformation4 ,it is not exaggeration to say that the noble sentiments of ,william ,tyndale1 uttered in pure1 strong1 ,saxon ,english1 and steeped in the doctrines of the ,gospel1 gave shape to the views of the most conspicuous promoters of the great movement1 who1 like himself1 sealed their convictions with their blood4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,martin ,,luther ,notwithstanding the fact that the papacy had universal sway over ,europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century1 it must be noted that1 from the beginning of the fourteenth century on1 there were insurgents1 however varied their cries and watchwords1 who were persistent in their denunciation of the priesthood4 ,the hatred arose from their intolerable extortions1 which were a galling burden4 ,while the tithing system was an intolerable yoke1 the rapacity of the priests went far beyond tithes in their exactions4 ,in speaking of this condition1 ,seebohm1 a ,spanish historian1 says3 ,i see that we can scarcely get anything from ,christ's ministers but for money2 at baptism money1 at marriage money1 at bishoping money1 for confession money--no1 not extreme unction without money6 ,they ring no bells without money1 no burials in the ,church without money2 so that it seems that ,paradise is shut up from them that have no money4 ,the rich is buried in the church1 the poor in the churchyard4 ,the rich man may marry his nearest kin1 but the poor not so1 albeit he is ready to die for love of her4 ,the rich may eat meat in ,lent1 but the poor may not1 albeit fish be much dearer4 ,the rich may readily get large indulgences1 but the poor none1 because he wanteth money to pay for them4 7,the ,era of the ,protestant ,revolution1 pages #eg1 #eh47 ,all the efforts at reformation had always ignominiously failed1 and the papacy with all its abuses had never been more powerful than at the time ,john ,tetzel was trafficking in indulgences4 ,just thirty-four years before this time1 ,martin ,luther was born4 ,his parents were poor1 but it was their desire to give him the best education possible4 ,when he was fourteen years old they sent him to school at ,magdeburg1 where he relied upon the liberality of well-meaning citizens to supply his needs4 ,the tuition was free at ,magdeburg1 but the students were required to provide their own lodgings and meals4 ,the usual custom was for a company of poor boys to band themselves together and sing in the front of the house of the wealthy citizens4 ,sometimes they would be invited to a meal2 at other times they would receive the remnants of a repast or at least some slices of bread4 ,after a year had gone by his father decided to send him to ,eisenach1 because he hoped that some of his relatives would take a kindly interest in him2 but in this expectation he was mistaken1 for as before he was compelled to beg and sing for his bread4 ,many times young ,luther became so discouraged that he made up his mind to return to his home and become a miner like his father4 ,but a very different life was awaiting him4 ,when he had acquired the discipline resulting from the long struggle with poverty1 a great change took place4 ,a ,,friend ,,indeed ,one day1 after having been harshly treated at three houses1 he was preparing to return fasting to his lodgings2 he stopped motionless in front of a house and reflected1 ,must ,i for the want of food give up my studies and return with my father in the mines8 when suddenly a door opens and ,madame ,ursula ,cotta1 the wife of a wealthy merchant1 stood on the threshold4 ,she had heard the harsh words that had been addressed to him1 and1 seeing him standing thus sadly before her door1 she came to his aid1 beckoned to him to enter1 and gave him food to satisfy his hunger4 ,she and her husband took a liking to him1 and offered him a place at their table and in their family1 where he remained for three years4 ,thus were brought into his life the influences of gentleness and refinement4 ,a new life now opened to him4 ,free from care and anxiety as to his sustenance1 he was able to devote his whole time to his studies4 ,here noble influences1 very necessary for his future work1 surrounded him1 teaching him the fine and gentle traits of good breeding that elevated life above the struggle for mere existence and gave to it its peculiar charm4 ,the strength of his understanding1 the liveliness of his imagination1 the excellence of his memory1 soon carried him beyond all his school fellows4 ,these years of his school period contributed much towards promoting that higher education which his father was so very anxious that he should obtain4 ,thus furnished1 in the summer of #aeja1 in his eighteenth year1 he entered the ,university of ,erfurt4 ,here he applied himself diligently and made rapid progress4 ,he did not merely study to cultivate his intellect4 ,he had serious thoughts about ,god1 and fervently invoked the divine blessings to rest upon his labors4 ,he passed all the time that he could possibly spare from his studies in the university library4 ,books were very scarce1 and it was a great privilege for him to have access to the great collection of books there brought together4 ,after having been in the university for two years1 one day1 to his great surprise and delight1 he found a copy of the ,bible1 the first that he had ever seen4 ,his interest was greatly excited4 ,he was filled with astonishment at finding other matters than those fragments of the ,gospels and ,epistles that the ,church had selected to be read to the people during public worship throughout the year4 ,until this day he had imagined that they composed the whole ,word of ,god4 ,and now he sees so much of which he had never thought6 ,with eagerness and great emotion he turned its pages4 ,the first passage on which he fixed his attention was the story of ,hannah and ,samuel1 which gave him unbounded joy4 ,he returned to his room with a full heart1 saying1 ,oh1 that ,god would give me such a book for myself6 ,the copy of the ,bible that had filled him with so much joy was in ,latin4 ,after this he returned to the library again and again to pore over this wonderful treasure1 and thus the glimmerings of new truth were beginning to dawn upon his mind4 ,in that ,bible the ,reformation lay hid4 ,,becomes ,a ,,monk ,luther's father required him to study law4 ,at considerable expense the necessary books had been purchased1 and he had begun to attend lectures on jurisprudence2 but for the calling he had no love2 and yet1 from a sense of obedience to his father1 he felt it his duty to follow the path he had prescribed4 ,he was1 however1 frequently disturbed by the thought of the endangered spiritual condition of those who followed the legal profession4 ,this conflict quickened within him the sense of his relation to the higher law1 on which his obedience to his father was based4 ,the sudden death of a friend followed shortly afterward by a narrow escape from death by lightning1 in a forest on the way between ,erfurt and ,eisleben1 determined him to obey what he then regarded as the commands of higher law4 ,terrified by the violence of the storm that was raging around him1 and especially by the bolts of lightning that were crashing through the trees1 addressing one of the patron saints of his childhood1 he cried out3 ,help me1 dear ,saint ,anna1 ,i will be a monk6 ,the vow thus made was faithfully performed4 ,two weeks later1 ,july #af1 #aeje1 he invited his most intimate friends to a cheerful but frugal supper4 ,for the last time he determined to enjoy music and song4 ,the decision once made all sadness was gone4 ,his intention was to tell no one of his decision1 but at the very moment his guests were giving way to their gayety1 he could no longer control the serious thoughts that filled his mind4 ,they endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose1 but all in vain4 ,sorrowfully they accompanied him the next morning to the ,augustinian cloister located in the town1 where he knocked for admission4 ,as they opened1 he entered4 ,when the heavy portals of the monastery closed behind him1 and the bars were fastened again1 he had no idea but that he was separated from the world forever4 ,the great struggle was at an end4 ,was his soul satisfied8 ,had he found that for which he was looking--the peace that passeth all understanding8 ,we shall see in our next4 ,luther was received among the novices of the monastery with sacred hymns1 prayers and other solemnities4 ,after this he was given over to the care of the master of the novices1 whose duty it was to initiate them into the practices of the monastic sanctity1 to observe their actual conduct1 and to watch over their souls4 ,above all things1 the will of the novices were to be entirely broken4 ,they were to learn that everything enjoined upon them was to be performed without the least resistance1 and even to be the more willing to render obedience the more it was against their own disposition and taste4 ,inclination to pride was to be overcome by imposing upon them the meanest services4 ,so at the very beginning of ,luther's monastic life he was compelled to perform the most degrading work in sweeping and scrubbing1 and it afforded those envious of him peculiar pleasure when he1 the hitherto proud young master1 was ordered1 with a sack upon his shoulders1 to beg through the town in company with a more experienced brother4 ,he did not shirk from these services2 but even desired to perform self-mortifying duties1 so that he might the more deserve ,god's favors4 ,of these days ,luther says3 ,i chose for myself twenty-one saints1 read mass every day1 calling on three of them each day1 so as to complete the circuit every week2 especially did ,i invoke the ,holy ,virgin1 as her womanly heart was more easily touched1 that she might appease her ,son4 ,i verily thought that by invoking three saints daily1 and by letting my body waste away with fastings and watchings1 ,i should satisfy the law1 and shield my conscience against the goad2 but it all availed me nothing3 the further ,i went on in this way the more ,i was terrified4 ,from this we see that ,luther subjected himself to every possible form of discipline and mortification4 ,he was a model of monkish piety4 ,he says1 ,if ever a monk got to heaven by monkery1 ,i would have gotten there4 ,no one could surpass him in prayers by day and night1 in fasting1 in vigils1 self-discipline and self-mortification1 and yet--had he found what his soul was looking for8 ,there is no mistake4 ,he is as far from peace of conscience as ever4 ,he read the ,bible1 but a veil was before his eyes4 ,christ was still to his mind a merciless judge4 ,the righteousness of ,god1 which1 according to ,paul1 was revealed in the ,gospel1 he took to mean the righteousness which metes out just punishment4 ,finally1 ,john ,staupitz1 the vicar-general of the ,augustinian order1 a man of sympathetic nature1 and one who possessed in a singular degree the power to discern and appreciate the needs of whomsoever applied to him for aid1 came to his rescue4 ,looking into the haggard face of ,luther1 he said3 ,brother1 you must obey ,god and believe in forgiveness4 ,you have altogether a wrong idea of ,christ4 ,christ does not terrify2 his office is to comfort4 ,you must make up your mind that you are a very sinner1 and that ,christ is a very ,savior4 ,these were starting points for new currents of thought4 ,they shed light upon many passages of scripture4 ,for days and weeks ,luther pondered over these words3 ,the ,gospel is the power of ,god unto salvation to every one that believeth2 444 ,for therein is revealed a righteousness of ,god from faith unto faith3 as it is written1 ,but the righteous shall live by faith 7,rom4 #a3af1 #ag74 ,many years after receiving this help1 ,luther wrote3 ,if ,dr4 ,staupitz1 or1 rather1 ,god1 through ,dr4 ,staupitz1 had not aided me in this1 ,i would have been long since in hell4 ,luther now devoted himself earnestly to the study of theology4 ,among other writings1 he read those of ,augustine more frequently and fixed them more thoroughly in his memory than any others4 ,in #aejh his scholarship received acknowledgement by a call to the chair of philosophy in the newly-founded ,university of ,wittenburg4 ,as a professor he made rapid progress1 and soon reached a position of great responsibility and influence4 ,,makes ,a ,,pilgrimage ,,to ,,rome ,to make a pilgrimage to ,rome2 to confess in the ,holy ,city all his sins committed from early youth2 to visit the many sacred places1 sacred to the memory of saints and martyrs2 to avail himself of the rich influences offered there2 to read mass in ,rome--had been a long-cherished hope of the young monk4 ,hardly had he dared to look for its realization4 ,but all of a sudden he was sent by ,staupitz to ,rome to assist in the settlement of some difficulties which had arisen in the management of the monastic order4 ,on foot1 from monastery to monastery1 he and his companion went across the ,alps1 and by the picturesque plain of ,lombardy passed into ,italy4 ,everywhere his eyes were opened1 and important lessons for the future were learned4 ,the first sight of ,rome inspired him with great enthusiasm4 ,it was a great moment to him4 ,he fell upon the ground1 and1 with outstretched hands1 exclaimed1 ,hail1 thou ,holy ,city6 ,the visit continued four weeks1 giving him ample time to see the ruins of the ,colosseum1 the ,baths of ,dioclesian1 the ,pantheon1 and other remains of past glory4 ,he visited also the catacombs and other places made sacred by the sufferings of martyrs1 and1 above all1 those churches and shrines where special grace could be obtained4 ,the chief attraction1 however1 was not that of sight-seeing1 but the spiritual blessings that he hoped to receive4 ,it was his purpose to make while there an unreserved confession of all the sins that he had ever committed4 ,although he had made such confession twice before at ,erfurt1 he expected an especial blessing from the same confession1 if made in the ,holy ,city4 ,mass he celebrated a number of times1 and actually wished that his parents were dead1 because1 by such services at ,rome1 he thought that he could have been able to deliver them from purgatory4 ,but in all this he found no satisfaction for his mind2 on the contrary1 there was aroused in him a consciousness of another way to salvation which had previously taken root in his heart4 ,while he was painfully climbing on his knees in devout prayer the steps of the identical staircase1 as was superstitiously believed1 which formerly led up to the palace of ,pilate in ,jerusalem--in order to receive the rich blessings promised by several popes upon all who would perform this meritorious deed--again and again as he struggled up the stairway1 the words of ,paul--the just shall live by faith--came to him as though uttered in tones of thunder4 ,but ,luther never became sensible of any blessing4 ,even ,rome did not give to his soul the peace for which he longed4 ,on the contrary1 his sojourn in the ,holy ,city1 brief though it was1 sufficed to convince him that ,rome could never supply the needs of his spiritual nature4 ,the high ideals of the sanctity of the worship of the saintly life of the pope and the other ecclesiastical dignitaries1 which filled his own soul with aspirations and stimulated him to like endeavors1 were rudely shattered4 ,what he saw and heard in ,rome was the very opposite of what he had expected4 ,instead of piety he found levity2 instead of holiness he met lasciviousness2 instead of seeing pure spirituality1 he beheld nothing but carnal-mindedness1 greed and self-seeking4 ,religion was but the cloak which covered up the shame and vice4 ,the white garments of the ,church were polluted with the stains of the most disgraceful and carnal manner of living4 ,wherever he turned he saw hypocrisy and sin4 ,everything that was to him an object of holy adoration was made the butt of blasphemous jests4 ,of the impressions made on his mind he wrote3 ,nobody can form an idea of the licentiousness1 vice and shame that is in vogue in ,rome4 ,nobody would believe it unless he could see it with his own eyes and hear it with his own ears4 ,rome was once the holiest city1 now it is the vilest4 ,it is true what has been said1 ,if there be a hell1 ,rome must be built over it4 ,yet in spite of all he saw and heard1 he loved the grand old ,church with all his heart4 ,he did not return from ,rome an enemy of the ,church1 nor even intending to reform it4 ,but if ever a man left the ,holy ,city thrust down from the heights of zeal and enthusiasm to the very depths of despair1 wounded and crushed in spirit1 it was the plain1 honest ,luther4 ,this experience1 however1 was but another step in his preparation1 for he says3 ,i would not take a thousand florins for missing that visit to ,rome4 ,i would constantly fear that ,i had wronged the pope4 ,but now ,i can speak of what ,i have seen myself4 ,,professor ,,of ,,theology ,,at ,,wittenburg ,when ,luther returned from ,rome to ,wittenburg in the early summer of #aeab1 ,staupitz sent him to ,erfurt to complete his training for the doctorate in theology4 ,his advancement was so rapid that by the time he reached his twenty-ninth year he found himself not only installed in a professorship of ,theology at ,wittenburg1 but also with the main responsibility resting upon him for all instruction that was to be given4 ,from that time the presence of ,staupitz was not frequent4 ,in this position he did not hesitate to break through all traditional modes of theological instruction4 ,luther was still a genuine monk1 with no doubt of his vocation4 ,he became the sub-prior of the ,wittenburg ,monastery in #aeab1 and was made district vicar over eleven monasteries in #aeae4 ,these administrative duties occasioned frequent interruptions of his professional and literary labors4 ,it was his duty1 by means of visitations and frequent correspondence1 to learn the condition and decide concerning the necessities of each monastery and its inmates4 ,the already thoroughly occupied professor was thus called to a truly pastoral care of an extensive and difficult field4 ,to every one in doubts and perplexities1 like those which agitated him1 he sought to give the full benefit of his experience4 ,so far as the record shows1 ,luther first heard of ,tetzel in #aeaf1 just as he was beginning his visitation of the churches4 ,it was reported to him that ,tetzel was making a great noise1 and some of his extravagant sentiments1 which ,i have already quoted1 were related to him1 and when he heard this he indignantly exclaimed1 ,if ,god permit1 ,i will make a hole in his drum6 ,shortly after this he gave warning1 not against indulgences1 but what he regarded their abuse4 ,what should be regarded with all reverence1 said he1 has become a horrid means of pampering avarice1 since it is not the salvation of souls1 but solely pecuniary profit that is in view4 ,he justified the intentions of the pope1 but charged that ,tetzel had misinterpreted and misapplied them4 ,in a sermon delivered ,february #bd1 #aeag1 he grows in severity4 ,indulgences1 he declared1 are teaching the people to dread the punishment of sin1 instead of sin itself4 ,if it were not to escape the punishment for sin1 no one would care about indulgences1 even if offered gratuitously4 ,as ,tetzel drew near to ,wittenburg1 attracting larger crowds to his preaching1 and as some over whom ,luther had spiritual jurisdiction sought to excuse themselves from worshiping of relict and of engaging in revolting sins by producing letters of indulgence obtained from ,tetzel1 he could not1 by silence1 connive at what would have carried with it the violation of his fidelity as a spiritual guide4 ,still it was only after much hesitation1 after many of his friends had urged him to interfere1 and in deep distress of mind1 that he resolved to protest4 ,when he had determined to do something he went about the matter with a mixture of caution and courage4 ,,the ,,ninety-,,five ,,theses ,the ,church of ,all-,saints in ,wittenburg had always been intimately connected with the university2 its doors were used as boards on which to publish important academic documents2 and notices of public disputations1 common enough at the time1 had frequently appeared there4 ,the day of the year which drew the largest concourse of townsmen and strangers to the church was ,all-,saints ,day1 so on the day before1 ,october #ca1 #aeag1 ,luther nailed the ,ninety-five ,theses protesting against what he regarded as the abuse of indulgences1 to the door of the church4 ,crowds of eager students gathered for hours before the door of the church1 intent upon reading and copying the sensational document4 ,the first effect upon those nearest ,luther was stunning4 ,whatever their abhorrence of the methods of ,tetzel1 and their dissatisfaction of the whole system which admitted of such manifest abuses1 the impression was that he had spoken inadvisedly4 ,his colleagues were apprehensive of the results for the university4 ,the ,augustinian monks saw the stake in the foreground1 and dreaded the disgrace which ,luther's presence among them would cast upon their order4 ,for the moment1 ,luther stood alone at ,wittenburg1 but copies of the ,latin original and translations of it into ,german were sent to the university printing house and the presses could not print them fast enough to meet the demand which came from all parts of ,germany1 and in four weeks they were diffused throughout all ,christendom1 as though the angels were the postmen4 ,the result was unexpected and startling to ,luther4 ,many approved ,luther's course1 saying that the man who was to break the tyranny of the papacy had arisen4 ,in the meantime the opposition was industriously gathering its forces1 but the controversy increased the popularity of the theses4 ,luther was summoned to ,rome to answer for his attack on the ,indulgence system4 ,to have disobeyed would have meant death4 ,this peremptory summons was construed as an affront to the ,university of ,wittenburg4 ,the officials of the university interfered1 with the result that the summons to ,rome was canceled and it was arranged that the matter was to be left in the hands of the ,papal ,legate ,cajetan in ,germany1 and ,luther was ordered to present himself before the official at ,augsburg4 ,the interview was not satisfactory4 ,the cardinal demanded that ,luther should recant his heresies without any argument4 ,when pressed to say what the heresies were1 he named the statement in fifty-eighth thesis that the merits of ,christ work effectually without the intervention of the pope1 and that which said that the sacraments are not efficacious apart from faith in the recipient4 ,there was some discussion1 notwithstanding the cardinal's declaration2 but in the end ,luther was ordered to recant or depart4 ,luther appealed to a general council and returned to ,wittenburg4 ,on returning to ,wittenburg ,luther's first task was to prepare for the press an account of his interview with ,cardinal ,cajetan1 the pope's representative at ,augsburg4 ,he was careful to take the people of ,germany into his confidence1 and published an account of every important interview he had2 thus the people were able to follow him step by step1 and he was never so far in advance that they were unable to see his footprints4 ,the immediate effect of the report was an immense outburst of sympathy for him4 ,soon after the interview at ,augsburg1 the papal court reached the conclusion that it would be to their interest to win him by compromise and kindness4 ,miltitz1 a papal chamberlain1 was sent to ,germany4 ,on reaching there he found that the state of matters was undreamt of at the papal court4 ,he saw that ,cajetan had never perceived that he had not only to deal with ,luther1 but with the slow movement of the ,german nation4 ,he found that three out of five of the people stood with ,luther4 ,he wisely resolved that he would see both ,luther and ,tetzel privately before producing his credentials4 ,tetzel he could not see1 for it was dangerous for him to stir from his convent1 so greatly was he in danger from violence of the people4 ,on meeting ,luther1 he at once disowned the speeches of ,tetzel2 showed that he was not pleased with ,cajetan's methods of action2 and so prevailed on ,luther that he promised to write a submissive letter to the pope1 to advise the people to reverence the ,roman ,church1 and to say that indulgences were useful in the remission of canonical penances4 ,the letter was actually written and the language is replete with expressions of condescension1 and it exalts the ,roman ,church above everything but ,christ himself4 ,he also promised to discontinue the controversy if his opponents would do the same4 ,but ,miltitz was not supported by the ,roman court1 and he had also to reckon with ,john ,eck1 who was burning with a desire to vanquish ,luther in a public discussion4 ,the time between his interview at ,augsburg and the discussion with the vainglorious ,john ,eck was spent by ,luther in hard and disquieting studies4 ,his opponents had confronted him with the pope's absolute supremacy in all ecclesiastical matters1 and this was one of his oldest inherited beliefs4 ,the ,roman ,church had been for him the pope's house1 in which the pope was the house-father1 to whom all obedience was due4 ,it was hard for him to think otherwise4 ,he re-examined his convictions about justifying and attempted to trace clearly their consequences1 and whether they did lead to his declarations about the efficacy of indulgences4 ,he came to no other conclusion4 ,he also investigated the evidence for the papal claim of absolute authority1 and found that it rested on the strength of a collection of decretals many of which were plainly forgeries4 ,under the combined influence of historical study1 of the opinions of the early church fathers1 and of the ,holy ,scriptures1 one of his oldest landmarks crumbled to pieces4 ,his mind was in a whirl of doubt4 ,he was half-exultant and half-terrified at the result of his studies2 and his correspondence shows how his mind changed from week to week4 ,it was while he was thus 'on the swither1' tremulously on the balance1 that ,john ,eck challenged him to dispute at ,leipzig on the primacy and supremacy of the ,roman pontiff4 ,luther accepted the challenge1 thinking that the discussion might clear the air1 and might enable him to see more clearly where he stood4 ,,debates ,,with ,,john ,,eck ,,and ,,burns ,,the ,,papal ,,bull ,the discussion began ,june #bgth and closed ,july #ae1 #aeai4 ,this is the first time ,luther ever met a controversialist of ,european fame4 ,eck came to ,leipzig from his triumphs at the great debates at ,vienna and ,bologna1 and was and felt himself to be the hero of the occasion4 ,eck's intention was to force his opponent to make some declaration which would justify him in charging ,luther with being a partisan of the medieval heretics1 and especially of the ,hussites4 ,he continually led the debate away to the ,waldenses1 the ,wycliffites1 and the ,bohemians4 ,the audience was swayed with a wave of excitement when ,luther was gradually forced to admit that the ,hussite doctrines are not all wrong4 ,throughout the debate ,eck's deportment was that of a man striving to overcome his opponent rather than one striving to win a victory for the truth4 ,there was as much sophistry as good reasoning in his arguments2 he continually misquoted ,luther's words or gave them a meaning they were not intended to convey4 ,triumphant1 lauded by his friends1 and recompensed with favor and honor by ,duke ,george1 ,eck departed from the debate4 ,he had done what he had meant to do4 ,he had made ,luther declare himself4 ,in his estimation1 all that was needed was a papal bull against ,luther1 and the world would be rid of another pestilent heretic4 ,he had made him the central figure around which all the smoldering discontent could gather4 ,as for ,luther1 he returned to ,wittenberg1 disgusted and full of melancholy foreboding4 ,this did not prevent him preparing and publishing for his people an account of the discussion1 which was eagerly read and gained for him great favor4 ,in some respects the ,leipzig debate was the most important point in the career of ,luther4 ,it made him see for the first time what lay in his opposition to indulgences4 ,it made the people see it1 too4 ,his attack was no criticism1 as he had at first thought1 of a mere excrescence on the medieval ecclestiastical system4 ,he had struck at its center3 at its ideas of priestly mediation which denied the right of every believer to immediate entrance into the very presence of ,god4 ,great men now came to the support of ,luther1 including ,philip ,melanchthon1 one of the greatest scholars of the age4 ,the conflict between ,rome and ,luther became one of life and death4 ,in ,september1 #aebj1 ,eck again appeared in ,germany with a papal bull against ,luther1 dated ,june #aeth4 ,it condemned as heresies forty-one propositions extracted from his writings1 ordered his works to be burned wherever they were found1 and summoned him on pain of excommunication1 to confess and retract his errors within sixty days1 and to throw himself upon the mercy of the pope4 ,this bull fight brought ,luther to a step decisive beyond recall4 ,he met this threat of violence with unshakable courage4 ,he at once carried the war into the heart of the enemy's territory4 ,in the presence of a vast multitude of all ranks and orders1 he burned the papal bull1 and with it the decree1 the decretals1 the ,clementines1 and extravagants1 the entire code of ,romish canon law1 as the root of all the evil1 ,december #aj1 #aebj4 ,when the news spread that a poor monk had burnt the pope's bull1 a thrill went through ,germany1 and1 indeed1 throughout all ,europe4 ,papal bulls had been burnt before ,luther's day1 but the actors had for the most part been powerful monarchs4 ,this time it was done by a monk with nothing but his faith and courage to back him4 ,rome had now done its utmost to get rid of ,luther by ecclesiastical measures1 and had failed4 ,if he was to be overthrown1 if the new religious movement and the national uprising which indorsed it were to be stifled1 this could only be done by the aid of the supreme secular authority4 ,the ,roman court now turned attention to the emperor4 ,emperor ,maximilian died ,january #ab1 #aeai1 and after some months of papal intriguing1 his grandson1 ,charles1 the ,king of ,spain1 was chosen to be his successor4 ,troubles in ,spain prevented his leaving that country at once to take possession of his new dignities4 ,he was finally crowned on ,october #bj1 #aebj1 and opened his first ,german diet1 at ,worms1 ,january #bb1 #aeba4 ,after the coronation1 and especially after the burning of the pope's bull1 every step was toward ,worms4 ,the decision of the ,roman court had not settled the case as to ,luther2 the bull was slow in getting itself executed2 very many thought it were better not executed4 ,men's minds were not at rest--they wished for some other tribunal to which the case might be referred2 in the absence of a general council1 the highest authority in the ,roman ,church1 they thought of the emperor and the diet1 the highest authority in the ,state4 ,but if ,luther were to appear before the diet1 it was not at all clear what the diet was to demand of him or to do with him4 ,there was no need that judgment should be passed upon him2 the pope had already condemned him4 ,it was not necessary that the diet should order his execution2 the bull made it the duty of any prince to do that without any order4 ,he might be required to retract his teaching1 but that had already been done by the bull4 ,if the diet should undertake to hear his cause1 that would be a virtual denial of the pope's supremacy1 and an acknowledgment of the justice of ,luther's complaint that he had been condemned unheard4 ,both parties felt that for the diet to do anything was a reflection on the pope2 and yet it was evidently necessary for the diet to do something4 ,the emperor1 too1 felt the difficulty4 ,he was a politician from his youth1 and his conduct toward the pope1 even from the first1 was affected by political considerations2 but apart from these things1 there was sufficient reason for his hesitation and vacillation4 ,he was influenced now by one party now by the other or1 as is likely1 now by his own independent judgment and now by what seemed to be required of him by his position as the civil head of the ,church4 ,on ,november #bh1 #aebj1 he wrote to the ,elector of ,saxony1 directing him to bring ,luther to ,worms1 in order to give him there a full hearing before the learned and competent persons1 and promising that no harm should come to him2 in the meantime1 the elector was to require of ,luther to write nothing against the pope4 ,the emperor was acting on the suggestion of the elector1 but between the time of this suggestion and the time of the elector's receiving the letter things had been changed--by the burning of his books he had been treated as a condemned heretic4 ,this offended the elector1 and he wrote the emperor declining to require ,luther's presence at the diet4 ,the emperor1 too1 had changed2 he had begun to realize that ,luther was under the papal ban1 and that any place in which he might be was declared under the interdict4 ,luther1 therefore1 could not be permitted to come to ,worms4 ,if he would not retract what he had said against the papacy he was to stay at home until the emperor should have opportunity to confer with the elector personally4 ,,before ,,the ,,diet ,,of ,,worms ,the diet met on ,january #bb1 #aeba1 and on ,february #ajth there came a brief from ,rome making final ,luther's excommunication1 urging his condemnation by the diet and emperor4 ,but there was evident reluctance to proceed against him2 something might be accomplished by negotiations4 ,the pope had selected ,marino ,carraccioli and ,jerome ,aleander to wait on the young emperor and to represent his case before the diet4 ,aleander was a clearsighted1 courageous and indefatigable diplomatist1 a pure worldling1 a man of indifferent morals1 who believed that every man had his price1 and that law and selfish motives were alone to be reckoned with4 ,the defeat of the papacy at ,worms was not due to any lack of thoroughness of his work4 ,he had spies everywhere--in the households of the emperor and of the leading princes1 and among the population of ,worms4 ,he did not hesitate to lie when he thought it useful to the ,roman ,church4 ,the ,roman court had put upon him the difficult task of putting ,luther under the ban of the empire at once and unheard4 ,his speech before the diet was long and eloquent1 but weakened by his bitterness and vehemence4 ,he said he spoke in defense of the papal throne1 which was so dear to them all4 ,he enumerated the heresies taught in ,luther's works4 ,luther was obstinate1 disobedient to the pope's summons1 refused to be instructed2 the pope had condemned him1 and it was the emperor's duty to enforce the condemnation2 the laity had nothing to do with such questions except to carry out the pope's decrees2 ruin would follow if ,luther was not condemned2 a decree from the diet and the emperor would restore quiet1 and preserve the ,church and empire4 ,such were the considerations urged by ,aleander4 ,he sat down amid murmurs of approbation1 but he had made no new points1 given no fresh reasons4 ,a few days afterward a representative ,german1 ,duke ,george of ,saxony1 already ,luther's enemy1 presented the case of ,germany against the pope4 ,there were many things of which he complained1 exactions and usurpations1 the growth and accumulation of years4 ,a committee of the diet was appointed to draft the grievances1 and brought in a long list4 ,with so many grievances against the pope already the diet was in no hurry to take the pope's part against a popular ,german2 the condemnation of ,luther1 and especially the manner of condemnation1 was itself another grievance4 ,the law required the execution of the pope's bull1 and was against granting to a condemned heretic a new hearing before a secular tribunal4 ,it was a case in which the law demanded one thing and expediency and justice another4 ,after a long discussion in the diet it was held stoutly that no countryman of theirs should be placed under the ban of the empire without being heard in his defense1 and that they and not the pope of ,rome were to be the judges in the matter4 ,there was open opposition between the emperor and the diet1 and abundant secret intrigue--an edict proposed against ,luther1 which the diet refused to accept2 an edict proposed to order the burning of ,luther's books1 which the diet also objected to2 this edict revised and limited to seizure of ,luther's writings1 which was also found fault with by the diet2 and1 finally1 the emperor issuing this revised edict of his own authority and without the consent of the diet4 ,the command to appear before the diet on ,april #af1 #aeba1 and the safe conduct were delivered to ,luther on ,march #bfth4 ,he was to face in a practical way the question of going to the diet1 and for him and his friends the crisis had come4 ,many of ,luther's associates at ,wittenberg endeavored to dissuade him from obeying the emperor's mandate4 ,well it was for his fame1 work and cause that he refused to heed their advice4 ,these good-intentioned1 but faint-hearted1 colleagues were advising him to take a fatal step1 one that would have been more damaging to his work than all the machinations of his foes2 that would1 in fact1 have been playing his enemies' game1 and bringing the ,reformation in ,germany to a sudden close4 ,a crisis had been reached where a failure in moral courage in ,luther would have ruined everything4 ,he rose to the occasion1 and his moral stature was disclosed to the whole world4 ,the journey seemed to the indignant papists like a royal progress2 crowds came to bless the man who had stood for the people against the pope1 and they believed he was going to his death for his courage4 ,the nearer he came to ,worms1 the fiercer became the disputes there4 ,friends and foes found that his presence would prove oil thrown into the flames4 ,the emperor regretted having sent the summons4 ,messengers were dispatched secretly to endeavor to prevent his coming4 ,just as he was approaching the city a messenger from one of his best friends in great alarm said3 ,do not enter ,worms6 ,but ,luther1 undismayed1 turned to him and said3 ,go and tell your master that even should there be as many devils in ,worms as tiles on the housetops1 still ,i would enter it4 ,on the morning of ,april #afth ,luther entered the city1 accompanied by fully two thousand persons4 ,the citizens eagerly pressed forward to see him1 and every moment the crowd was increasing4 ,it was much greater than the public entry of the emperor4 ,the news of his arrival filled both friend and foe with great alarm4 ,on the next morning the marshal of the empire cited him to appear at four o'clock before his imperial majesty and the states of the empire4 ,luther received this summons with profound respect4 ,thus everything was arranged4 ,at four o'clock the marshal appeared1 and ,luther set out with him4 ,he was agitated at the thoughts of the solemn congress before which he was about to appear4 ,the streets were so densely crowded that they advanced with great difficulty4 ,at length they reached the doors of the hall1 which were opened to them4 ,luther went in1 and with him entered many persons who formed no portion of the diet4 ,and now was enacted the most splendid scene in history4 ,as has been aptly said3 ,never had man appeared before so imposing an assembly4 ,the ,emperor ,charles ,v1 whose sovereignty extended over a great part of the old and new world2 his brother1 ,archduke ,ferdinand2 six electors of the empire1 most of whose descendants now wear the kingly crown2 twenty-four dukes1 the majority of whom were independent sovereigns over countries more or less extensive1 and among whom were some whose names afterward became formidable to the ,reformation--the ,duke of ,alva and his two sons2 eight margraves1 thirty archbishops1 bishops1 and abbots2 seven ambassadors1 including those from the kings of ,france and ,england2 the deputies of ten free cities2 a great number of princes1 counts1 and sovereign barons2 the papal nuncios--in all two hundred and four persons4 ,such was the imposing court before which appeared ,martin ,luther4 ,the appearance was of itself a signal victory over the papacy4 ,the pope had condemned the man1 and yet there he stood before a tribunal which by this very act1 set itself above the pope4 ,the pope had laid him under an interdict1 and cut him off from all human society2 and yet he was summoned in respectful language1 and received before the most august assembly in the world4 ,the pope had condemned him to perpetual silence1 and yet he was now about to speak before thousands of attentive hearers drawn together from the farthest parts of ,christendom4 ,an immense revolution had thus been effected by ,luther's instrumentality4 ,rome was already descending from her throne1 and it was the voice of a monk that caused this humiliation4 7,d',aubigne's ,history of the ,reformation1 p4 #bdj47 ,into the presence of this august body ,luther was led1 and the sight of this great assemblage of dignitaries almost paralyzed him4 ,the marshal commanded him not to speak unless he was spoken to1 and to answer promptly and truly all questions put to him4 ,the court was conducted with great pomp1 but all its solemn apparatus was an empty pageant2 for however ,luther might defend himself1 the sentence had been already arranged with ,rome4 ,aleander had arranged the procedure4 ,after a moment of solemn silence ,john ,eck rose and said in a loud and clear voice3 ,martin ,luther1 his sacred and invincible imperial majesty has cited you before his throne1 in accordance with the advice and counsel of the ,states of the holy ,roman empire1 to require you to answer two questions3 7#a7 ,do you acknowledge these books to have been written by you8 ,at the same time pointing to twenty books on a table directly in front of ,luther4 7#b7 ,are you prepared to retract these books1 and their contents1 or do you persist in the opinions you have advanced in them8 ,it was then requested that the titles of the books be read1 which was done1 and ,luther acknowledged them to be his4 ,he was again asked1 ,will you retract the doctrines therein8 ,then ,luther1 after having briefly and precisely repeated the questions put to him1 said3 ,i can not deny that the books named are mine1 and ,i will never deny any of them2 they are all my offspring4 ,but as to what follows1 whether ,i shall reaffirm in the same terms all1 or shall retract what ,i may have uttered beyond the authority of ,scripture--because the matter involves a question of faith and of the salvation of souls1 and because it concerns the ,word of ,god1 which is the highest thing in heaven and on earth1 and which we all must reverence--it would be dangerous and rash in me to make any unpremeditated declaration1 because in unpremeditated speech ,i might say something less than the facts and something more than the truth2 besides1 ,i remember the saying of ,christ when he declared1 ,whosoever shall deny me before men1 him will ,i also deny before my ,father which is in heaven1 and before his holy angels4 ,for these reasons ,i beg1 with all respect1 that your ,imperial ,majesty give me time to deliberate1 that ,i may answer the question without injury to the ,word of ,god and without peril to my own soul4 ,luther made his answer in such a low voice that those who were sitting near him could scarcely hear him4 ,many present inferred that ,luther's low voice indicated that his spirit was broken1 and that he was greatly alarmed4 ,but from what followed it is evident that ,luther's whole procedure on this first appearance before the diet was intended to defeat the intrigues of ,aleander1 which had for their aim to prevent ,luther addressing the diet in a long speech2 and in this he succeeded4 ,the emperor expressed the opinion that the question was one for which ,luther ought to be prepared to make immediate answer2 but after much delay and consultation with his advisers he granted ,luther's request for a postponement until the next day at the same hour4 ,then he was required to present himself before the diet on ,april #ahth4 ,after he had been called on the following day1 ,eck began by reproving him for asking for further time for consideration1 and then proceeded to put a second question1 somewhat modified and more in conformity to the ideals of the ,states3 ,will you defend all the books that you have acknowledged as your own1 or recant some of them8 ,luther had now freed himself from the web of intrigue that ,aleander had so skillfully woven around him to compel him to silence1 and stood forth a free ,german to plead his cause before the most illustrious audience ,germany could offer to any of her sons1 before which he made a deliberate reply in a firm and decided tone4 ,he divided his books into three classes4 ,the first were written for the edification of believers1 and his adversaries admitted them to be harmless1 and even useful4 ,he could not retract these4 ,were he to do it1 he would be the only man doing so4 ,in other books he had attacked pernicious laws and doctrines of the papacy1 which1 as no one could deny1 tortured the consciences of ,christians and also tyrannically devoured the property of the ,german nation2 if he should recant these he would be but adding to the force of the ,roman tyranny1 and opening1 not merely the windows1 but the doors1 to great impiety1 and make himself a disgraceful abettor of wickedness and oppression4 ,in the third place1 he had written against persons who defend and sanction this tyranny1 and aiming at annihilating these pious teachings2 against them he said he had possibly been more severe than he should have been1 and that he did not claim that his conduct had always been faultless4 ,but the question1 said he1 is not concerning my conduct1 but concerning the doctrine of ,christ2 and therefore ,i could not recant these writings1 for ,rome would make use of such disavowal to extend her oppression4 ,i demand the evidence against me1 and a fair trial4 ,i stand here ready1 if any one can prove me to have written falsely1 to recant my errors1 and to throw my books into the fire with my own hands4 ,in conclusion he uttered an earnest admonition to the emperor1 and the empire1 that instead of securing peace and quiet by a condemnation of the divine ,word1 they would1 on the other hand1 open the floodgate of untold miseries and evils that can not be conceived4 ,he did not mean to say that his distinguished hearers required this admonition1 but that he could not refrain from discharging this duty in behalf of his beloved ,germany4 ,it was a brave speech1 a strong speech1 delivered with self-possession and in a clear voice that could be heard by the whole assembly--a striking contrast in every way to his manner of the previous day4 ,when ,luther had finished1 ,eck addressed him in a threatening manner1 and told him that he had not answered the question2 that this was not an occasion for general discussion1 but to ascertain from him whether he would retract his errors4 ,in some of your books you deny the decision of councils and that they have often erred and contradicted the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,will you recant or reaffirm what you have said about them8 ,the emperor demands a plain answer4 ,to which ,luther replied3 ,well then1 since ,his ,imperial ,majesty wants a plain answer1 ,i will give him one without horns or teeth4 ,unless ,i am convinced of error by the testimony of ,scriptures or clear arguments--for ,i believe neither the pope nor the councils alone1 which have erred and contradicted each other often--,i am convinced by the passages of ,scripture which ,i have cited1 and my conscience is bound by the ,word of ,god4 ,i can not and will not recant anything1 for it is neither safe nor right to act against one's conscience4 ,such is my profession of faith1 and expect no other from me4 ,here ,i stand1 ,i can not do otherwise4 ,god help me1 ,amen6 ,in astonishment1 the emperor suggested the question whether ,luther actually was of the opinion that councils could err1 and he was promptly answered by ,luther3 ,of course2 because they have often erred4 ,for1 since the council of ,constance decided in many points against the clear text of ,holy ,scripture1 ,holy ,scripture forces me to say that councils have erred4 ,eck declared that it could not be proved that general councils had erred4 ,luther said he could prove they had4 ,the disputation that they said they would avoid was beginning4 ,the emperor1 seeing this1 arose1 and all the assembly with him4 ,eck cried out in a loud1 clear voice3 ,the diet will meet again to-morrow to hear the emperor's opinion4 ,it was night2 each man retired to his home in darkness4 ,two imperial officers escorted ,luther4 ,some supposed that his fate was decided and that they were leading him to prison1 whence he would never return till he was brought out to be burned at the stake4 ,a great tumult arose4 ,some cried out1 ,are they taking him to prison8 ,no1 replied ,luther1 they are only accompanying me to my hotel4 ,at these words the excitement subsided4 ,,under ,,imperial ,,ban ,luther had produced a profound impression on the chiefs of the empire1 and many lords and princes were won to his cause4 ,on the next morning the emperor submitted to the estates of the empire the proposition to immediately dismiss ,luther1 and then on the expiration of his self-conduct1 to proceed against him as a heretic4 ,on ,may #bfth1 after a majority of the diet had departed from ,worms1 an imperial edict against ,luther was passed1 and published as the unanimous act of the ,electors of the ,states4 ,in order to make it appear that the emperor's signature was affixed when all the members of the diet were assembled1 it was dated ,may #hth4 ,it decreed against ,luther the imperial ban2 after applying to him the usual severe expressions of the papal bulls1 it said3 ,under the pain of incurring the penalties due to the crime of high treason1 we forbid you to harbor the said ,luther after the appointed term shall be expired1 to conceal him1 to give him food or drink1 or to furnish him1 by word or by deed1 publicly or secretly1 with any kind of succor whatever4 ,we enjoin you1 moreover1 to seize him1 or cause him to be seized1 wherever you may find him1 to bring him before us without any delay1 or to keep him safe in custody1 until you have learned from us in what manner you are to act toward him1 and have received the reward due to your labors in so holy a work4 ,thus the diet of ,worms added to the pope's excommunication the ban of the emperor4 ,the bold stand of the poor monk1 in the face of the combined civil and ecclesiastical powers of the age1 is one of the sublimest scenes in history1 and marks an epoch in the progress of freedom4 ,the disaffections with the various abuses of ,rome and the desire for free preaching of the ,gospel were so extensive that the ,reformation1 both in its negative and positive features1 spread in spite of the pope's bull and the emperor's ban1 and gained a foothold before #aecj in the greater part of ,northern ,germany4 ,among the principal causes of this rapid progress were the writings of the reformers1 ,luther's ,german ,bible1 and the evangelical hymns1 which introduced the new ideas into public worship and the hearts of the people4 ,on leaving ,worms1 after having gone some distance1 ,luther dismissed the imperial herald and proceeded leisurely1 attended by only two friends4 ,toward night on ,may #dth1 as he was in a lonely part of the wood1 a band of armed horsemen suddenly appeared and surrounded the carriage4 ,his friends supposed themselves attacked by bandits2 one of them fled for his life1 the other1 ,amisdorf1 went on to ,wittenberg with the news that ,luther was violently dragged away and his fate was unknown4 ,as the weeks passed and nothing was heard of him1 the people were filled with anxiety4 ,even his enemies rejoiced with trembling when they heard that he had disappeared1 for things were in such a state that ,luther dead might well be more troublesome to them than ,luther living4 ,luther has left no record of his feelings when he was dragged from his carriage1 mounted on a horse and spirited away4 ,if he at first supposed himself to be a real captive he was soon informed that he was in the hands of friends4 ,he was taken in the darkness and silence of the night to the castle at ,wartburg1 eight miles distant1 by the order of the ,elector ,frederick1 as a means of protecting him1 where he spent the next ten months4 ,he doffed his monk's gown1 put on the garb of a country gentleman1 let his beard grow1 and was known as ,junker ,george4 ,his time was spent in meditation1 translating the ,new ,testament into ,german and writing4 ,a ,,change ,,comes ,,over ,,luther ,at ,wartburg he began that course of interference with political administration and ecclesiastical organization which made his later years as a reformer so different from his earlier1 and in the end led him to the practical denial of nearly every principle that he had affirmed4 ,his own protection by the ,elector ,frederick against the combined power of pope and emperor made clear to him1 he thought1 the method by which a reformation might be attempted4 ,while at ,wartburg he thought out and wrote what he entitled1 ,warning to all ,christians to ,abstain from ,rebellion and ,sedition1 in which he maintained the principle from which he never thereafter departed1 that the civil ,rulers had both the right and the duty to undertake the reformation of the church1 and that any other principle was impracticable and dangerous4 ,that there be no mistaking his meaning ,i give his words3 ,therefore have regard to the rulers4 ,so long as they undertake nothing and give no command1 keep quiet with hand1 mouth and heart1 and undertake nothing4 ,if you can persuade rulers to undertake and command1 you may do it4 ,if they will not you should not4 ,but if you proceed1 you are wrong and much worse than the other party4 ,this no doubt was called forth by the news of the proceedings at ,wittenberg4 ,for even with ,luther away1 ,wittenberg1 with its growing1 aggressive university1 was the center of the ,reformation4 ,new thoughts had been put into men's minds1 new aspirations1 new purposes had come into their hearts4 ,luther had long before preached that the mass was wrong1 but had gone right along celebrating it1 and so had he taught about other things1 but continued to practice them4 ,his teaching had taken deep root1 and ,zwilling1 chaplain of the ,augustinian convent1 a bold1 zealous and eloquent man1 who had the confidence of the people1 declared that the mass ought to be abolished and that it was a sin to celebrate it4 ,the members of the convent1 the prior excepted1 agreed with him4 ,the prior asserted his authority2 the monks rebelled2 the elector interfered and referred the case to the university4 ,the university decided in favor of ,zwilling and the monks1 ,melanchthon writing the opinion4 ,he attacked earnestly and bitterly monastic vows1 celibacy1 clerical garb1 the use of images and pictures in the churches4 ,his teaching strongly implied that liberty could not be attained till all these things were swept away4 ,the movement to put these exhortations into practice began first among the clergy4 ,two priests in parishes near ,wittenberg married2 several monks left their cloisters and donned the garments of the common people2 ,melanchthon and several of his students communicated in both kinds in the church1 and his example was followed by others4 ,images were condemned and cast out of the churches4 ,no one knew what would next be done1 and disturbing rumors were being circulated4 ,carlstadt now took the lead and announced that on the first day of the new year he would celebrate the ,lord's ,supper after the ancient manner in both kinds4 ,when opposition threatened he anticipated the time and held the service on ,christmas day4 ,a beginning was made2 opposition was silenced and ,carlstadt had his way4 ,things were going too fast for the ,elector ,frederick1 too fast for ,luther4 ,in his quiet retreat in ,wartburg he wrote against the mass and monkish vows1 but how great a step there is between condemning old customs in our hearts and changing them with our hands--between the thoughts and the act6 ,on being informed of the reformatory movements in ,wittenberg1 ,luther resented it1 and most sharply reproved them for practicing what he had preached4 ,in a letter written to the ,wittenbergers in ,december1 #aeba1 he said3 ,they have introduced changes in the mass and images1 attacked the sacrament and other things that are of no account1 and have let love and faith go2 just as though all the world hereabouts had great understanding in these matters1 which is not the fact2 and so many have brought it about that many pious people have been stirred up to do what is really the devil's work4 ,it would1 indeed1 be a good thing to begin such changes1 if we could all together have the needful faith2 and if they suited the church in such measure that no one could take offense at them4 ,but this can never be4 ,we can not all be as ,carlstadt4 ,therefore we must yield to the weak2 otherwise those who are strong will run far1 and the weak who can not follow them at like pace will be run down4 ,it was not by ,luther1 but by men of a different type1 that this practical work was begun4 ,there was sore need for a ,zwilling and a ,carlstadt4 ,this was an occasion when those who were called fanatics did a real service for mankind4 ,they were strong in their convictions1 saw only one thing1 reckless of all consequences1 and brave where other men are appalled1 and with no misgivings kindled a fire that wrapped the world in flame4 ,had it not been for what they did1 ,luther's writing and preaching might have ended in preaching and writing4 ,they saw that something must be done1 and they did it6 ,while this was needful in precipitating the conflict1 it was equally necessary that others should direct it4 ,the excitement at ,wittenberg soon reached an alarming height1 and was intensified by the arrival of the ,zwickan prophets1 who claimed to be the first to have properly received the divine ,spirit1 and to have been called to carry on ,god's work4 ,they boasted of prophetic visions1 dreams and direct communications with ,god4 ,they also rejected infant baptism1 saying that there was no such thing taught in the ,scriptures4 ,the people1 losing their hold on the old1 were ready to take up with anything that came with a plausible face4 ,even the most prudent were afraid to condemn anything that might have truth in it1 and especially were they unwilling to reject anything that seemed to be taught in the ,scripture4 ,melanchthon was greatly troubled and disturbed4 ,it was not so much the visions of the ,zwickan prophets that disturbed him as their teaching on baptism1 and instead of settling the matter by an appeal to the ,word of ,god1 he referred it to the ,elector ,frederick1 who advised him not to discuss the subject with them1 but wait for ,luther1 for they quoted ,saint ,augustine to prove that nothing could be brought in favor of infant baptism except ecclesiastical custom4 ,,retains ,,that ,,which ,,the ,,scriptures ,,do ,,not ,,expressly ,,forbid ,luther returned from ,wartburg to ,wittenberg in the early part of #aebb1 when efforts were made to get him to drop infant baptism and make the ,reformation thorough4 ,but while translating the ,bible1 at ,wartburg1 he had determined to retain whatever practices it did not forbid4 ,at first he had no little struggle on the subject of infant baptism4 ,on other subjects he had been forced1 against his will1 step by step1 to abandon the fathers1 the councils1 and ,catholic tradition1 being driven to it by the ,scriptures4 ,but when he found no authority in the ,bible for infant baptism he assumed a new attitude4 ,at that point he had a fiery contest with himself as to the true key of ,biblical interpretation1 and he deliberately chose the negative turn4 ,that is1 he determined to abide by what the ,scriptures did not forbid1 instead of by what they enjoined4 ,he saw at a glance where his rule of interpretation on other subjects must inevitably lead him on this point4 ,and he dared not venture one step further in free thought1 for fear of invoking a complete revolution4 ,to take one step more was to let infant baptism go and the ,state church with it4 ,but this was not the kind of a church ,luther wanted1 so he dismissed the whole matter as a very inopportune question4 ,thus it appears that he was willing to do as a positive duty to ,god whatever the ,scriptures did not prohibit1 as in the ,supper1 when asked1 ,what scripture have you for elevating the cup8 to which he indignantly replied1 ,what is there against it8 ,by the same answer he might have justified the offering of masses for the dead1 auricular confession1 purgatory1 infallibility of popes1 and any other unauthorized thing practiced by the ,catholics1 but which the ,scriptures had not positively forbidden4 ,the imperial edict against ,luther at the diet of ,worms could scarcely have been stronger than it was1 and yet it was wholly ineffective1 for after ,luther returned from his hiding place to ,wittenberg he went on tours of numerous places1 preaching to thousands1 encouraging them in reformation1 and never felt any ill effects of the ban placed upon him4 ,the papal court made determined efforts to bring to nought the efforts of ,luther at the diet of ,nurnberg1 #aebb-aebc1 but with no success1 for they were compelled to say that among a thousand men scarcely one could be found untainted by ,lutheran teaching4 ,it is generally agreed that the real separation into two opposite camps really began at the diet of ,spires in #aebd1 although the real parting of the ways actually occurred after the ,peasants' ,war4 ,when ,germany emerged from the social revolution which perpetrated this war1 it soon became apparent that the religious question was still unsettled and was dividing the country into two parties1 and that both held as strongly as ever to their distinctive principles4 ,the reason for the increased strain was the conduct of many of the ,romanist princes in suppressing the rebellion2 and on the other hand those princes who favored ,luther's teaching had a mutual understanding to defend one another against the attack upon their faith4 ,,origin ,,of ,,protestantism ,when the diet met at ,spires in #aebf it was apparent that the national hostility to ,rome had not abated4 ,the grievances of ,germany against the ,roman court were again revived1 and it was alleged1 as it was in fact1 that the chief causes of the ,peasants' ,war were the merciless exactions of clerical landholders4 ,in the absence of ,charles ,v1 who was at war with ,france1 ,ferdinand of ,austria presided over the diet4 ,he demanded the enforcement of the edict of ,worms and a decree of the diet to forbid all innovations in worship and in doctrine1 but the diet was not inclined to adopt the suggestions4 ,luther's followers were in the majority1 and the delegates from the cities insisted that it was impossible to enforce the edict4 ,the ,committee of ,princes proposed to settle the religious question by a compromise which was almost wholly favorable to ,luther's teaching4 ,it was decided that the marriage of priests1 giving the cup to the laity1 the use of the ,german as well as the ,latin in the baptismal and communion services1 should be recognized2 that all private masses should be abolished2 that the number of ecclesiastical holy days should be largely reduced2 and that in the exposition of ,holy ,writ the rule ought to be that scripture should be interpreted by scripture2 and that each ,state should so live as it hoped to answer for its conduct to ,god and the emperor4 ,this was interpreted by those ,states favorable to the ,reformation that they had a legal right to organize territorial churches and to make such changes in public worship as would bring it into harmony with their beliefs4 ,this gave new life to the ,reformation4 ,almost the whole ,north ,germany adopted the principles of the ,reformation4 ,various political intrigues caused division and discredit among the reform party4 ,when the diet again met at ,spires in #aebi1 the ,roman ,catholic party was largely in the majority4 ,the emperor at the outset declared3 ,by my imperial and absolute authority ,i abolish the clause in the ordinance of #aebf on which the ,lutherans relied when they founded their territorial churches2 it has been the cause of much ill counsel and misunderstanding4 ,the majority of the diet upheld the emperor's decision1 and the practical effect of the ordinance was to rescind that of #aebf2 re-establish ,roman ,catholic rule everywhere1 and with it the right of the bishops to direct all preachers in their dioceses4 ,this ordinance called forth the celebrated ,protest1 which was read before the diet ,april #ai1 #aebi1 when all concessions to the reformers had been refused4 ,the legal position taken was that the unanimous decision of the diet in #aebf could not be rescinded by a majority4 ,the protesters declared that they intended to abide by the decision of #aebf1 and not by that of #aebi4 ,they also declared their readiness to obey the emperor and the diet in all dutiful and possible matters1 but any order considered by them repugnant to ,god and his holy ,word1 to their soul's salvation1 and their good conscience1 they appealed to the emperor1 to the free council1 and to all impartial ,christian ,judges4 ,the essential principles involved in the protest against this decree and in the arguments on which it was grounded were3 ,we protest publicly before ,god1 our only ,creator1 ,preserver1 ,redeemer and ,savior1 who1 as the only ,searcher of all our hearts1 judgeth righteously1 and we also protest before all the world1 that both for ourselves and for our connections and subjects1 we do not consent or agree with any resolutions or acts contained in the last decree of ,spires above referred to1 which1 in the great concern of religion1 are contrary to ,god and to his holy word1 injurious to our soul's salvation1 and also in direct opposition to the dictates of our conscience1 as well as to the degree issued by an imperial diet at ,spires2 and we hereby solemnly declare that1 from reasons already assigned1 and from other weighty considerations1 we regard all such resolutions or acts as null and void4 ,thus in the presence of the diet spoke those courageous men4 ,this is the origin of the name ,protestant4 ,so critical was the situation that the ,protestants immediately entered into an armed alliance for mutual defense4 ,but as the only object now was to secure mutual defense in the right to have the same ,gospel1 the contest in progress was not one in which all wrongs were to be righted1 but one in which they felt themselves justified in resistance only when the emperor attacked that which they all were convinced was of ,god4 ,an effort was made to perfect a union between the ,protestants in ,germany1 but without success1 and a divided ,germany awaited the coming of the emperor4 ,charles ,v was now at the zenith of his power1 and was determined to visit ,germany and by his personal presence and influence end the religious difficulty which was distracting that portion of his vast dominions4 ,he meant to use every persuasion possible1 to make what compromises his conscience permitted1 to effect a peaceful settlement4 ,but if these failed he was determined to crush the ,reformers by force4 ,he summoned the diet to meet at ,augsburg on ,april #h1 #aecj1 but it was not formally opened till ,june #bjth4 ,in his speech ,charles ,v4 announced that the assembly would be invited to discuss armament against the ,turk1 and that his majesty was anxious by fair and gentle means to end the religious differences which were distracting ,germany4 ,the ,protestants were invited to give in writing their opinions and difficulties which compelled them to forsake the ,church of ,rome4 ,it was resolved to take the religious question first4 ,by ,june #bdth the ,lutherans were ready with the statement of their grievances and opinions relating to the faith4 ,on the following day it was read before the diet by the ,saxon ,chancellor1 ,dr4 ,christian ,bayer1 in such a clear voice that it was heard not only by those assembled within the chamber1 but by the crowd that thronged the court outside4 ,they were reviewed before the ,protestant princes1 and it being deemed desirable that they should be extended and enlarged1 the work was assigned to ,melanchthon2 thus was completed the famous ,confession of ,augsburg1 the standard of faith of all the ,lutheran churches4 ,when read before the diet it produced a profound impression4 ,it was signed by four princes of the empire1 by the imperial cities of ,nuremberg and ,reutlingen1 and by the ,elector of ,saxony4 ,faber1 ,eckins and ,cochlus1 who represented the ,roman court at the diet1 drew up a refutation which was publicly read before the diet1 the emperor demanding the acquiescence of the ,protestants2 for he was now determined to insist on their submission1 and to close the dispute4 ,this they absolutely refused4 ,the emperor again took counsel with the pope1 and the result was an imperial edict commanding the princes1 ,states and cities which had thrown off the papal yoke to return to their duty1 on pain of incurring the displeasure of the emperor as a patron and defender of the ,holy ,see4 ,the emperor published the decision on ,november #aith1 and the ,protestants had to arrange some common plan for facing the situation4 ,they met1 princes and delegates of cities1 in the town of ,smalkald1 ,december #bb;d to #cast1 when they formed a religious alliance1 to which they invited ,england1 ,denmark and other ,states in which the ,reformation had now dawned1 to join them4 ,in #aecb the peace at ,nuremberg composed for a time the differences between the emperor and the reformers2 the ,lutherans were permitted the free exercise of their worship until a general council or another diet should finally determine the faith of ,continental ,christendom4 ,in #aece the pope1 ,paul ,,iii1 proposed to summon a general council at ,mantau4 ,the ,protestants of ,germany1 well satisfied that no advantages would result from such a synod1 assembled at ,smalkald in #aecg1 and published a solemn protest against the constitution of the council as partial and corrupt4 ,to this they added a summary of their doctrine1 drawn up by ,luther1 in order to present it to the council1 if the pope should persist in calling it together4 ,this summary1 which was distinguished by the title of the ,articles of ,smalkald1 is generally joined with the creeds and confessions of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the pope1 however1 died and the council at ,mantau was postponed4 ,new projects were raised1 with the vain hope of setting at rest the spirit of religious freedom by which all ,germany was now disturbed4 ,the emperor summoned a conference at ,worms in #aeda1 and ,melanchthon disputed three days with ,eckins on the points at issue4 ,a diet followed at ,ratisbon1 another at ,spires in #aedb1 and a third was held at ,worms in #aede2 the emperor vainly attempting to intimidate the ,protestants1 or to induce their leaders to consent to a general council to be summoned by the pope4 ,but their resolution was fixed3 they denied the pope's right to call a general council2 they regarded the proposal as a snare1 and treated it with scorn4 ,the ,council of ,trent met in #aedf1 but the ,protestant representatives appeared4 ,it thundered its decrees1 and the ,protestant princes of ,germany bade it defiance4 ,the emperor1 exasperated by their resistance and stimulated by the pope1 assembled his forces1 resolved to crush the spirit he could not otherwise subdue4 ,all ,germany was arming in defense of ,protestantism or in submission to the emperor1 and the storm darkened on every side4 ,such was the state of ,germany when ,luther died1 ,february #ah1 #aedf4 ,a religious war now broke out4 ,the emperor was victorious and the ,interim followed4 ,this was an imperial edict1 issued in #aedg1 guaranteeing certain concessions more specious than really important1 to the ,protestants1 until the decisions of a general council should be given4 ,it satisfied neither party1 and the war soon raged anew4 ,the emperor was defeated by the ,german confederate1 under ,maurice of ,saxony1 in #aeeb1 and the pacification of ,passau followed4 ,at last1 in #aeee1 the diet of ,augsburg met1 peace was restored1 and the ,protestant ,states of ,germany secured their independence4 ,it was decreed that the ,protestants who embraced the ,confession of ,augsburg should be entirely exempt from the jurisdiction of the pope of ,rome1 and from the authority and interference of his bishops4 ,they were free to enact laws for the regulation of their own religion in every point1 whether of discipline or doctrine4 ,every subject of the ,german empire was allowed the right of private judgment1 and might unite himself with the church he preferred2 and those who should prosecute others under the pretext of religion were declared enemies of the common peace4 ,the ,religious ,peace of ,augsburg has been claimed1 and justly so1 as a victory for religious liberty4 ,the victory lay in this1 that the first blow had been struck to free mankind from the fetters of ,rome2 that the first faltering step had been taken on the road to religious liberty2 and the first is valuable not for what it is in itself1 but for what it represents and for what comes after it4 ,it is always the first step that counts4 ,the ,german ,reformation was a vast stride from ,rome1 but it fell far short of a return to ,jerusalem4 ,about the best that can be said is that the ,reformation was a change of masters2 a voluntary one1 no doubt1 in those who had any choice2 and in this sense an exercise1 for the time1 of their personal judgment4 ,but as soon as the ,augsburg ,confession of ,faith was written no one was at liberty to modify or change it1 and those who did not conform to it were no less heretics than ,luther had been when he failed to conform to the behests of ,rome4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,reformation ,,in ,,switzerland ,hulerreich ,zwingli1 the ,reformer of ,german ,switzerland1 was born at ,wildenhaus1 ,january #a1 #adhd4 ,in school he made rapid progress and was soon recognized as a youth of much promise4 ,his bright mind1 love of truth1 and devotion to the ,scriptures soon brought him prominently before the public4 ,on discovering the corruptions of the clergy1 and learning of the dogmas and traditions1 not found in the ,bible1 such as indulgences1 the worship of the ,virgin ,mary and of images1 he attempted to reform the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,this soon caused charges of heresy to be brought against him1 for his influence was subversive of the established order of things4 ,in a discussion held in the ,town ,hall at ,zurich1 ,january #bi1 #aebc1 in the presence of more than six hundred persons1 the entire clergy of the canton and large numbers of the laity1 ,zwingli presented reformatory doctrines he had preached in sixty articles1 and defended them so successfully that the council at ,zurich charged all the preachers to preach the pure gospel in the same manner4 ,soon after ,zwingli received an efficient co-laborer in his reformatory efforts by the appointment of ,leo ,pudea1 as ,lent priest in ,zurich4 ,several events signalized at this time the cause of the ,reformation4 ,the council allowed nuns to leave their convents1 several of the clergy married without hindrance1 a ,german baptismal service was introduced1 and the cathedral chapter1 at its own request1 received new and suitable ordinances4 ,the council decided that the time was ripe for a second public discussion1 to be held ,october #bf1 #bg1 #aebc4 ,more than eight hundred and fifty persons were present1 of whom more than three hundred and fifty were clergymen4 ,on the first day1 ,zwingli set forth his views on the presence of images in churches1 and appealed to the council to forbid their use4 ,no champion for their use was found1 and the council decided that the images and pictures should be removed from the churches1 but without disturbance4 ,on the second day the following proposition was discussed3 ,the mass is no sacrifice1 and hitherto has been celebrated with many abuses1 quite different from its original institution by ,christ4 ,as no champion for images and mass was found1 the ,council of ,zurich concluded to promote the reformation of the canton by diffusing the proper instruction in the country districts1 for which purpose ,zwingli drew up and published his ,christian ,introduction1 which explained to the people the meaning of the ,reformation4 ,soon after this the council remodeled the public worship according to the views set forth by ,zwingli4 ,while ,luther favored the retention of everything in the practice of the church of ,rome not forbidden by the ,scriptures1 ,zwingli contended that nothing should be practiced that was not expressly commanded by the ,scriptures4 ,on this difference between ,luther and ,zwingli1 ,d',aubigne says3 ,the ,swiss ,reformation here presents under an aspect somewhat different from that of the ,german ,reformation4 ,luther had risen up against the excesses of those who had broken the images in the churches of ,wittenberg2 and in ,zwingli's presence the idols fell in the temples of ,zurich4 ,this difference is explained by the different lights in which the two reformers viewed the same object4 ,luther desired to retain in the church all that was not expressly contrary to the ,scriptures1 and ,zwingli to abolish all that was opposed to the ,word of ,god4 ,the ,zurich reformer passed over those ages1 returned to the apostolic times1 and carrying out an entire transformation of the church1 endeavored to restore it to its primitive condition4 7,history of the ,reformation1 p4 #dja47 ,thus ,zwingli reduced the church service to extreme simplicity2 pictures and statues were removed from the churches1 on the assumption that their presence was contrary to the ,ten ,commandments2 organs were banished1 and sacred music disparaged as interfering with spirituality4 ,from ,zurich the ,reformation spread1 and soon ,zwingli was joined by ,oecolampadius1 who was a great leader and counselor4 ,the majority of the cantons were1 however1 still opposed to the ,reformation1 and the act of ,lucerne 7,january1 #aebe7 endeavored to satisfy the longing for a reformation without rending the church4 ,its decrees did not1 however go into effect2 and the ,catholic cantons1 in accordance with the advice of ,dr4 ,eck1 arranged a new religious discussion at ,baden1 which began ,may #aj1 #aebf4 ,oecolampadius was the spokesman in behalf of the ,reformation4 ,though both sides claimed the victory1 the ,reformation continued to make progress4 ,as the most zealous of the ,catholic cantons resorted to forcible measures for the suppression of the ,reformation1 ,zurich and ,constance formed1 ,december #be1 #aebg1 a defensive alliance under the name of ,burgher ,rights4 ,later on this alliance was joined by eight other cantons4 ,in the meanwhile five ,catholic cantons had concluded to league with ,king ,ferdinand for the maintenance of the ,catholic faith4 ,a war declared by ,zurich in #aebi against the five cantons was of short duration1 and the peace was favorable to the ,reformation4 ,in #aeca the war was renewed4 ,zurich had lost somewhat of its earlier evangelical purity1 while the neighboring cantons were conspiring for its ruin4 ,in the awful emergency1 when the public mind was alarmed1 ,zwingli maintained tranquility4 ,the war began1 but ,zurich was dilatory1 and far from being prepared2 but the horn of the enemy echoed among the hills1 and ,zwingli bade farewell to his wife and children1 mounted his horse and went forth as a warrior to share the common danger4 ,the reformers were defeated with great slaughter1 ,october #aa1 #aeca4 ,zwingli was found after the battle1 lying on his back1 and his eyes upturned to heaven1 with his helmet on his head1 and his battle-ax in his hand4 ,he had been struck near the commencement of the engagement1 and then1 as he reeled and fell1 he was several times pierced with a lance4 ,he was living when discovered in the evening1 but the infuriated fanatics soon dispatched him4 ,next day his body was barbarously quartered and burned4 ,the ,protestants had provoked a contest for which they were not prepared1 and the blow given at ,cappel checked for a time the general progress of the ,reformation in ,switzerland4 ,in ,french ,switzerland1 the reformatory movement began in #aebf1 in ,berne and ,biel1 where ,william ,farel preached4 ,in #aecj he established the ,reformation in ,neufchatel4 ,in ,geneva a beginning was made as early as #aebh2 in #aecd1 after a religious conference held at the suggestion of the reformers at ,berne1 in which ,farel defended the ,reformation1 public worship was allowed to the reformers4 ,rapid progress was made through the zeal of ,farel1 ,fromdnt1 and ,viret2 and in #aece1 after another discussion1 the papacy was abolished by the council and the principles of the ,reformation adopted4 ,in #aecf ,john ,calvin arrived at ,geneva and was induced by ,farel to remain in the city and to aid him in his struggle against a party of free-thinkers4 ,on ,july #bj1 #aeci1 the citizens renounced the papacy and professed ,protestantism4 ,prior to this a reaction of the popish and conservative elements in the ,state led to such dissensions and opposition that ,calvin and ,farel were banished2 but the earnest petition of the citizens and rulers at ,geneva at last induced them to return in #aeda4 ,on his return ,calvin set about modeling the policy of the reformers in ,geneva on the principles of ,presbyterianism1 the theory which he had wrought out1 and commenced the dissemination of that theological system which bears his name4 ,both his theology and church polity became dominant throughout ,switzerland4 ,the theological academy of ,geneva1 founded in #aehh1 supplied the churches of many foreign countries1 especially ,france1 trained in the spirit of ,calvin4 ,when ,calvin died1 in #aefd1 the continuation of his work devolved upon ,theodore ,beza4 ,calvin disagreed in many points with ,zwingli1 whose views gradually lost ground as those of ,calvin advanced4 ,the second ,helvetic ,confession1 the most important among the symbolic books of the ,reformed ,church1 which was compiled by ,bullinger in ,zurich1 published in #aeff1 and recognized in all reformed countries1 completed the supremacy of ,calvin's principles over those of ,zwingli4 ,although the majority of ,german ,protestant ,churches remained in connection with the ,lutheran ,reformation1 a ,german ,reformed ,church1 which bore a moderately ,calvinistic aspect1 sprang up in several parts of ,germany4 ,in #afej the ,elector ,frederick ,,ii1 of the ,palatine1 embraced the reformed creed1 and organized the church of his dominions according to reformed principles4 ,by his authority the ,heidelberg ,catechism1 which soon came to be regarded not only as a standard symbolical book of the ,german ,reformed ,church1 but was highly esteemed throughout the reformed world1 was written4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,reformation ,,in ,,england ,to say that the ,reformation in ,england was brought about by the desire of ,henry ,,viii to be divorced from ,catharine of ,aragon is to ignore the well-established facts of history4 ,no king1 however despotic1 could have forced on such a revolution unless there was much in the life of the people that reconciled them to the change1 and evidence of this is abundant4 ,there was much that was called heresy in ,england long before ,luther raised his voice against ,catholicism in ,germany4 ,wycliffe's writings and translations of the ,scriptures into ,english had a tremendous influence on the people in ,england and for many years the fires of martyrdom were kept burning in the mad endeavor to stop the spread of the heresy1 and so great was the exasperation that forty years after the death of ,wycliffe ,romanists dug up his bones and burned them1 and still the heresy spread4 ,as ,i have already shown in a former article1 the work of ,tyndale1 who won a martyr's crown1 had a wonderful influence over the ,english people4 ,in the ,dictionary of ,national ,biography1 ,dr4 ,rashdall says3 ,it is certain that the ,reformation had virtually broken out in the secret ,bible readings of the ,cambridge reformers before either the trumpet call of ,luther or the exigencies of ,henry ,,viii's personal and political position set men free once more to talk openly against the pope and the monks1 and to teach a simpler and more spiritual gospel than the system against which ,wycliffe had striven4 7,wycliffe1 ,vol4 #fc1 p4 #bah47 ,the ,parliaments showed themselves anti-clerical long before ,henry threw off his allegiance to ,rome2 and ,englishmen could find no better term of insult to throw at the ,scots than to call them ,pope's men4 ,these1 and many other things that might be mentioned1 indicate a certain preparedness in ,england for the ,reformation1 and that there was a strong national force behind ,henry1 when he at last decided to defy the ,pope of ,rome4 ,the possibility of ,england breaking away from papal authority and erecting itself into a separate church under the archbishop of ,canterbury had been thought probable before the divorce precipitated the quarrel between ,henry and the pope4 ,henry clung strenuously to the conception of papal supremacy1 and advocated it in a manner only done hitherto by canonists of the ,roman court4 ,it is evident that the validity of his marriage and the legitimacy of his children by ,catharine of ,aragon depended on the pope being in possession of the very fullest powers of dispensation4 ,henry had been married to ,catharine under very peculiar circumstances1 which suggested doubts about the validity of the marriage ceremony4 ,to make the alliance stronger between ,england and ,spain the pope had a marriage arranged between ,arthur1 ,prince of ,wales1 and ,catharine1 the daughter of ,ferdinand and ,isabella of ,spain4 ,the wedding took place in ,st4 ,paul's1 ,november #ad1 #aeja1 but ,arthur died ,april #b1 #aejb1 and it was proposed from the side of ,spain that the young widow should marry ,henry1 her brother-in-law1 now ,prince of ,wales4 ,ferdinand insisted that if this was not done ,catharine should be sent back to ,spain and her dowry returned4 ,pope ,julius ,,ii was then besieged to grant a dispensation for the marriage4 ,at first he refused to give his consent4 ,such a marriage had been branded as a sin by canonical law1 and the pope himself had grave doubts whether it was competent for him to grant a dispensation in such a case2 but he finally yielded to the pressure and granted the dispensation4 ,the archbishop of ,canterbury1 who doubted whether the pope could grant dispensation for what was a mortal sin in his eyes1 was silenced4 ,the marriage took place ,june #aa1 #aeji4 ,the first four children were either stillborn or died soon after birth2 and it was rumored in ,rome as early as #aead that ,henry might ask to be divorced in order to save ,england from a disputed succession4 ,mary was born in #aeaf and survived1 but all the children who came afterwards were either stillborn or died soon after birth4 ,there is no doubt that the lack of a male heir troubled ,henry greatly4 ,there seems to be no reason for questioning the sincerity of his doubts about the legitimacy of his marriage with ,catharine1 or that he actually looked on the repeated destruction of his hopes of a male heir as a divine punishment for the sin of that contract4 ,questions of national policy and impulses of passion quickened marvelously his conscientious convictions4 ,in the perplexities of his position the shortest way out seemed to be to ask the pope to declare that he had never been legally married to ,catharine4 ,he fully expected the pope to grant his request2 but the pope was at the time practically in the power of ,charles ,v1 to whom his aunt1 the injured ,catharine1 had appealed1 and who had promised her his protection4 ,from the protracted proceedings in the divorce case1 ,henry learned that he could not depend on the pope giving him what he wanted2 and although his agents fought the case in ,rome1 he at once began preparing for the separation from papal jurisdiction4 ,in the meantime1 ,henry had taken measures to summon a parliament2 and in the interval between summons and assembly it had been suggested that ,cranmer was of the opinion that the best way to deal with the divorce was to take it out of the hands of the pope and lay it before the canonists of the various universities of ,europe4 ,through ,cranmer this was so successfully done that the universities of ,england1 ,france and ,italy decided that the marriage was null and void4 ,the king separated from ,catharine1 married ,anne ,boleyn1 and fell under the papal ban4 ,parliament sundered the connection between ,england and ,rome1 and passed an act declaring that the king was their singular protector and only supreme lord1 and1 as far as that is permitted by the law of ,christ1 the ,supreme ,head of the ,church and of clergy4 ,the king's desire was to destroy the influence of the pope over the ,church of ,england1 to which1 in other respects1 he wished to preserve the continuity of its ,catholic character2 but it was impossible1 however1 for the ,church of ,england to maintain exactly the same place which it had occupied4 ,there was too much stirring of reformation life in the land4 ,the cloisters were subjected to visitation in #aece1 and totally abolished in #aecf2 and the ,bible was diffused in ,english in #aech as the only source of doctrine2 but the statute of #aecj imposed distinct limits upon the ,reformation1 and in particular confirmed transubstantiation1 priestly celibacy1 masses for the dead1 and auricular confession4 ,when ,henry died in #aedg the ,english ,church was ,roman in appearance4 ,excepting the litany in ,english1 he left the ritual very much as he found it1 as he did nearly the whole framework of religious belief4 ,he was1 however1 the instrument whereby three great barriers to improvement--the papacy1 monasticism1 and ,biblical ignorance--were broken down4 ,the course of national events during ,henry's latter years prepared the country for that reformation which it subsequently embraced4 ,a remarkable thing connected with the issuing of the ,bible1 in ,english1 is that ,tyndale's ,new ,testament1 which had been publicly condemned in ,england at the council called by his majesty in ,may1 #aecj1 and copies of it had been burned in ,st4 ,paul's churchyard1 while ,tyndale himself had been tracked like a wild beast by the emissaries of the ,english ,government in the ,netherlands1 was published in #aech1 by the king's command1 to be sold and read by every person without danger of any act1 proclamation1 or ordinance heretofore granted to the contrary4 ,copies of it were placed in the churches for the people to read1 and portions of it were read from the pulpit every ,sunday4 ,when ,henry died the situation was difficult for those who came after him4 ,a religious revolution had been half accomplished2 a social revolution was in progress1 creating popular ferment2 evicted tenants and uncloistered monks formed raw material for revolt2 the treasury was empty1 the kingdom in debt1 and the coinage debased4 ,,changes ,,made ,,by ,,edward ,,vi4 ,edward ,,vi1 a child in years1 but1 mature in wisdom1 intelligence and virtue1 was crowned king1 ,february #bj1 #aedg4 ,he collected learned men around him from every quarter1 and ordered the kingdom to be purged entirely of popish fictions1 and a better religion to be publicly taught4 ,on ,july #cast the council began the changes4 ,a series of injunctions was issued to the clergy1 ordering them to preach against the bishops of ,rome's usurped power and jurisdiction2 to see that all images which had been objects of pilgrimages should be destroyed2 to read the ,gospel and ,epistles in ,english during the service1 and to see that the litany was no longer recited or sung in processions1 but said devoutly kneeling4 ,the council were evidently anxious that the whole service should be conducted in ,english1 and that a sermon should always be a part of the service4 ,the first ,parliament of ,edward ,,vi made great changes in the laws of ,england affecting treason1 which had the effect of sweeping away the edifice of absolute government which had been so carefully erected by ,henry ,,viii4 ,the kingly supremacy in matters of religion was maintained1 but all heresy acts were repealed1 giving the people an unwonted amount of freedom4 ,an act was passed ordaining that the most blessed sacrament be hereafter commonly administered unto the people 444 under both kinds1 that is to say1 of bread and wine1 except necessity otherwise require4 ,an act was also passed permitting the marriage of the clergy4 ,the next important addition to the progress of the ,reformation was the preparation of a ,service ,book1 commonly called ,the ,first ,prayer-,book of ,king ,edward ,,vi4 ,it was introduced by an ,act of ,uniformity1 which1 after relating how there had been for a long time in ,england divers forms of common prayer 444 and that diversity of use caused many inconveniences1 ordains the universal use of this one form1 and enacts penalties on those who make use of any other4 ,the changes made in the laws of ,england--the repeal of the bloody statute and of the treason laws--induced many of the ,english refugees who had gone to ,germany and ,switzerland to return to their native land4 ,these1 with other learned ,protestants1 who were invited to come to ,england1 were appointed as teachers in the ,english universities4 ,thus the ,new ,learning made great strides1 leavening all the more cultured classes1 leading to the discredit of the old theology1 and gave a strong impulse to the ,reformation movement4 ,the feeling of the populace changed rapidly1 for instead of resenting the destruction of images1 they were rather inspired by too much iconoclastic zeal4 ,in #aeeb1 the ,second ,prayer-,book of ,king ,edward ,,vi4 was issued4 which was enforced by the second ,act of ,uniformity1 containing penalties against laymen as well as clergymen--against a great number of people in divers parts of the realm1 who did willfully refuse to come to their parish churches4 ,soon after there followed a new creed or statement of the fundamental doctrines received by the ,church of ,england4 ,this is interesting because they form the basis of the ,thirty-nine ,articles1 the creed of the ,anglican ,church of today4 ,it was during the reign of ,edward ,,vi that ,puritanism1 which became so prominent in the time of ,elizabeth1 first manifested itself4 ,its two principal spokesmen were ,bishops ,hooper and ,ridley4 ,hooper was an ardent follower of ,zwingli1 and was esteemed to be the leader of the party4 ,while the ,reformation was being pushed forward at a speed too great for the majority of the people1 ,edward died 7,july #f1 #aeec71 and the collapse of the ,reformation afterwards showed the uncertainty of the foundation on which it had been built4 ,,bloody ,,mary ,mary1 the daughter of ,henry ,,viii and ,catharine of ,aragon1 was crowned with great ceremony ,october #a1 #aeec1 and her first ,parliament met four days later4 ,it reversed a decision of the former ,parliament1 and declared that ,henry's marriage with ,catharine had been valid1 and that ,mary was the legitimate heir to the throne2 and it repealed all the religious legislation under ,edward ,,vi4 ,on taking the throne ,mary promised to force no one's religion1 but as soon as she dared she began to restore ,romanism with a zeal that delighted the pope4 ,mary was married to ,philip of ,spain ,january #a1 #aeed2 but the alliance was very unpopular from the first4 ,immediately after the marriage the bloody acts of the tragedy were begun4 ,care was taken to elect to ,parliament members of a wise1 grave and ,catholic sort4 ,this body obtained the pope's absolution of the nation for its guilt of schism and abolished all acts which made the sovereign the supreme head of the ,church4 ,the ,latin service was restored4 ,fully half of the clergy were thrust out of their offices4 ,bishop ,gardner secured the passage of the terrible edicts and laws1 and ,bishop ,bonner so applied them as to gain the title of the bloody4 ,the fires of ,smithfield and the ax at the ,tower were in such active service during four years that some four hundred martyrs left their record of faith and triumph as one of painful glories of the ,english ,reformation4 ,among those burned were ,latimer and ,ridley4 ,bound to the stake with his friend1 ,latimer said1 when the lighted fagot was applied3 ,be of good comfort1 ,master ,ridley1 and play the man2 we shall this day1 by ,god's grace1 light such a candle in ,england as1 ,i trust1 shall never be put out4 ,cranmer had been the decisive agent in the divorce against ,catharine1 thus branding the birth of her daughter1 ,mary1 as illegitimate4 ,this ,mary never forgave4 ,but there were other motives4 ,to burn the ,primate of the ,english ,church for heresy was to shut out meaner victims from all hope of escape4 ,he was more than any other man the representative of the religious revolution which had passed over the land4 ,in an hour of weakness1 and under the entreaties of his friends1 he recanted4 ,but in the end he redeemed his momentary weakness by a last act of heroism4 ,he knew that his recantations had been published1 and that any further declaration made would probably be suppressed by his unscrupulous antagonists4 ,he resolved by a single action to defeat their calculations and stamp his sincerity on the memories of his countrymen4 ,his dying speech was silenced1 as he might well have expected2 but he had made up his mind to something that could not be stifled4 ,in his speech he said3 ,and now ,i come to the great thing that so troubleth my conscience1 more than any other thing that ,i said or did in my life3 and that is my setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth1 which here now ,i renounce and refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which ,i thought in my heart1 and written for fear of death1 and to save my life1 if it might be2 and that is all such bills which ,i have written or signed with mine own hand since my degradation2 wherein ,i have written many things untrue4 ,and forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart1 it shall be first burned4 ,and as for the pope1 ,i refuse him as ,christ's enemy and antichrist1 with all his false doctrine and as for the sacrament-- ,he got no further2 his foes had been dumb with amazement1 but now their pent-up feelings broke loose4 ,stop the heretic's mouth6 cried one2 ,take him away6 cried another2 ,remember your recantations and do not dissemble6 cried ,lord ,williams4 ,alas1 my lord1 replied ,cranmer1 ,i have been a man that all my life loved plainness1 and never dissembled till now against the truth2 for which ,i am sorry2 and he seized the occasion to add that as for the sacrament1 he believed that it should be administered in both kinds4 ,the tumult redoubled4 ,cranmer was dragged from the stage and led to the place where ,ridley and ,latimer had been burned4 ,the friars ceased not to ply him with exhortations3 ,die not in desperation1 cried one2 ,thou shalt drag innumerable souls to hell1 cried another4 ,on reaching the appointed place he was bound to the stake with a steel band1 and fire was set to the fagots of wood which made his funeral pyre4 ,as the flames leaped up1 he stretched up his right hand1 saying with a loud voice1 ,this hand hath offended1 and held it firmly in the fire till it was consumed4 ,no cry escaped his lips and no movement betrayed his pain4 ,if the martyrdom of ,ridley and ,latimer lighted the torch1 ,cranmer's spread the conflagration which in the end burnt up the ,roman ,catholic reaction and made ,england a ,protestant nation4 ,the death of ,cranmer was followed by a long succession of martyrdoms4 ,mary tried most desperately to restore ,romanism in its fullness1 but failed1 and died ,november #ag1 #aeeh1 the unhappiest of queens1 and wives1 and women4 ,the people who had welcomed her when she was crowned1 called her ,bloody ,mary--a name which was1 after all1 so well deserved that it will always remain4 ,each disappointment she took as a warning from heaven that atonement had not yet been paid for ,england's crimes1 and the fires of persecution were kept burning to appease the ,god of ,roman ,catholicism4 ,,elizabeth1 ,,the ,,protestant ,,queen ,the people of ,england were coming to the conclusion that ,elizabeth must be queen1 or civil war would result4 ,it seemed also assumed that she would be a ,protestant4 ,many things contributed to create such expectations4 ,the young intellectual life of ,england was slowly becoming ,protestant4 ,this was especially the case among the young ladies of the upper classes1 who were becoming students learned in ,latin1 ,greek and ,italian1 and at the same time devout ,protestants1 with a distinct leaning to what afterwards became ,puritanism4 ,the common people had been showing their hatred of ,roman ,catholicism1 and images and religious persons were treated disrespectfully4 ,it was observed that ,elizabeth was very much wedded to the people and thinks as they do1 and that her attitude was much more gracious to the common people than to others4 ,the burning of ,protestants1 and especially the execution of ,cranmer1 had stirred the indignation of the populace of ,london and the south countries against ,romanism1 and the feelings were spreading throughout the country4 ,the accession of ,elizabeth1 the daughter of ,henry ,,viii and ,anne ,boleyn1 to the throne1 gave new life to the ,reformation4 ,as soon as it was known beyond the sea1 most of the exiles returned home1 and those who had hid themselves in the houses of their friends began to appear2 but the public religious service continued for a time the same as ,mary left it--the popish priests still celebrated mass and kept their livings4 ,none of the ,protestant clergy who had been ejected in the last reign were restored2 and orders were given against all innovations without public authority4 ,the only thing ,elizabeth did before the meeting of ,parliament was to prevent pulpit disputes4 ,elizabeth was crowned on ,january #ae1 #aeei4 ,the bishops swore fealty to the new queen1 but took no part in the coronation of one so plainly a heretic4 ,her first ,parliament passed a new act of supremacy in which the queen was declared to be the only supreme governor of this realm1 as well in spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal4 ,while not proclaimed as ,supreme ,head of the ,church1 all the drastic powers claimed by ,henry ,,viii were given to her4 ,it may even be said that the ecclesiastical jurisdiction bestowed upon her was more extensive than that given to her father1 for schisms were added to the list of matters subject to the queen's correction1 and she was empowered to delegate her authority to commissioners1 thus enabling her to exercise her supreme governorship in a way to be felt in every corner of the land4 ,the same ,parliament passed the ,act of ,uniformity1 which threatened all non-conformists with fines and imprisonment1 and their ministers with deposition and banishment4 ,when the provisions of the act began to be enforced1 a number of the non-conformist ministers who demanded a greater purity of the church 7hence the name ,puritan71 a simple1 spiritual form of worship1 a strict church discipline1 and a ,presbyterian form of government1 organized separate congregations in connection with presbyteries1 and a considerable portion of the clergy and laity of the ,established ,church sympathized with them4 ,the rupture was widened in #aeib by an act of ,parliament that all who obstinately refused to attend public worship1 or led others to do so1 should be imprisoned and submit1 or after three months be banished1 and again in #aeie when the ,presbyterians applied the ,mosaic ,sabbath laws to the ,lord's day1 and when ,calvin's doctrines of predestination excited animated disputes4 ,in our study of the ,reformation we have found that the pretentions of ,roman ,catholic infallibility were replaced by a not less uncompromising and intolerant dogmatism1 availing itself1 like the other1 of the secular power1 and arrogating to itself1 like the other1 the assistance of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,the mischief from this early abandonment of the right of free inquiry is as evident as its inconsistency with the principles upon which the reformers had acted for themselves4 ,hence under the ,protestant banner there arose sectarian churches1 professing to take the ,bible alone as their rule of faith and practice1 when assailing the claims of ,rome1 and yet binding by creeds1 unknown to the ,bible1 all embraced within their folds2 till ,protestantism becomes as creed-bound as ,romanism4 ,taking into view the larger results of this inconsistency1 they bring under notice the ,lutheran ,church1 the ,state churches of ,england and ,scotland1 as well as non-conformist churches which have arisen from them4 ,bible interpretation by the dogmatic and mystic methods even before the death of ,luther1 but more intensely afterward1 made the ,lutheran churches a very ,babeldom4 ,then came ,forms of ,concord1 made obligatory1 each one resulting in further discord4 ,lutherans acknowledge the head of the ,state as the supreme visible ruler of the ,church4 ,the supreme direction of ecclesiastical affairs is vested in the councils or boards1 generally appointed by the sovereign termed consistories1 consisting of both laymen and ministers4 ,the ,lutheran established churches are so interwoven with the ,state as to be usually dependent on it4 ,they are almost destitute of discipline1 and1 in some places1 exclude dissent4 ,dr4 ,schaff says3 ,the congregations remained almost as passive as the ,roman ,church4 ,they have1 in ,europe1 not even the right of electing their pastor4 ,they are exclusively ruled by their ministers1 as they are ruled by the provincial consistories1 always presided over by a layman1 the provincial consistory by a central consistory1 and this again by the minister of worship and public instruction1 who is the immediate organ of the ecclesiastical supremacy of the crown4 ,add to this infant baptism and infant membership1 and then you have the world in the ,church1 and a state of things1 if not so bad as that of ,rome1 yet as completely unlike the apostolic churches1 and as wide a departure from what must result from surrender to the ,bible alone and submission to ,christ and his apostles as it were possible to reach4 ,the ,reformation in ,england was fraught with immense blessings to the world at large1 the advantage of which the ,english people now enjoy4 ,but in ,england's so-called ,protestant ,church there is no trace of the three fundamental principles enunciated by the reformers3 7#a7 ,the ,bible the only rule of faith and practice4 7#b7 ,the duty of every man to judge the ,bible for himself4 7#c7 ,the priesthood of every member of the ,church4 ,instead of the ,bible only as the rule of faith and practice1 they have creeds and ,parliamentary control of church services2 in place of the duty of every man to interpret the ,bible for himself1 this same ,state ,church has burned and hung ,roman ,catholics and ,dissenters1 the one for holding too much ,romanism1 and the other for not holding as much as the king and the clergy were pleased to demand4 ,then1 in lieu of the priesthood of every member1 there is a limited priesthood1 differing but little from that of ,rome2 with infant baptism1 infant membership1 and numerous other human inventions making void the commandments of ,god4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,reformation ,,in ,,scotland ,had ,i the time and space ,i would be glad to give a history of the ,reformation in ,scotland under ,john ,knox and others4 ,after all the prolonged suffering and conflict1 it has precious little more of ,protestantism than is common in the ,english ,state ,church4 ,there we also find the reigning monarch represented in the ,general ,assembly by a nobleman1 as ,lord ,high ,commissioner1 who1 on some occasions1 has taken upon himself to dissolve the ,assembly without the consent of its members4 ,in #ahdc a conflict between the ecclesiastical and civil courts brought about a great disruption1 giving rise to the ,free ,church of ,scotland1 so that there is also the ,general ,assembly of the ,free ,church4 ,but these two ,general ,assemblies are not on equal footing--in the very nature of the case could not be4 ,in the one1 the proceedings of the ,assembly carry with them the sanction of the law1 backed by the civil power2 while those of the other have no such sanction1 and are only binding upon willing adherents1 who1 by tacit agreement1 are under moral obligation4 ,the one is a corporate body in the eye of the law2 the other entirely voluntary4 ,but both bodies hold that the acts of their respective assemblies are binding upon their churches4 ,consequently those churches are in subjection to a rule of which the apostolic churches knew nothing1 and1 therefore1 are not in faith and practice in subjection to the ,bible alone4 ,the ,confession of ,faith is the standard of appeal4 ,infant baptism1 infant membership1 and numerous other departures from apostolic ,christianity stand out to refute any claims that these churches of ,scotland might put in4 ,they may protest against ,rome or ,episcopacy1 but what matters that1 as the ,bible protests all of them8 ,,the ,,independents ,but it is not to be supposed1 even though the multitudes settled down in violation of their professed principles1 that all would refrain from a fuller application of them4 ,hence the multiplication of distinct parties1 each claiming to be the church1 or a nearer approach to the church as ordained by ,christ4 ,coming out in this way from the ,english ,state ,church we find the ,independents1 who sacrificed property1 liberty and life4 ,they were glad to escape to ,holland or to this country4 ,others suffered on and aided largely to win against a persecuting ,state ,church the liberties the people now enjoy4 ,belknap's ,life of ,robinson gives the following principles as underlying their church organization3 7#a7 ,that no church ought to consist of more members than can meet in one place for worship and discipline4 7#b7 ,that a church of ,christ is to consist only of such as appear to believe in and obey him4 7#c7 ,that any competent number of such have a right1 when conscience obliges them1 to form themselves into a distinct church4 7#d7 ,that1 being thus incorporated1 they have a right to choose their own officers4 7#e7 ,that these officers are teaching elders1 ruling elders1 and deacons4 7#f7 ,that elders being chosen and ordained have no power to rule the church1 but by consent of the brethren4 7#g7 ,that all elders and all churches are equal in respect to power and privileges4 7#h7 ,that the ,lord's ,supper is to be received sitting at the table4 7,when in ,holland they observed it every ,lord's day47 7#i7 ,that ecclesiastical censures are wholly spiritual1 and not to be accompanied with temporal penalties4 ,they admitted no holy days but the ,christian ,sabbath1 though they had occasional days of fasting and thanksgiving2 and finally they had renounced all human inventions or impositions on religious matters4 ,in ,scotland we find ,congregational principles as far back as the ,commonwealth4 ,independency had obtained much hold in ,england among all classes4 ,the soldiers of ,cromwell carried their principles with them1 and are said to have formed a ,congregational church in ,edinburgh4 ,but that church was not permanent1 and we find nothing of churches of like order in ,scotland till #agbf1 when ,john ,glass1 an eloquent and able minister1 with avowed convictions in harmony with those of the ,english ,independents1 withdrew from the ,church of ,scotland and formed churches in most of the large towns of ,scotland4 ,these churches were called ,glassite4 ,mr4 ,glass and his adherents taught3 7#a7 ,that national establishments of religion are unlawful and inconsistent with the true nature of the ,church of ,christ4 ,that the church being spiritual1 ought to consist only of true spiritual men4 7#b7 ,that a congregation of ,jesus ,christ1 with its elders1 is in its discipline subject to no jurisdiction under heaven1 save that of ,christ and his apostles4 7#c7 ,that each church should have a plurality of elders or bishops1 chosen by the church1 according to instruction given to ,timothy and ,titus1 without regard to previous education for the office1 continuous engagement in secular employment being no disqualification4 7#d7 ,that the churches observe the ,lord's ,supper on the first day of every week2 and that love feasts be held1 after the example of the primitive ,christians4 7#e7 ,that mutual exhortations be practiced on the ,lord's day1 any member able to edify being at liberty to address the church4 7#f7 ,that a weekly collection be made in connection with the ,lord's ,supper in aid of the poor1 and for necessary expenses4 ,mr4 ,glass was largely eclipsed by ,robert ,sandeman1 whose activity wielded a wide influence4 ,those who adhered to his teachings were called ,sandemanians4 ,sandeman prominently repudiated that mischievous mysticism which views saving faith as an inspiration directly from the ,holy ,spirit4 ,his teaching has been thus summarized3 ,one thing is needful1 which he called the sole requisite to justification1 or acceptance with ,god4 ,by the sole requisite to justification1 he understood the work finished by ,christ in his death1 proved by his resurrection to be all sufficient to justify the guilty2 that the whole benefit of this is conveyed to men only by the apostolic report concerning it2 that every one who understands this report to be true1 or is persuaded that the events actually happened1 as testified by the apostles1 is justified1 and finds relief to his guilty conscience2 that he is relieved not by finding any favorable symptom about his heart1 but by finding their report to be true2 that the event itself1 which is reported1 becomes his relief so soon as it stands true in his mind1 and accordingly becomes his faith2 that all the divine power which operates in the minds of men1 either to give the first relief to their consciences1 or to influence them in every part of their obedience to the ,gospel1 is persuasive power1 or the forcible conviction of truth4 ,from this we see that he saw with some degree of clearness the nature of faith1 but not that the divine economy provides that faith shall be perfected by surrender to an ordinance of the ,lord's own appointment4 ,on some other points in regard to faith he was more or less confused4 ,he advocated the weekly observance of the ,lord's ,supper2 love feasts2 weekly contribution for the poor2 mutual exhortation of members2 plurality of elders2 conditional community of goods2 and approved of theaters and public and private diversions1 when not connected with circumstances really sinful4 ,his influence extended to the north of ,ireland1 but the people there did not adopt all his views4 ,they attended weekly to the ,lord's ,supper1 contributions1 etc41 but were opposed to going to theaters or such places of amusement2 to the doctrine of the community of goods2 feet washing1 etc41 as advocated by ,sandeman4 ,sandeman's influence extended also to ,england and to this country4 ,,haldane ,,and ,,aikman ,at the close of the eighteenth century spiritual religion in ,scotland was at a very low ebb4 ,then village preaching and extensive itineraries were entered upon by ,james ,a4 ,haldane and ,john ,aikman4 ,they were members of the ,established ,church of ,scotland4 ,they took in hand preaching tours unauthorized by the clergy4 ,they were laymen1 and preaching by such men was then a strange thing in ,scotland4 ,their labors were so far successful that a revival of spiritual life set in at many places and a spirit of inquiry was aroused4 ,they made successive tours throughout all ,scotland1 as far as the ,orkney ,islands4 ,then ,robert ,haldane turned his attention to the spiritual needs of his native land1 and determined to devote his large fortune to spreading the ,gospel through its benighted districts4 ,this led to the formation of a society for the dissemination of religious knowledge1 and to the employment of young men of known piety to plant and superintend evening schools for the instruction of the young in religious truths4 ,this movement grew to considerable proportions4 ,but it met with determined opposition1 both from ,presbyterian ,dissenters and the ,established clergy4 ,the decrees were fulminated by entire bodies1 as the ,relief ,synod1 obviously leveled against the devout and ardent itinerants4 ,in like spirit the ,antiburger ,synod decreed3 ,that as lay preaching has no warrant in the ,word of ,god1 and as the ,synod has always considered it their duty to testify against promiscuous communion1 no person under the inspection of the ,synod can1 consistently with these principles1 attend upon or give countenance to public preaching by any who are not of our community2 and if any do so they ought to be dealt with by the judicatories of the ,church1 to bring them to a sense of their offensive conduct4 ,going beyond this1 the ,general ,assembly of #agii accused the itinerant preachers of being artful and designing men1 disaffected to the evil constitution of the country1 holding secret meetings1 and abusing the name of liberty as a cover for a secret democracy and anarchy4 ,in the midst of this opposition a church was formed of some fourteen persons in a private house on ,george ,street1 ,edinburgh1 which was the beginning of the ,tabernacle ,church ,leith ,walk1 in which ,james ,haldane eventually became minister1 in which capacity he exercised1 without any emolument1 all the public and private duties with unbroken fidelity and zeal for a period of fifty years4 ,for some time this church was content with monthly communion1 but in #ahjb it resolved to spread the ,lord's table on the first day of every week4 ,by the close of #ahjg some eighty-five ,independent churches had been established4 ,out of this movement a further advance took place1 and thence arose ,baptist churches in ,scotland4 ,,the ,,scotch ,,baptists ,churches holding the immersion of believers as the only authorized baptism have1 possibly1 stood out against the apostasy 7not as ,baptists71 even from the days of the apostles1 though frequently driven into hiding places by the force of persecution and for the preservation of their faith and order and also of their lives4 ,concerning the origin of the ,baptists in ,england ,i shall not dwell2 though their early history is very interesting1 and far more in accord with the apostolic style than the present-day ,baptists4 ,passing at once to ,scotland1 ,i find no trace of ,baptist churches till the latter part of the eighteenth century1 excepting one of short duration formed by soldiers of ,cromwell's army4 ,the earliest ,scotch ,baptist ,church is said to have been formed in ,edinburgh in #agfe under the efforts of ,robert ,carmichael1 who had been a minister in the ,antiburger ,church at ,coupar-,augus2 but later became minister of an ,independent ,church 7,glassite7 in ,edinburgh1 of which ,archibald ,mc,lean was a member4 ,early in life a strong impression had been made on the mind of ,mc,lean by the preaching of ,george ,whitfield4 ,in #agfb he withdrew from the ,established ,church of ,scotland and united with this ,independent ,church4 ,but it was not long till some trouble arose over a case of discipline which resulted in the withdrawal of both ,carmichael and ,mc,lean from the church4 ,while thus standing aloof from church membership they directed their attention to baptism4 ,mc,lean1 not having read a line upon the subject1 went carefully through the whole of the ,new ,testament with the inquiry before him1 ,what is baptism8 ,this led him to the firm conviction that only those capable of believing in ,christ are its subjects and that it must be performed by immersion of the whole body in water4 ,a year later ,carmichael reached the same conclusion4 ,he then went to ,london where he was immersed by ,dr4 ,gill at ,barbican1 ,october #i1 #agfe4 ,on returning to ,edinburgh1 he baptized ,mc,lean and six others1 and formed a ,baptist church4 ,in #agfi1 ,carmichael moved to ,dundee1 and ,mc,lean became minister of the newly-formed church4 ,other churches of immersed believers were soon planted in ,glasgow1 ,dundee1 ,montrose and other places1 and the sentiment in favor of returning to the scriptural act of baptizing grew among the people4 ,the marked piety and noble disinterestedness of ,archibald ,mc,lean stand out as worthy of all admiration4 ,his labors were immense and given gratuitous1 as he persisted in continuing in employment as overseer of a printing establishment4 ,as ,scotch ,baptist churches multiplied there arose a disturbing element4 ,mc,lean and others held the necessity of an ordained elders to the proper observance of the ,lord's ,supper2 consequently1 notwithstanding that they taught the importance of observing the ,lord's ,supper on the first day of every week1 it had to be omitted when an ordained elder could not be present4 ,but ere long others among them saw more light and insisted that elders were not essential to the being of a church1 that the church existed before its eldership1 and that where the church is the ,lord's table should be spread on the first day of every week1 irrespective of the presence of an ordained elder4 ,this led to contention1 and1 indeed1 to separation4 ,but truth will not down4 ,we may go with it any distance we please1 but when we say1 ,thus far and no farther1 truth struggles to remove the hindrances thrown across its path1 and in the end starts on afresh to complete the journey4 ,as leaven will permeate so truth must influence more or less the mass into which it is cast4 ,from ,scotland the principles associated with the names of the ,haldanes1 ,carmichael and ,mc,lean found receptive hearts in ,wales4 ,even in ,ireland1 also1 there was in men's minds the struggling of truth and error1 the partial expulsion of the false by the true1 the consequent advance to apostolic faith and order1 and falling short of a complete return thereto1 notwithstanding progress calling for thankful recognition4 ,,the ,,separatists ,about the year #ahjb there were a few persons in ,dublin1 most of them connected with the religious establishments of the country4 ,the most noted among them were ,john ,walker1 ,g4 ,carr and ,dr4 ,darby1 all of whom organized religious bodies1 differing in minor points from one another4 ,their attention was directed to ,christian fellowship1 as they perceived it to have existed among the disciples in apostolic times4 ,they concluded from the study of the ,new ,testament that all the first ,christians in any place were connected together in the closest brotherhood2 and that as their connection was grounded on the one apostolic gospel which they believed1 so it was altogether regulated by the precepts delivered to them by the apostles1 as the divinely commissioned ambassadors of ,christ4 ,they were convinced that every departure of professing ,christians from this course must have originated in a withdrawing of their allegiance from the ,king of ,zion1 and in the turning away from the instruction of the inspired apostles2 that the authority of their word1 being divine1 was unchangeable1 and that it can not have been annulled by or weakened by the lapse of ages1 by the varying customs of different nations1 or by the enactments of earthly legislators4 ,with such views in their minds they set out in the attempt to return fully to the course marked out in the ,scriptures2 persuaded that they were not called to make any laws or regulations for their union1 but simply to learn and adhere to the law recorded in the divine ,word4 ,their number soon increased2 and for some time they did not see that the union which they maintained with each other1 on the principles of scripture1 was at all inconsistent with the continuance of their connection with the various religious bodies round them4 ,but after a time they were convinced that these two things were utterly incompatible2 and that the same divine rule which regulated their fellowship with each other forbade them to maintain any religious fellowship with others4 ,from this view1 and the practice consequent upon it1 they were called ,separatists4 ,they held that even two or three disciples in any one place1 united together in the faith of the apostolic gospel1 and in obedience to the apostolic precepts1 constitute the ,church of ,christ in that place4 ,they held that the only good and sure hope toward ,god for any sinner is by the belief of this testimony concerning the great things of ,god and his salvation4 ,and as they understood by faith1 with which justification and eternal life were connected1 nothing else but belief of the things declared to all alike in the ,scriptures1 so by repentance they understood nothing else but the new mind which that belief produces4 ,everything called repentance1 but antecedent to the belief of the ,word of ,god1 or unconnected with it1 they considered spurious and evil4 ,they considered the idea of any successors to the apostles or of any change of ,christ's laws as utterly unchristian1 and did not tolerate any men of the clerical type among them4 ,they believed that the ,scriptures taught the community of goods4 ,they held that there is no sanction in the ,new ,testament for the observance of the first day of the week as the ,sabbath2 and that the ,jewish ,sabbath was one of the shadows of good things to come1 which passed away on the completion of the work of ,jesus on the cross4 ,they believed themselves bound to meet together on the first day of the week1 the memorial day of ,christ's resurrection1 to show his death1 in partaking of bread and wine1 as the symbols of his body and his blood shed for the remission of sins4 ,in their assembly they joined together in the various exercises of praise and prayer1 reading the ,scriptures1 exhorting and admonishing one another as brethren according to their several gifts and ability2 contributed of their means and saluted each other with an holy kiss4 ,in the same assemblies they attended1 as occasion required1 to the discipline appointed by the apostles1 for removing any evil that might appear in the body4 ,when any brethren appeared among them possessing all the qualifications of the office of elders or overseers1 which are marked in the apostolic writings1 they thought themselves called upon to acknowledge them as brethren in that office1 as the gifts of the ,lord to his church4 ,they held themselves bound to live as peaceable and quiet subjects of any government under which the providence of ,god placed them2 to implicitly obey all human ordinances which did not interfere with their subjection to their heavenly ,king4 ,the baptism of believers was cast aside as anti-,christian1 except in the case of the heathen1 who on conversion had made no previous confession of faith4 ,their mistake lay in the belief that baptism was intended to mark the mere profession of ,christian faith4 ,they failed to see that it was commanded by the ,lord himself to follow upon a real believing with the heart1 and a confession with the mouth4 ,any act called baptism prior to that is not the ordinance of ,christ1 and stands for nothing4 ,the time for baptism is so soon as that believing confession and heart trust exists as a fact4 ,so long as it remains unperformed after that there is a cessation in that particular of compliance with the divine command1 which should be terminated by obedience so soon as possible4 ,while these people were scriptural in a number of things1 in others they fell far short of returning to apostolic ,christianity4 ,so we must continue our search4 ,as we have already seen1 there was a great struggle in ,europe to escape from the direful effects of departure from apostolic simplicity4 ,these efforts brought forth many sects1 and each sect fought desperately to secure the ,bible within its own party by the spiritual fetters of partisan interpretation4 ,the clergy of each denomination1 arrogating to themselves the claim of being its divinely-authorized expounders1 caused it to speak only in the interest of their sect1 and thus the ,bible was made to speak in defense of each particular creed4 ,detached sentences1 relating to matters wholly distinct and irrelevant1 were placed in imposing array in support of positions assumed by human leaders2 the people1 on the other hand1 seemed to have quietly surrendered into the hands of the clergy all power of discrimination and all independence in religious matters4 ,it seemed vain that the ,bible had been put into the hands of the people in their mother tongue1 since the clergy had succeeded in imposing upon it a seal which the laity dared not break1 so that while ,protestants were delighted that they were in possession of the ,bible1 it was1 in fact1 little else than an empty boast1 so long as they could be persuaded that they were wholly unable to understand it4 ,the ,bible thus trammeled had1 nevertheless1 set free from spiritual bondage individuals here and there1 who were more or less successful in their pleadings for reform4 ,but among them all1 however1 there was no one who took hold of the leading errors with sufficient clearness and grasp as to liberate it from the thraldom of human tradition and restore the ,gospel to the people in its primitive simplicity and power4 ,,part ,,iv ,the ,restoration ,movement in ,america ,,chapter ,i4 ,,spiritual ,,unrest ,,in ,,many ,,places ,the close of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century were characterized by efforts to get entirely on apostolic ground1 originating almost simultaneously in widely-separated localities and amidst different and antagonistic sects4 ,but1 as the greatest of these efforts developed in our own country1 we now turn our attention to them4 ,one of these originated among the ,methodists at the time of the establishment of the ,american colonies1 and the subject of church government became a matter of discussion among them4 ,thomas ,coke1 ,francis ,asbury and others labored to establish prelacy1 regarding themselves as superintendents or bishops4 ,against this movement1 ,james ,o',kelley1 of ,north ,carolina1 and some others of that ,state and of ,virginia1 with a number of members1 pleaded for a congregational system1 and that the ,new ,testament be the only creed and discipline4 ,those contending for the episcopal form of government were largely in the majority1 and the reformers were unable to accomplish their wishes4 ,led by ,james ,o',kelley1 they finally seceded at ,mankintown1 ,n4 ,c41 ,dec4 #be1 #agic4 ,mc,tiere says3 ,the spirit of division prevailed chiefly in the southern part of ,virginia1 and in the border counties of ,north ,carolina1 in all of which region the personal influence of ,o',kelley has been seen4 ,it extended also beyond these limits4 ,we find the first two missionaries in ,kentucky--,ogden and ,haw--drawn away into his scheme4 ,and in other places he had adherents 7,history of ,methodism1 page #daa74 ,at first they took the name ,republican ,methodists1 but in #ahja resolved to be known as ,christians only1 to acknowledge no head over the ,church but ,christ1 and to have no creed or discipline but the ,bible4 ,in respect to increase of numbers1 this movement was not great1 and in the course of time was weakened by changes and removals1 but its principles spread into other ,states4 ,about the same time ,abner ,jones1 a physician1 of ,hartland1 ,vt41 then a member of the ,baptist ,church1 became greatly dissatisfied with sectarian names and creeds1 began to preach that all these should be abolished1 and that true piety should be made the ground of ,christian fellowship4 ,in ,september1 #ahjj1 he succeeded by persevering zeal in establishing a church of twenty-five members at ,lyndon1 ,vt41 and subsequently one in ,bradford and one in ,piermont1 ,n4 ,h41 in ,march1 #ahjc4 ,elias ,smith1 a ,baptist preacher1 who was about this time laboring with much success in ,plymouth1 ,n4 ,h41 adopted ,jones' view and carried the whole congregation with him4 ,several other preachers1 both from the ,regular and ,freewill ,baptists1 soon followed1 and with many other zealous preachers1 who were raised up in the newly-organized churches1 traveled extensively over the ,new ,england states1 ,new ,york1 ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio and into ,canada1 and made many converts4 ,those in this movement also called themselves ,christians only1 and adopted the ,bible as their only rule of faith and practice4 ,dr4 ,chester ,bullard was the pioneer in the cause of primitive ,christianity in all ,southwest ,virginia4 ,he separated himself from the ,methodist ,church and most earnestly desired to be immersed1 but would not receive it at the hands of the ,baptists1 as he was not sufficiently in harmony with their tenets to unite with them4 ,about this time ,landon ,duncan1 the assessor of the county1 happened to call in the discharge of his official duties4 ,engaging in a religious conversation with him1 ,dr4 ,bullard freely expressed to him his feelings and his desires1 and though he freely expressed his dissent from some of the views held by ,duncan1 the latter agreed to baptize him4 ,in early life ,duncan had united with the ,baptists and was ordained by them1 but after a time adopted the views of the ,christians1 chiefly through the teaching of ,joseph ,thomas1 who was in some respects a remarkable man4 ,he was born in ,north ,carolina1 whence he removed with his father to ,giles ,county1 ,virginia1 where he became deeply imbued with religious fervor1 and began while quite a young man to urge his neighbors to the importance of devoting themselves to the service of ,god4 ,associating with ,o',kelley in ,north ,carolina1 he desired to be immersed1 when ,o',kelley persuaded him that pouring was more scriptural1 to which he submitted after stipulating that a tubful of water should be poured upon him4 ,but afterward he became fully convinced that immersion alone is baptism1 and was immersed by ,elder ,plumer4 ,this brought him into intimate association with ,abner ,jones1 ,elias ,smith and others of the ,christians4 ,he now devoted his life wholly to preaching and became noted for the extent of his travels throughout the ,united ,states4 ,he traveled on foot dressed in a long1 white robe1 hence he was called the ,white ,pilgrim1 and frequently1 in imitation of the ,master1 retired to lonely places for fasting and prayer4 ,he made a strong impression on the people1 and finally died of smallpox amidst his itinerant labors in ,new ,jersey4 ,dr4 ,bullard1 after his baptism by ,duncan1 at once began preaching1 delivering his first discourse the evening following his baptism4 ,avoiding those speculation points with which ,duncan and those associated with him were so much occupied1 he presented simple views of the ,gospel and the freeness of the salvation through ,christ1 and showed that faith comes by hearing the ,word of ,god1 and that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,it was a considerable time1 however1 before he convinced enough people of the scripturalness of the doctrine to form a church4 ,by degrees1 most of those associated with ,duncan were convinced by ,dr4 ,bullard1 and through the assistance of ,james ,redpath and others joining him in the ministry of the ,word1 a number of churches were established in that part of ,virginia4 ,about #ahci ,dr4 ,bullard incidentally came into possession of a copy of ,alexander ,campbell's ,extra on ,remission of ,sins4 ,on reading it he was so surprised and delighted with the new views therein set forth that he obtained all the numbers of the ,christian ,baptist and ,millennial ,harbinger1 and was filled with great joy to find how clear and consistent were ,campbell's views1 and how different from the slanderous misrepresentations which had been so persistently circulated through the press and from the pulpit4 ,he immediately began to circulate ,campbell's writings1 preaching with great success the ancient ,gospel1 and overjoyed in finding himself unexpectedly associated with so many fellow laborers in the effort to restore primitive ,christianity4 ,he endured hardships as a good soldier of ,jesus ,christ and pushed forward against great odds4 ,he traveled all over ,virginia1 from the mountains to the seashore1 and baptized thousands4 ,in his prime he was one of the most powerful exhorters that could be found1 and his sermons were exceedingly clear1 scriptural and persuasive4 ,on a notable occasion the ,methodists1 who had become greatly stirred by ,dr4 ,bullard's preaching1 chose one of their preachers1 ,t4 ,j4 ,stone1 to represent them in a debate with ,dr4 ,bullard on the ,act of ,baptism4 ,the debate was to be held in a grove at a place some distance from ,dr4 ,bullard's home1 and he had to start the day before in order to reach the place in time4 ,late in the afternoon of the first day's journey he fell in with the preacher who was to be his opponent in the debate4 ,stone had been studying the ,campbell and ,rice ,debate in search of arguments to sustain his side of the question4 ,as they rode along together their conversation turned on the debate1 and ,dr4 ,bullard noticed rather a lack of confidence in the language of his opponent4 ,the doctor turned the conversation so that he might learn the cause of this1 and soon reached the conclusion that his opponent had little relish for the debate1 and1 in short1 in his research his confidence in affusion had been overturned4 ,dr4 ,bullard finally said3 ,you had better let me baptize you to-morrow instead of debating4 ,stone replied3 ,if it were not for two or three things in the way1 ,i would4 ,that night they spent at ,stone's home1 and the doctor soon perceived that one of the greatest things in the way was ,stone's wife4 ,accordingly he gave her much attention1 and the three searched the ,scriptures the greater part of the night4 ,a large crowd assembled the next day to hear the discussion4 ,dr4 ,bullard announced that there would be no debate1 but that he would preach that morning and ,stone in the afternoon2 also that there would be an immersion immediately after the morning discourse4 ,much to the surprise of all1 both ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,stone presented themselves for baptism when the invitation was given4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,barton ,w4 ,,stone ,we have already learned that efforts were being made to return to apostolic ,christianity in different places in the ,east1 and ,i mentioned these efforts first because as emigration is most usually westward1 the influences thus exerted spread far and wide4 ,this is one of the reasons why the plea to return to the original practice of the apostolic churches has been more effective in the ,west than in the ,east4 ,i now give attention to a great movement that was inaugurated in what was then called the ,west1 through the untiring labors of ,barton ,w4 ,stone and others4 ,stone was born in ,maryland1 ,december #bd1 #aggb4 ,his father died and the mother1 being left with a large family of children1 moved to ,pittsylvania ,county1 ,va41 in #aggi1 where the manners and customs of the people were very simple1 and contentment seemed to be the lot of all1 and happiness dwelt in every breast amidst the abundance of home stores1 acquired by honest industry4 ,his first teacher was a tyrant1 who seemed to take pleasure in whipping and abusing his pupils for every trifling offense4 ,when called upon to recite1 he was so affected with fear1 and so confused in mind1 that he could say nothing1 and remained in that school only a few days4 ,he was then sent to another teacher1 who was patient and kind1 and he advanced so rapidly that after five years' training his teacher pronounced him a finished scholar4 ,this fired him with ambition and spurred his efforts to rise to eminence in learning4 ,,confronted ,,by ,,many ,,difficulties ,about this time some ,baptist preachers came into the neighborhood and began preaching to the people1 and great excitement followed4 ,multitudes attended their ministrations1 and many were immersed4 ,immersion was so novel that people traveled long distances to see the ordinance administered4 ,young ,stone was constant in his attendance1 and was particularly interested in hearing the converts relate their experiences4 ,of their conviction and great distress they were very particular in giving an account1 and how and when they obtained deliverance from their burdens4 ,some were delivered by a dream1 a vision1 or some uncommon appearance of light2 others by a voice spoken to them--,thy sins are forgiven thee2 and others by seeing the ,savior with their natural eyes4 ,such experiences were considered good by the ,church1 and those relating such were baptized and received into full fellowship4 ,the preachers had an art of affecting their hearers by a tuneful voice in preaching4 ,not knowing any better1 he considered all this a work of ,god1 and the way of salvation4 ,after these came ,methodist preachers who were bitterly opposed by the ,baptists and ,episcopalians1 who publicly declared them to be the locusts of ,revelation1 and warned the people against receiving them4 ,stone's mind was much agitated1 and vacillated between the two parties4 ,for some time he had been in the habit of retiring in secret1 morning and evening1 for prayer1 with an earnest desire for religion2 but being ignorant of what he ought to do1 he became discouraged and quit praying1 and turned away from religion4 ,when he was about sixteen he came into possession of his portion of his father's estate4 ,this absorbed his mind day and night endeavoring to devise some plan as to how to use it to the best advantage4 ,at last he decided to acquire a liberal education1 and thus qualify himself for the practice of law4 ,having reached this decision he began immediately to arrange his affairs to put his purpose into execution4 ,accordingly he bade farewell to his mother1 and made his way to the noted academy at ,guilford1 ,n4 ,c4 ,here he applied himself with great diligence to acquire an education or die in the attempt4 ,he divested himself of every hindrance for the course4 ,with such application he made rapid progress4 ,just before he entered the academy the students had been greatly stirred by ,james ,mc,gready1 a ,presbyterian preacher1 and ,stone was not a little surprised to find many of the students assembled every morning in a private room before the hour for recitation to engage in singing and prayer4 ,this was a source of uneasiness to him1 and frequently brought him to serious reflections4 ,he labored diligently to banish these serious thoughts1 thinking that religion would impede his progress in learning1 thwart the object he had in view1 and expose him to the ridicule of his relatives and companions4 ,he therefore associated with those students who made light of such things1 and joined them in the ridicule of the pious4 ,for this his conscience severely condemned him when alone and made him so very unhappy that he could neither enjoy the company of the pious nor that of the impious4 ,this caused him to decide to go to ,hampden-,sidney ,college1 ,virginia1 that he might be away from the constant sight of religion4 ,he determined to leave at once1 but was prevented by a violent storm4 ,he remained in his room all day and reached the decision to pursue his studies there and to attend to his own business1 and let others do the same4 ,having made this resolution1 he was settled till his roommate asked him to accompany him to hear ,mr4 ,mc,gready preach4 ,of the deep impression made on him by the discourse he heard on that occasion he says3 ,his coarse1 tremulous voice excited in me the idea of something unearthly4 ,his gestures were the very reverse of elegance4 ,everything appeared by him forgotten but the salvation of souls4 ,such earnestness1 such zeal1 such powerful persuasion1 enforced by the joys of heaven and miseries of hell1 ,i had never witnessed before4 ,my mind was chained by him1 and followed him closely in his rounds of heaven1 earth and hell1 with feelings indescribable4 ,his concluding remarks were addressed to the sinners to flee the wrath to come without delay4 ,never before had ,i comparatively felt the force of truth4 ,such was my excitement that had ,i been standing ,i should have probably sunk to the floor under the impression4 ,when the meeting was over he returned to his room1 and when night came he walked out into a field and seriously reasoned with himself on the all-important subject of religion4 ,he asked himself3 ,what shall ,i do8 ,shall ,i embrace religion1 or not8 ,he weighed the subject and counted the cost4 ,he concluded that if he embraced religion he would then incur the displeasure of his relatives and lose the favor and company of his companions3 become the object of their scorn and ridicule2 relinquish all his plans and schemes for worldly honor1 wealth and preferment1 and bid adieu to all the pleasures in which he had lived4 ,he asked himself1 ,are you willing to make this sacrifice8 ,his heart answered1 ,no1 no4 ,then there loomed before him a certain alternative1 ,you must be damned4 ,this thought was so terrible to him that he could not endure the thought1 and1 after due deliberation1 he resolved from that hour to seek religion at the sacrifice of every earthly good1 and immediately prostrated himself before ,god in supplication for mercy4 ,in accordance with the popular belief1 and the experience of the pious in those days1 he anticipated a long and painful struggle before he should be prepared to come to ,christ1 or1 in the language of that day1 before he should get religion4 ,this anticipation was fully realized4 ,for a year he was tossed about on the waves of uncertainty1 laboring1 praying and striving for saving faith1 sometimes desponding and almost despairing of ever getting it4 ,he wrestled with this condition until he heard a sermon on ,god is love1 which so impressed his mind that he retired to the woods alone with his ,bible4 ,there he read and prayed with various feelings1 between hope and fear1 till the great truth of the love of ,god so triumphed over him that he afterward said3 ,i yielded and sunk at his feet1 a willing subject4 ,i loved him1 ,i adored him1 ,i praised him aloud in the silent night1 in the echoing groves around4 ,i confessed to the ,lord my sin and folly in disbelieving his word so long1 and in following so long the devices of men4 ,i now saw that a poor sinner was as much authorized to believe in ,jesus at first as last2 that now was the accepted time and the day of salvation4 ,from that time he looked forward to preaching1 and in the spring of #agif applied to the ,presbytery of ,orange1 ,n4 ,c41 for license to preach4 ,in describing the proceedings of the presbytery1 he says3 ,never shall ,i forget the impression made on my mind when a venerable old father addressed the candidates1 standing up together before the presbytery4 ,after the address he presented to each of the candidates the ,bible 7not the ,confession of ,faith71 with this solemn charge1 ',go ye unto all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature4' ,he was assigned to a certain district1 but soon became much discouraged1 and contemplated seeking regions where he was not known and turning his attention to some other calling in life4 ,in the midst of much doubt and perplexity1 he turned westward and finally reached ,caneridge1 ,bourbon ,county1 ,ky41 where he remained for a few months1 then returned to ,virginia4 ,,ordained ,,to ,,the ,,ministry ,in the fall of #agih he received a call from the united congregations of ,caneridge and ,concord1 through the ,transylvania ,presbytery4 ,he accepted1 and a day was appointed for his ordination to the ministry4 ,knowing that at his ordination he would be required to adopt the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith1 as the system of doctrine taught in the ,bible1 he determined to give it a very careful examination4 ,this was to him almost the beginning of sorrows4 ,he stumbled at the doctrine of the ,trinity as therein taught1 and could not conscientiously subscribe to it4 ,doubts1 too1 arose in his mind on the doctrines of election1 reprobation and predestination1 as then taught4 ,he had before this time learned from those higher up in the ecclesiastical world the way of divesting those doctrines of their hard1 repulsive features1 and admitted them as true1 yet unfathomable mysteries4 ,viewing them as such1 he let them alone in his public discourses and confined himself to the practical part of religion1 and to subjects within his depth4 ,but in re-examining these doctrines he found the covering put over them could not hide them from a discerning eye with close inspection4 ,indeed1 he saw that they were necessary to the system1 without any covering4 ,he was in this state of mind when the day for his ordination came4 ,he determined to tell the presbytery honestly his state of mind1 and to request them to defer his ordination until he should be better informed and settled4 ,when the day came a large congregation assembled1 but before the presbytery convened he took aside the two pillars--,james ,blythe and ,robert ,marshall--and made known to them his difficulties and that he had determined to decline ordination at that time4 ,they labored1 but in vain1 to remove his difficulties and objections4 ,they asked him how far he was willing to receive the ,confession of ,faith4 ,to this he replied1 ,as far as ,i see it is consistent with the ,word of ,god4 ,they concluded that that was sufficient4 ,the presbytery then convened1 and when the question1 ,do you receive and adopt the ,confession of ,faith as containing the system of doctrine taught in the ,bible8 he answered aloud1 so that the whole assembly could hear1 ,i do1 so far as ,i see it consistent with the ,word of ,god4 ,no objection being raised to this answer he was ordained4 ,the reception of his ordination papers neither ended his intellectual misgivings nor his difficulties with his strictly orthodox ministerial associates in the presbytery4 ,his mind1 from this time until he finally broke the fetters of religious bondage1 was continually tossed on the waves of speculative divinity1 the all-engrossing theme of the religious community at that time4 ,clashing1 controversial theories were urged by the different sects with much zeal and bad feeling4 ,at that time he believed and taught that mankind were so depraved that they could do nothing acceptable to ,god until his ,spirit1 by some physical1 almighty and mysterious power had quickened1 enlightened and regenerated the heart1 and thus prepared the sinner to believe in ,jesus for salvation4 ,he began to see that if ,god did not perform this regenerating work in all1 it was because he chose to do it for some and not for others1 and that this depended upon his own sovereign will and pleasure4 ,he then saw that the doctrine was inseparably linked with unconditional election and reprobation1 as taught in the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith2 that they are virtually one1 and that was the reason why he admitted the decrees of election and reprobation1 having admitted the doctrine of total depravity4 ,scores of objections continually crossed his mind against the system4 ,these he imputed to blasphemous suggestions of ,satan1 and labored to repel them as satanic temptations and not honestly to meet them with ,scripture arguments4 ,often1 when addressing the multitudes on the doctrine of total depravity1 on their inability to believe and on the physical power of ,god to produce faith1 and then persuading the helpless to repent and believe the ,gospel1 his zeal would in a moment be chilled by such questions as3 ,how can they believe8 ,how can they repent8 ,how can they do impossibilities8 ,how can they be guilty in not doing them8 ,such thoughts almost stifled his ability to speak1 and were as great weights pressing him down to the shades of death4 ,the pulpits were continually ringing with this doctrine2 but to his mind it ceased to be a relief2 for whatever name it was called1 he could see that the inability was in the sinner1 and therefore he could not believe nor repent1 but must be damned4 ,wearied with the works and doctrines of men and distrustful of their influence1 he made the ,bible his constant companion4 ,he honestly1 earnestly and prayerfully sought for the truth1 determined to buy it at the sacrifice of everything else4 ,he was relieved from this state of perplexity by this resolve4 ,by reading and meditating upon the ,word of ,god1 he became convinced that ,god did love the whole world1 and that the only reason why he did not save all was because of their unbelief1 and that the reason why they believed not was because they neglected and received not his testimony concerning his ,son1 for the ,scripture says3 ,these are written1 that ye may believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 and that believing ye may have life in his name4 ,from this he saw that the requirement to believe in the ,son of ,god was reasonable1 because the testimony given is sufficient to produce faith in the sinner1 and the invitation and encouragement of the ,gospel are sufficient1 if believed1 to lead him to the ,savior for the promised salvation and eternal life4 ,from that moment of new light and joy he began to part company with ,calvinism1 declaring it to be the heaviest clog on ,christianity in the world1 a dark mountain between heaven and earth1 shutting out the love of ,god from the sinner's heart4 ,in the joy of this new-found liberty he received such power that made him one of ,god's choicest instruments in awakening religious society out of its apathy1 and in preparing the way for the great religious movement with which the last century was ushered in4 ,born with his new convictions of ,god's all-abounding love1 was an intense yearning to bring his fellow men to the joy of such a salvation4 ,while the fire was kindling in his soul1 he heard of a great religious excitement which had already begun in ,logan ,county1 ,kentucky1 under the labors of certain ,presbyterian preachers1 among whom was the same ,james ,mc,gready whose preaching had so strongly affected ,stone1 while a youth1 in ,north ,carolina4 ,in the spring of #ahja he attended one of these camp meetings1 and for the first time witnessed those strange agitations and cataleptic attacks1 which baffled description4 ,he describes them thus3 ,the scene to me was new1 and passing strange4 ,it baffled description4 ,many1 very very many1 fell down as men slain in battle1 and continued for hours together in an apparently breathless and motionless state2 sometimes for a few moments reviving and exhibiting symptoms of life by a deep groan or a piercing shriek1 or by a prayer for mercy most fervently uttered4 ,after lying thus for hours they obtained deliverance4 ,the gloomy cloud which had covered their faces seemed gradually and visibly to disappear1 and hope in smiles brightened into joy2 they would rise shouting deliverance1 and then would address the surrounding multitude in language truly eloquent4 7,biography of ,stone1 page #cd47 ,,remarkable ,,meeting ,,at ,,cane ,,ridge ,returning from these strange scenes1 he entered the pulpit at ,caneridge with heart aglow with spiritual fervor4 ,no longer shackled by the doctrine of election and reprobation1 he took for his text the inspiring message of the great commission3 ,go ye into all the world and preach the ,gospel to the whole creation4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned4 ,old as was the text1 it came like a new evangel to this people1 who had known nothing but the hard terms of a ,calvinistic creed4 ,the audience was visibly affected1 and he left them promising to return in a few days4 ,this was the beginning of one of the greatest revivals in history4 ,on his return a vast multitude awaited him1 and he had scarcely begun to picture before them the great salvation when scores fell to the ground as if smitten by some unseen hand4 ,it is well to let ,mr4 ,stone describe the scene in his own language3 ,some attempted to fly from the scene panic-stricken1 but they either fell or returned immediately to the crowd1 as unable to get away4 ,in the midst of this exercise an intelligent deist in the neighborhood stepped up to me and said1 ,mr4 ,stone1 ,i always thought before that you were an honest man1 but now ,i am convinced that you are deceiving the people4 ,i viewed him with pity1 and mildly spoke a few words to him2 immediately he fell as a dead man1 and arose no more until he had confessed the ,savior4 7,biography1 pages #cf1 #cg47 ,the report of this remarkable meeting soon spread through the country1 and shortly afterward he held a protracted meeting at ,concord4 ,the whole country was aroused and multitudes of all denominations attended4 ,party spirit shrank away and all joined heartily in the meeting1 which continued five days and nights without a break1 and great numbers abandoned sin4 ,on ,july #b1 #ahja1 ,barton ,w4 ,stone was married to ,miss ,elizabeth ,campbell1 of ,muhlenberg ,county1 ,kentucky4 ,soon after marriage they hurried on to ,caneridge for the memorable meeting which began on ,friday before the third ,sunday in ,august4 ,the news concerning the remarkable meeting at ,concord had spread far and wide1 and when the time came to begin the meeting at ,caneridge the roads were literally crowded with wagons1 carriages1 horsemen and footmen1 moving to the camp grounds4 ,the crowd was estimated at thirty thousand4 ,during the meeting four or five preachers were frequently speaking at the same time1 in different parts of the encampment1 without confusion4 ,all denominations joined in the conduct of the meeting4 ,party spirit for the time had disappeared1 and all united in the great work4 ,multitudes abandoned sin and entered the profession and practice of religion4 ,the meeting continued six or seven days and nights1 and would have continued longer but food for the multitude could not be found4 ,this meeting was attended by many from ,ohio and other distant parts1 who returned to their homes and spread the same spirit in their neighborhoods1 and the same results followed1 and it can not be denied that great good resulted4 ,nor were its effects by any means transient1 but were felt for years in the rapid growth of the churches in general and in a great degree of religious fervor4 ,from the beginning of this great excitement ,mr4 ,stone had been employed almost day and night in preaching1 singing1 visiting1 and praying with and for the distressed1 till his lungs failed and became inflamed1 attended with a violent cough1 and it was believed that he had tuberculosis4 ,his strength failed and he believed that his end was near4 ,notwithstanding this he had an intense desire to attend a camp-meeting a few miles distant from ,caneridge4 ,his physician had strictly forbidden him to preach any more till his disease should be removed4 ,this meeting was held in a grove near ,paris4 ,here for the first time a ,presbyterian preacher opposed the work and the doctrine by which the zeal among them had its existence and life4 ,he labored hard to bring the people under the yoke of ,calvin and to regulate them according to his standard4 ,he wished to leave the camp at night and repair to the town1 nearly a mile away1 and hold the meeting in a house that would not hold half the people4 ,this could not be done without leaving their tent and other things exposed4 ,the consequence was1 the meeting was divided and the work greatly hindered4 ,infidels and formalists were greatly elated over this supposed victory and passed great encomiums on the preacher2 but the hearts of the revivalists were filled with sorrow4 ,stone went to the meeting in town4 ,a preacher was put forward who had always been hostile to the work and seldom mingled with the revivalists4 ,he addressed the assembly in iceberg style1 and its influence was very depressing4 ,stone had decided to lead the congregation in prayer just as soon as the preacher closed4 ,when he finally closed1 ,stone arose and said1 ,let us pray4 ,at that very moment another preacher of the same cast with the former rose in the pulpit to preach another sermon2 but ,stone proceeded to pray1 feeling a tender concern for the people4 ,while he was praying the people became much affected and the house was filled with distress4 ,some of the preachers jumped out of the window back of the pulpit and fled4 ,stone then pushed his way through the crowd to those in distress1 pointed them to the way of salvation1 and administered to them the comforts of the ,gospel4 ,the physician who was attending him being present1 pressed his way through the crowd and found ,stone wet with perspiration4 ,he ordered him to his home1 lecturing him severely for violating his orders4 ,he put on dry clothes and retired at once1 slept sounding1 and arose next morning perfectly relieved from his affliction4 ,he soon regained his strength and joyfully resumed his ministerial duties4 ,this incident brought the campmeeting to a sudden close4 ,a ,,time ,,of ,,distress ,there were at this time several other preachers in the ,presbyterian ,church who coincided in religious views with ,stone4 ,these were ,richard ,mc,nemar1 ,john ,thompson1 ,john ,dunlavy1 ,robert ,marshall and ,david ,purviance4 ,the three former lived in ,ohio1 and the three latter lived in ,kentucky4 ,they all boldly preached the sufficiency of the ,gospel to save men1 and that the testimony of ,god was designed and able to produce faith1 and that sinners were capable of understanding and believing this testimony1 and of acting upon it by coming to the ,savior and from him obtaining salvation and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,when they first began to preach these things1 the people appeared as just awakened from the sleep of ages4 ,they seemed to see for the first time that they were responsible beings1 and that a refusal to use the means appointed was a damning sin4 ,this departure from the doctrine of the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith soon occasioned a virulent opposition on the part of those who adhered to it4 ,at first they were pleased to see the ,methodists and ,baptists so cordially uniting with us in the worship2 but as soon as they saw these sects drawing away disciples after them1 they raised the tocsin of alarm--,the ,confession of ,faith is in danger1 ',to your tents1 ,o ,israel6' ,these partisans began to preach boldly the doctrines of their ,confession of ,faith and used the most potent arguments in their defense4 ,a fire was now kindled that threatened to ruin the great fervor among the people4 ,it revived the dying spirit of partyism and gave strength to trembling infidels and lifeless professors4 ,the sects were aroused4 ,the ,methodists and ,baptists1 who had so long lived in peace and harmony with the ,presbyterians and with one another1 now girded on their armor and marched into the deathly field of controversy and war4 ,these were times of distress4 ,the spirit of partyism soon expelled the spirit of love and union--peace fled before discord and strife and religion was stifled and banished in the unhallowed struggle for pre-eminence4 ,who shall be the greatest seemed to be the spirit of the contest4 ,the salvation of the world was no longer the burden1 and the spirit of mourning in prayer took its flight from the breasts of many preachers and people4 ,yet there were some of all the sects who deplored this unhappy state of things2 but their entreating voice was drowned in the din of battle4 ,the ,presbytery of ,springfield1 ,ohio1 arraigned ,mc,nemar on the charge of heresy1 and the case came before the synod at ,lexington1 ,ky4 ,foreseeing their fate before that body1 ,stone1 ,mc,nemar1 ,thompson1 ,dunlavy and ,marshall drew up a protest1 declaring their independence and withdrawal from the jurisdiction of the synod4 ,the synod then suspended them and declared their congregations vacant4 ,this act produced great commotion and division among the churches and confirmed the seceding ministers in their opposition to creeds and authoritative ecclesiastical systems4 ,but as yet they had no thought of ceasing to hold the ,presbyterian faith1 and that they might continue in the service of the ,church organized themselves into an independent presbytery1 called the ,springfield ,presbytery1 but soon finding this position an impossible one and the whole system out of harmony with their views1 they now took another step in their work of reform4 ,renouncing their allegiance to all authority but that of their divine ,master1 they resolved to be governed by the ,bible as their only rule of faith and practice4 ,this called for the tracts and sermons from the opposition1 and the views thus canvassed became widely disseminated4 ,soon after his separation1 ,stone called the churches at ,caneridge and ,concord together and informed them that he could no longer preach to support ,presbyterianism1 but that his labors should henceforth be directed to advance the kingdom of ,god1 irrespective of party1 releasing them from all pecuniary obligations to him4 ,thus for the cause of truth he sacrificed the friendship of two large churches and an abundant salary for his support4 ,he preferred the truth to the friendship and kindness of his associates in the ,presbyterian ministry1 who were dear to him1 and tenderly united in the bonds of love4 ,having now no support from the congregations1 and having emancipated his slaves1 he turned his attention cheerfully to labor on his farm4 ,though fatigued in body1 his spirit was happy and calm4 ,he did not relax his ministerial labors1 preaching almost every night and often in the daytime to those who were anxious to hear the ,word4 ,he had no money to hire laborers1 and often on his return home he had to labor at night while others were asleep to redeem his lost time4 ,co-operating with his associates in the ,springfield ,presbytery in preaching and planting churches1 a year had scarcely passed until such an organization was perceived to be unscriptural1 and was by common consent renounced1 all agreeing to take the name ,christian1 which they believed to be the only proper title for ,christ's followers1 and believed it to have been given by divine appointment to the disciples at ,antioch4 ,having divested themselves of all party creeds and party names1 and trusting alone in ,god and the word of his grace1 they became a byword and laughing stock to the whole family of the sects2 all of whom prophesied their speedy annihilation4 ,through much tribulation and strenuous opposition they advanced1 and churches and preachers were multiplied4 ,as their renouncing their allegiance to all authority in religious matters but that of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ aroused much interest and no little opposition at the time1 it will1 no doubt1 be interesting to my readers to have this remarkable production in full1 together with the witnesses' address in full1 which is as follows3 ,,the ,,last ,,will ,,and ,,testament ,,of ,,the ,,springfield ,,presbytery ,the ,presbytery of ,springfield1 sitting at ,caneridge1 in the county of ,bourbon1 being1 through a gracious ,providence1 in more than ordinary bodily health1 growing in strength and size daily2 and in perfect soundness and composure of mind2 but knowing that it is appointed for all delegated bodies once to die2 and considering that the life of every such body is very uncertain1 do make and ordain this our last will and testament1 in manner and form following1 viz3 ,imprimis4 ,we will1 that this body die1 be dissolved1 and sink into union with the body of ,christ at large2 for there is but one body and one spirit1 even as we are called in one hope of our calling4 ,item4 ,we will1 that our name of distinction1 with its ,reverend title1 be forgotten1 that there be but one ,lord over ,god's heritage1 and his name one4 ,item4 ,we will1 that our power of making laws for the government of the ,church1 and executing them by delegated authority1 forever cease2 that the people may have free course to the ,bible1 and adopt the law of the spirit of life in ,jesus ,christ4 ,item4 ,we will1 that candidates for the gospel ministry henceforth study the ,holy ,scriptures1 with fervent prayer1 and obtain license from ,god to preach the simple ,gospel1 with the ,holy ,spirit sent down from heaven1 without any mixture of philosophy1 vain deceit1 traditions of men1 or the rudiments of the world4 ,and let none take this honor to himself1 but he that is called of ,god1 as was ,aaron4 ,item4 ,we will1 that the ,church of ,christ resume her native right of internal government1 try her candidates for the ministry1 as to their soundness in the faith1 acquaintance with experimental religion1 gravity and aptness to teach2 and admit no other proof of their authority but ,christ speaking in them4 ,we will that the ,church of ,christ look up to the ,lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest2 and that she resume her primitive right of trying those who say they are apostles and are not4 ,item4 ,we will1 that each particular church as a body1 actuated by the same spirit1 choose her own preacher and support him by a free-will offering1 without a written call or subscription1 admit members1 remove offenses2 and never henceforth delegate her right of government to any man or set of men whatever4 ,item4 ,we will1 that the people henceforth take the ,bible as the only sure guide to heaven2 and as many as are offended with other books1 which stand in competition with it1 may cast them into the fire if they choose2 for it is better to enter into the life having one book than having many to be cast into hell4 ,item4 ,we will1 that preachers and people cultivate a spirit of mutual forbearance2 pray more and dispute less2 and while they behold the signs of the times1 look up1 and confidently expect that redemption draweth nigh4 ,item4 ,we will1 that our weak brethren who may have been wishing to make the ,presbytery of ,springfield their king1 and wot not what is now become of it1 betake themselves to the ,rock of ,ages1 and follow ,jesus for the future4 ,item4 ,we will1 that the ,synod of ,kentucky examine every member who may be suspected of having departed from the ,confession of ,faith1 and suspend every such heretic immediately1 in order that the oppressed may go free1 and taste the sweets of gospel liberty4 ,item4 ,we will1 that ,ja---- ----1 the author of two letters lately published in ,lexington1 be encouraged in his zeal to destroy partyism4 ,we will1 moreover1 that our past conduct be examined into by all who may have correct information2 but let foreigners beware of speaking evil of things which they know not4 ,item4 ,finally1 we will1 that all our sister bodies read their ,bibles carefully1 that they may see their fate there determined1 and prepare for death before it is too late4 ,springfield ,presbytery4 ,june #bh1 #ahjd4 7,l4 ,s47 ,robert ,marshall1 ,john ,dunlavy1 ,richard ,mc,nemar1 ,b4 ,w4 ,stone1 ,john ,thompson1 ,david ,purviance1 ,witnesses4 ,,the ,,witnesses' ,,address ,we1 the above-named witnesses of the ,last ,will and ,testament of the ,springfield ,presbytery1 knowing that there will be many conjectures respecting the causes which have occasioned the dissolution of that body1 think proper to testify that from its first existence it was knit together in love1 lived in peace and concord1 and died a voluntary and happy death4 ,their reasons for dissolving that body were the following3 ,with deep concern they viewed the divisions and party spirit among professing ,christians1 principally owing to the adoption of human creeds and forms of government4 ,while they were united under the name of a presbyter1 they endeavored to cultivate a spirit of love and unity with all ,christians1 but found it extremely difficult to suppress the idea that they themselves were a party separate from others4 ,this difficulty increased in proportion to their success in the ministry4 ,jealousies were excited in the minds of other denominations2 and a temptation was laid before those who were connected with the various parties to view them in the same light4 ,at their last meeting they undertook to prepare for the press a piece entitled1 ,observations on ,church ,government1 in which the world will see the beautiful simplicity of ,christian ,church government1 stript of human invention and lordly traditions4 ,as they proceeded in the investigation of that subject1 they soon found that there was neither precept nor example in the ,new ,testament for such confederacies as modern church sessions1 presbyteries1 synods1 ,general ,assemblies1 etc4 ,hence they concluded that while they continued in the connection in which they then stood1 they were off the foundation of the apostles and prophets of which ,christ himself is the chief cornerstone4 ,however just1 therefore1 their views of church might have been1 they would have gone out under the name1 the precious cause of ,jesus1 and dying sinners who are kept from the ,lord by the existence of sects and parties in the church1 they have cheerfully consented to retire from the din and fury of conflicting parties--sink out of the view of fleshly minds1 and die the death4 ,they believe their death will be great gain to the world4 ,but though dead1 as above1 and stript of their mortal frame1 which only served to keep them too near the confines of ,egyptian bondage1 they yet live and speak in the land of gospel liberty2 they blow the trumpet of jubilee1 and willingly devote themselves to the help of the ,lord against the mighty4 ,they will aid the brethren1 by their counsel1 when required2 assist in ordaining elders or pastors1 seek the divine blessing1 unite with all ,christians1 commune together1 and strengthen each others' hands in the work of the ,lord4 ,we design1 by the grace of ,god1 to continue in the exercise of those functions which belong to us as ministers of the ,gospel1 confidently trusting in the ,lord1 that he will be with us4 ,we candidly acknowledge that in some things we may err1 through human infirmity2 but he will correct our wanderings and preserve his ,church4 ,let all ,christians join with us in crying to ,god day and night to remove the obstacles which stand in the way of his work1 and give him no rest till he make ,jerusalem a praise in the earth4 ,we heartily unite with our ,christian brethren of every name in thanksgiving to ,god for the display of his goodness in the glorious work he is carrying on in our western country1 which we hope will terminate in the universal spread of the ,gospel4 7,biography of ,b4 ,w4 ,stone1 pages #ea-ee47 ,,practices ,,modified ,,in ,,many ,,particulars ,the stand they now took drove them to modify their practices in many particulars4 ,among the first things to which they turned their attention was infant baptism4 ,previous1 indeed1 to the great excitement in #ahja1 ,robert ,marshall had become satisfied that infant baptism was not taught in the ,word of ,god2 upon which ,stone tried to set him right1 but in the course of the discussion he became so thoroughly convinced of its unscripturalness that he discontinued the practice entirely4 ,the religious awakening1 however1 soon engrossed the minds of all1 and for some years baptism was left out of view4 ,at length1 many becoming dissatisfied with their infant baptism1 a meeting was convened to thoroughly consider the subject1 and1 after a friendly investigation1 and discussion1 it was decided that each member should act in accordance with his convictions4 ,as none among them had been immersed1 it was a question whether any one was qualified to administer baptism1 which was finally settled upon the ground that authority to preach carried with it the authority to baptize4 ,in the performance of this newly-discovered duty1 the ministers first baptized each other1 and then their congregations4 ,the practice of immersion soon prevailed generally among the churches4 ,shortly after having reached the conclusion that the immersion of believers is the only ,scriptural baptism1 at a great meeting at ,concord1 when mourners were daily invited to collect around for prayer1 as was their custom then1 and many persons were prayed for without receiving the expected comfort1 the words of ,peter rolled through ,stone's mind--,repent1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit--and he thought1 were ,peter here he would thus address these mourners4 ,so he quickly arose and addressed them in the same language and urged them to comply with this demand4 ,the effect1 however1 was the reverse of what he intended4 ,instead of comforting the mourners1 it only perplexed and confused them by directing their attention to an untried course of procedure utterly unknown to revivals1 and for which they were wholly unprepared4 ,while their hearts were filled with ardent desires for special operations of the ,holy ,spirit and of fire1 this unexpected presentation produced a chilling effect1 and tended to cool the ardor of their excited imagination4 ,mr4 ,stone himself1 indeed1 quoted ,peter's language on this occasion evidently more from his anxiety to suggest some means of relief1 and from his unbounded confidence in the ,word of ,god1 than from any proper understanding of the relation of baptism to remission of sins4 ,the independent stand that ,stone took on the ,bible alone greatly increased his labors4 ,kindred spirits speedily rallied to his support4 ,the ,presbyterians forbade their people to associate with them in their worship1 on pain of censure or exclusion1 but this caused many to cast their lot with them4 ,churches quickly sprang up over a wide region1 rejecting all standards but the ,bible and refusing to wear any name but that of ,christians4 ,stone and his co-laborers now devoted themselves to encouraging and strengthening these widely-scattered churches4 ,,shakerism ,scarcely had the work been inaugurated1 however1 before the very life of the churches was threatened by the appearance of a strange delusion4 ,a semi-religious1 socialistic movement1 known as ,shakerism1 had some years before this established several communities in the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,its leaders1 hearing of the revolt against ,calvinism led by ,stone1 sent three missionaries--,bates1 ,mitchum and ,young--among them4 ,they were eminently qualified for their work1 and soon made sad havoc of the newly-planted churches4 ,stone thus describes them and their work3 ,their appearance was prepossessing1 they were grave and unassuming at first in their manners2 very intelligent and ready in the ,scriptures1 and of great boldness in their faith4 ,they informed us that they had heard of us in the ,east1 and greatly rejoiced in the work of ,god among us--that as far as we had gone we were right1 but we had not gone far enough into the work--that they had been sent by their brethren to teach the way of ,god more perfectly1 by obedience to which all should be led into perfect holiness4 ,they seemed to understand all the springs and avenues of the human heart4 ,they delivered their testimony and labored to confirm it by the ,scriptures4 ,they promised the greatest blessings to the obedient1 but certain damnation to the disobedient4 ,they urged the people to confess their sins to them1 especially the sin of matrimony1 and to forsake all immediately--husbands must forsake their wives and wives their husbands4444 ,many said they were the great power of ,god1 confessed their sins to them and forsook their marriage state4 ,among them were three of our preachers--,matthew ,houston1 ,richard ,mc,namar and ,john ,dunlavy4 ,several more of our preachers and pupils1 alarmed1 fled from us1 and joined the sects around us4 7,biography1 page #fb7 ,it was only by the great effort of ,stone that the churches were saved from this vortex of ruin4 ,he labored day and night1 far and near1 among the churches where the ,quakers went4 ,by this means the evil influence was checked and their broken ranks were rallied1 and soon led once more to victory4 ,,the ,,work ,,prospers ,soon after the trouble with the ,quakers had been quelled and the churches were once more in a prosperous condition1 another trouble arose which threatened their entire overthrow4 ,two of the preachers1 who with ,stone had thrown off the yoke of ,presbyterianism1 abandoned the movement1 reaffirmed their faith in the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith1 and returned to the ,presbyterian fold4 ,of the five of us1 as he wrote at a later date1 that left the ,presbyterians1 ,i only was left1 and they sought my life4 ,conscious of the integrity of his purpose1 and convinced of the scripturalness of his position1 ,stone continued to preach to the churches far and near1 to any who would listen to him1 rendering his services gratuitously1 and earning as best he could the support of his family out of his little farm4 ,preaching the ,gospel as he now understood it1 multitudes flocked to his standard1 and many flourishing churches were established by him in ,ohio1 ,kentucky and ,tennessee4 ,as an evangelist among the pioneer population of newly-settled ,states he was without a rival4 ,his large1 generous nature quickly won the confidence of the hardy inhabitants4 ,his zeal and originality awakened their interest and fixed their attention4 ,his warm sympathies and strong emotions melted them to repentance and led them to obedience4 ,seldom did he preach a sermon that did not result in conversions1 sometimes scores coming forward at the close of a single address4 ,at other times the wayside cabin with its lonely occupant received with gladness the message of life4 ,here is a scene as he describes it3 ,one day as ,i was riding along slowly to an appointment at night1 ,i was passing by a small hut1 when a woman ran out and called to me4 ,i stopped my horse4 ,she told that she had heard me preach the day before1 and with a heavenly countenance thanked ,god for it4 ,for1 said she1 the ,lord has blessed my soul4 ,will you stop and baptize me8 ,yes1 said ,i1 gladly will ,i do it4 ,i dismounted1 and walked into the hut4 ,oh1 said she1 will you wait till ,i send for my sister1 a short distance off4 ,she was with me1 and the ,lord has blessed her1 too4 ,she wants also to be baptized4 ,oh1 yes1 said ,i2 ,i will gladly wait4 ,she quickly dispatched a little boy to call her husband from the field near the house1 and to tell the sister to come4 ,in the meantime she was busy preparing dinner for me4 ,it was no doubt the best she had1 but such as ,i had never seen before4 ,i never more thankfully1 more happily1 and more heartily dined4 ,the husband soon came in1 and the wife beckoned him out1 and informed him of her intention of being baptized4 ,he obstinately opposed it4 ,in tears and distress she informed me4 ,i talked mildly with him of the impropriety of his conduct1 and at length gained his consent4 ,her countenance brightened with joy1 and her sister came in shortly4 ,there1 in the depths of the forest1 in a stream that flowed near by1 was witnessed a scene that rivals in picturesqueness and simple beauty any recorded in the ,word of ,god4 ,on another occasion as he was returning from an appointment he was overtaken by a gentleman returning from the same meeting1 and the two continued the journey together4 ,stone introduced the subject of religion1 which was found not to be disagreeable to the stranger1 though he made no profession of religion4 ,he urged him with many arguments to a speedy turning to the ,lord4 ,it was very evident that his mind was deeply troubled and that he was vacillating as to his choice of life or death4 ,at length they came to a clear running stream1 when he said to ,stone3 ,see1 here is water4 ,what doth hinder me to be baptized8 ,to which he replied in the language of ,philip to the ,eunuch3 ,if thou believest with all thine heart1 thou mayest4 ,the ready response came3 ,i believe that ,jesus ,christ is the ,son of ,god1 and am determined hereafter to be his servant4 ,without anything further passing between them1 they dismounted and ,stone baptized him4 ,about #ahab ,stone filled an appointment of long standing in ,meigs ,county1 ,ohio4 ,the ,separate ,baptists1 by previous appointment1 held their annual association at the same time and place4 ,they agreed to worship together4 ,the crowd of people was great1 and early in the meeting ,stone baptized ,william ,caldwell1 a ,presbyterian preacher1 in the ,ohio ,river4 ,this drew the cords of friendship more closely between him and the ,baptists4 ,by this united effort the excitement became very great4 ,the elders and members of the association met daily in a house near the stand1 where they transacted their business1 while worship was carried on at the stand4 ,stone was asked and urged to assist them in their deliberations in the association1 and frequently requested to give his opinion on certain points1 which he did to their acceptance and approbation4 ,they had a very difficult case before them1 on which they could come to no decision4 ,he was urged to speak on it1 and to speak freely4 ,he spoke freely and fully on the point1 showing it to be a party measure1 and unscriptural1 at the same time exerting himself against sectarianism1 formularies and creeds1 laboring all the while to establish the scriptural ground of union among ,christians1 and the name they should wear1 and that until ,christians were united in spirit on the ,bible there would be no end to such difficult cases as now confronted them4 ,having closed his speech1 he went at once to the stand4 ,the mind of the association was withdrawn from any further consideration of the knotty cases before them to the consideration of what had been presented to them in the speech which they had just heard1 with the result that they agreed to forever lay aside their formularies and creeds and take the ,bible alone for their rule of faith and practice--to drop the name ,baptist and take the name ,christian--and to disband their association and join ,stone and others in their efforts to return to apostolic ,christianity4 ,they then marched to the stand1 shouting the praises of ,god and proclaiming aloud what they had done4 ,they embraced each other with ,christian love1 by which the union was cemented4 ,this gave a mighty impetus to the work and multitudes were added to the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,thomas ,campbell ,for the present ,i turn from the work of ,stone to that of the ,campbells4 ,chiefly because of failing health1 ,thomas ,campbell1 an humble1 but intellectually and spiritually-gifted minister of the ,seceder ,presbyterian ,church in the parish of ,ahory1 ,armaugh ,county1 ,ireland1 determined to seek for himself and for his family a home in this country4 ,he came alone1 intending to send for his family as soon as he had established himself4 ,he arrived in ,philadelphia ,may #bg1 #ahjg4 ,the ,seceder ,synod of ,north ,america was in session in that city when he landed4 ,he at once presented his credentials to that body1 was cordially received1 and at once assigned to the ,presbytery of ,chartiers1 in ,southwestern ,pennsylvania4 ,as soon as he became settled in his new home he began in a very earnest way to exercise his ministry as a member of the presbytery1 which embraced a number of counties4 ,he had come to this country as a zealous missionary of the cross1 filled with the love of souls4 ,already in ,ireland1 through various influences1 he had learned to cherish a liberal religious spirit1 to esteem as of little value the barriers that separate into sects4 ,,conflict ,,with ,,the ,,seceders ,the ,seceders constitute one of the straitest sects of the ,calvinistic faith1 and even to this day they will not affiliate in full fraternal fellowship with other ,presbyterians4 ,it was in the matter of the communion that the severe test of fellowship was applied4 ,thomas ,campbell had come to this country with his heart filled with a burning zeal to labor in the ,lord's vineyard1 and in largest charity for all communions1 while still maintaining sincerely and fully his relations to his particular communion4 ,he believed that in this freest land men's hearts would necessarily be emancipated from the unyielding sectarian prejudices and animosities of the ,old ,world4 ,while eminently prudent and peace-loving1 he was a man of heroic temper4 ,he would not temporize nor bow to the tyrannous dictates of human traditions or human policy4 ,this grave spirit he had already shown in his early youth1 when he decided from conviction not to follow the religion of his father1 who was attached to the ,church of ,england1 and preferred1 as he used to say1 'to worship ,god according to act of ,parliament4' ',the law of the ,lord1 in the word and spirit of the ,gospel1 which is 'the law of liberty1' was ,thomas ,campbell's supreme rule of life4 ,it is interesting to unfold the events which led to the final crisis that inaugurated actually and in a formal manner the restoration movement4 ,the ,seceders were not very numerous within the limits of the ,chartiers ,presbytery2 the power of expansion was not in them4 ,mr4 ,campbell at once gained a wide and strong influence4 ,his natural ability1 his scholarship and literary culture1 made him much superior to the preachers in that region2 and his deep religious fervor and zeal and his rare courtesy of manner won the hearts of the people4 ,he did not respect in his labors the narrow spirit and strict1 illiberal rules and habits of the ,seceder ,church4 ,besides this1 he had found near him a number of excellent people who had come over from ,ireland1 ,presbyterians and ,independents1 some of whom had been his acquaintance and cherished friends in his native land4 ,these gathered around him1 and he promptly took them to his heart in his ministrations as brethren4 ,this kind of freedom1 however1 was not in harmony with the usages of the ,seceders4 ,later on he took a step which went even further than this1 and thus in a very decided way transgressed the established custom of the ,church4 ,he was sent on a missionary tour with a young preacher1 a ,mr4 ,wilson1 up the ,allegheny ,valley1 above ,pittsburgh1 to hold a celebration of the sacrament among the scattered ,seceders of that then sparsely-settled region4 ,he found there many members of other ,presbyterian bodies who had not for a long time enjoyed the privilege of these by them so highly-cherished occasions4 ,his heart urged him to deplore in his introductory sermon the existing divisions among ,christians1 and to invite all the pious among his hearers1 who were prepared for it1 to unite in the participation of this sacred feast of ,god's people2 and many accepted the invitation4 ,this was a bold infraction of ,seceder custom4 ,campbell could have no fellowship with such bigotry4 ,mr4 ,wilson soon discovered that ,campbell had no regard for sectarian differences and prejudices and that he was not sound in the ,seceder faith4 ,his conduct of inviting those not of his ,church to partake of the communion was an overt act of extreme transgression that could not be overlooked2 but he made no objection at the time this grave offense was committed4 ,he felt it his duty1 however1 to bring the matter before the presbytery at its next meeting4 ,the charge contained several complaints1 but the principal one was this public act in regard to the communion4 ,it recited1 moreover1 that ,campbell had expressed his disapprobation of things in the ',standards' and of the practical application of them4 ,the presbytery1 already much dissatisfied with his liberal course1 readily took up ,wilson's charges4 ,but they had before them a man who1 although ever remarkably inclined to peace and warmly attached to the ,seceder ,church1 would1 nevertheless1 not yield to any human authority against his convictions in matters of serious import4 ,the present was a decisive moment in his life1 reaching in its effects far beyond what was then thought4 ,after an investigation1 which called from him a most earnest plea in behalf of ,christian liberty and fraternity1 he was found deserving of censure4 ,in vain did he protest the treatment he had received at the hands of his brethren4 ,in vain did he appeal from the presbytery to the synod4 ,party spirit was unyielding4 ,he had expressed sentiments1 it insisted1 which were very different from sentiments held and professed by the ,church4 ,this1 it held1 was an altogether sufficient ground of censure4 ,from that time many of his fellow ministers became inimical to him and were disposed to inflict on him at every opportunity their petty persecutions4 ,unjust as he felt the censure of the synod to be1 yet so strong was his love of peace and his desire to continue to live and labor with his brethren that he submitted to it2 the condition1 however1 expressed in a written form to this tribunal that his submission should be understood to mean no more1 on his part1 than an act of deference to the judgment of the court2 that by so doing he might not give offense to his brethren by manifesting a refractory spirit4 ,after this concession he hoped that he would be permitted to continue his labors in peace2 but1 much to his regret1 the hostility of his opponents continued4 ,misrepresentations1 calumny1 anything that would detract from his influence1 were employed against him4 ,spies were employed to attend his meetings1 that1 if possible1 they might find fresh ground of accusation in his utterances4 ,at last1 worn out with these efforts1 and having satisfied himself that corruption1 bigotry and tyranny were inherent in existing clerical organizations1 he decided to sever his connection with the religious body to which he had given life-long support1 renouncing the authority of the presbytery and synod4 ,that this final decisive step caused him much grief can not for a moment be doubted2 but it is certain1 also1 that the freedom which it gave him1 as a servant of ,god1 must have been to him a genuine joy and an impartation of a strength of soul he never knew before4 ,these painful experiences soon led to important consequences4 ,by his forced withdrawal from the presbytery he found himself without church affiliations4 ,but this only quickened his zeal in the efforts to extend ,christ's kingdom4 ,he had gained a wide and strong influence in the region in which he lived4 ,no meeting houses were at his command2 but he held his assemblies1 after the pioneer fashion1 in private dwellings1 barns1 schoolhouses and under green trees4 ,in these labors it was no part of his plan to organize a separate religious party4 ,such parties were already too numerous4 ,at first it seems that he had no definite plan of action4 ,he had simply determined to use his strength in such ways as ,providence should open to him1 in putting an end to partyism1 by inducing the different denominations to unite together on the ,bible4 ,in this purpose many of his neighbors heartily sympathized with him1 though shrinking from the conclusions to which they were being irresistably driven4 ,at last the time seemed ripe for some forward movement4 ,he therefore determined to adopt what he believed to be the best course to promote the interest of his ,master's cause4 ,he saw that many of his hearers sincerely1 some ardently1 had accepted the principles he was advocating and were constant in attendance on his ministry4 ,he consequently proposed to them that they meet together and consult on the best method to give more order1 definiteness and permanency to their efforts4 ,this met with ready and general approbation4 ,a day was named and at the appointed hour a large company assembled in an old farmhouse in the neighborhood4 ,the company was composed of thoughtful men and women1 deeply conscious of the importance of the occasion4 ,they were plain1 hard-working pioneers1 but they were men and women of faith1 whose hearts were pained at the division into warring sects and parties4 ,though belonging to different religious parties1 they had met to seek a pathway of closer fellowship4 ,a feeling of deep solemnity pervaded the entire assembly1 when at length ,mr4 ,campbell arose to address them4 ,the theme of the occasion had grown to be the burden of his heart4 ,he gave a clear exposition of the situation and of the object of the assembly4 ,the events that had led to the calling of this meeting1 well understood by all1 had made a deep impression upon them4 ,the discourse was a strong argument against sectarian divisions and in behalf of ,christian unity on the ,bible as the only infallible standard of doctrine and practice1 to the rejection of all human traditions4 ,he concluded this remarkable discourse by urging with great earnestness the adoption of the following principles as the rule of their future action and life as ,christians3 ,where the ,scriptures speak1 we speak2 where the ,scriptures are silent1 we are silent4 ,this bold maxim was so just that no one of the audience1 prepared as they were by previous teaching1 could for a moment hesitate to accept it as right4 ,these people could not help seeing the effect of this law on some of the most familiar practices of the denominations to which most of them belonged4 ,,the ,,declaration ,,and ,,address ,this discourse to which reference has been made1 closed with3 ,where the ,scriptures speak1 we speak2 where the ,scriptures are silent1 we are silent1 and produced a profound impression on the audience4 ,the majority of the audience were ready1 unhesitatingly1 to give a hearty assent to this great declaration4 ,but the troublesome question arose1 ,where will it lead us8 ,when ,mr4 ,campbell had concluded1 opportunity was given for free expression of views1 whereupon ,andrew ,munro1 a shrewd ,scotch ,seceder1 arose and said3 ,mr4 ,campbell1 if we adopt that as a basis1 then there is an end of infant baptism4 ,this remark and the manifest conviction that it carried with it1 produced a great sensation1 for the whole audience was composed of pedobaptists who cherish infant baptism as one of their cardinal doctrines4 ,of course1 said ,mr4 ,campbell1 in reply1 if infant baptism is not found in ,scripture we can have nothing to do with it4 ,this bold declaration came like a new revelation to the audience4 ,thomas ,acheson1 one of ,mr4 ,campbell's closest friends1 in a very excited manner arose and said3 ,i hope ,i may never see the day when my heart will renounce that blessed saying of the ,scripture1 ',suffer the little children to come unto me1 and forbid them not1 for of such is the kingdom of heaven6' ,upon saying this he burst into tears1 and was about to retire to the adjoining room when ,james ,foster1 well informed in the ,scriptures1 called out1 ,mr4 ,acheson1 ,i would remark that in the portion of ,scripture you have quoted there is no reference to infant baptism4 ,without offering a reply ,mr4 ,acheson passed into the adjoining room to weep alone4 ,this new turn of things1 so unexpected to them1 did not lessen their confidence in the position they had taken1 or in the man who was leading them onward4 ,at the end of the conference the great principle was adopted without any real opposition4 ,it would have been difficult for them to object to a profession so manifestly loyal to ,god and so impregnably founded in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,the principle1 so universal in its application1 and its controlling authority in all things that concern the faith and practice of the followers of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 became henceforth the watchword and directive law of action of those endeavoring to restore apostolic ,christianity4 ,some of those who started out in this great movement1 when they saw more clearly the inevitable1 logical result of the great principle now adopted1 one after another broke off all connection with this work4 ,they now began to feel that in order to carry out with successful effect this noble purpose they must organize themselves into a well-ordered1 permanent association4 ,at a meeting held ,august #ag1 #ahji1 it was decided that they would formally unite themselves into a regular body1 under the name of ,the ,christian ,association of ,washington4 ,they then appointed twenty-one of their number to meet and confer together1 and1 with the assistance of ,thomas ,campbell1 to determine upon the proper means to carry into effect their purposes4 ,as it was found to be very inconvenient to hold meetings in private houses1 it was deemed advisable to provide some regular place of meeting4 ,the neighbors1 as was customary in those days1 all moved by good will for the excellent man and his purposes1 assembled and erected a log building three miles from ,mount ,pleasant1 ,washington ,county1 ,pa4 ,this building was designed1 also1 for the purpose of a common school1 which was much needed in that neighborhood4 ,no ecclesiastical aspirations1 no sectarian ambition1 no party purpose or name1 entered into the erection of this humble building4 ,the name and cause of ,christ alone prompted and sanctified the act of these honest souls4 ,near by1 in the house of ,mr4 ,welch1 a worthy farmer who was friendly to the association1 ,mr4 ,campbell had a home4 ,a little chamber upstairs was assigned to him as his apartment4 ,here he spent his leisure time in quiet study1 for he felt that he needed these days of undisturbed retirement to prepare himself to meet1 in wisdom and the fear of ,god1 the crisis through which he and those united with him were passing4 ,the writing with which he was at this time engaged was designed to set forth to the public at large1 in a clear and definite manner1 the character and purposes of the association4 ,in the prophet's chamber ,thomas ,campbell wrote the ,declaration and ,address which became so famous in the early history of the effort to restore apostolic ,christianity4 ,when it was finished he called a special meeting of the chief members and read it to them for their approval and adoption4 ,this meeting unanimously approved it and ordered its publication ,september #g1 #ahji4 ,this production is1 in its substance and spirit1 as well as in its vigorous and scholarly style1 the most notable historical production of the initiatory period of the effort to restore the apostolic church in its doctrine and practice1 and is worthy of diligent and thoughtful study at the present day4 ,it is proper1 therefore1 that ,i should note the essential principles therein set forth4 ,the admirable introduction setting forth and deploring the divided state among the professed followers of the ,savior concluded as follows3 ,our desire1 therefore1 for ourselves and our brethren would be that1 rejecting human opinions and the inventions of men as of any authority1 or as having any place in the ,church of ,god1 we might forever cease from further contentions about such things1 returning to and holding fast by the original standard1 taking the divine ,word alone for our rule1 the ,holy ,spirit for our teacher and guide to lead us into all truth1 and ,christ alone as exhibited in the ,word for our salvation2 and that by so doing we may be at peace among ourselves1 follow peace with all men and holiness1 without which no man shall see the ,lord4 ,then follows a statement of the purpose and program of the association3 ,to form a religious association for promoting simple and evangelical ,christianity1 under the name of the ,christian ,association of ,washington2 to contribute a certain sum to support a pure ,gospel ministry and supply the poor with the ,scriptures2 to encourage the formation of similar associations2 to consider itself not a church1 but as a church reformation society2 to countenance only such ministers as adhere closely to the example and precept of ,scripture in conduct and teaching2 to entrust the management of the association to a standing committee of twenty-one2 to hold two meetings a year2 to open each meeting with a sermon2 and to look to the friends of genuine ,christianity for the support of their work4 ,this is followed by the address1 with the following dedicatory heading3 ,to all that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 in sincerity1 throughout all the churches1 the following address is most respectfully submitted4 ,after an arraignment of the evils of divisions and an indictment of sectarianism1 he pleads with his dearly beloved brethren of all the churches to unite in the bonds of an entire ,christian unity--,christ alone being the head1 the center1 his word the rule2 and explicit belief of and manifest conformity to it in all things--the terms4 ,thus to come firmly and fairly to original ground1 and take up things just as the apostles left them4 ,in this way they could become disentangled from the accruing embarrassments of intervening ages1 and stand upon the same ground on which the church stood at the beginning4 ,here1 indeed1 was the startling proposition to begin anew--to begin at the beginning2 to ascend at once to the pure fountain of truth1 and to neglect and disregard1 as though they had never been1 the decrees of popes1 cardinals1 synods and assemblies1 and all the traditions and corruptions of an apostate church4 ,here was an effort not so much for the reformation of the church as was that of ,luther and of ,calvin and of ,haldanes1 but for its complete restoration at once to its pristine purity and perfection4 ,by coming at once to the primitive model and rejecting all human imaginations2 by submitting implicitly to the divine authority as plainly expressed in the ,scriptures1 and by disregarding all the assumptions and dictations of fallible men1 it was proposed to form a union upon a basis to which no valid objection could possibly be offered4 ,by this summary method the church was to be at once released from the controversies of eighteen centuries1 and from conflicting claims of all pretenders to apostolic thrones1 and the primitive ,gospel of salvation was to be disentangled and disembarrassed from all those corruptions and perversions which had heretofore delayed or arrested its progress4 ,there were certain fundamental truths of the nature of first principles1 truths demonstrably evident in the light of ,scripture and right reason1 which underly the proposal for a union of the professed followers of ,christ4 ,these are so interesting and important that ,i deem it wise to give them1 for they need to be diligently and profoundly studied by the present generation4 ,they are summed up in the following propositions3 #a4 ,that the ,church of ,christ upon earth is essentially1 intentionally and constitutionally one2 consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in ,christ and obedience to him in all things according to the ,scriptures1 and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct1 and of none else2 as none else can be truly and properly called ,christians4 #b4 ,that although the ,church of ,christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies1 locally separate one from another1 yet there ought to be no schisms1 no uncharitable divisions among them4 ,they ought to receive each other as ,christ ,jesus hath also received them1 to the glory of ,god4 ,and for this purpose they ought all to walk by the same rule1 to mind and speak the same thing1 and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment4 #c4 ,that in order to this nothing ought to be inculcated upon ,christians as articles of faith1 nor required of them as terms of communion1 but what is expressly taught and enjoined upon them in the ,word of ,god4 ,nor ought anything to be admitted as of divine obligation1 in their church constitution and management1 but what is expressly enjoined by the authority of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and his apostles upon the ,new ,testament ,church1 either in express terms or by approved precedent4 #d4 ,that although the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments are inseparably connected1 making together but one perfect and entire revelation of the divine will1 for the edification and salvation of the ,church1 and therefore in that respect can not be separated1 yet as to what directly and properly belongs to their immediate object1 the ,new ,testament is as perfect a constitution for the worship1 discipline and government of the ,new ,testament ,church1 and as perfect a rule for the particular duties of its members1 as the ,old ,testament was for the worship1 discipline and government of the ,old ,testament ,church1 and the particular duties of its members4 #e4 ,that with respect to the commands and ordinances of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 where the ,scriptures are silent as to the express time or manner of performance1 if any such there be1 no human authority has power to interfere1 in order to supply deficiency by making laws for the ,church2 nor can anything more be required of ,christians in such cases1 but only that they so observe these commands and ordinances as will evidently answer the declared and obvious end of their institution4 ,much less have any human authority power to impose new commands or ordinances upon the ,church1 which our ,lord ,jesus ,christ has not enjoined4 ,nothing ought to be received into the faith or worship of the ,church1 or be made a term of communion among ,christians1 that is not as old as the ,new ,testament4 #f4 ,that although inferences and deductions from ,scripture premises1 when fairly inferred1 may be truly called the doctrine of ,god's holy ,word1 yet are they not formally binding upon the consciences of ,christians farther than they perceive the connection1 and evidently see that they are so2 for their faith must not stand in the wisdom of men1 but in the power and veracity of ,god4 ,therefore no such deductions can be made the terms of communion1 but do properly belong to the after and progressive edification of the ,church4 ,hence1 it is evident that no such deductions or inferential truth ought to have any place in the ,church's confession4 #g4 ,that although doctrinal exhibitions of the great system of divine truths and defensive testimonies in opposition to prevailing errors be highly expedient1 and the more full and explicit they be for those purposes the better2 yet1 as these must be in a great measure the effect of human reasoning1 and of course must contain many inferential truths1 they ought not to be made terms of ,christian communion1 unless we suppose1 what is contrary to fact1 that none have a right to the communion of the ,church1 but such as possess a very clear and decisive judgment1 or are come to a very high degree of doctrinal information2 whereas the ,church from the beginning did1 and ever will1 consist of little children and young men1 as well as fathers4 #h4 ,that as it is not necessary that persons should have a particular knowledge or distinct apprehension of all divinely-revealed truths in order to entitle them to a place in the ,church1 neither should they1 for this purpose1 be required to make a profession more extensive than their knowledge2 but that1 on the contrary1 their having a due measure of scriptural self-knowledge respecting their lost and perishing condition by nature and practice1 and of the way of salvation through ,jesus ,christ1 accompanied with a profession of their faith in the obedience to him1 in all things1 according to his ,word1 is all that is absolutely necessary to qualify them for admission into his ,church4 #i4 ,that all who are able through grace to make such a profession1 and to manifest the reality of it in their tempers and conduct1 should consider each other as the precious saints of ,god1 should love each other as brethren1 children of the same family and ,father1 temples of the same ,spirit1 members of the same body1 subjects of the same grace1 objects of the same divine love1 bought with the same price1 and joint-heirs of the same inheritance4 ,whom ,god hath thus joined together no man should dare put asunder4 #aj4 ,that divisions among the ,christians is a horrid evil1 fraught with many evils4 ,it is anti-,christian1 as it destroys the visible unity of the body of ,christ2 as if he were divided against himself1 excluding and excommunicating a part of himself4 ,it is anti-scriptural1 as being strictly prohibited by his sovereign authority1 a direct violation of his express command4 ,it is anti-natural1 as it excites ,christians to condemn1 to hate and oppose one another1 where bound by the highest and most endearing obligation to love each other as brethren1 even as ,christ has loved them4 ,in a word1 it is productive of confusion and of every evil work4 #aa4 ,that 7in some instances7 a partial neglect of the expressly revealed will of ,god1 and 7in others7 an assumed authority for making the approbation of human opinions and of human inventions a term of communion1 by introducing them into the constitution1 faith or worship of the ,church1 are1 and have been1 the immediate1 obvious and universally acknowledged causes of all corruptions and divisions that ever have taken place in the ,church of ,god4 #ab4 ,that all that is necessary to the highest state of perfection and purity of the ,church upon earth is1 first1 that none be received as members1 but such as1 having that due measure of scriptural self-knowledge described above1 do profess their faith in ,christ and obedience to him in all things according to the ,scriptures2 nor1 secondly1 that any be retained in her communion longer than they continue to manifest the reality of their profession by their temper and conduct4 ,thirdly1 that her ministers1 duly and scripturally qualified1 inculcate none other things than those very articles of faith and holiness expressly revealed and enjoined in the ,word of ,god4 ,lastly1 that in all their administrations they keep close by the observance of all divine ordinances1 after the example of the primitive ,church1 exhibited in the ,new ,testament1 without any additions whatever of human opinions or inventions of men4 #ac4 ,lastly1 that if any circumstantials indispensably necessary to the observance of divine ordinances be not found upon the pages of express revelation1 such1 and such only1 as are absolutely necessary for this purpose should be adopted under the title of human expedients1 without any pretense to a more sacred origin1 so that any subsequent alteration or difference in the observance of these things might produce no contention nor division in the ,church4 7,memoirs of ,thomas ,campbell1 pages #dh-eb47 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,alexander ,,campbell ,alexander ,campbell1 the son1 arrived in this country ,september #bi1 #ahji1 just as the proof sheets of the ,declaration and ,address were coming from the press1 and as a matter of the first concern with him1 ,thomas ,campbell gave a full detail of the events already related to his son1 and desired especially that he should read and consider the ,declaration and ,address4 ,this ,alexander did1 and fell in heartily with the action of his father and the principles set forth therein4 ,a new world of thought and life was now opened to him4 ,he had spent one of the two years of separation in study at the ,university of ,glasgow1 where his father had formerly studied1 and while there came more intimately under the influence of the new ideas and movements of the country4 ,there he had met ,greville ,ewing1 the ,haldanes1 and other religious leaders of the time who were pressing for larger liberty of religious service under the rule of a stricter conformity to the ,scriptures1 and had in a large measure imbibed these principles4 ,he had not had the courage to write to his father of his change of convictions from the old church1 and now feared that his changed course would bring him deep pain4 ,in this attitude of mind the meeting between father and son took place4 ,happy was the surprise when each learned that the other no longer adhered to the old religious party in which they had been reared4 ,,subject ,,and ,,act ,,of ,,baptism ,,settled ,while reading the proof sheets of the ,declaration and ,address1 ,alexander ,campbell had a conversation on the principles set forth therein with a ,mr4 ,riddle1 of the ,presbyterian ,church1 whom he accidentally met4 ,when the proposition that nothing should be required as a matter of faith or duty for which a ',thus saith the ,lord' could not be produced either in express terms or by approved precedent1 was introduced1 ,mr4 ,riddle very promptly replied that the words1 however plausible in appearance1 were not sound2 for if that were followed it would be necessary to abandon infant baptism4 ,to which he replied1 ,why1 sir1 is there in the ,scriptures no express precept nor precedent for infant baptism8 ,not one1 sir1 was the prompt reply4 ,this reply startled and mortified ,mr4 ,campbell1 and shortly afterward he mentioned the suggested difficulty to his father1 who replied1 ,we make our appeal to the law and the testimony4 ,whatever is not found therein must of course be abandoned4 ,not willing to remain in uncertainty on the subject1 he procured all the books and tracts he could favorable to the practice4 ,on reading them he was disgusted with the assumptions and fallacious reasonings to sustain the practice1 and threw them aside with the faint hope of finding something more convincing in the ,greek ,new ,testament4 ,this1 however1 only made the matter worse1 and upon again entering into a conversation with his father on the subject he found him entirely willing to admit that there were neither 'express terms' nor 'precedent' to authorize the practice4 ',but1' said he1 'as for those who are already members of the church and participants of the ,lord's ,supper1 ,i can see no propriety1 even if the scriptural evidence for infant baptism be found deficient1 in their unchurching or paganizing themselves1 or in putting off ,christ1 merely for the sake of making a new profession2 thus going out of the church merely for the sake of coming in again4' ,from this it seems that he was disposed only to concede that they ought not to teach nor practice infant baptism without divine authority1 and that they should preach and practice scriptural baptism in regard to all who were to make1 for the first time1 a profession of faith4 ,in deference to his views1 the son dismissed the subject for the time1 seemingly satisfied with the fallacious reasoning imposed by circumstances1 which prevented his father from seeing then the real position which baptism occupied in the ,christian economy1 and consequently from making1 in regard to it1 a practical application of his own principles4 ,with this ,alexander ,campbell seems to have suspended his investigation of the subject1 and to have foreborne giving to it that impartial and continued attention necessary to the discovery of truth4 ,in a discourse delivered ,june #e1 #ahaa1 on ,christ's commission to his apostles 7,mark #af3ae1af71 he said1 in reference to baptism3 ,as ,i am sure it is unscriptural to make this matter baptism a term of communion1 ,i let it slip4 ,i wish to think and let think on these matters4 ,but circumstances came up later which compelled him to give it a most painstaking examination4 ,he was married ,march #ab1 #ahaa1 and on ,march #ac1 #ahab1 his first child was born4 ,soon after this event a great change took place in his views in regard to baptism4 ,his wife1 with her father and mother1 was still a member of the ,presbyterian ,church1 and1 as the child grew1 it was natural that the subject of infant baptism should become one of immediate practical interest4 ,as viewed from the viewpoint of his early education1 infant baptism was a rite justified1 inferentially at least1 and not to be neglected2 but viewed from the principles set forth in the ,declaration and ,address it possessed no divine authority1 yet as an ancient and venerated practice1 and for the sake of peace1 it seemed to his father and to himself expedient to allow its continuance in the case of such members as conscientiously believed it proper4 ,most of the members of the church1 furthermore1 supposed themselves to have been baptized into the church in their infancy4 ,from the occasional discussions of the subject among the members of the ,brush ,run ,church1 there was an increasing conviction on the part of many that baptism was a matter of much more importance than had been generally supposed1 and now his changed relationship caused him to share in this conviction4 ,admitting that infant baptism is without divine warrant assumed a very different aspect1 and was no longer1 ,may we safely reject infant baptism as a mere human invention8 but1 ,may we omit believers' baptism1 which all admit to be divinely commanded8 ,in other words1 if infant baptism is without divine warrant1 it is invalid1 and they who receive it are as a matter of fact still unbaptized4 ,when they come to know this in after years1 will ,god accept the credulity of the parent for the faith of the child8 ,men may be pleased to omit faith on the part of the person baptized1 but will ,god sanction the omission of baptism on the part of the believer1 on the ground that in his infancy he had been the subject of a ceremony which had not been enjoined8 ,on the other hand1 if the practice of infant baptism can be justified by inferential reasoning on any sufficient evidence1 why should it not be adopted or continued by common consent1 without further discussion8 ,such were some of the thoughts which at this time passed through the mind of ,alexander ,campbell4 ,desiring to maintain a conscience void of offense toward ,god and men1 and sensible of the responsibilities resting upon him in the new relationship which he sustained as a father1 he was led to think more earnestly and seriously upon the whole subject1 so that he might not come short in any duty that ,god had placed upon him4 ,at this point he parted company with all uninspired authorities and turned to the ,greek ,new ,testament and diligently applied himself to the meaning of the words translated into the ,english by the words baptize and baptism1 and soon became thoroughly satisfied that the act indicated by them could not be performed short of a burial of the subject in water4 ,by further investigations he was led to the strong conviction that believers1 and believers only1 were the scriptural subjects of the ordinance4 ,he now fully perceived that the rite of sprinkling to which he had been subjected in infancy was wholly unauthorized1 and that he was1 consequently1 in point of fact1 an unbaptized person1 and hence could not consistently preach a baptism to others of which he had never been a subject himself4 ,the subject was of such serious and anxious inquiry that he frequently conversed with his wife on the subject2 she also became interested in it1 and finally reached the same conclusion4 ,having now reached such a definite conclusion in regard to the matter1 he could not long refrain from putting his convictions into practice1 so he resolved to obey what he now found to be a positive1 divine command4 ,some time prior to this he had formed an acquaintance with ,matthias ,luce1 a ,baptist preacher1 who lived some thirty miles distant1 to whom he now decided to apply to perform the rite4 ,on his way to see him he called to see his father and the family4 ,soon after his arrival his sister1 ,dorothea1 took him aside and told him that she had been in great trouble for some time in regard to the validity of her baptism1 as she could find no authority whatever in the ,new ,testament for infant baptism1 and as she had received nothing else1 could not resist the conviction that she had never been baptized1 and requested him to lay her difficulties before her father4 ,to this unexpected announcement he responded that he also had reached the same conclusion and was then on his way to arrange with ,mr4 ,luce to immerse him1 and that he would lay the whole matter before their father4 ,accordingly he sought and obtained an interview with him2 discussed the subject at some length1 and concluded with these words3 ,i now fully and conscientiously believe that ,i have never been baptized1 and consequently ,i am1 in point of fact1 an unbaptized person2 and hence can not consistently preach baptism to others1 as ,i have never submitted to it myself4 ,to this his father responded1 ,i have1 then1 nothing further to add4 ,you must please yourself4 ,as ,alexander was leaving the next morning1 his father said3 ,when1 where1 and by whom do you intend to be immersed8 ,to which ,alexander replied3 ,as to the place1 ,i prefer to be baptized near home1 among those who are accustomed to hear my preaching2 as to the time1 just as soon as ,i can make arrangements with a suitable ,baptist preacher4 ,i will let you know as soon as ,i make the necessary arrangements4 ,the interview with ,mr4 ,luce was satisfactory and everything was satisfactorily arranged4 ,mr4 ,richardson gives the following interesting account of the baptism3 ,wednesday1 ,june #ab1 #ahab1 having been selected1 ,elder ,luce1 in company with ,elder ,henry ,spears1 called at ,thomas ,campbell's on their way to the place chosen for the immersion1 which was the deep pool in ,buffalo ,creek1 where three members of the ,association had formerly been baptized4 ,next morning1 as they were setting out1 ,thomas ,campbell simply remarked that ,mrs4 ,campbell had put up a change of raiment for herself and him1 which was the first intimation that they also intended to be immersed4 ,upon arriving at the place1 as the greater part of the ,brush ,run ,church1 with a large concourse of others1 attracted by the novelty of the occasion1 were assembled at ,david ,bryant's house1 near the place1 ,thomas ,campbell thought it proper to present1 in full1 the reasons which had determined his course4 ,in a long address he reviewed the entire ground which he had occupied1 and the struggles that he had undergone in reference to the particular subject of baptism1 which he had earnestly desired to dispose of1 in such a manner that it might be no hindrance in the attainment of that ,christian unity which he had labored to establish on the ,bible alone4 ,in endeavoring to do this he admitted that he had been led to overlook its importance1 and the very many plain and obvious teachings of the ,scriptures on the subject2 but having at length attained a clearer view of duty1 he felt it incumbent upon him to submit to what he now saw an important ,divine institution4 ,alexander afterwards followed with an extended defense of their proceedings1 urging the necessity of submitting implicitly to all ,god's commandments1 and showing that the baptism of believers only was authorized by the ,word of ,god4 ,in his remarks1 he had quoted1 among other scriptures1 the command of ,peter to the believers on the day of ,pentecost3 ,repent and be baptized1 every one of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the remission of sins1 and you shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit2 and had dwelt at length upon the gracious promises of ,god to all who should obey him4 ,when he had concluded1 ,james ,hanan1 who1 with his wife1 had also concluded to be baptized1 took his child from its mother's arms and requested her to walk aside1 asked her what she thought of the declaration of ,peter1 ,you shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and how she understood it4 ,mrs4 ,hanan1 being well acquainted with the ,scriptures1 soon gave a satisfactory reply1 and both were accordingly baptized along with the rest1 consisting of ,alexander ,campbell and his wife1 his father and mother1 and his sister--in all1 seven persons4 ,alexander had stipulated with ,elder ,luce that the ceremony should be performed precisely according to the pattern given in the ,new ,testament1 and that1 as there was no account of any of the first converts being called upon to give what is called a religious experience1 this modern custom should be omitted1 and that the candidates should be admitted on the simple confession that ,jesus ,christ is the ,son of ,god4 ,these points he had fully discussed with ,luce during the evening spent at his house when he first went up to request his attendance1 and they had been arranged as he desired4 ,elder ,luce had1 indeed1 at first objected to these changes1 as being contrary to ,baptist usage1 but finally consented1 remarking that he believed they were right1 and he would run the risk of censure4 ,there were not1 therefore1 upon this occasion1 any of the usual forms of receiving persons into the ,church upon a detailed account of religious feelings and impressions4444 ,all were1 therefore1 admitted to immersion upon making the simple confession of ,christ required of the converts in the apostolic times4 ,the meeting1 it is related1 continued seven hours4 7,memoirs of ,a4 ,campbell1 ,vol4 ,i1 pages #cif-cih47 ,within a week of the immersion of the ,campbells and their group1 thirteen other members of the ,brush ,run ,church asked to be immersed1 and it was done by ,thomas ,campbell1 upon a simple confession of their faith in ,jesus ,christ as the ,son of ,god4 ,it was not long before the entire church of thirty or more members were immersed1 for those who did not accept immersion withdrew from the church and united with some of the denominations in the community4 ,immersion became a condition of union and communion with the ,brush ,run ,church4 ,its conversion into a company of immersed believers did not bring them any favor from the pedobaptist churches of the community4 ,the ,brush ,run ,church had come to its position under the guidance of primitive apostolic example and its application to every item of faith and practice which is adopted in its order4 ,it was not seeking agreement with any religious body1 but the old paths1 agreement with the original standard1 that it might come fairly and firmly to original ground upon clear and certain premises1 and take up things just as the apostles left them4 ,it was feeling its way and making sure of its ground as it went4 ,it knew of no religious body that stood upon original ground2 none that dared to return to the original standard4 ,the sense of freedom which it enjoyed in being bound only by the ,new ,testament with respect to all doctrines and practices1 was equaled only by the sense of certainty it enjoyed in being infallibly guided by the ,new ,testament to the true conditions of unity and communion4 ,,the ,,redstone ,,association ,as was to be expected1 the attitude of the ,brush ,run ,church in becoming a body of immersed believers awakened a storm of opposition from the pedobaptist ranks1 and its members became the subjects of no little persecution4 ,misrepresentations of all kinds1 were freely circulated among the people4 ,family and friendship ties were broken1 and the common civilities of society were denied to this new order of heretics4 ,it is related that ,alexander ,campbell1 returning after nightfall from one of his appointments about this time1 was overtaken by a violent storm4 ,calling at the house of a member of the ,seceder ,church1 he asked for shelter from the violence of the storm4 ,before granting his request she desired to know his name4 ,on being informed she promptly refused him admittance1 giving as her reason her hostility to his religious views4 ,so he was forced to continue his journey through an almost trackless forest1 until he reached his home4 ,these trials1 so far from discouraging this feeble band of earnest searchers for the truth1 served rather to strengthen their faith and zeal4 ,convinced of the correctness of their course1 they were drawn more closely to each other by the petty persecutions which they were now called upon to suffer4 ,they often visited each other's houses1 frequently spending the greater portion of the night in social prayer1 in searching the ,scriptures1 asking and answering questions1 and singing hymns of praise4 ,thus was laid1 in obscurity and adversity1 the foundation of the great work of returning to the example of the primitive ,christians exhibited in the ,new ,testament2 without any addition whatever of human opinions or inventions of men4 ,a new situation now confronted them4 ,when the ,baptists heard of the action of the ,brush ,run ,church in submitting to immersion and adopting it in their practice1 they were highly elated and began to urge the church to join the ,redstone ,association1 which embraced all the ,baptist churches of that region4 ,alexander ,campbell had not been favorably impressed with the ,baptists1 either as ministers or people1 and had no idea of uniting with them4 ,he1 however1 liked the people better1 and the preachers less1 the more he became acquainted with them4 ,he did not press himself upon their attention1 but they knew his power as a preacher and often sent for him to preach for them4 ,he visited their association which convened at ,uniontown1 ,pa41 in the autumn of #ahab4 ,he went as a spectator1 and returned more disgusted than when he went4 ,he was invited to preach1 but he declined1 except one evening in a private family1 to a dozen preachers and twice as many laymen4 ,he returned home not intending ever to visit another association4 ,later on he learned that the ,baptists themselves did not appreciate the preaching or the preachers of that association4 ,they regarded the speakers as worse than usual1 and their discourses as not at all edifying4 ,then they pressed on ,mr4 ,campbell from every quarter to visit their churches1 and preach for them4 ,he often spoke to ,baptist congregations for sixty miles around4 ,the matter of joining the ,redstone ,association was laid before the ,brush ,run ,church in the fall of #ahac4 ,they discussed the propriety of the measure4 ,after much discussion and earnest desire to be directed by the wisdom that cometh down from above1 they finally concluded to make an overture to that effect1 and to write out a full view of their sentiments1 wishes and determinations on the subject4 ,they did so1 exhibiting their remonstrance against all human creeds as bonds of communion and union among ,christians1 and expressing a willingness1 upon certain conditions1 to co-operate or unite with that association1 provided always that they should be allowed to teach and preach whatever they learned from the ,holy ,scriptures1 regardless of any creed or formula in ,christendom4 ,the proposition was discussed at the association1 and1 after much debate1 was decided by a good majority in favor of their being received4 ,thus a union was formed4 ,but the party opposed1 though small1 began early to work1 and continued with a perseverance worthy of a better cause4 ,but for three years they could do nothing4 ,the situation in which ,mr4 ,campbell found himself1 soon after his connection with the ,redstone ,association of the ,baptist churches1 was not at all inviting4 ,the originality of his method in dealing with the ,scriptures1 and his utter disregard for customs1 however time-honored1 which were not sanctioned by primitive precept or example1 awakened the suspicion of the more narrow-minded of the ,baptist preachers1 who were not slow in manifesting their disapproval4 ,his popularity among the churches of the association no doubt added to their displeasure1 and at every opportunity he was made to feel the sting of their resentment4 ,this hostility1 which at first manifested itself in slights and little annoyances1 at last led to an open attack upon his teachings4 ,when the association met at ,cross ,creek in ,august1 #ahaf1 in spite of the intrigues of his enemies he was appointed as one of the speakers1 on which occasion he preached his great ,sermon on the ,law4 ,in that discourse he sharply discriminated between the law of ,moses and the ,gospel1 showing that the former had served its purpose1 and that its authority had passed away when the kingdom of the ,messiah was established4 ,this marked another important advance in the progress of the efforts to return to apostolic ,christianity4 ,the distinction between the law and the ,gospel1 the old covenant and the new1 the letter and the spirit1 the ,jewish commonwealth and the kingdom1 had been greatly obscured in popular thought4 ,it was claimed that the law was still alive1 and that ,christians come under its provisions as such1 with the exception of its strictly ceremonial parts1 and that the church under the ,christian dispensation is the same that existed under the ,jewish dispensation4 ,the sermon1 though containing but plain ,scripture teaching1 was such a bold assault upon the theology and style of preaching current among the ,baptists that it created a great sensation in the association1 and raised a storm of persecution4 ,the common people were1 for the most part1 pleased with his simple1 natural presentation of the truth1 but this only added fuel to the flame of bitterness which some of the preachers cherished against him4 ,this will never do1 they said1 this is not our doctrine4 ,in consequence of the views presented in this sermon1 ,mr4 ,campbell was brought up for trial and condemnation at the next meeting of the association in the autumn of #ahag4 ,at that time but few were ready to accept the conclusion in the sermon1 and the actual adherents of the teaching1 scattered among the ,baptists of three ,states1 did not number more than one hundred and fifty persons2 but notwithstanding this feeble support1 upon investigation he was acquitted of the charge made against him4 ,opposition to him increased in the ,redstone ,association1 and some of the preachers determined to manufacture a sentiment that would thrust him out when the association should meet in ,september1 #ahbc4 ,in pursuance of this purpose certain influential men canvassed all the churches and secured the appointment of messengers who were in sympathy with themselves in opposition to ,mr4 ,campbell2 and when the association met all things were in readiness to exclude the author of the ,sermon on the ,law from the fellowship of the association4 ,but to the astonishment and chagrin of the plotters1 when the letter from the ,brush ,run ,church was read1 ,mr4 ,campbell1 though present1 was not mentioned as a messenger4 ,this cooled the ardor of his enemies who had hoped to close ,baptist ears against him by a decree of excommunication1 and crush his influence generally by putting him in the discreditable position of one expelled from the association4 ,a motion being made to invite him to a seat in the body1 his enemies opposed it1 and demanded to know why he had not been sent as a messenger4 ,after much discussion ,mr4 ,campbell relieved the situation by stating that the church of which he was then a member did not belong to the ,redstone ,association4 ,in describing the chagrin of his enemies when this announcement was made1 ,mr4 ,campbell says3 ,never did hunters1 on seeing the game unexpectedly escape from their toils at the moment when its capture was sure1 glare upon each other a more mortifying disappointment than that indicated by my pursuers at that instant1 on hearing that ,i was out of their bailiwick1 and consequently out of their jurisdiction4 ,a solemn stillness ensued1 and for a time all parties seemed to have nothing to do4 ,foreseeing the storm that was gathering1 and learning1 just a few weeks before the time for the association to convene1 the plans that were being so industriously laid to exclude him from the association1 he determined to defeat the project in a way which his enemies little expected1 but which was in strict accordance with ,baptist usage4 ,as he had been frequently solicited by ,adomson ,bently to leave the ,redstone ,association and unite with the ,mahoning1 and as a number of the members of the ,brush ,run ,church lived in ,wellsburg and vicinity1 he decided this was an opportune time to form a separate congregation in which he would have his membership1 and which might afterward unite with the ,mahoning ,association4 ,he announced1 therefore1 to the church at ,brush ,run that he desired from them letters of dismission for himself and some thirty other members in order to constitute a church at ,wellsburg4 ,this request was granted and a congregation was at once formed in the town of ,wellsburg1 and continued to assemble regularly ever afterward in the house which had been previously erected for that purpose4 ,thus were the unrighteous attempts of wicked men defeated4 ,a ,,wider ,,field ,shortly before the events already mentioned1 ,mr4 ,campbell was very unexpectedly drawn into a discussion with ,john ,walker1 a minister of the ,seceder ,presbyterian ,church4 ,it came about in this way3 ,the jealousy of rival religious parties at ,mount ,pleasant1 ,ohio1 led to a controversy between ,mr4 ,walker and ,mr4 ,birch1 a ,baptist preacher1 which ended in a challenge by ,mr4 ,walker to meet any ,baptist preacher of good standing in the public discussion of the question of baptism4 ,the high opinion entertained throughout that region for ,mr4 ,campbell's ability led to his selection as the most suitable champion of the ,baptist cause4 ,owing to the circumstances under which he was placed1 he did not give an immediate answer4 ,in the meantime ,mr4 ,birch renewed the appeal1 and finally made it more urgent by stating that it was the unanimous wish of all the ,baptist churches throughout that region that he should be their representative in the discussion4 ,being thus called upon by the church1 and urged by personal friends1 he could no longer refuse to yield to his own convictions of public duty4 ,his hesitancy was not due to his own disinclination1 but in deference to his father1 who did not regard public debates the proper method of proceeding in contending for the faith once delivered to the saints4 ,he1 however1 finally succeeded in convincing his father that1 however much the usual unprofitable debates upon human theories were to be deplored and avoided1 no objection could lie against a public defense of revealed truth1 for which the ,scriptures afforded abundant precedent4 ,having gained this point with his father1 he finally informed ,mr4 ,birch of his willingness to enter the discussion4 ,all preliminaries having been arranged1 the discussion began on ,monday morning1 ,june #ai1 #ahbj1 at ,mount ,pleasant1 ,ohio4 ,it was attended by a large concourse of people and created great interest4 ,mr4 ,walker's first speech was very brief1 and as it gives the gist of his whole contention throughout the debate1 ,i will give it in full3 ,my friends1 ,i do not intend to speak long at one time1 perhaps not more than five or ten minutes1 and will1 therefore1 come to the point at once3 ,i maintain that baptism came into the room of circumcision2 that the covenant on which the ,jewish ,church was built1 and to which circumcision is the seal1 is the same with the covenant on which the ,christian ,church is built1 and to which baptism is the seal2 that the ,jews and the ,christians are the same body politic under the same lawgiver and husband2 hence the ,jews were called the congregation of the ,lord2 and the bridegroom of the church says1 ,my love1 my undefiled is one--consequently the infants of believers have a right to baptism4 ,in response to this speech ,mr4 ,campbell said that the pedobaptists acted as if they did not themselves believe infant baptism to be true1 since1 in point of fact1 they did not put baptism in the room of circumcision1 as they did not confine it to males only and extend it to servants as well as to children1 perform it on the eighth day1 etc42 and then proceeded to point out various differences between the two institutions which rendered the supposed substitution of the one for the other impossible4 ,among these he particularizes the fact that circumcision required only carnal descent from ,abraham1 but that baptism demanded faith in ,christ as its indispensable prerequisite2 and that baptism differed from circumcision in the nature of the blessings it conveyed1 which were spiritual and not temporal3 ,baptism is connected with the promise of the remission of sins and the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this utterance is his first public recognition of the importance of baptism4 ,while he then distinctly perceived and asserted a scriptural connection between baptism and remission of sins1 he seems at this time to have viewed it only in the light of an argument and to have but a faint conception of its great practical importance in the economy of grace4 ,as the discussion proceeded1 all recognized that he was an invincible defender of what he believed the ,scriptures taught4 ,his whole training had fitted him for such an arena4 ,his liberal education1 his extensive reading1 his wonderful memory1 his faultless diction1 his remarkable self-control1 sustained as they were by deep earnestness of purpose1 gave him at once a vantage ground which he never relinquished4 ,but such was the originality of his method in handling the truth and his freedom from the accepted terms of the theological schools that even the victory1 which was universally admitted to be with him1 was not accepted by many of the ,baptists as an unmixed blessing4 ,the opportunities and issues of the debate were such as to convince ,mr4 ,campbell of its practical utility in disseminating the truth and he gave the following challenge in his concluding speech4 ,i this day publish to all present that ,i feel disposed to meet any pedobaptist minister of any denomination1 of good standing in his party1 and ,i engage to prove in a debate with him1 either orally or with the pen1 that infant sprinkling is a human tradition and injurious to the well-being of society1 religious and political4 ,such a challenge was well calculated to make a deep impression on all who heard it1 and this was what he designed it to do4 ,in the frankness of his independent spirit he1 from that time forward1 held himself in readiness to meet in public discussion any worthy champion who might rise in opposition to the truths he taught1 or in defense of popular religious error4 ,the effect of this discussion1 however1 was to aid ,mr4 ,campbell's growing reputation4 ,his fame was widely extended by the publication of the debate1 which was read by thousands1 and began soon to produce results far beyond his fondest hopes4 ,the printed debate circulated very widely among the ,baptists1 who felt that they had the best of the argument4 ,while some ,baptists remained extremely dubious in regard to the orthodoxy of their champion1 others took grateful pride in him1 and felt1 as one ,baptist declared1 that he had done more for the ,baptists in the ,west than any other man4 ,the printing and circulation of the debate opened the eyes of ,mr4 ,campbell to the power and usefulness of the press4 ,from that time forward he cherished the hope that he might do something upon a more extended scale to rouse the people from their spiritual lethargy4 ,step by step he had been brought to an eminence from which he could survey the wide field in which he was destined to labor1 and he now nerved himself for the undertaking4 ,after maturing his plans1 he conferred with his father and others concerning the advisability of issuing a monthly publication in the interest of religious truth4 ,they heartily approved his plan1 and he issued in the spring of #ahbc a prospectus for the work which he proposed to call ,the ,christian ,baptist4 ,in this prospectus the nature and objects of the publication were candidly and clearly stated1 as follows3 ,the ,christian ,baptist shall espouse the cause of no religious sect1 excepting that ancient sect called ,christians first at ,antioch4 ,its sole object shall be the eviction of the truth and the exposing of error in doctrine and practice4 ,the editor1 acknowledging no standard of religious faith or works other than the ,old and ,new ,testament1 and the latter as the only standard of the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 will1 intentionally at least1 oppose nothing which it contains1 and recommend nothing which it does not enjoin4 ,having no worldly interest at stake from the adoption or reprobation of any articles of faith or religious practice1 having no gift nor religious emolument to blind his eyes or to pervert his judgment1 he hopes to manifest that he is an impartial advocate of truth4 ,he dedicated the work to all those1 without distinction1 who acknowledge the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments to be a true revelation from ,god1 and the ,new ,testament as containing the religion of ,jesus ,christ2 who1 willing to have all religious tenets and practices tried by the divine ,word1 and who1 feeling themselves in duty bound to search the ,scripture for themselves in all matters of religion1 are disposed to reject all doctrine and commandments of men1 and to obey the truth1 holding fast the faith once delivered to the saints4 ,the ,campbell-,mc,calla ,discussion ,while making preparations to issue ,the ,christian ,baptist1 he received a letter from ,mr4 ,mc,calla1 a ,presbyterian preacher of ,augusta1 ,ky41 accepting his challenge given at the conclusion of the ,walker debate4 ,mr4 ,mc,calla had been a lawyer and had gained a high reputation among the ,presbyterians for his polemical powers4 ,it was therefore greatly desired by his friends and the pedobaptists of the community that he should have an opportunity to retrieve1 if possible1 the injury which had been done to their cause by the generally-admitted failure of ,mr4 ,walker4 ,after having ascertained his standing1 ,mr4 ,campbell agreed to meet him1 and arrangements were made for the discussion to take place at ,washington1 ,ky41 beginning ,october #ae1 #ahbc4 ,as the ,ohio ,river was too low for navigation at the time1 ,mr4 ,campbell made the entire distance of about three hundred miles on horseback4 ,here1 as in his former discussion1 the entire bearing of the baptismal question was carefully canvassed4 ,each controverted point was hotly contested in the presence of a vast assemblage1 which had been drawn together by ,mr4 ,campbell's reputation and their own interest in the question at issue4 ,during this discussion1 which continued seven days1 in addition to his defense of the scriptural act and subject of baptism1 the design and importance were set forth and examined in a systematic form1 and with such critical ability as to astonish his hearers4 ,in the discussion with ,walker he barely touched the design of baptism1 but either during that debate or while transcribing it for publication1 an impression was made on his mind that it had a very important meaning and that it was in some way connected with remission of sins1 but he was so engaged in other matters that it passed out of his mind till he received the challenge to meet ,mc,calla in debate1 when he resolved to settle its true import before he ever debated the subject again4 ,in the investigation1 he examined the ,new ,testament with great care and discussed the subject with his father for several months1 and formed his conclusion after thorough examination and reflection1 and after he saw that it was the way marked out by the ,holy ,spirit he had no hesitancy1 on the second day of the debate with ,mc,calla1 in saying3 ,our third argument is deduced from the design or import of baptism4 ,on this topic of argument we shall be as full as possible1 because of its great importance1 and because perhaps neither ,baptists nor ,pedobaptists sufficiently appreciate it4 ,i will first merely refer to the oracles of ,god1 which show that baptism is an ordinance of the greatest importance and of momentous significance4 ,never was there an ordinance of so great import or design4 ,it is to be but once administered4 ,we are to pray often1 praise often1 show forth the ,lord's death often1 commemorate his resurrection every week1 but we are to be baptized but once4 ,its great significance can be seen from the following testimonies3 ,the ,lord saith1 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved 7,mark #af3af74 ,he does not say1 ,he that believeth and keeps my commandments shall be saved1 but he saith1 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,he placeth baptism on the right hand of faith4 ,again1 he tells ,nicodemus that unless a man be born of water and of the ,spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,peter1 on the day of ,pentecost1 places baptism in the same exalted place4 ,repent1 says he1 and be baptized1 every one of you1 for the remission of sins 7,acts #b3ch74 ,ananias saith to ,paul1 ,arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins1 calling upon the name of the ,lord 7,acts #bb3af74 ,paul saith to the ,corinthians1 ,ye were once fornicators1 idolaters1 adulterers1 effeminate1 thieves1 covetous1 drunkards1 rioters1 extortioners1 but ye are washed in the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 doubtless referring to their baptism4 ,he tells ,titus1 ,god our ,father saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the ,holy ,spirit 7,titus #c3e74 ,see again its dignified importance4 ,peter finishes the grand climax in praise of baptism3 ,baptism doth now also save us 444 by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ from the dead 7,i ,peter #c3ba74 ,it was this view of baptism misapplied that originated infant baptism4 ,the first errorists on this subject argued that if baptism was so necessary for the remission of sins1 it should be administered to infants1 whom they represented as in great need of it on account of their original sin4 ,affectionate parents1 believing their children to be guilty of original sin1 were easily persuaded to have them baptized for the remission of original sin1 not for washing away sins actually committed4 ,faith in ,christ is necessary to forgiveness of sins1 therefore baptism without faith is an unmeaning ceremony4 ,our argument from this topic is1 that baptism being ordained to be to a believer a formal and personal remission of all his sins1 can not be administered unto an infant without the gravest perversion and abuse of the nature and import of this ordinance4 ,indeed1 why should an infant that never sinned--that1 as ,calvinists say1 is guilty only of original sin1 which is a unit--be baptized for the remission of sins8 7,campbell-,mc,calla ,debate1 pages #aaf1 #aag1 #acf47 ,for a number of years prior to the debate ,mr4 ,mc,calla had taken great delight in assailing the distinctive tenets of the ,baptists1 and gave them no little annoyance4 ,as the debate progressed his defeat became more and more manifest and raised ,mr4 ,campbell to great popularity among them2 but as it was not his intention to seek popularity among them by catering to their admiration1 by fostering their favorite but defective views of the ,gospel and its institutions1 he deemed it wise on the evening of the fifth day of the debate to candidly inform the principal ,baptist preachers present of the exact position which he occupied4 ,being assembled in a room where he had called them together1 he introduced himself fully to their acquaintance in the following manner1 as related by himself3 ,brethren1 ,i fear that if you knew me better you would esteem and love me less4 ,for let me tell you that ,i have almost as much against you ,baptists as ,i have against the ,presbyterians4 ,they err in one thing and you in another2 and you are each nearly equidistant from original apostolic ,christianity4 ,i paused2 and such a silence as ensued1 accompanied by a piercing look from all sides of the room1 ,i seldom before witnessed4 ,elder ,vardeman at length broke the silence by saying3 ,well1 sir1 we want to know our errors or your heterodoxy4 ,do let us hear it4 ,keep nothing back4 ,i replied3 ,i know not where to begin2 nor am ,i in health and vigor after the toils of the day to undertake so heavy a task2 but ,i am commencing a publication called ,the ,christian ,baptist1 to be devoted to all such matters1 a few copies of which are in my portmanteau1 and1 with your permission1 ,i will read you a few specimens of my heterodoxy4 ,they all said3 ,let us hear--let us hear the worst error you have against us4 ,i went upstairs and unwrapped the first three numbers of the ,christian ,baptist that ever saw the light in ,kentucky4 ,i had just ten copies of the first three numbers4 ,i carried them into the parlor and read a sample1 the first essay on the clergy--so much of it as respected the call to the ministry as then taught in the kingdom of the clergy1 and especially among the ,baptists4 ,this was the first essay ever read from it in ,kentucky4 ,after a sigh and a long silence1 ,elder ,vardeman said3 ,is that your worst error1 your chief heterodoxy8 ,i do not care so much about that1 as you admit that we have a providential call1 without a voice from heaven or a special visit from some angel or spirit4 ,if you have anything worse1 for my part ,i wish to hear it4 ,the cry was1 ,let us hear something more4 ,on turning to and fro1 ,i read an article on ,modern ,missionaries4 ,this1 with the ,capital ,mistake of ,modern ,missionaries1 finished my reading for the evening4 ,on closing this essay1 ,elder ,vardeman said3 ,i am not so great a missionary man as to fall out with you on that subject4 ,i must hear more before ,i condemn or approve4 ,i then distributed my ten copies among the ten most distinguished and advanced elders in the room1 requesting them to read these numbers during the recess of the debate1 and to communicate freely to me their objections4 ,we separated4 ,so the matter ended at that time4 7,memoirs of ,a4 ,campbell1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 page #hh47 ,at the close of the debate the ,baptist preachers were so much pleased with the results1 and so tolerant of what they found in the ,christian ,baptist1 that they requested ,mr4 ,campbell to furnish them with the printed proposals for its publication1 in order to extend its circulation1 and urged him to make an immediate tour through the ,state4 ,previous engagements prevented1 and he could only comply with their wishes so far as to visit ,bryan's ,station1 ,mayslick1 and ,lexington2 promising1 if possible1 to make a more extended tour through the ,state the following year4 ,as ,mr4 ,mc,calla's character for ability was well established and equally well sustained by his ,presbyterian brethren1 the results of the discussion were less damaging to his reputation than to the cause which he advocated1 which to this day has never recovered from the withering defeat which it then suffered4 ,but ,mr4 ,mc,calla labored for some time after the debate to change public sentiment by preaching on the subjects discussed in various parts of ,kentucky1 endeavoring at the same time to prejudice the minds of the people in advance against the report of the debate which ,mr4 ,campbell was soon to publish4 ,mr4 ,campbell was fully satisfied with his part in the discussion1 and was now thoroughly satisfied that debates were a great means of reaching the people with the truth1 for he wrote3 ,public discussion1 is1 we are convinced1 one of the best means of propagating the truth and of exposing error in doctrine or practice4 ,we now reap the benefits of public debates of former times1 and we have witnessed the beneficial results of those in our own time4 ,and we are fully persuaded that a week's debating is worth a year's preaching1 such as we generally have1 for the purpose of disseminating truth and putting error out of countenance4 ,there is nothing like meeting face to face in the presence of many witnesses and talking the matter over2 and the man that can not govern his spirit in the midst of opposition and contradiction is a poor ,christian indeed4 7,christian ,baptist1 ,vol4 #a1 page #ahi47 ,,visits ,,the ,,kentucky ,,baptists ,the debate was attended by great crowds of people from far and near4 ,mr4 ,campbell's reputation as one of the first pulpit orators of the day was fully established2 and wherever he could be induced to speak he was met by throngs of hearers4 ,his most important reception on this trip was at ,lexington1 where he spoke in the ,baptist meetinghouse1 of which ,dr4 ,fishback was minister4 ,at the hour for the meeting the house was crowded to its utmost capacity4 ,when ,mr4 ,campbell rose he was not able to stand erect during the delivery of his discourse4 ,this was based on the first chapter of ,hebrews1 and led him to dwell upon the divine glory of the ,son of ,god--a theme on which he was almost surpassingly eloquent4 ,it lasted two hours1 during which the audience sat in rapt attention4 ,he made a very profound impression on the entire audience4 ,they recognized in him the mightiest intellect that had ever visited their city4 ,the freshness of his thoughts1 the extent and accuracy of his ,biblical knowledge and his grand generalizations of the wonderful fact of redemption opened up trains of reflection wholly new1 and presented the subject of ,christianity in a form so simple and yet so comprehensive as to fill every one with admiration2 so that from this time forward ,mr4 ,campbell was esteemed by the people of ,kentucky as great among the greatest of her public men1 and without a rival in the department to which he had devoted his powers4 ,immediately after the close of the debate with ,mr4 ,mc,calla1 ,mr4 ,campbell made preparations for its publication4 ,this was done from his own notes and those taken by ,sydney ,rigdon during the debate1 and notwithstanding ,mr4 ,mc,calla's effort to discredit it before its appearance1 its general accuracy was attested by those who heard the discussion4 ,its publication and circulation proved the severest blow that pedobaptism ever received4 ,in the fall of #ahbd ,mr4 ,campbell made his promised visit to ,kentucky1 visiting a large portion of the ,state1 addressing everywhere large audiences1 and extending his acquaintance and influence with the ,baptists4 ,this more intimate acquaintance led him to esteem them very highly1 and to regard them as much nearer the apostolic model than any other of the denominations with which he had formed acquaintance1 and he felt that it would not be difficult to eliminate from the ,baptist churches such erroneous theories and usages as had gained currency among them4 ,with these convictions in mind1 he now visited the ,baptists in ,kentucky1 to impart to them1 as well as to the community at large1 those clearer views of the ,gospel to which he had been led by diligent and prayerful study of the ,bible4 ,these he had1 to some extent1 already presented through the pages of ,the ,christian ,baptist1 which1 since the debate1 had been read throughout ,kentucky with interest and had produced intense excitement among the churches4 ,some individuals were favorably impressed with the plea for reform2 others remained in perplexity and doubt1 while not a few were disposed to cling tenaciously to their cherished opinions4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,john ,,smith ,among the ,baptist preachers whom ,mr4 ,campbell met on this visit was ,john ,smith1 who1 on account of the prominent part he afterwards had in presenting apostolic ,christianity to the people1 deserves more than a passing notice4 ,he was born ,october #ae1 #aghd1 in a log cabin in ,east ,tennessee1 whither his parents had moved a short time before his birth on account of religious persecution4 ,his father and mother had espoused the ,baptist faith4 ,but as ,virginia1 at that time1 had an established form of religion1 the ,episcopal1 ,baptists were a despised1 hunted1 persecuted people4 ,they were described by their persecutors as schismatical persons1 so averse to the established religion1 and so filled with new-fangled conceits of their heretical inventions1 as to refuse to have their children baptized4 ,to escape from this galling oppression and to secure religious privileges which were so dear to him1 ,george ,smith took his little flock into the wilderness1 seeking mercy at the hands of the savage tribes of the forest1 which was not accorded him by the savage spirit of religious intolerance4 ,in his new home he was at least free to work out the great problem of his own destiny in harmony with the dictates of conscience and the leadings of ,providence4 ,he was humble-minded and earnestly pious4 ,he held firmly every dogma of the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith as it was expounded in his day4 ,he conscientiously sought1 too1 to impress his own severe faith on the minds of his children4 ,to labor for their daily bread and to wait1 with humbleness of heart1 for the ,holy ,ghost1 were the two great commandments on which hung all his precepts and admonitions4 ,he exhorted them to seek after ,god1 if1 haply1 they might find him2 yet to esteem themselves dead and to abide the good time when1 unless predestinated to eternal wrath1 the mysterious ,spirit would give them life and open their eyes to the beauties of the ,saviour4 ,when ,john was in his twelfth year the migratory spirit again seized ,george ,smith1 who determined to plunge into the wilderness once more1 with a view of securing cheap lands and providing for the future of his growing family4 ,having sold his ,tennessee farm1 he set out1 in the autumn of #agie1 accompanied by ,john and an older brother1 on the trail that led across the ,cumberland ,mountains in the unsettled territory of ,kentucky1 in search of a goodly spot where he might build a cabin1 plant a patch of corn1 and prepare as well as he could for the family that was to join him in the coming summer4 ,in the new home the life of the boy continued its developments along such lines as its rude surroundings stimulated4 ,of work there was plenty1 and from his daily tasks he never shrank4 ,of opportunity for intellectual development there was none1 and the thirst of the ambitious youth was unquenched4 ,at this period ,john ,smith's spiritual nature gave promise of being as untamed as the forest that surrounded his home4 ,unhallowed sports crept into the backwoods4 ,sunday horse races and card-playing became the pastime of the young men4 ,for the latter ,john had a fondness1 and would creep away on ,sundays to spend the day with idle companions in his favorite game2 but the grief and patience of the father at last touched his heart1 and he threw away his cards1 saying1 ,it is wrong to distress so good a father as ours2 it is a sin and a shame6 ,,soul ,,struggles ,this proved to be the turning point in the young man's career1 and with it came the question of religion demanding his consideration4 ,indeed the subject had been kept before him in some form from his earliest recollection4 ,but the doctrine taught at that time was not very attractive to young hearts4 ,calvinism in its severest type was prevalent4 ,it taught a hell of the most appalling type1 into which even little children might be cast2 an unalterable destiny for every one1 regardless of his conduct or his creed1 as ,god might have chosen him for heaven or doomed him to hell before he was born2 a dread uncertainty that rested on his fate2 his utter inability to understand the ,scriptures1 to believe or repent1 to love ,god or to obey him1 until endued with power from on high2 the necessity of some supernatural sign or sensation1 some miraculous voice or vision1 as an evidence of pardon and acceptance with ,god4 ,it was natural that ,john should imbibe the spirit of his father's creed and for him to expect1 should he be among the elect1 that some visible or audible manifestation of divine approval should be given him4 ,the great revival which swept the country in the beginning years of the nineteenth century was at its height as he began seriously to think upon the subject of religion4 ,it was the theme he heard discussed on every hand1 and he determined to investigate it as far as his limited resources would permit4 ,failing to find the way to assured salvation1 he at last appealed to a ,baptist preacher1 ,isaac ,denton1 a friend of the family1 for light upon the subject which was beginning to agitate his mind4 ,according to the prevailing notion1 conversion was a change of a mysterious nature wrought out in the soul by supernatural agency4 ,this change young ,smith now most sincerely desired to experience4 ,with this in mind the following conversation took place3 ,smith--,what must ,i do in order to have this change of which you speak8 ,denton--,nothing1 ,john2 ,god's grace is sovereign and unconditional4 ,if you are his sheep you will be called1 and you will hear his voice and follow him4 ,smith--,but when1 ,mr4 ,denton1 will the ,lord call8 ,denton--,in his own good time1 ,john4 ,he has worked out your whole life1 and determined your destiny according to his own wise1 but hidden and eternal1 purpose4 ,smith--,how then may ,i know whether ,i am one of his sheep or not8 ,benton--,you will know it by your change when it comes2 till then you can only wait on the ,lord and hope4 ,smith--,if ,i am left to perish ,i know it will be on account of my sins2 but if ,i should be saved1 will it not be on account of my goodness8 ,denton--,the ,lord sees no goodness in you1 ,john4 ,if you are ever brought to life1 it will be solely because it was his good pleasure to choose you before the foundation of the world1 and that1 too1 without any reference to your character or works foreseen by him4 ,true1 if you should be lost1 if you perish1 it will be on account of your sins1 and to the praise of his glorious justice4 ,smith--,my destiny1 you say1 is fixed and ,i can not change it4 ,i need not1 then1 give myself any concern2 ,i have nothing to do4 ,denton--,ah1 great is the mystery of godliness4 ,there is something for you to do4 ,smith--,what is it1 ,mr4 ,denton8 ,denton--,you must pray1 pray1 pray in the dust and ashes to the ,lord4 ,smith--,pray for what1 sir8 ,denton--,that the blinding scales may fall from your eyes1 and that you may see and feel what you really are in the sight of ,god2 for you are yet in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity4 ,it is not strange that a young man with keen intellect of ,john ,smith should have turned from such instruction1 saying1 ,since my destiny is fixed and ,i can not change it1 ,i need not1 then1 give myself any concern4 ,i have nothing to do4 ,but his heart was not to be stifled by the forbidding theology4 ,while stoutly for a season he maintained his unbelief1 his position was not satisfactory to himself1 and he resolved at last to examine the subject in the light of the ,scriptures4 ,though failing to find proof of the doctrines taught1 he became convinced of his duty to be a ,christian1 and1 knowing no way to approach to ,christ1 he began earnestly and persistently to seek religion after the manner of the times4 ,the illness and death of his venerable father in the spring of #ahjd1 deepened his interest in personal salvation1 and from that time through many weary months he sought for assurance of saving grace4 ,in his fruitless search his agony was indescribable4 ,he had been taught that an indispensable step to salvation was to feel himself the greatest of sinners4 ,this he desired to do1 and then despaired of salvation1 simply because he could not feel that he was too wicked to be saved4 ,a gloomy cloud overshadowed his sunny temper4 ,his nights were sleepless and his days filled with torment4 ,in vain he prostrated himself alone in the forest and prayed for the blessed assurance of his pardon4 ,finally1 after a night spent in agonizing prayer1 his heart seemed to throw off its burden1 and he was happy4 ,returning home and relating his experience to his brother ,william1 the latter replied with joy1 ,you are converted1 ,john1 at last4 ,he went to a meeting1 expecting to offer himself for membership1 but the weird experience of others sent him away in sorrow and disgust4 ,his mind was again beclouded by doubts and despair1 and he prayed the ,lord to keep his poor heart from error and to lead him by the right way into the everlasting kingdom4 ,religious friends who had watched with solicitude the long and painful struggle of the young man believed that a work of grace had already been wrought in his heart1 and urged him to relate the facts before the congregation4 ,this he did on ,december #bf1 #ahjd1 giving a plain statement of his religious struggles1 and though his experience was lacking in the marvelous element which characterized the conversion of that time1 the congregation unanimously voted him the subject of a work of grace4 ,the next day he was baptized1 and at once entered into the active service of the ,master to find in doing the peace he had failed to receive in seeking4 ,,desires ,,to ,,preach ,no sooner had ,john ,smith been received into the ,baptist ,church than he became exceedingly anxious to preach the unsearchable riches of ,christ4 ,but two obstacles rose before him which seemed an insurmountable barrier to the realization of his desires4 ,one was his ignorance4 ,in his brief term of schooling he had barely learned to read and his surroundings and occupation had left him without further means of self-improvement1 as he looked with yearning heart toward the ministry1 he wept at the thought that he was now a man without an education4 ,no less was the hindrance which the popular sentiment of the day threw across his pathway4 ,it was regarded as an almost unpardonable act of presumption to stand before the people as an expounder of the ,scriptures without a supernatural call1 and yet he was without evidence of such a call to preach the gospel4 ,no voice spoke to his listening ear4 ,no answer came to his earnest prayer4 ,no sign met his expectant vision4 ,in the face of these obstacles the way seemed completely blocked1 so nothing remained for him to do but to continue in his labors on the farm4 ,at last circumstances opened up before him for larger usefulness for ,god4 ,his widely scattered neighbors were pious people1 and1 in the absence of churches and ministers1 often gathered at night after a day of toil1 in each other's cabins1 to sing and pray1 and talk about their religious interests4 ,at these meetings he was present1 when circumstances would permit1 and his native ability1 gave him pre-eminence among them4 ,as they met from house to house they often constrained him to lead in prayer4 ,in these religious meetings his confidence increased1 his heart warmed1 and he greatly desired to enter into more active service4 ,but still he waited for some audible call which should assure him of the ,lord's will4 ,his brethren urged that when ,god gave man a talent1 he gives the right to use it4 ,he was finally persuaded to lay aside his scruples1 and at the prayer meeting he consented to make a short talk4 ,the appointment was made1 the people came together1 filling the house to its utmost capacity1 the light from the fire fell full upon his face as he arose and stood near the table1 but as he looked into the faces of his neighbors1 he was seized with stage fright1 and forgot everything he had hoped to say4 ,he fled from the house and sought the darkness outside1 but in his hurried flight he stumbled and fell to the ground4 ,as he arose his mind cleared1 and he returned and delivered a thrilling address1 and from that time he continued in his humble way to lead those who were as sheep without a shepherd4 ,he waited anxiously for the call1 but it came not4 ,but the call from his brethren was so strong that he continued to exercise the gift of exhortation1 with increasing desire to devote his life to the work of proclaiming the ,gospel to his fellowmen4 ,in deference to the judgment of his brethren1 who urged him to lay aside all scruples and become their preacher1 he at last consented to be ordained1 and entered at once upon the duties of his new calling1 while continuing to provide for his family by his labors on the farm4 ,he was marvelously endowed for the work of a pioneer preacher4 ,his well-toned voice and earnest manner1 his fine common sense and unaffected piety1 rendered him pre-eminently popular as a speaker2 his genial humor1 too1 threw its sunny influence on all around him and made him the delight of every fireside4 ,as his reputation spread flattering offers came to him from the more favored portions of ,kentucky1 through which he was induced to travel on a preaching tour4 ,wealthy congregations1 pleased with his originality and genius1 offered him what was then regarded as a handsome salary to labor with them4 ,but1 conscious of his lack of education and culture1 he declined these offers1 while his soul1 for the time lifted up with pride1 planned ambitiously for the future4 ,,terrible ,,calamity ,just here occurred the saddest episode of his life4 ,the ,south was being opened up1 and many were drawn thither by what seemed to be a most promising picture4 ,he sold his farm and stock for #a1ejj1 with which he hoped to enter ten thousand acres of land1 which1 with the advance in price1 he was sure would make him a wealthy man4 ,in the fall of #ahad1 he located his family in a log hut1 in what is now ,madison ,county1 ,alabama1 and went out to select his land4 ,during his absence1 in one awful night1 his hopes and happiness were dashed to pieces4 ,the house which contained his possessions and wife and children1 was burned to the ground1 and two of his children and all his money were consumed in the flames of that awful night4 ,his poor wife escaped1 only to die of a broken heart and be buried with the ashes of her children4 ,the husband1 though a strong man1 was so shocked that he was at last stricken with fever1 and for weeks lingered near the grave4 ,but he finally recovered1 and with a sad heart1 he retraced his steps1 empty-handed and alone1 to the old home in ,kentucky4 ,,preaches ,,at ,,crab ,,orchard ,immediately after his return to ,kentucky he began preaching again2 but he was from that time harassed by doctrinal difficulties which gave him no rest until he turned from his creed to the ,bible in its primitive simplicity4 ,his appearance1 as he joined his brethren in the meeting of the ,baptist ,association1 shortly after his return1 is thus described by his biographer3 ,he reached ,crab ,orchard on ,saturday1 with the dust of the journey thick upon him4 ,he wore a pair of homespun cotton pantaloons1 striped with coperas--loose enough1 but far too short for him--and a cotton coat1 once checked with blue and white1 but now of undistinguishable colors2 these had been given him in ,alabama4 ,his shapeless hat was streaked with sweat and dust4 ,his socks1 too large for his shrunken ankles1 hung down upon his worn shoes4 ,his shirt was coarse and dirty and unbuttoned at the neck2 his white cravat was in the coffin with his wife4 7,life of ,john ,smith1 page #if47 ,but if the exterior of this vessel was rough1 within it was garnished and adorned with all the graces of truth4 ,he was pressed upon to speak on the occasion4 ,he lifted his head and sat erect1 he arose1 and1 with firm step1 walked to the stand and stood up before the people4 ,as he looked around upon them his eyes kindled and his spirit was stirred within him4 ,the multitude stared curiously for a moment at the uncouth figure before them4 ,some laughed outright1 while others were withdrawn from the assembly4 ,his first work was to stop them4 ,raising his voice so that all could hear1 he said3 ,stay1 friends1 and hear what the ,great ,augustine said4 ,augustine wished to see three things before he died3 ,rome in her glory1 ,paul on ,mars' ,hill1 and ,jesus in the flesh4 ,a few sat down1 but many moved on4 ,in louder tones he cried3 ,will you not stay and see what the great ,cato said4 ,cato repented of three things before his death3 ,first that he had ever spent an idle day2 second1 that he had ever gone on a voyage by water when he might have made the same journey by land2 and1 third1 that he had ever told the secrets of his bosom to a woman4 ,many more were seated4 ,but he continued3 ,come1 friends1 and hear what the great ,thales thanked the gods for4 ,he thanked the gods for three things3 ,first1 that he was endowed with reason1 and was not a brute2 second1 that he as a ,greek1 and not a barbarian2 and third1 that he was a man1 and not a woman4 ,by this time all were seated and the sermon began4 ,his theme was redemption4 ,his analysis was threefold3 7#a7 ,redemption as conceived2 7#b7 ,redemption as applied2 7#c7 ,redemption as completed4 ,he seemed inspired for the occasion4 ,his voice like a trumpet reached and thrilled the most distant hearer1 and his thought swept the audience like the storm sweeps the sea4 ,the people crowded closer to hear him1 and some who could find neither sitting nor standing room1 climbed the trees1 so that even the forest swayed to and fro as if under the magic spell in the third division1 and portrayed the final glory of the redeemed1 every heart was filled with emotion1 every eye as weeping1 every face was radiant with hope1 and at the close one loud ,amen ascended to the heavens4 ,in the course of time he again married1 choosing as a companion a sensible and consecrated woman who lived in the neighborhood where he ministered1 and who cheerfully joined him in all his plans for the betterment of human society4 ,,the ,,christian ,,baptist ,though preaching the doctrine of the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith1 he now found himself ill at ease4 ,the strange inconsistency of his position embarrassed him4 ,why urge sinners to repent if they were already safe1 and if among the non-elect they could not repent4 ,as the situation flashed upon him in the midst of an impassioned exhortation1 he immediately closed his remarks and sat down1 saying3 ,brethren1 something is wrong2 ,i am in the dark--we are all in the dark2 but how to lead you to the light1 or to find the way myself1 before ,god ,i know not4 ,retiring on his knees he prayed that he would take ,god's ,word as his only guide1 examine it carefully1 and follow its teachings wherever they might lead him4 ,in the keeping of this pledge he began anew to study the ,bible4 ,when his day's work in the field was done1 he would sit by his candle with his ,bible upon his knees1 and often spend the whole night in solemn meditation in his search for light4 ,it was while in this state of mind that the prospectus of ,the ,christian ,baptist fell into his hands1 and he read it with profound interest4 ,he ordered the paper sent to him and induced others to subscribe for it4 ,he hoped that ,mr4 ,campbell's discussion of scriptural themes would greatly assist him in solving his own doctrinal difficulties4 ,the first numbers were read with great interest1 and through them light began to break along his darkened pathway4 ,he read each succeeding number with great care to ascertain to which of the contending parties ,mr4 ,campbell belonged1 and soon found himself in a realm of truth entirely beyond the range of the popular systems4 ,among other things that specially appealed to him was the following from the trenchant pen of ,mr4 ,campbell3 ,we have no system of our own1 nor of others1 to substitute in lieu of the reigning systems4 ,we only aim at substituting the ,new ,testament in lieu of every creed in existence2 whether ,mohametan1 ,pagan1 ,jewish or ,presbyterian4 ,we wish to call ,christians to consider that ,jesus ,christ has made them kings and priests to ,god4 ,we neither advocate ,calvinism1 ,arminianism1 ,arianism1 ,socinianism1 ,trinitarianism1 ,unitarianism1 ,deism1 or ,sectarianism1 but ,new ,testamentism4 ,we wish1 we cordially wish1 to take the ,new ,testament out of the abuses of the clergy1 and put it into the hands of the people4 7,christian ,baptist1 ,vol4 #a1 page #ij47 ,,fetters ,,cast ,,off ,so thorough did these views accord with his that he determined at the first opportunity to meet ,mr4 ,campbell and learn from him by personal interview more of the new order that he was advocating4 ,during his visit to ,kentucky in #ahbd1 to which ,i have already referred1 the opportunity presented itself4 ,mr4 ,campbell was to speak at ,flemingsburg1 and ,smith rode twenty miles on horseback that he might see and hear him4 ,he reached the town on the day that ,mr4 ,campbell was to preach4 ,shortly after his arrival he met ,william ,vaughn1 a ,baptist preacher1 with whom he was well acquainted1 when the following conversation took place3 ,vaughn--,brother ,john1 have you met ,bro4 ,campbell yet8 ,smith--,no1 sir1 ,i have not4 ,have you seen him8 ,vaughn--,why1 ,i have been with him for eight days and nights1 through ,mason and ,bracken counties1 and have heard him every day4 ,smith--,do1 then1 tell me what his views are on doctrinal points4 ,is he a ,calvinist or an ,arminian1 or ,arian1 or a ,trinitarian8 ,vaughn--,i do not know4 ,he has nothing to do with any of these things4 ,smith--,well1 ,i can tell when ,i hear him just what he is4 ,vaughn--,how8 ,smith--,if a man of sense and takes a position1 even though he should not run it out into any ism1 ,i can do it for him1 and tell exactly where he would land4 ,but tell me1 ,bro4 ,vaughn1 does he know anything about heartfelt religion8 ,vaughn--,lord bless you1 he is one of the most pious1 godly men that ,i was ever in company with in all my life4 ,smith--,but do you think he knows anything about a ,christian experience8 ,vaughn--,bless you1 he knows everything4 ,come1 ,i want to introduce you to him4 ,of this meeting with ,mr4 ,campbell he afterward said3 ,i then felt as if ,i wanted to sit down and look at him for one hour1 without hearing a word from any one4 ,i wanted to scan him who had been so much talked of1 and who had in ,the ,christian ,baptist and in his debates introduced so many new thoughts4 ,but the hour appointed for the address had come1 and they walked into the house together4 ,smith was determined now to ascertain the theory of religion to which he held1 if1 indeed1 he held to any2 for he was still full of doubt and suspicion4 ,mr4 ,campbell read the fourth chapter of ,galatians4 ,after giving a general outline of the whole epistle1 he took up the allegory of ,sarah and ,hagar1 and in a simple1 plain and artless manner1 leaning with one hand on his cane1 he delivered his discourse4 ,he seemed1 as ,smith afterward remarked1 to move in a higher sphere or latitude than that in which the isms of the day abounded4 ,at the conclusion of the services ,smith remarked to ,mr4 ,vaughn1 ,is it not hard1 ,bro4 ,vaughn1 to ride twenty miles1 as ,i have done1 just to hear a man preach thirty minutes8 ,you are mistaken1 said ,mr4 ,vaughn2 look at your watch1 for it certainly has been longer than that4 ,he looked at his watch1 and1 to his surprise1 saw that the discourse had been two hours and a half long4 ,on discovering this he said1 ,i have never been more deceived4 ,two hours of my life are gone1 ,i know not how1 though wide awake1 too1 all the time6 ,on being questioned as to whether he had ascertained whether he was a ,calvinist or an ,arminian1 he replied3 ,no1 ,i know nothing about the man2 but be he saint or devil1 he has thrown more light on that epistle1 and on the whole ,scripture1 than ,i have received in all the sermons that ,i have ever heard before4 ,,resolves ,,to ,,preach ,,the ,,simple ,,gospel ,for several days he accompanied ,mr4 ,campbell from place to place1 an enraptured listener to every discourse1 and earnestly engaged him in conversation as they traveled along the way or sat under some hospitable roof4 ,at last his mind cast off its fetters4 ,the way hitherto so clouded became plain1 and he left the company of ,mr4 ,campbell1 resolved henceforth to devote his life to preaching the simple ,gospel as exhibited in the ,new ,testament4 ,the step was1 as he had anticipated1 attended with great sacrifices4 ,old friends forsook him4 ,he had always stood high among his preaching brethren1 but now he was regarded with undisguised suspicion4 ,soon the storm gathered furiously about him4 ,at the annual meeting of the association in which he held his membership charges were preferred against him1 among the most serious of which was that1 instead of the ,king ,james translation of the ,scriptures1 he had on two or three occasions in public1 and often in his family1 read from ,alexander ,campbell's translation4 ,without being given an opportunity to defend himself1 he was placed under censure1 and given a year in which to correct his views and change his ways4 ,returning to his home1 the way for a time seemed to close before him4 ,the little farm was covered with a heavy mortgage4 ,the churches that had obligated themselves to pay his debt in compensation of his services1 now refused to make further payment4 ,nothing apparently remained but for him to cultivate his farm with his own hands1 and for a time to abandon the work of the ministry4 ,taking his ax he went into the forest with the heroic purpose1 first to free himself from debt1 and then to return to the defense of the faith which he now felt to be the teaching of the ,word of ,god4 ,but one day as he was bending to his labors he thought of the cause that he loved1 and remembered that there was no one in all the land to advocate it but himself4 ,he also thought of the construction that would be put on his silence by his enemies4 ,he dropped the ax1 went to the house1 and threw down his coarse apron at the feet of his wife1 exclaiming3 ,nancy1 ,i shall work no more6 ,get whom you please to carry on the farm1 but do not call on me6 ,in all the land there is not one soul to open his mouth in defense of the best cause under the sun6 ,i am determined1 from this time forth1 to preach the ,gospel1 and leave the consequences to ,god4 ,with the courage of his convictions1 he immediately began to preach the truth as he now felt it and saw it4 ,no personal consideration was allowed to interfere with the course he had marked out for himself4 ,his heroic wife readily caught his spirit and as cheerfully accepted the responsibilities of her new position--agreeing to take the oversight of the farm1 care for the family1 and to relieve him of every temporal care1 while he should give himself wholly to the ministry of the ,word4 ,but from a course so radical and perilous his friends earnestly sought to dissuade him4 ,they argued3 ,your more influential brethren will abandon you2 you will get nothing for your preaching2 your debts will press you to the earth1 and your farm and house eventually given up4 ,conscience1 said he1 is an article that ,i have never yet brought into the market2 but should ,i offer it for sale1 ,montgomery ,county1 with all its lands and houses1 would not be enough to buy it1 much less that farm of one hundred acres4 ,as he now went from house to house1 and neighborhood1 to plant the cause of ,christ1 his zeal knew no bounds4 ,his heart was all aglow with his new-born knowledge of the truth1 and with tireless effort he sought to win men to respect and obey the simple claims of the ,gospel4 ,so intense was his desire that he scarcely allowed himself time to eat and sleep4 ,after a busy day he would often spend a greater part of the night answering questions or meeting objections which his public discourses had aroused1 or in helping some half-persuaded inquirer to a full acceptance of the ,gospel2 often going the same hour of the night to some near-by stream to administer baptism1 when a surrender had been made4 ,or1 if at home1 the burden that was upon his heart1 and his thirst for the knowledge of the ,word of ,god1 would often interfere with his sleep1 and he would arise and light his candle at midnight to examine some word or text not yet understood1 and which1 perhaps1 had confused him in his dreams4 ,the preaching of ,john ,smith1 so different from that of the times1 so far removed from the conventional forms1 and so new and strange in doctrine1 at once awakened new interest in languishing churches4 ,calls now came to him from so many quarters that he seldom had an opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of his family1 to which he was warmly attached4 ,he endeavored1 if possible1 to visit his home once a week2 but this purpose he was not always able to accomplish4 ,he would tarry at some distant place1 preaching and baptizing till the week was nearly gone1 and then1 dismissing the people at a late hour1 ride hurriedly through the darkness1 sometimes through mud and cold and tempest1 in order to keep his promise with his wife4 ,at other times1 when going from one part of the district to another1 he would pass along by his own house1 but1 too much hurried to stop and rest1 would linger a while at the gate1 and1 gathering strength from her words of cheer1 press on to his distant appointment4 ,on one occasion1 as he thus hurried from one appointment to another1 he stopped at home just long enough to change his soiled linen for clean4 ,as he was about to leave his wife remarked with a touch of sadness in her tone1 ,is it not time that you were having your washing done somewhere else8 ,we have attended to it for you a long time4 ,no1 ,nancy1 ,i am pleased with your way of doing things1 and ,i do not wish to make any change4 ,after a kind good-bye to her and a few playful words to the little ones1 he passed on to meet the congregation that would wait for him that day in some young convert's house1 or perhaps1 in some hospitable grove4 ,the patient heroism of faith finds few better illustrations than in the wife of this tireless pioneer4 ,upon ,nancy ,smith rested the burden of the family and the farm4 ,when help could not be secured1 she would go forth herself into the busy field to tend the growing crop1 or to superintend the gathering of the harvest1 that her faithful husband might devote all his energies to the cause to which they were both so much devoted4 ,his preaching brought no material recompense to relieve their pinching poverty4 ,though he labored incessantly for the salvation of his fellow men1 no one ever thought of contributing to his support1 or if they felt inclined to minister to him in temporal things were probably too poor4 ,during the years #ahbe-ahcj1 in which he laid the foundation of primitive ,christianity in ,kentucky1 he never received a dollar for his services1 or compensation of any kind1 save the remittance to a friendly merchant in a neighboring town for a small bill of goods4 ,the result of such zeal1 such labor1 such sacrifice1 brought its reward to this devoted messenger of truth in a richer blessing than any that material prosperity had to offer4 ,his message was gladly received4 ,multitudes gathered to hear him1 and many received with joy the glorious ,gospel of the ,son of ,god which he now felt himself commissioned to preach4 ,a revival of religious interest began to follow the track of his ministry1 and he had the satisfaction of seeing hundreds1 who had held aloof from the religious systems of the day1 now turn to the ,lord4 ,so fruitful were his labors that within a short period of six months he was able to report seven hundred conversions and five new churches organized4 ,but greater still1 he had established a great cause in the hearts of the people4 ,although he had renounced the ,calvinistic theory of conversion1 and had laid aside its unyielding creed for the ,new ,testament1 he still considered himself a ,baptist1 and lived in fellowship with those who stood resolutely by the old church covenant1 hoping that his brethren would one day accept the primitive ,gospel4 ,but his genial fraternal spirit was far from being reciprocated by the ,baptist preachers with whom he associated4 ,once1 meeting an old acquaintance1 ,smith said to him1 kindly1 ,good morning1 my brother4 ,to which the other scornfully replied1 ,don't call me brother1 sir6 ,i would rather claim kinship with the devil himself4 ,go1 then1 said ,smith1 and honor thy father4 ,but the bitterness of opposition did not always end in harmless railery4 ,it too frequently resorted to misrepresentations and other unchristian means to check his growing popularity and influence4 ,churches were closed against him1 compelling him to take his audience to some neighboring house1 or hall1 or1 in fair weather1 to a grove4 ,but1 whatever the discouragement or hindrance1 he continued to preach4 ,usually he divided his discourses1 which were two or three hours long1 into three divisions1 according to the objects he had in view2 in the first he corrected misrepresentations2 in the second he exposed popular errors1 and in the third he presented the simple ,gospel to the people4 ,having taken his stand upon the ,bible1 he felt himself secure4 ,the truth made him fearless1 and his courage at last won respect for the unpopular position to which he held4 ,ancient ,order of ,things ,among the ,baptists ,in ,kentucky ,the years #ahbh-ahcj were great years in the ministry of ,john ,smith4 ,in them was witnessed the fruition of years of self-sacrificing labor1 and the triumph of the ancient ,gospel on the soil of ,kentucky4 ,the year #ahbh was a notable one among the ,baptist associations4 ,at the meetings of three of the largest associations the ,reformers were in control1 due in a very large degree to ,smith's preaching4 ,as we have already seen1 his influence over the people was tremendous4 ,the churches for which he preached regularly--,spencer's ,creek1 ,grassy ,lick and ,mount ,sterling--reported in their annual letters of #ahbh to the ,north ,district ,association of which they were members1 the baptism of #cib persons during the year4 ,the twenty-four churches of the ,association reported the baptism of about nine hundred persons1 the greater part of whom had been immersed by ,smith4 ,five new churches had been organized by ,smith on the ,bible alone and became members of the ,association4 ,the ,north ,district ,association met in ,july1 #ahbh4 ,at its meeting the previous year the ,lulbegrud ,church had sent the following charges aimed at ,john ,smith1 but veiling the object of their charge under the designation1 one of their preachers4 ,the accusations were3 #a4 ,that1 while it is the custom of ,baptists to use as the ,word of ,god the ,king ,james translation1 he had on two or three occasions in public1 and often privately in his family1 read from ,alexander ,campbell's translation4 #b4 ,that while it is the custom in the ceremony of baptism to pronounce1 ,i baptize you1 he1 on the contrary1 is in the habit of saying1 immerse you4 #c4 ,that in administering the ,lord's ,supper1 while it is the custom to break the loaf into bits1 small enough to be readily taken into the mouth1 yet he leaves the bread in large pieces1 teaching that each communicant shall break it for himself4 ,without waiting for himself to be singled out1 ,smith arose and said1 ,i plead guilty to them all4 ,after bitter debating and wrangling over the charges it was finally voted that they be laid over for another year4 ,the meeting of #ahbh was the time when these charges should be brought up4 ,smith had been unceasingly engaged in preaching1 and marvelously successful in winning men to ,christ during the years4 ,still1 when the ,association met1 he was in doubt at first as to which side had the majority of messengers4 ,in the registration of messengers1 it was soon found that the majority were favorable to him4 ,the messengers1 from the five new churches he had established turned the scale in his favor4 ,the charges were not mentioned on the floor of the ,association4 ,in #ahcj this ,association divided1 ten churches voluntarily withdrawing and forming a new association on ,baptist principles4 ,the ,north ,district ,association met for the last time as an advisory council in #ahca1 and was dissolved one year later4 ,fourteen churches and four parts of churches were enrolled on the occasion of the dissolution4 ,on the same day the churches that had withdrawn from the ,association two years before met and formed a new association under the same name4 ,the ,bracken ,association was the next to meet1 in #ahbh4 ,licking ,association1 rigidly ,calvinistic and devoted to the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith1 desired to enter into mutual correspondence with ,bracken1 but had determined as a condition of it to require from ,bracken a pledge to support the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith1 which no doubt would have been given in #ahbg2 but in the meantime ,smith had gone into that district1 and preached among the churches2 and such men as ,walter ,warden and ,jesse ,holton1 already moved by the plea of ,alexander ,campbell1 and encouraged by the boldness and success of ,smith1 were already favoring the return to the ancient order of things4 ,the letter came from ,licking requiring the pledge and was read before the ,association4 ,after a prolonged discussion by various members1 during which ,smith sat in silence1 he finally saw his opportunity to speak4 ,this opportunity was given when ,james ,arnold1 a messenger from the ,north ,bend ,association1 moved that the terms proposed by ,licking be rejected1 and that all further correspondence with that body be dropped4 ,smith supported the proposition1 and as he rose to do so took from his saddle bags a copy of the ,confession of ,faith1 and said4 ,brethren1 ,licking requires of ,bracken an utter impossibility4 ,no one can maintain inviolate the doctrine of grace as revealed in the ,scriptures1 and at the same time1 defend that which is taught in the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith2 for the doctrine of the creed is not the doctrine of the ,bible4 ,no two books in the world differ more than these2 and in no point do they differ more widely than on the doctrine of salvation by grace4 ,he then contrasted the teaching of the ,new ,testament with that of the ,confession of ,faith1 and his argument was so convincing that practically all seemed satisfied that the terms proposed by ,licking were contradictory1 and when the vote was taken the proposition to reject was carried almost unanimously4 ,a prominent witness of these events said3 ,it was ,john ,smith that gave impulse and tone to the reformation in ,bracken1 as he had already done in ,north ,district1 ,boone's ,creek and other associations4 ,it was decided while the ,association was in session that ,bracken would recommend no creed or confession of faith but the ,new ,testament4 ,bracken did not1 however1 remain long of this mind2 but went back into regular fellowship in #ahcj2 yet not without great loss by defection to the side of those contending for the ancient order of things4 ,benedict1 the ,baptist historian1 informs us that the number of members was reduced from #b1bjj to #ijj on account of the sweeping inroads of the ,reformers4 ,the next association to take action in #ahbh was the ,boone's ,creek4 ,the letter sent out by the ,association in #ahbg said to the churches composing it3 ,we hear from some of the churches that they are endeavoring to return to 'the ancient order of things'1 and they recognize the ,scriptures alone as an entire and sufficient rule of faith and practice4 ,during the spring and summer of #ahbh there was an increase of about #hgj members by immersion1 many of whom had been brought in through the preaching of ,john ,smith4 ,the ,association1 composed of thirteen churches1 met on the third ,sunday in ,september4 ,the question before it1 raised in letters of two churches1 was concerning an amendment to the constitution to bring it into harmony with the ,word of ,god4 ,the following action was taken by the ,association and reported back to all the churches3 ,we1 therefore1 recommend to the churches an abolition of the present constitution1 and1 in lieu thereof1 an adoption of this resolution3 ,resolved1 ,that we the ,churches of ,jesus ,christ1 believing the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testament to be the ,word of ,god1 and the only rule of faith and obedience given by the great ,head of the ,church for its government1 do agree to meet annually on every third ,saturday1 ,lord's day1 and ,monday in ,september of each year1 for the worship of ,god1 and on such occasions voluntarily communicate the state of religion amongst us by letter and messenger4 7,christian ,baptist1 ,vol4 #f4 page #dbj47 ,such men as ,john ,smith1 ,william ,morton1 ,jeremiah ,vardeman and ,jacob ,creath1 ,jr41 all under the influence of the restoration movement1 were the leading spirits in this meeting4 ,the report of the action of churches with reference to the resolution was made a year later4 ,the result showed that seven churches voted to retain the constitution1 six voted to abolish it4 ,at the meeting in #ahcj these six churches were dropped from the ,association1 and both the ,north ,district and ,tate's ,creek messengers were rejected4 ,in #ahbi ,tate's ,creek ,association was under the controlling influence of the restoration movement4 ,a minority of orthodox ,baptist churches withdrew and called a meeting for the month of ,june1 #ahcj1 at which they drew up a bill of errors against certain preachers and churches of the ,association4 ,this ,association was composed of delegates from ten of the twenty-six churches4 ,they organized and proceeded to meet as the ,tate's ,creek ,association1 and resolved to cut off correspondence with the churches that tolerated the heresy of ,campbellism4 ,thus we see that the majority of this ,association was in line with the effort to restore the ancient order of things4 ,the ,franklin and ,elkhorn ,associations were1 however1 not friendly to the movement1 though there was a strong and influential minority committed to those principles4 ,in #ahbi ,franklin ,association adopted decrees rejecting as heretical all those who sought to return to apostolic ,christianity and all churches were warned not to harbor any such errors4 ,the ,elkhorn ,association at its meeting in #ahcj dropped from further correspondence two churches1 and refused to recognize the messengers from the ,north ,district1 thus excluding from ,baptist fellowship eighteen churches and #a1dbg members4 ,the ,russell ,creek and ,south ,concord ,associations took action against ,campbellite heresy1 the latter passing a resolution advising all churches to lock their doors against the followers of ,alexander ,campbell1 who deny the agency of the ,spirit4 ,very few of the ,kentucky ,baptist ,associations escaped the influence of the effort to return to primitive ,christianity4 ,the success of the movement only increased the bitterness and hate of the opposition4 ,no longer satisfied with misrepresentation1 and with closing the doors of their meeting places against ,smith1 the leaders of the ,baptist churches formulated measures for the forcible expulsion of all who gave heed to the teaching of ,smith and his co-workers4 ,as this purpose spread from church to church and from association to association1 ,smith threw himself fearlessly into the breach1 and with his rugged eloquence sought to stay any attempt at disruption1 and to preserve the peace and order of religious society4 ,as the heat of this controversy grew intense1 his genial spirit and good-fellowship were only the more manifest4 ,in the excitement of the times he alone was calm4 ,amidst the cloud of angry faces that often denied him a hearing1 his countenance alone was lit up with a friendly smile4 ,when the doors were locked against him by some unfriendly hand1 he would speak to those who gathered to hear him on such occasions in the woods1 refusing to sanction any act of violence by which admittance might be gained4 ,though from this time in the thickest of the fight1 he was a man of peace2 and while others gnashed on him with their teeth1 he only replied in pleasantries4 ,the principles for which he now contended were the right of free speech and private judgment4 ,as railing accusations were brought against him and those who shared his views1 he would usually seek the opportunity of replying1 but was invariably refused the simple privilege claimed4 ,the effort of ,john ,smith1 therefore1 to maintain the unity of the ,baptist ,church on the broad platform which he had framed for himself was soon found unavailing4 ,the unyielding policy of those who were antagonistic to apostolic ,christianity was to deny fellowship to those who joined in the search to learn the way of the ,lord more perfectly4 ,seek first to reclaim these reformers from their error1 was the method now suggested2 if your efforts should fail1 invite them to leave you1 and to practice their reformation to themselves4 ,if they will not go at your request1 separate them from you in the best way you can4 ,henceforth his whole energy and strength were consumed in setting in order the things lacking and strengthening the faith of the brethren4 ,at this time there were about eight thousand intelligent1 pious men and women in the ,state standing with ,smith4 ,during the winter and spring of #ahca he gave himself unreservedly to the rejected churches of the old ,north ,district ,association1 organizing them after the ,new ,testament model1 and pressing the claims of the primitive ,gospel of larger conquest4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,walter ,,scott ,inasmuch as the name of ,walter ,scott is inseparably linked with the movement to restore apostolic ,christianity1 ,i now give a sketch of his life and work4 ,he was born in ,dumfriesshire1 ,scotland1 ,october #ca1 #agif4 ,he was carefully trained in the ,scotch ,presbyterian ,church by his mother4 ,at the very early period in his life he gave evidence of a decided talent4 ,though the resources of the family were only moderate1 his watchful parents gave him every educational advantage1 the mother praying that the church might enjoy the service of his rare gift of mind and heart4 ,the ,scotch family of the old school sought no greater honor than to have a son at the university4 ,though a collegiate education at that time was regarded within the reach of the sons of the wealthy only1 in his devoted family the slender resources were so husbanded as to enable ,walter1 after a preparatory course at the academy1 to enter the ,university of ,edinburgh4 ,here he pursued his studies with a zeal and success that fully justified the labors and sacrifices of his parents4 ,after completing his university course1 while casting about for a place to plant his feet and enter the service of his race1 an unexpected turn of affairs changed the channels of his life4 ,his mother's brother1 ,george ,innis1 had some years before emigrated to this country1 and by faithfulness and integrity advanced himself to a place of responsibility in the governmental service in ,new ,york ,city4 ,anxious to assist his relatives still in ,scotland1 he wrote his sister to send one of her sons1 promising what assistance he could render in his advancement4 ,walter1 as the best fitted by education for the opportunities of a new country1 was the one selected to go2 and as the plan was in perfect harmony with his own wishes1 he at once started on the voyage1 reaching ,new ,york on ,july #g1 #ahah1 and on his arrival was kindly welcomed by his uncle1 through whose influence he soon obtained a position as ,latin tutor in a classical academy1 for which he was eminently qualified4 ,but in this position he did not long remain4 ,he had made some acquaintances in the city1 and from them heard glowing reports of the ,west1 as all the region beyond the ,allegheny ,mountains was then called2 and had resolved to see for himself the land of which he had heard so much4 ,on foot1 with a light heart and a light purse1 with a young man about his own age as a traveling companion1 he set out for the regions beyond4 ,after a long journey he reached ,pittsburgh in the early spring of #ahai4 ,he sought employment1 and soon had the good fortune to fall in with ,george ,forrester1 a fellow countryman1 and the principal of an academy1 by whom he was immediately engaged as an assistant in his school4 ,somewhat to the surprise of young ,scott1 he soon made the discovery that his employer1 though a deeply religious man1 differed very much in his views from those which he himself had been taught to regard as true4 ,mr4 ,forrester's peculiarity consisted in making the ,bible his only authority and guide in religious matters1 while ,scott had been trained to regard the ,presbyterian ,standards as the true and authoritative exposition and summary of ,bible truth4 ,a ,,sincere ,,truth ,,seeker ,mr4 ,forrester had been trained under the ,haldanes of ,scotland before coming to this country1 and had in connection with his school duties1 built up a small congregation who shared his views4 ,differing1 as they did1 they were1 nevertheless1 both lovers of the truth1 and the frequent and close examinations which they made of the ,scriptures resulted in convincing ,scott that human standards in religion were1 like their authors1 imperfect2 and in impressing him deeply with the conviction that the ,word of ,god is the only true and sure guide4 ,better soil for the planting was not to be found than that presented in the heart of ,walter ,scott4 ,he was a sincere truth seeker4 ,he loved the ,bible and was ready to accept whatever it clearly taught4 ,no sooner1 therefore1 did he learn of this new religious movement than he set about diligently to test the correctness of his employer's views4 ,together they made an earnest1 prayerful search of the ,scriptures4 ,often1 after the labors of the day had closed in the school room1 they would prosecute their examinations of the ,scriptures far into the night2 not in the spirit of controversy1 however1 but with an earnest desire to know the will of ,god1 and a determination to follow wherever his ,word1 the expression of his will1 should lead4 ,the result of this painstaking search was that in a few weeks he turned his back upon his past religious training1 convinced that human standards of belief were without the sanction of ,god's ,word4 ,this conclusion was not reached without much anguish of spirit4 ,he further discovered that though he had adhered1 in all strictness1 to the church traditions1 he had not obeyed some of the important commands of the ,bible4 ,among his first discoveries1 in his conscientious search of truth1 was the absence of scriptural authority for infant baptism1 and his need of personal obedience to a command so repeatedly enforced as that of baptism into ,christ4 ,he1 therefore1 announced his purpose to reject all authority but that of ,christ1 and in obedience to the divine command he was immersed by ,mr4 ,forrester and immediately entered into hearty co-operation with the small congregation planted by ,mr4 ,forrester4 ,he at once proved himself a valuable addition to this struggling congregation4 ,although he did not immediately take a public part in the services1 his genial presence1 zealous devotion1 and ,christian culture were an inspiration to the whole congregation4 ,he humbly accepted the position of learner1 continued his diligent search of the ,scriptures and rejoiced in his new-found faith4 ,in the meantime ,mr4 ,forrester1 desiring to devote himself exclusively to religious work1 turned over the management of the school to his talented assistant4 ,mr4 ,scott's original methods of instruction1 his pleasing manner and faultless character won for his school a wide reputation and patronage4 ,had success in this line been the goal of his ambition1 his situation would have proved eminently satisfactory2 but this was not his ambition4 ,the more he studied the ,bible the more he felt drawn toward the ministry of the ,word4 ,a new world of religious truth was gradually unfolding before him4 ,he soon found that even his teachers in this new religious school but partially apprehended the divine purpose and method in the world's salvation4 ,from his study of the ,bible1 especially ,acts of ,apostles1 which now enlisted his attention1 the plan of redemption began to take form in his mind4 ,conversion had always been a perplexing subject to him1 but in the light of this book all mystery fled4 ,he now found that all who heard1 believed and obeyed the glad message of salvation were filled with peace and joy in believing4 ,while pursuing this line of investigation a small tract1 sent out by an obscure congregation in ,new ,york1 fell into his hands4 ,the views expressed in it so perfectly coincided with those he now held that he determined to get acquainted with its authors1 feeling that such an association would add greatly to his ,christian knowledge4 ,he1 therefore1 at once severed his connection with the school and set out in search for more light upon the great religious problems that now consumed his thought4 ,the visit proved a keen disappointment4 ,he found the practice of the church much different from what he had been led to expect from their publication4 ,so after a short sojourn in the city1 with a heavy heart he continued his journey1 visiting ,baltimore and ,washington1 in each of which he had learned of small congregations of independent believers2 but these visits only added to his disappointment4 ,these early attempts at religious reformation were not always successful and frequently resulted in a caricature of the thing attempted4 ,in describing his fruitless journey he said3 ,i went thither1 and having searched them up ,i discovered them to be so sunken in the mire of ,calvinism that they refused to reform2 and so finding no pleasure in them ,i left them4 ,i then went to the ,capitol1 and1 climbing up to its lofty dome1 ,i sat myself down1 filled with sorrow at the miserable desolation of the ,church of ,god4 ,his drooping spirit was cheered by his return to ,pittsburgh1 after a journey on foot of three hundred miles4 ,he received a warm welcome from those who had learned his true worth1 and1 as a suitable successor in the school room had not been found1 a handsome salary was pledged to secure his services once more4 ,broken in spirit and purse1 he accepted the position and continued in the management of the school for several years with remarkable success4 ,but his chief delight now was to minister to the little church1 which1 deprived of its leader by the sudden death of ,mr4 ,forrester1 looked to him for leadership4 ,this period marks his growth in spiritual things4 ,his reverence for ,christ and his ,word led to the constant study of the ,bible4 ,his chief delight was in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,it was in these hours with the ,spirit of truth that he made the final dedication of himself to ,god1 promising that if he1 for ,christ's sake1 would grant him just and comprehensive views of his religion he would subordinate all his present and future attainments to the glory of his ,son and his religion4 ,,turning ,,point ,,in ,,his ,,life ,it was while thus engaged singlehanded in working out the problem of human redemption as revealed in the ,word of ,god that he first met ,alexander ,campbell1 with whom his own history and efforts in the future were to be so intimately blended4 ,they possessed many elements in common1 had been reared in the same school of religious thought1 had been driven by the same burning thirst for truth to the ,bible1 and through its message were led to pursue a similar path in their search for acceptance with ,god4 ,the following1 from the pen of ,dr4 ,richardson1 beautifully presents the predominating characteristics in contrast at the time of their first meeting3 ,the different hues in the characters of these two eminent men were such as to be1 so to speak1 complimentary to each other1 and to form1 by their harmonious blending1 a completeness and a brilliancy which rendered their society1 peculiarly delightful to each other4 ,thus1 while ,mr4 ,campbell was fearless1 self-reliant and firm1 ,mr4 ,scott was naturally timid1 diffident and yielding2 and1 while the former was calm1 steady and prudent1 the latter was excitable1 variable and precipitate4 ,the one1 like the north star1 was ever in position1 unaffected by terrestrial influences2 the other1 like the magnetic needle1 was often disturbed and trembling on its center1 yet ever returning or seeking to return to its true direction4 ,both were nobly endowed with the powers of higher reason--a delicate self-consciousness1 a decided will and a clear conception of truth4 ,but1 as it regards the other departments of the inner nature1 in ,mr4 ,campbell the understanding predominated1 in ,mr4 ,scott the feelings2 and1 if the former excelled in imagination1 the latter was superior in brilliancy of fancy4 ,if the tendency of one was to generalize1 to take wide and extended views and to group a multitude of particulars under a single head or principle1 that of the other was to analyze1 to divide subjects into their particulars and consider their details4444 ,in a word1 in almost all those qualities of mind and character1 which might be regarded differential or distinctive1 they were singularly fitted to supply each other's wants and to form a rare and delightful companionship4 7,memoirs of ,a4 ,campbell1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #eaj47 ,they at once recognized in each other kindred spirits and joined hands1 and1 with ,thomas ,campbell1 formed a trio of unsurpassed genius1 eloquence and devotion to truth4 ,,walter ,,scott ,the turning point in the life of ,walter ,scott came in #ahbg1 when ,alexander ,campbell1 on the way to the annual meeting of the ,mahoning ,association1 visited him at his home in ,steubensville1 ,ohio1 and prevailed upon him to attend the meeting at ,new ,lisbon4 ,scott1 though not a member of the ,association1 was chosen evangelist4 ,the ,association was organized in #ahbj and was composed of ten ,baptist churches4 ,the number was doubled later1 seventeen of whom were represented at the ,new ,lisbon meeting4 ,these churches in the main were in eastern ,ohio1 near the ,pennsylvania line1 and between the ,ohio ,river and ,lake ,erie1 and were known as the ,western ,reserve4 ,one of the churches--,wellsburg--was in ,virginia4 ,spiritually they were almost dead4 ,this1 perhaps1 was the result of extreme ,calvinistic teachings and their elaborate man-made creeds4 ,at this association fifteen churches reported only thirty-four baptisms1 and eleven of these were at ,wellsburg1 the church home of ,alexander ,campbell4 ,the new evangelist threw the full force of his ardent nature into the work4 ,he had long been an earnest1 faithful1 and prayerful student of the ,word of ,god4 ,he had drunk deep into its spirit1 and became fully convinced of the weakness and inefficiency of modern systems1 in all of which there seemed to be a link wanting to connect an avowed faith in ,christ with an immediate realization of the promises of the gospel4 ,these seemed placed at an almost infinite distance from the penitent1 bowed down under a sense of guilt1 and longing for some certain evidence of acceptance1 which he often vainly sought in the special spiritual illuminations upon which men were taught to rely4 ,the ,association had imposed upon him no particular course whatever1 and it was his duty1 therefore1 to consider how the proclamation of the gospel could be rendered most effective for the conversion of sinners4 ,in view of all the circumstances1 this was a very difficult and perplexing question with which to grapple4 ,he was aware of the fact that ,mr4 ,campbell had spoken of baptism in his debate with ,mc,calla as a pledge of pardon1 but in this point of view it was1 as yet1 contemplated only theoretically4 ,however1 his knowledge of the ,scriptures led him to think that baptism was in some way intimately connected with the personal enjoyment of the blessings of the gospel1 but as yet he was unable to perceive just what position it occupied in relation to other requirements4 ,after a more diligent and prayerful study of the ,word of ,god1 and many conferences with other pious and godly men1 it became clear to ,scott that the ,gospel contained facts to be believed1 commands to be obeyed1 and promises to be enjoyed4 ,but in its specific application it was five-fold3 7#a7 ,faith to change the heart2 7#b7 ,repentance to change the life2 7#c7 ,baptism to change the state2 7#d7 ,remission of sins to cleanse from guilt2 7#e7 ,the gift of the ,holy ,spirit to help in the ,christian life and make one a partaker of the divine nature4 ,this arrangement of these items was so manifestly in harmony with the ,scriptures that he was transported with the discovery4 ,the key of knowledge was now in his possession4 ,the things that before were dark and perplexing were now clear and he resolved to preach the same ,gospel preached by inspired men1 and to preach it in the same way4 ,from his present viewpoint the ,word of ,god was for the salvation of the world1 and the inspired teachers made no mistake in their method of preaching it4 ,this was a bold and novel thing to do1 but he believed it to be right1 and he had the courage of his convictions1 and proceeded to do it4 ,fearing that he might give cause of offense to the churches which had employed him1 he sent an appointment outside the limits of the ,association1 and with some misgivings1 but in an earnest and interesting manner1 laid before the audience his analysis of the ,gospel1 and at the close he gave a formal invitation to any one so disposed to come forward1 confess his faith in ,christ and be baptized for the remission of sins2 but no one came4 ,to his audience this was like the proclamation of a new religion1 so different did it seem from the orthodoxy of the day4 ,they regarded him as an amiable but deluded enthusiast1 and looked upon him with wonder1 pity1 and even scorn4 ,this result was not unexpected1 for the whole community was filled with the idea that something supernatural had to occur before any one could become a fit subject for baptism4 ,instead of giving way to this traditional prejudice1 he said to himself ,this way is of ,god1 and ought to succeed1 and with his help it shall4 ,he was right1 and ,god gave him success1 as he gives to all such men4 ,he accordingly announced that he would deliver a series of discourses on the ,ancient ,gospel at ,new ,lisbon1 ,ohio1 the place at which he had been selected as evangelist by the ,association a few months before4 ,here he was to witness the removal of the barriers and the triumph of the cause that was so near his heart4 ,when he arrived on ,sunday to begin the series of meetings every seat in the building was literally packed1 soon even standing room was at a premium1 and the doorway was blocked up by the eager throng4 ,scott was just the man to be moved to the highest point by such an occasion4 ,the following is a vivid description of the events of that day3 ,his theme was the confession of ,peter1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god 7,matt4 #af3af71 and the promise which grew out of it1 that he should have entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven4 ,the declaration of ,peter was a theme upon which he had thought for years2 it was a fact which he regarded the four gospels was written to establish2 to which type and prophecy had pointed in all the ages gone by2 which the ,eternal ,father had announced from heaven when out of the waters of ,jordan and the ,spirit descended and abode upon him1 and which was repeated again amid the awful grandeur and solemnity of the transfiguration scene4 ,he then proceeded to show that the foundation truth of ,christianity was the divine nature of the ,lord ,jesus--the central truth around which all others revolved1 and from which they derived their efficacy and importance--and that the belief of it was calculated to produce such love in the heart of him who believed as would lead him to true obedience to the object of his faith and love4 ,to show how that love and faith were to be manifested1 he quoted the language of the great commission 7,matt4 #bh3ah-bj2 ,mark #af3ae1af71 and called attention to the fact that ,jesus had taught his apostles that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations1 beginning from ,jerusalem 7,luke #bd3dg74 ,he then led his hearers to ,jerusalem on the memorable ,pentecost and bade them listen to an authoritative announcement of the law of ,christ1 now to be made known for the first time by ,peter to whom ,christ had promised to give the keys of the kingdom of heaven 7,matt4 #af3af71 which he represented as meaning the conditions upon which the guilty might find pardon at the hands of the risen1 ascended1 and glorified ,son of ,god1 and enter his kingdom4 ,after a rapid yet graphic review of ,peter's discourse1 he pointed out its effect on those that heard him1 and bade them mark the inquiry which a deep conviction of the truth they had heard forced from the lips of the heart-pierced multitudes1 who1 in their agony at the discovery that they had put to death the ,son of ,god1 their own long-expected ,messiah1 said unto ,peter and the rest of the apostles1 ,brethren1 what shall we do8 and then with flashing eyes and impassioned manner1 as if he fully realized that he was but re-echoing the words of one who spake as the ,spirit gave him utterance1 he gave the reply1 ,repent ye1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ unto the remission of your sins2 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he then1 with great force and power1 made his application2 he insisted that the conditions were unchanged1 that the ,word of ,god meant what it said1 and that to receive and obey it was to obey ,god and to imitate the example of those who1 under the preaching of the apostles1 gladly accepted the gospel message4 ,his discourse was long1 but his hearers marked not the flight of time4 ,the ,baptists forgot1 in admiration of its scriptural beauty and simplicity1 that it was contrary to much of their own teaching and practice2 some of them who had been1 in a measure1 enlightened before1 rejoiced in the truth the moment they perceived it2 to others1 who had long been perplexed by the difficulties and contradictions of the discordant views of the day1 it was light like light to weary travelers long benighted and lost4 ,the man of all others1 however1 in that community who would most have delighted in and gladly accepted those views1 so old and yet so new1 was not there1 although almost in hearing of the preacher1 who1 with such eloquence and power1 was setting forth the primitive gospel4 ,this was ,william ,amend1 a pious1 ,god-fearing man1 a member of the ,presbyterian ,church1 and regarded by his neighbors as an ,israelite indeed4 ,he had for some time entertained the same views as those ,mr4 ,scott was then preaching in that place for the first time1 but was not aware of the fact that any one agreed with him4 ,he was under the impression that all the churches--his own among the number--had departed from the plain teachings of the ,word of ,god4 ,he had discovered1 some time before1 that infant baptism was not taught in the ,bible1 and1 consequently1 that he was not a baptized man2 the act of baptism seemed also to him to have been changed1 and he sought his pastor1 and asked to be immersed4 ,his pastor endeavored to convince him that he was wrong1 but finding that he could not be turned from his purpose1 he proposed to immerse him privately1 lest others of his flock might be unsettled in their minds by his so doing1 and closed by saying that baptism was not essential to salvation4 ,mr4 ,amend regarded everything that ,christ had ordained as being essential1 and replied that he should not immerse him at all2 that he would wait until he found a man who believed the gospel1 and who could1 without any scruple1 administer the ordinance as he conceived it to be taught in the ,new ,testament4 ,he was invited a day or two before to hear ,mr4 ,scott1 but knowing nothing of his views1 he supposed that he preached much as others did1 but agreed to go and hear him4 ,it was near the close of the services when he reached the ,baptist ,church and joined the crowd at the door1 who were unable to get into the house4 ,the first sentence he heard aroused and excited him2 it sounded like the gospel which he had read with such interest at home1 but never had heard from the pulpit before4 ,he now felt a great anxiety to see the man who was speaking so much like the oracles of ,god1 and pressed through the throng into the house4 ,mr4 ,dibble1 the clerk of the church1 saw him enter1 and knowing that he had been seeking and longing to find a man who would preach as the ,word of ,god read1 thought within himself1 ,had ,mr4 ,amend been here during all this discourse ,i feel sure that he would have found what he has so long sought in vain4 ,i wish the preacher would repeat what he said before he came in4 ,greatly to his surprise ,mr4 ,scott did give a brief review of the various points of his discourse1 insisting that the ,word of ,god meant what it said1 and urging his hearers to trust that ,word implicitly4 ,he rehearsed again the ,jerusalem scene1 called attention to the earnest1 anxious cry of the multitude1 and the comforting reply of the apostle1 ,repent ye1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ unto the remission of your sins2 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he invited any one present who believed with all his heart to yield to the terms proposed in the words of the apostle1 and show by a willing obedience his trust in the ,lord of life and glory4 ,mr4 ,amend pressed his way through the crowd to the preacher and made known his purpose2 made a public confession of his faith in ,jesus ,christ as the ,son of the living ,god and expressed his desire to obey him1 at once1 and on the same day1 in a beautiful1 clear stream which flows on the southern border of the town1 in the presence of a great multitude1 he was baptized in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins4 7,life of ,walter ,scott1 pages #ajd-ajh47 ,from that day the meeting continued with increasing interest4 ,seventeen persons1 hearing1 believed1 and were baptized4 ,the whole community was aroused and began to search the scriptures1 some in the same spirit of the ,bereans of old to see whether these things were so2 others with no higher purpose than to file objections to that which was so boldly proclaimed1 and many of these were forced to admit that if the teaching were false the ,bible could not be true1 for the preacher could read everything that was demanded from the ,word of ,god4 ,it was a fortunate thing that a man with such an unsullied character and reputation as that of ,mr4 ,amend should be the first to render obedience to the apostolic teaching at ,new ,lisbon4 ,he was a man with more than ordinary intelligence1 and his scriptural knowledge was far beyond that of most men in his station in life4 ,his action was not the result of an impulse produced by ,mr4 ,scott's discourse1 for that he had not heard2 but from a careful study of the ,word of ,god4 ,he was not aware of the fact that there was another person in the world who held similar views to his own4 ,although ,mr4 ,scott was pleased with the initial success1 it was still a mystery to him why his first discourse had failed to convince any one1 and that at the close of the second1 ,mr4 ,amend1 who had heard neither of them1 should come forward so intelligently2 hence he wrote a letter requesting him to state the facts which induced him to respond to the invitation so promptly1 to which he replied3 ,now1 my brother1 ,i will answer your questions4 ,i was baptized ,november #ah1 #ahbg1 and ,i will relate to you a circumstance which occurred a few days before that date4 ,i had read the second chapter of ,acts when ,i expressed myself to my wife as follows3 ,oh1 this is the gospel--this is the thing we wish--remission of our sins6 ,oh1 that ,i could hear the gospel in these same words--as ,peter preached it6 ,i hope ,i shall some day hear it2 and the first man ,i meet who will preach the gospel thus1 with him will ,i go4 ,so1 my brother1 on the day you saw me come into the meeting-house1 my heart was open to receive the ,word of ,god1 and when you cried1 ,the scriptures no longer shall be a sealed book4 ,god means what he says4 ,is there any man who will take ,god at his word1 and be baptized for the remission of sins8 at that moment my feelings were such that ,i could have cried out1 ,glory to ,god6 ,i have found the man for whom ,i have long sought4 ,so ,i entered the kingdom where ,i readily laid hold of the hope set before me4 7,life of ,walter ,scott1 page #aac47 ,within three weeks after the close of the meeting at ,new ,lisbon1 ,mr4 ,scott returned and found the interest there greater than when he left1 and seven others were baptized4 ,soon after this he visited there again1 and baptized more than thirty others4 ,the members of the ,baptist ,church gladly accepted the truth1 and resolved that thenceforth the ,bible should be their only rule of faith and practice4 ,the ice was now broken1 and a new era was inaugurated which was marked by a quiet thoughtfulness1 and an unwonted searching of the ,scriptures1 whether these things were so1 and a final decision to obey the personal ,christ1 expressed in public confession of faith in ,christ and baptism4 ,the country was aroused as never before4 ,the conversion of ,mr4 ,amend confirmed ,mr4 ,scott in his conviction that the way preached and practiced by ,god's inspired messengers at ,pentecost was the right way4 ,his labors and success aroused much inquiry and great opposition1 and the wildest rumors were circulated concerning his preaching and work4 ,the interest in the public mind swelled to a torrent which swept everything before it4 ,not only individuals by the hundreds became obedient to the faith1 but often entire congregations would wheel into line with the ancient order of things4 ,baptist congregations voted out the ,philadelphia ,confession of ,faith and substituted the ,new ,testament in its place4 ,and not only the ,baptists1 but ,presbyterians1 ,universalists1 ,lutherans1 ,christian ,connectionists1 ,methodists1 and ,episcopalians in large numbers were reached4 ,the ,deerfield ,methodist ,church came in as a whole4 ,exaggerated reports concerning the teaching and practice of ,mr4 ,scott reached ,mr4 ,campbell and he became fearful lest his zeal and youthful inexperience should lead him into serious error4 ,he therefore decided that it would be well for his father1 ,thomas ,campbell1 to visit his field of labor and ascertain the truth concerning the state of affairs4 ,upon arriving1 he heard ,mr4 ,scott's presentation of the gospel and witnessed his method of procedure with surprise and great pleasure4 ,it at once became apparent to him that what he and his son had taught was now reduced to practice1 and that the rumors that had reached him were untrue4 ,he therefore remained in this promising field some time1 and by his earnest and efficient labors gave great assistance to the work4 ,on ,april #i1 #ahbh1 from ,new ,lisbon1 he wrote to his son giving his impressions of the work1 as follows3 ,i perceive that theory and practice in religion1 as well as in other things1 are matters of distinct consideration4 ,it is one thing to know the art of fishing--for instance the rod1 the line1 and the hook1 and the bait1 too2 and quite another thing to handle them dextrously when thrown into the water1 so as to make it take4 ,we have spoken and long known the former 7the theory71 and have spoken and published many things correctly concerning the ancient gospel1 its simplicity and perfect adaptation to the present state of mankind1 for the benign and gracious purpose of his immediate relief and complete salvation2 but ,i must confess that1 in respect to the direct exhibition and application of it for that blessed purpose1 ,i am at present for the first time upon the ground where the thing has appeared to be practically applied to the proper purpose4 ,compel them to come in1 saith the ,lord1 that my house may be filled4 ,mr4 ,scott has made a bold push to accomplish this object1 by simply and boldly stating the ancient gospel1 and insisting upon it2 and then by putting the question generally and particularly to male and female1 old and young3 ,will you come to ,christ and be baptized for the remission of your sins and the gift of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,don't you believe this blessed gospel8 ,then come away4 ,this elicits a personal conversation2 some confess faith in the testimony1 beg time to think2 others consent1 give their hand to be baptized as soon as convenient2 others debate the matter friendly2 some go straight to the water1 be it day or night1 and upon the whole none appear offended4 7,life of ,walter ,scott1 pages #aeh1 #aei47 ,by the end of the first year many languishing churches had been brought into living activity1 many new ones had been organized1 and a thousand persons had been baptized into ,christ4 ,mr4 ,scott was unanimously chosen to continue in the work1 and he consented1 stipulating only that he should have ,william ,hayden1 a zealous young preacher and sweet singer1 to assist him4 ,but his second year was one of great conflict4 ,by this time1 those bound by sectarian traditions began to realize if ,scott were allowed to continue preaching what they called heresy unopposed as he had been allowed to do during the preceding year1 sectarianism was doomed1 hence the opposition became extremely fierce4 ,that you may have some idea of the conflict that ensued all over the country1 ,i give a brief history of the introduction of the ancient gospel at ,sharon1 ,pa4 ,just a short distance over the state line in ,ohio1 the ,baptist churches at ,warren and ,hubbard had accepted it almost in a body1 so generally indeed1 that both houses of worship passed quietly out of the hands of the ,baptists2 and in the case at ,warren1 not only the greater part of the congregation1 but the preacher also accepted the truth so ably and eloquently urged by ,scott1 and became himself an earnest and successful advocate of the same4 ,some of the ,baptists had heard of the great changes that had taken place in the two churches mentioned2 some of the members had even gone so far as to visit them1 and could find no well-founded objections to what they had heard stigmatized as heresy2 nay1 it even seemed to them like the things they had read in the ,bible2 and some of them went so far as to sit down at the ,lord's table with them4 ,such an element in the church1 of course1 soon made itself felt4 ,the ,scriptures were closely searched1 and the light began to spread4 ,suspicion was aroused--was the hated heresy about to break out among them and destroy their peace8 ,several were soon marked men2 the views they held were assailed and loudly condemned1 when some one suggested that1 as it was not the custom to condemn without a hearing in ancient time1 they had better send for the public advocates of the new doctrine and learn the best or worst at once4 ,this suggestion prevailed and ,scott and ,bently were invited to preach at ,sharon4 ,they came and ,scott preached every night for three weeks4 ,the curiosity which at first characterized many who attended soon deepened into sincere interest1 and some began to inquire1 ,brethren1 what shall we do8 ,the inspired answer was given1 and1 in response to the gospel invitation1 several persons presented themselves and were immediately1 on a confession of their faith in ,christ as the ,son of ,god1 baptized4 ,shortly after this meeting closed the cry was raised that what had been done was not according to ,baptist usage4 ,those who had been baptized had not been required to relate an experience of grace prior to baptism1 and the church had not been allowed to pass on their fitness for membership1 and so they were not received as members4 ,but there was another serious trouble that could not be so easily settled4 ,they could refuse to receive into their fellowship those baptized by ,mr4 ,scott2 but what was to be done with those who received with gladness the message delivered by him as the word of ,god8 ,some of these were the most influential members1 and to make the case more perplexing1 were tolerant of the views held by the ,baptists4 ,as they had formerly held the same1 they desired that the others should see as they did2 but they did not attempt to force their views upon the church2 they wished to hold them in peace1 however1 but at the same time did not want to be bound by the creed and church articles4 ,all this class sympathized with those who had been refused membership4 ,in their view1 if the ,lord1 as they believed1 had accepted them1 why should the church reject them8 ,those who were still attached to the ,baptist views were of a different spirit4 ,and they were fully determined that all who even sympathized with those whom they regarded as heretics should either repent or be excluded from their fellowship4 ,this naturally produced serious trouble1 and many of the leading members left the church and cast their lot with those endeavoring to restore the apostolic church4 ,but the opposition only stirred the evangelists to greater zeal and power1 and created for them a sympathy which opened the doors to thousands of hearts hitherto closed to their message4 ,like fighting fire in the stubble1 the stroke of the flail only increased the flame4 ,throughout the country they went turning the country upside down1 like the apostles of old4 ,so great was their influence that1 when the ,mahoning ,association met in #ahcj1 it disbanded1 and ceased its connection with the ,baptist ,church1 that church having repudiated all who were set for a return to apostolic simplicity4 ,the three years spent by ,mr4 ,scott in the ,western ,reserve2 the great audiences that greeted him1 and the marvelous success that crowned his labors1 stimulated his fervent nature to the highest and drew from his rich soul the rarest wealth4 ,his mind was filled with truth1 and his thought was illuminated with the finest imagery4 ,he knew the ,bible as few men1 and loved it with a passionate love4 ,his life was wholly given to the ,savior1 and never was a sacrifice more unreservedly made4 ,no wonder that a preacher like this should revolutionize the hearts of men4 ,,reformers ,,in ,,other ,,states ,,john ,,wright ,in our study so far we have learned of several independent movements1 in widely separated localities1 making strenuous efforts to throw off the shackles of sectarianism and to stand wholly on apostolic ground1 and it is fitting that ,i should give a brief sketch of others4 ,john ,wright was born in ,rowan ,county1 ,north ,carolina1 ,december #ab1 #aghe4 ,when he was about twelve years old his father moved into ,powell's ,valley1 ,va41 where he grew to manhood4 ,from ,virginia the whole family emigrated to ,wayne ,county1 ,ky41 where he was joined in marriage to ,miss ,nancy ,beeler1 who proved to be a most excellent helpmeet1 ever ready with him to make any sacrifice for the cause of ,christ4 ,in the latter part of #ahjg1 he moved from ,kentucky into ,clark's ,grant1 ,indiana4 ,in ,august1 #ahjh he and his wife were baptized by ,william ,summers1 and they immediately united with the ,baptist ,church1 and in the latter part of the same year he began to preach4 ,this was long before the current ,reformation was heard of by the inhabitants of the ,west4 ,he was1 therefore among the very first to break the stillness of ,indiana's forest with the glad tidings of salvation4 ,in ,january1 #ahaj1 he moved to ,blue ,river1 four miles south of ,salem1 and was shortly afterwards joined by his father1 where they organized a congregation of ,free-,will ,baptists4 ,they exerted great influence in behalf of ,christianity1 and it was not long until they had organized ten ,baptist ,churches which they organized into what was called ,blue ,river ,association4 ,from the very first1 ,john ,wright was of the opinion that all human creeds were heretical and schismatical1 and in that region there has not come after him a more persistent contender for the word of ,god as the only and all-sufficient rule of faith and practice4 ,he labored to destroy all divisions and promote union among all professed followers of the ,lord2 and in this difficult and most important service he was very successful4 ,though at first he tolerated the name ,baptist1 he afterwards waged a war of extermination against all party names4 ,this war was declared in the year #ahai1 when he offered at the church at ,blue ,river a resolution in favor of discarding all party names4 ,as individuals1 he contended that they should be called friends1 disciples1 brethren1 saints1 ,christians2 and1 as a body1 ,church of ,christ1 or ,church of ,god4 ,he opposed the term ,christian as applied to the church1 because it is not so applied in the writings of the apostles4 ,the resolution was adopted1 and1 having agreed1 also1 to lay aside their speculative opinions and contradictory theories1 they were prepared to plead consistently for ,christian union1 and to invite others to stand with them upon the one broad and sure foundation4 ,they then began in earnest the work of reformation1 and with such success that by the year #ahba there was not a ,baptist ,church in all that region4 ,about this time a spirited controversy over the subject of ,trine ,immersion was being waged among the ,tunkers1 of whom there were fifteen congregations in that section of country4 ,the leading spirits in opposition to that doctrine were ,abram ,kern1 of ,indiana1 and ,peter ,hon1 of ,kentucky4 ,at first they contended against great odds1 but so many of their opponents finally surrendered that they finally gained a decisive victory in favor of one immersion4 ,at the close of the contest1 while both parties were exhausted by the conflict1 ,mr4 ,wright recommended to his brethren that they should send a letter to the ,annual ,conference of the ,tunkers1 proposing a union of the two bodies on the ,bible alone4 ,the letter was written and ,john ,wright1 his brother1 ,peter1 and several others1 were appointed as messengers to convey it to the conference and there advocate the measures it proposed4 ,so successful was the effort that at the first meeting the union was permanently formed4 ,about the same time ,mr4 ,wright proposed a correspondence with the ,newlights1 for the purpose of forming with them a more perfect union4 ,he was appointed to conduct the correspondence on the part of his brethren1 which he did with so much ability and discretion1 that a joint meeting was assembled at ,edinburg1 where the union was readily consummated4 ,a few years subsequent to this1 the work of reformation began to progress rapidly among the ,regular ,baptists of the ,silver ,creek ,association4 ,this was directly through the influence of ,absolom and ,j4 ,t4 ,littell1 and ,mordecai ,cole1 the leading spirits of that locality4 ,through their teaching hundreds of individuals and some whole churches renounced all human creeds and boldly took a stand on the ,bible alone4 ,but still there was a shyness existing between them and those who had done the same thing under the labors of ,mr4 ,wright4 ,the former having held ,calvinistic opinions1 stood aloof through fear of being called ,arians2 while the latter feared to make any advances lest they should be stigmatized as ,campbellites4 ,thus the two parties stood when ,mr4 ,wright became their mediator communicating the sentiments of each to the other4 ,by this means it was soon ascertained that they were all endeavoring to preach and practice the same thing4 ,the only important difference between them was in regard to the design of baptism1 and on this point ,mr4 ,wright yielded as soon as he was convinced of his error4 ,this move resulted in the permanent union of these two large and influential bodies of believers4 ,in consequence of this effort at peace making1 more than three thousand united in the bonds of peace1 agreeing to stand together on the one foundation and to forget all minor differences in their devotion to the great interests of the ,redeemer's kingdom4 ,this was the greatest achievement of ,mr4 ,wright's long and eventful life2 and he deserves to be held in high esteem for his love of truth1 for his moral courage in carrying out his convictions of right1 and for the meek and affectionate spirit which gave him such power in leading people out of sectarianism and uniting them together in the bonds of love in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,herman ,,christian ,,dasher ,the parents of ,herman ,christian ,dasher came to this country from ,salzburg1 ,germany1 to escape the persecution of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 and located near ,savannah1 ,georgia4 ,they were ,lutherans and had ,herman christened in infancy and brought up in that faith4 ,when he arrived at manhood and began to be impressed with the importance of uniting with a church1 and of living the ,christian life1 he was deeply perplexed by the existence1 and by the proclaiming of so many contradictory doctrines4 ,fortunately1 instead of becoming an infidel1 as so many do under like circumstances1 he turned to the ,holy ,scriptures for light4 ,he soon became thoroughly convinced that immersion is baptism1 and that affusion is not1 and that therefore he ought to be immersed4 ,he could not cast his lot with the ,baptists1 as he could not tell an experience of grace which they required1 for he had seen no marvelous light1 neither had he heard any marvelous sounds4 ,he was by no means convinced that ,god had for ,christ's sake forgiven his sins1 though he did not then understand the doctrine of baptism for remission of sins1 as he afterwards did2 nor did he think that ,god demanded any such experience as a prerequisite to baptism and church membership4 ,but he desired most earnestly to become a ,christian1 believing in his heart that ,jesus is the ,christ the ,son of the living ,god1 the ,savior of sinners4 ,this brought before him a new difficulty1 for within the whole range of his acquaintance1 there was not one who would immerse him on a simple confession of his faith in ,christ4 ,all demanded that he should profess to have a miraculous and mysterious work of the ,holy ,spirit within him1 in taking away his heart of stone and giving him a heart of flesh4 ,providentially1 about this time1 while he was most earnestly engaged in studying the ,bible1 he was thrown into the company of a ,mrs4 ,threadcraft1 of ,savannah1 who informed him that in her city a ,mr4 ,s4 ,c4 ,dunning1 who had formerly been a ,baptist preacher1 but had recently seceded from that body1 because he did not believe it taught and practiced as the ,word of ,god required4 ,in this movement he had been accompanied by eight or ten others4 ,this lady further informed him that ,mr4 ,dunning preached the ,scriptures as he did1 and that at his hands he could obtain baptism upon a simple confession of his faith in ,jesus ,christ as the ,son of ,god4 ,this information filled him with such great joy that he did not delay in making the journey into ,savannah to see ,mr4 ,dunning1 who baptized him without further delay4 ,this was during the year #ahai4 ,immediately after returning to his home he immersed his wife1 her sister and her husband4 ,these continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship1 in the breaking of bread and the prayers1 meeting every ,lord's ,day in the house of ,mr4 ,dasher4 ,the little church grew and prospered1 being occasionally visited by ,mr4 ,dunning1 who assisted in building it up by his teaching and exhortations4 ,some time after this1 ,mr4 ,dasher1 accompanied by a number of the members of the church1 moved into ,lowndes ,county1 and located where the city of ,valdosta now stands4 ,in this new field he continued the work of preaching the word and built up a congregation which met in his own residence4 ,this was the beginning of the work in ,valdosta and the region around about4 ,it was many years after the baptism of ,mr4 ,dasher before he knew that there were any others in any place contending for the truth as is in ,jesus1 as he and those associated with him were doing4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,christians ,,and ,,reformers ,,unite ,a new period has now dawned in the movement for the union of all ,christians by the restoration of primitive ,christianity4 ,the ,baptists had thrust from their fellowship those who had embraced it and they were forced into a separate existence4 ,every preacher among them was filled with a zeal to plant churches after the primitive order wherever they could get a large enough company together4 ,the work spread principally from two centers1 ,ohio and ,kentucky4 ,from ,ohio it was carried into ,new ,york and ,pennsylvania2 and westward into ,michigan1 northern ,ohio1 and ,indiana1 and ,wisconsin4 ,from ,kentucky it was carried eastward and southward into ,virginia1 ,maryland1 the ,carolinas1 ,tennessee1 and ,alabama2 and westward into ,indiana1 ,illinois and ,missouri4 ,the movement spread chiefly in a westward direction from ,kentucky and ,tennessee along the lines of emigration4 ,very often a sufficient number of emigrants to establish themselves into a congregation after the primitive order found themselves together in the same neighborhood and began at once to meet together for mutual edification and the spread of the truth4 ,while it was well known that there were many things received and practiced in common there had been no special effort to bring about a union between them4 ,in #ahbd1 at ,georgetown1 ,ky41 ,mr4 ,stone and ,mr4 ,campbell first met4 ,when they compared views1 it seemed that there were irreconcilable differences between them4 ,stone thought ,campbell was heterodox on the ,holy ,spirit1 and ,campbell suspected ,stone's soundness on the divinity of ,christ4 ,but on a more careful investigation1 they found these differences more imaginary than real1 and they joined hearts and hands and ,god blessed them with the most important work since the apostolic age4 ,with the kindly feelings towards each other1 the work of union between their brethren was well on the way when it was begun4 ,and so1 after a number of friendly conferences1 it was decided to have a meeting of representative men at ,georgetown1 ,ky41 to continue for days1 including ,december #be1 #ahca4 ,the results of this conference were so satisfactory that another was convened in ,lexington1 ,january #a1 #ahcb4 ,in these gatherings the spirit of the ,master was supreme4 ,at the ,lexington meeting1 at an early hour the house was crowded4 ,stone1 ,john ,t4 ,johnson1 ,samuel ,rogers1 ,g4 ,w4 ,elley1 ,jacob ,creath1 ,raccoon ,john ,smith1 and many other worthy men were there1 all guarded in thought and purpose against any compromise of truth1 but all filled with the spirit of the ,master3 ,that they may all be one2 even as thou1 ,father1 art in me1 and ,i in thee1 that they also may be in us3 that the world may believe that thou didst send me4 ,it was decided that one man from each party should speak1 setting forth clearly the grounds of union1 and ,smith and ,stone were selected as the speakers4 ,after this had been announced1 the two brethren went aside1 and conferred in private4 ,neither knew what the other would say in the critical hour which had now come upon the churches2 nor did either1 in the moment of solemn conference1 ask the other to disclose his mind1 touching their differences1 more fully than he had already done4 ,it was decided between them that ,smith should speak first4 ,the occasion was to ,smith the most important and solemn that had occurred in the history of the reformation4 ,it was now to be seen whether all that had been written and said and done in behalf of the simple gospel of ,christ and the union of ,christians was really the work of the ,lord1 or whether the prayers of ,stone and ,johnson were but the idle longings of pious1 yet deluded hearts2 whether the toils and sacrifices of ,smith were but the schismatic efforts of a bold enthusiast1 and whether the teachings of ,campbell were only the speculations of a graceless and sensuous philosophy4 ,the denominations around mocked1 and declared that a church without a constitution could not stand1 and that a union without a creed was but the chimera of a dreamy and infatuated heresy4 ,at the appointed hour1 ,smith1 realizing the tremendous importance of the occasion1 arose with simple dignity1 and stood before the mingling brotherhoods4 ,he felt the weight that rested upon him4 ,every eye turned upon him1 and every ear leaned to catch the slightest tones of his voice4 ,he said3 ,god has but one people on the earth4 ,he has given to them but one ,book1 and therein exhorts and commands them to be one family4 ,a union such as we plead for--a union of ,god's people on that one ,book--must then be practicable4 ,every ,christian desires to stand complete in the whole will of ,god4 ,the prayer of the ,savior1 and the whole tenor of his teaching1 clearly show that it is ,god's will that his children should be united4 ,to the ,christian1 then1 such a union must be desirable4 ,but an amalgamation of sects is not such a union as ,christ prayed for and ,god enjoins4 ,to agree to be one upon any system of human invention would be contrary to his will1 and could never be a blessing to the church or the world3 therefore the only union practicable or desirable must be based on the ,word of ,god as the only rule of faith and practice4 ,there are certain abstruse and speculative matters--such as the mode of the divine existence and the ground and nature of the atonement--that have for centuries1 been themes of discussion among ,christians4 ,these questions are as far from being settled now as they were in the beginning of the controversy4 ,by a needless and intemperate discussion of them much feeling has been provoked1 and divisions have been produced4 ,for several years past ,i have tried to speak on such subjects only in the language of inspiration1 for it can offend no one to say about those things just what the ,lord himself has said4 ,in this scriptural style of speech all ,christians should be agreed4 ,it can not be wrong2 it can not do harm4 ,if ,i come to the passage1 ,my ,father is greater than ,i1 ,i will quote it1 but will not stop to speculate upon the consubstantial nature of the ,father and the ,son4 ,have this mind in you1 which was also in ,christ ,jesus3 who existing in the form of ,god1 counted not the being on an equality with ,god a thing to be grasped1 ,i will not stop to speculate upon the consubstantial nature of the ,father and the ,son4 ,i will not linger to build a theory on such texts1 and thus encourage a speculative and wrangling spirit among my brethren4 ,i will present these subjects only in the words which the ,lord has given me4 ,i know he will not be displeased if we say just what he has said4 ,whatever opinions about these and similar subjects ,i may have reached in the course of my investigation1 if ,i never distract the church of ,god with them or seek to impose them on my brethren1 they will never do the world any harm4 ,i have the more cheerfully resolved on this course1 because the gospel is a system of facts1 commands1 and promises2 and no deductions or inferences from them1 however logical or true1 forms any part of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,no heaven is promised to those who hold them1 and no hell is threatened to those who deny them4 ,they do not constitute1 singly or together1 any items of the ancient and apostolic gospel4 ,while there is but one faith1 there may be ten thousand opinions2 and hence if ,christians are ever to be one1 they must be one in faith1 and not in opinion4 ,when certain subjects arise1 and even in conversation or social discussion1 about which there is a contrariety of opinion and sensitiveness of feeling1 speak of them in the words of the ,scriptures1 and no offense will be given1 and no pride of doctrine will be encouraged4 ,we may even come1 in the end1 by thus speaking the same things1 to think the same things4 ,for several years past ,i have stood pledged to meet the religious world1 or any part of it1 on the ancient gospel and order of things as presented in the words of the ,book4 ,this is the foundation on which ,christians once stood1 and on it they can1 and ought to1 stand again4 ,from this ,i can not depart to meet any man1 or set of men1 in the world4 ,while1 for the sake of peace and ,christian union1 ,i have long since waived the public maintenance of any speculation ,i may hold1 yet not one gospel fact1 commandment1 or promise will ,i surrender for the world4 ,let us1 then1 my brethren1 be no longer ,campbellites or ,stoneites1 ,new ,lights or ,old ,lights1 or any other kind of lights2 but let us all come to the ,bible1 and to the ,bible alone1 as the only book in the world that can give us all the light we need4 ,when ,smith had concluded1 ,stone arose1 with his heart filled with love and hope1 said3 ,i will not attempt to introduce any new topic1 but say a few things on the subject presented by my beloved brother4 ,controversies in the church sufficiently prove that ,christians can never be one in their speculations upon these mysterious and sublime subjects1 which1 while they interest the ,christian philosopher1 can not edify the church4 ,after we have given up all creeds and taken the ,bible1 and the ,bible alone1 as our rule of faith and practice1 we met with so much opposition that ,i was led to deliver some speculative discourses upon these subjects4 ,but ,i never preached a sermon of that kind that really feasted my heart2 ,i always felt a barrenness of soul afterwards4 ,i perfectly accord with ,bro4 ,smith that these speculations should never be taken into the pulpit2 and when compelled to speak of them at all1 we should do so in the words of inspiration4 ,i have not one objection to the ground laid down by him as the true ,scriptural basis of union among the people of ,god1 and ,i am willing to give him1 now and here1 my hand4 ,and as he spoke these words1 he extended his hand to ,smith1 and it was grasped by a hand full of the honest pledges of love and fellowship1 and the union of these two bodies was virtually accomplished4 ,it was then proposed that all who felt willing to unite on the principles enunciated should signify it by giving to each other the hand of fellowship1 and at once the audience joyfully joined hands in joyful accord4 ,a song was sung1 and1 amid tears of inexpressible happiness1 the union was confirmed4 ,following this meeting1 some further friendly conferences were held by means of committees1 and by arrangement the members of both churches communed together on ,february #ai1 agreeing to consummate the formal and public union of the two churches on the following ,lord's day4 ,during the week1 however1 some began to fear a difficulty in relation to the choice of elders and the practical adoption of weekly communion1 which they thought would require the constant presence of an ordained administrator4 ,the person who generally ministered to the ,christian ,church at ,lexington at this time was ,thomas ,smith1 a man of more than ordinary abilities and attainments1 and long associated with the movement of ,barton ,w4 ,stone4 ,he was at first1 apprehensive that the proposed union was premature1 and that disagreements might arise in regard to questions of church order4 ,the union was therefore postponed1 and matters remained for a short time stationary1 but it soon became apparent to the ,christians that there were no exclusive privileges belonging to the preacher as it concerned the administration of the ordinances1 and ,thomas ,m4 ,allen1 who enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the entire brotherhood1 induced them to complete the union and to transfer to the new congregation1 thus formed under the title of the ,church of ,christ2 the comfortable church house which they had previously held under the designation of the ,christian ,church4 ,this wise measure secured entire unanimity1 and the formal and public union was consummated on ,february #bf1 as had been previously arranged1 when they again broke bread together1 and in that sweet and solemn communion again pledged to each other their brotherly love4 ,at ,paris1 ,mr4 ,allen also effected a union of the two churches and the union at ,georgetown1 ,lexington1 and ,paris soon led to union throughout the state4 ,this desire for unity was greatly furthered by the efforts of ,john ,smith and ,john ,rogers1 who had been appointed at the ,lexington meeting to visit all the churches and hold meetings in conjunction with each other4 ,their work was wonderfully successful throughout ,kentucky in uniting the two bodies4 ,the effect of this union was very great on those who had never made any profession of religion4 ,multitudes became obedient to the faith throughout ,kentucky1 and an impetus was given to the cause by the union of the two peoples1 which served to illustrate the overwhelming power which the gospel would exert upon the world if all the sad divisions among those who claim to follow ,christ were healed4 ,the sectarians of ,kentucky1 who had foretold a speedy disruption of the union1 were surprised to find their prophecies unfulfilled1 and not less grieved at the inroads continually made upon their own power1 which1 from this period steadily and rapidly declined4 ,it is worthy of mention that at the time these events were happening in ,kentucky1 the spirit of union was prevailing over sectarianism in a number of other states also4 ,every preacher among them was a missionary and traveling evangelist4 ,this union of the ,christians and ,reformers was not a surrender of one party to the other2 it was an agreement of such as already recognized and loved each other as brethren to work and worship together4 ,it was the union of those who held alike the necessity of implicit faith and of unreserved obedience2 who accepted the facts1 commands1 and promises as set forth in the ,bible2 who conceded the right of private judgment to all2 who taught that opinions were no part of the faith delivered to the saints2 and who were now pledged that no speculative matters should ever be debated to the disturbance of the peace and harmony of the church1 but when compelled to speak on controverted subjects1 they would adopt the style and language of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it was an equal and mutual resolution to meet on the ,bible as on common ground and to preach the gospel rather than to propagate opinions4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,added some entries to the ,table of ,contents to correspond to section headings4 --,silently corrected a few palpable typos4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4