forgiveness of sins. It was with much hesitation I presented this view of the subject at that time, because of its perfect novelty. I was then assured of its certainty. But having thought still more closely upon the subject, and having been necessarily called to consider it more fully as an essential part of the Christian religion, I am still better prepared to develope its import, and to establish its utility and value in the Christian religion. I beg leave to call the attention of the reader to it under the idea of the Bath of regeneration.'' 20 One further quotation from Campbell must suffice: "Baptism is, then, designed to introduce the subject of it into the participation of the blessings of the death and resurrection of Christ, who 'died for our sins,' and 'rose again for our justification.' But it has no abstract efficacy. Without previous faith in the blood of Christ, and deep and unfeigned repentance before God, neither immersion in water, nor any other action, can secure to us the blessings of peace and pardon. It can merit nothing. Still to the believing penitent it is the means of receiving a formal, distinct, and specific absolution, or relief from guilt. Therefore, none but those who have first believed the testimony of God and have repented of their sins, and that have been intelligently immersed into his death, have the full and explicit testimony of God, assuring them of pardon. To such only as are truly penitent, dare we say, 'Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord,' [*] and to such only can we say with assurance, 'You are washed, you are justified, you are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.''' 30 The Christian Baptist, January 7, 1828. Acta. 22: 16. 1 Corinthians 6: 11, and Campbell, A. The Christian System, 58. Campbell and other early leaders declared, as previously stated, and present leaders among the Disciples insist that immersion is the only Scriptural baptism. They refer to Christ's journey of seventy miles to demand baptism at the hands of John the Baptist, to his going down into the water, and to his coming up out of the water." "Why," they ask, "did John take Christ down into the water if he merely wanted to sprinkle a little water on his head?" Then they point out that John was baptizing at Enon near to Salim because there was much water there." Again, they refer to Jesus' words to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God."" They emphasize the fact that Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, like John the Baptist and Christ, went down into the water and came up out of the water." They contend that only baptism represents a burial: "We were buried with him therefore through baptism unto death that like as Christ rose from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we shall rise to walk in newness of life.' They maintain that all other so called forms of baptism are condemned by Paul's words, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism.' They insist that immersion was the only form practiced until 753, when Matthew 8: 16. 24 John 3: 23. 25 John 3:5. 28 Acts 8: 38, 39. 27 Romans 6: 4. 28 Ephesians 4: 5. 97 28 Pope Stephen allowed sprinkling in the case of sickness. Thus, they claim that the other forms, such as sprinkling and pouring, came into use through the Catholic Church. Disciples contend that all reputable Greek lexicographers translate baptizo as immerse, and they say with quite a little complacency: "Surely the Greeks understood their own language. How, then, do you account for the fact that the Greek Catholic Church is a church of immersed believers?"" Inasmuch as the Disciples consider faith and repentance as prerequisites to baptism, they necessarily rule out infant baptism. The design and result of baptism, according to the Disciples of Christ, are shown in Acts 2:38: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' Alexander Campbell concluded his second essay on baptism as follows: "The first three thousand persons that were immersed after the ascension of Christ into heaven, were immersed for the remission of their sins with the promise of the Holy Spirit. I am bold, therefore, to affirm, that every one of them who, in the belief of what the apostle spoke, was immersed, did, in the very instant in which he was put under water, receive the forgiveness of his sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. If so, then, who will not concur with me in saying that Christian immersion is the gospel in water? ›› » 29 J. V. Coombs, a Disciple evangelist, has an interesting chapter on baptism in his Campaigning for Christ, 78-104. 30 The Christian Baptist, February 4, 1828. See the criticisms of Cartwright and Shaw on the "gospel in water," pages 209-212. In his seventh essay on the subject, Campbell wrote: "The first disciples, when immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins, obtained this blessing [gift of the Holy Spirit]. Those on Pentecost obtained also the very gifts contained in the promise made by Joel; and also all those communications couched in the above expressions. For they not only possessed miraculous gifts, but were filled with peace and joy, with all the fruit of the Spirit of Holiness. [*] How gracious this institution! It gives to the convert a sensible pledge that God, through the blood of Christ, has washed away his sins, has adopted him into his family, and made him an heir of all things through Christ. Thus, having his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and his body washed with clean water, he becomes a habitation of God through the Holy Spirit. Thus according to the tenor of the New Testament, God dwells in him, and he in God, by the Spirit which is imparted to him. Thus he is constituted a christian or a disciple of Jesus Christ.''82 The weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper is another distinguishing characteristic of the Disciples of Christ. This custom, according to them, has been practiced from the beginning. Luke said that the disciples met together on the first day of the week to break bread," and Paul told the Corin 81 Many Disciples draw distinctions here. They note the tongues of fire and the gift of tongues in connection with the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and at the household of Cornelius. They refer next to the gift of the Holy Spirit with miracle working power given by the laying on of the apostles' hands. Then they speak of the ordinary indwelling of the Holy Spirit promised to all penitent immersed believers in Acts 2: 38, 5: 32 and elsewhere. The Christian Baptist, July 7, 1828. 23 Acts 20: 7. thians: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup ye do show forth the Lord's death till he come again.' Justin Martyr declared that weekly communion was practiced by the early Christians. Calvin said that every week at least the table of the Lord should be spread for Christian assemblies." Because of these Bible references and the early customs referred to by Martyr and others, Disciples everywhere insist on weekly communion. Concerning this, Alexander Campbell wrote in 1837: "Something was also said upon the conspicuity which this institution deserves in the weekly meetings of the family of God. The weekly meeting of the family of God, without any Lord's table or Lord's Supper is one of the poorest and most meagre things in creation. Miserably poor is that family, which, when assembled on some important occasion, has nothing to eat not even a table in the house. Yet so poor is the family of God, if the numerous sects in our land give a fair representation of it. We cannot believe it. The disciples of Jesus always assembled on the Lord's day to commemorate the Lord's death and resurrection so long as the Christian religion continued pure and uncontaminated. was shown that spiritual health, requires not only wholesome food, but at proper and regular intervals. Therefore, a person may as reasonably say that he can enjoy good animal health on one meal in four days, as that he can be healthy in the Lord on one Lord's supper in four weeks. And if it be so, that 'frequent communion,' as it is called, diminishes its value or solemnity, then the seldomer, the better. Once in a 341 Corinthians 11: 26. It 35 Gwatkins, H. M. Selections from Early Writers Illustrative of Church History to the Time of Constantine, 55. Institutes of the Christian Religion, II., 581. |