livered the second sermon with Romans 8:3 as a text: "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh."

Since the Sermon on the Law is considered by many to mark the beginning of the separate independent movement for union, as it marks the beginning of the separation from the Baptists," it should be considered somewhat in detail. Campbell's method was:

1. Determine what ideas were attached to the phrase "the law" in the text and in other parts of the Bible.

2. Show what the law could not do.

3. Explain why the law failed to accomplish these objects.

4. Illustrate how God remedied the defects of the law.

5. Draw accurate and reasonable conclusions."

He pointed out that the law included the whole Mosaic dispensation, but he was careful to declare:

"There are two principles, commandments or laws that are never included in our observations concerning the law of Moses, nor are they ever, in Holy Writ, called the law of Moses: These are, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength; and thy neighbor as thyself.' These our Great Prophet teaches us are the basis of the law of Moses and of the prophets. 'On these two

Millennial Harbinger, II., 406.

23 Young, C. A. Historical Documents, 224, 225.

commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' Indeed the Sinai law and all Jewish laws are but modifications of them. These are of universal and immutable obligation.'

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He declared that the law could not do the following things:

1. Give righteousness and life.

2. Show the malignity of sin.

3. Be a suitable rule of life to mankind in this imperfect state."

He then went on to show that the law was given to the Jewish nation alone, and that God remedied all its defects with the Gospel by sending His Son. He drew the following conclusions from his dis

course:

"1st. From what has been said, it follows that there is an essential difference between law and gospel-the Old Testament and the New. No two words are more distinct in their signification than law and gospel. They are contradistinguished under various names in the New Testament. The law is denominated 'the letter', 'the ministration of condemnation', 'the ministration of death', 'the Old Testament or Covenant', and 'Moses.' The gospel is denominated 'the Spirit', 'the ministration of righteousness', 'the New Testament, or Covenant,' 'the law of liberty and Christ.' In respect of existence or duration, the former is denominated 'that which is done away'--the latter, 'that which remaineth'-the former was faulty, the latter faultless-the former demanded, this bestows righteousness-that gendered bondage, this liberty-that begat bond-slaves, this freementhe former spake on this wise, 'This do and thou shalt live-this says, 'Say not what ye shall do; the word is

Richardson, R. Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, I., 473.

24 Young, O. A.

Historical Documents

....

235-237.

nigh thee (that gives life), the word of faith which we be saved. The former waxed old,. is abolished, and vanished preach: if thou believe in thine heart the gospel, thou shalt away the latter remains, lives, and is everlasting.' 126 said, that 'there is no condemnation to them which are in "2d. In the second place, we learn from what has been Christ Jesus.' The premises from which the Apostle drew this conclusion are the same with those stated to you in this over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace.' discourse. 'Sin', says the Apostle, 'shall not have dominion In the 6th and 7th chapters to the Romans, the Apostle taught them that they were not under the law'-that 'they were freed from it'-'dead to it'-'delivered from it.' In the 8th chapter, 1st verse, he draws the above conclu

sion.

26

"3d. In the third place, we conclude from the above premises, that there is no necessity for preaching the law in order to prepare men for receiving the gospel."

4th. A fourth conclusion which is deducible from the above premises is, that all arguments and motives, drawn from the law or Old Testament, to urge the disciples of Christ to baptize their infants; to observe holy days or religious fasts as preparatory to the observance of the Lord's Supper; to sanctify the seventh day; to enter into national covenants; to establish any form of religion by civil law; and all reasons and motives borrowed from the Jewish law, to excite the disciples of Christ to a compliance with or an imitation of Jewish customs, are inconclusive, repugnant to Christianity,and fall ineffectual to the ground; not being enjoined or countenanced by the authority of Jesus Christ." 28

"5th. In the last place, we are taught from all that has been said, to venerate in the highest degree the Lord Jesus

25

Young, C. A. Historical Documents, 250-254.

* Ibid., 253.

"Ibid., 263. "Ibid., 279.

151

Christ; to receive Him as the Great Prophet, of whom Moses in the law, and all the prophets did write. To receive him as the Lord our righteousness, and to pay punctilious regard to all his precepts and ordinances.'' 20

In summary, Campbell maintained that the Christian was not under the law, but under grace, that the old covenant, which was one of circumcision and works, had been abrogated, and consequently was not binding upon Christians, and that when Christ sent out his apostles to preach, he told them to preach the Gospel, and not the law, as a means to conversion.

Even before the sermon had been completed, Pritchard and other hostile ministers saw its drift. They accordingly used every possible means to show their dissatisfaction. When a lady in the audience fainted, Pritchard went to the stand and called out some of the preachers. He also created a disturbance in the congregation. After the commotion had subsided, however, Campbell speedily regained the attention of the audience, which he held to the close. At the intermission, Pritchard called out Elders Estep, Wheeler, and others, and said: "This will never do. This is not our doctrine. We can not let this pass without a public protest from the Association," " but Estep replied: "That would create too much excitement, and would injure us

20 Young, O. A.

Historical Documents, 279. Campbell had adopted these views of the two covenants as early as 1812 (Gates, Errett. Early Relation and Separation of Baptists and Disciples, 28). 30 Richardson, R. Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, I., 472.

more than Mr. Campbell. It is better to let it pass and let the people judge for themselves." The advice of the latter prevailed. False reports, nevertheless, were circulated, and Campbell consequently deemed it advisable to publish his sermon in pamphlet form. This address, everything considered, was perhaps the most widely influential of all that Alexander Campbell ever preached."

The principal differences between the Campbells and the Baptists were:

1. Baptism. The Campbells, as previously mentioned, insisted on baptism for the remission of sins upon a confession of faith that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. The Baptists always insisted upon an examination and the relation of a Christian experience before baptism.

2. Lord's Supper. The Brush Run Church celebrated the Lord's Supper every Sunday, whereas the Baptist churches celebrated it only monthly or quarterly.

3. Dispensations. Baptists regarded all parts of the Bible as equally authoritative and binding. Nevertheless, at the time of his admission to the Red Stone Association, Alexander Campbell held the intolerable heresy (to a Baptist) that the Christians were not under the Old Testament, but the New; not under Moses, but under Christ; not under law, but under grace.

& Richardson, R. Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, I., 472. "Ibid., I., 472.