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change their minds as to reform their lives, and testify to their belief in Jesus and to their determination to reform by being baptized into Him, they should obtain "the remission of their sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost."

In concluding this subject, upon which much more might be said, if space permitted, we would observe, that the principal motive held out for any to repent is, the accredited knowledge given in the Bible of the goodness and mercy of God. The Apostle Paul says to the Romans, "despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance;" and the Apostle Peter, in speaking of the ultimate fulfilment of what God has promised, says, "the Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering

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CASES OF CONVERSION.

H. HUSSEY.

without which no one is complete, and with which no one is deficient.

THE Christian religion is taught by precept and example. In the study of law, the student first pays attention to The first case is that of the three the great principles and maxims of the thousand in Jerusalem. Early in the science, then looks at the cases in which morning these persons were as vile sinthese principles and maxims are ap-ners as perhaps ever lived. They were plied, and thus his knowledge is both not only guilty of perverting the Scriptheoretical and practical. So in study-tures, and of making void the law of ing the law of life, we first have the principles and maxims given us by Jesus Christ, who, while upon earth, filled the office of teacher; and then we have cases in which these principles are embobied, and by which they are illustrated. We thus have the precept telling us how we ought to act, and the example of those who were miraculously endowed carrying out the precept. Finally, we have, in the epistles of the Apostles, a commentary on the whole matter. If, with all these lights to guide us, we fail to arrive at the clear perception of truth, it must be in consequence of the bias and prejudice of our own hearts, and not because of any native obscurity in the subject itself.

We purpose to pass in review some of the cases of conversion which are recorded under the immediate direction of the Holy Spirit. From these we hope to induce all the principles which enter necessarily into every conversion--those

God by their traditions, but they had, by hardness of heart which can never be surpassed, disregarded a series of the most wonderful miracles ever wrought; persisted in rejecting him who wrought them, and finally clamored after his blood, when an impartial tribunal had pronounced that there was no fault in him. Raised up as they had been to receive this divine personage, and marked by every distinction of God's peculiar favour, and yet, when He came rejected Him. There in their midst stood, as it were, Moses, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, and a living Forerunner greater than them all, every one pointing his finger and saying, "This is that prophet that should come into the world, hear him." Nay, God himself spoke to them audibly from heaven, "This is my Son, the beloved-hear Him!" But they crucified Him, crying out, "His blood be on us and our children."

Such were they in the morning of

that day; in the evening they were as innocent as though they had never sinned. Not a stain defiled their character, not a blemish of sin attached to their souls. They were filled with such love for him whom they had crucified, that no self-denial was too great for them they were so transformed in all their thoughts and feelings that they were ready to give up property, to forsake their families, to renounce all the honours and rewards of the world, and to attach themselves the same day to the few humble and friendless followers of this Jesus, that they might by any means honour his memory, defend his character and promulgate his cause.

If ever there was one, these were certainly true converts. They passed from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; they passed from the deepest guilt and condemnation to perfect pardon and salvation; they passed from hatred and rejection of Christ to the purest and most devoted love for him, his cause and his people. This was a complete revolution of character-a perfect change in their hearts, their minds, their motives, their objects, and their condition. The entire person was turned round-in short, they were converted.

How was it accomplished? What did it require to bring about this entire change of mind, heart, body and state? The same record which makes known the wonderful facts we have detailed, also particularizes the means made use of, and the actions that were performed.

1. God acted-by sending the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, qualifying them to understand the Scriptures, and enabling them to work miracles in attestation of their veracity as witnesses of the resurrection. We cannot tell

what influences were brought to bear upon the people in the providence of God, which caused them to be present in Jerusalem at that time, which induced them to listen, and which led them to consider the weight of testimony. As nothing is mentioned concerning all this, we deem it fair to conclude that those influences were such as are common to men, and were the same in the case of those who rejected as of those who embraced the proffered salvation. We therefore consider it safe ground to confine ourself to that which was extraordinary, and which was, for this reason, recorded.

2. The Apostles acted-by preaching to the people Jesus, declaring that he was the Christ, the Son of God, that He had been raised from the dead, and that He had shed forth the Spirit. They spoke in divers languages to prove that God was with them, and that the message they delivered was from him. They quoted from the Jewish Prophets, to prove that the extraordinary phenomenon they were witnessing was in fulfilment of ancient predictions. By such testimony they succeeded in convincing large numbers that Jesus was the true Messiah, and that they were sinners in rejecting and slaying him.

3. The people acted-not only by attending to the things which were spoken, which resulted in their faith in Jesus; they also repented and were baptized for the remission of sins, in obedience to the heavenly oracle. Here the record stops, and here we feel bound to pause also. We will not presume to argue the question. We have submitted a divine model of conversion, confirmed by three thousand examples: "These things were written for our learning." J. S. L.

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"Come," says God's messenger, "your Creator offers you priceless wealth that shall never corrupt -he has spread out for your happiness, fields of living green watered by perennial streams, and beautified and enriched by trees bearing all manner of fruits-come and enjoy it, come and possess it-come, it shall be yours for ever-come, and all things shall be yours-come at once, all things are ready, he is waiting to receive and to invest you with titles to everlasting mansions, and to crown you with glory, honour and immortality in the skies." -I pray thee, have me excused!-I have bought a piece of ground and wish to go and see it!

And is it true, that such things as these, the petty and trifling interests of a moment, weigh more with a rational being than the momentous concerns of eternity! Was it true only of the hardhearted and blinded Jews, or is the same astonishing fact witnessed among the polite and learned of our day? Ah, yes. The salvation of God is rejected now, with a deliberation and frequency never surpassed. Every time the Lord Jesus is proclaimed in his divine philanthropy and willingness to savesinners turn away from him, one to his farm, and another to his merchandize,

and as they pass the threshold of the house of God, the voice of their hearts ascends to heaven, Have me excused. Every time the bountiful provisions of goodness and mercy are unfolded before them, with the voice of the Spirit and the bride saying, come, whosoever hungers, whosoever thirsts, whosoever will, come and partake freely without money and without price-sinners sit in their seats, and as their thoughts run out to the little gains and pleasures of the earth, which they will not leave for heaven, the attending angel catches a petition from their hearts and bears it to the throne of God, Have me excused.

O, thou Jesus, who didst say to all who labour and are heavy laden, "come, and you shall find rest to your souls!" I pray thee, in thy all prevailing intercessions before thy Father's throne, have me excused.

Alas, deluded sinner, the mad petition of thy heart may be answered! And will you who have again and again urged this request, persist in making it? Or will you not rather instantly repent of this wickedness, and turn to God and live? Repeat not, even with your thought, the awful prayer, Have me excused.

THE CONTRAST FAIRLY STATED.-No. I.

J. S. L.

[The Presbyterian Board of Publication, in Philadelphia, has recently issued a tract, numbered 175, "Campbellism, its Rise, Progress, Character, and Influence. By Rev. N. L. Rice." A promise was made, in the American Christian Review, a short time since, of a tract of a similar size, in return for the Doctor's kindness. To the Presbyterian Board of Publication, therefore, but especially to Rev. N. L. Rice, are the following pages dedicated, hoping that they may be received in the same spirit of kindness in which they were written, and prove a blessing to all concerned.]

1. WHAT is Campbellism? This has been a puzzling question. It is hard to find out precisely what it is. Not a man yet, of all who have been engaged in fighting this monster, has defined it, explained it, or told what it is. It has been called a dangerous heresy, and so many hideous warnings have been given against it, that the hair would almost stand upon a man's head to hear about it, and yet no one has told what it is. The reason no one has defined Camp bellism is simply, that there is no such thing in existence, except in the imagi

nations of some misguided doctors. As near as any man can now come at what they mean by Campbellism, it is Christianity itself, unmixed, unadulterated, and without any other name. This is evident, for when they hear a man preach who preaches nothing but Christianity, nothing but Christ, simply aiming to convert men to him, and induce them to receive him as their only Leader, they call it Campbellism. It is nothing but a nick-name they have given the gospel, to keep men from hearing it. In the same way, they call the

preacher a Campbellite, who will preach nothing but the gospel, nothing but Christianity, to raise prejudice against him, and prevent people from hearing him. In precisely the same spirit, here comes Rev. N. L. Rice, of heresy-hunting memory, in a tract of forty pages, against Campbellism, which the reader may think as he pleases about, but which is as much against the religion of Christ, and those trying to receive it, practice it, and maintain it, and it alone, as was in the power of Dr. Rice to make it, without, in so many words, saying so. No man in this country, at this time, can preach simply the gospel of Christ in the name of the Lord, under no other name, and maintain the law of God, as the only rule of faith, without being called a Campbellite, and branded with preaching Campbellism. This is precisely what Dr. N. L. Rice has spent a large share of his life in opposing. This will be fully developed in the following essay. The first point of contrast between him and those he opposes, or the Disciples of Christ, as here instituted, is, that they think Christianity itself, as the Lord gave it, sufficient-that to receive it in all its fulness, to be a Christian in the Bible sense, and governed by the law of God alone, is sufficient. This the Doctor opposes, and insists upon sundry human appendages, as will be seen. Here is the real issue.

2. On page 1 the doctor says: "It was no ordinary work which he (Mr. Campbell) and his friends proposed to themselves; it was a radical reformation of the church throughout the world." Here is the head and front of the offence. Here is the issue as stated by himself: The Disciples proposing to reform the church throughout the world, but Dr. Rice opposing it. Strange if bad men should propose a radical reformation of the church throughout the world, and good men oppose it. Here is the issue, or contrast-reformation and opposition to

reformation.

3. He quotes from Millennial Harbinger, vol. 3, p. 362, the following question and answer : "And what of the apostacy-do you place all the sects in the apostacy? Yes, all religious sects who have any human bond of union, all who rally under any articles of confederation other than the

apostles' doctrine, and refuse to yield all homage to the ancient order of things." This the doctor looks upon as horribly reprehensible. With him, it amounts to nothing or rather, it is necessary to have a "human bond of union," "articles of confederation other than the apostles' doctrines," and "refuse to yield all homage to the ancient order of things;" and to call a people who do this "apostate," is, with him, almost sacrilege. Let candour be appealed to-let solemnity and honesty be appealed to-let every sincere man tell what could make an apostacy, if having a human, in the place of a divine bond of union, other articles of confederation than the apostles' doctrine, and refusing to yield all homage to the ancient order of things, would not do it. The contrast here is very striking, The Disciples maintain the divine bond of union and reject the human. The Doctor holds on to the human to aid the divine bond of union, in accomplishing what it could not do without the human! The Disciples oppose all articles of confederation other than the apostles' doctrine. The doctor maintains other articles of confederation than the apostles' doctrine. The Disciples maintain that we must yield all homage to the ancient order of things. The doctor opposes yielding all homage to the ancient order of things, and maintains that those who refuse such homage are not apostate.

4. The doctor says: "Christ and his apostles effected a radical reformation in the church, but it was when tradition had been substituded for the Bible." It would be truly interesting to know what church it was, in which Christ and his apostles effected a radical reformation! They certainly never effected any reformation in the Jewish church, for it instigated the crucifixion of Christ and persecuted the apostles till its overthrow. The " one new man," or church, which the Lord made of the twain, of which he said: "Upon this rock I will build my church," had not apostatized, so as to demand a radical reformation in the apostles' time. It did not. during this period, adopt any "human bond of union, any article of confederation other than the apostles' doctrine, nor refuse to yield all homage to the ancient order of things," and consequently had not become an apostate church. Christ

and the apostles never effected, nor tried to effect, a radical reformation in any church. They let the old apostate church, as the Lord accused them ofkeeping doctrines and commandments of men, and disobeying the law of Godgo, as beyond the reach of reformation, and built a church upon Christ, the rock, laid of God for a holy temple-a habitation for the Lord through the Holy Spirit.

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5. The doctor informs us that "Luther, Calvin, and his co-laborers effected a glorious reformation; but it was when both clergy and people had long been ignorant of the Bible, and oral tradition, expounded by pretended infallibility was their rule of faith." But," he says, "Mr. Campbell undertook a radical reformation among those who took the Bible as their only rule of faith and practice." This statement is made upon page 2, and he only proceeds to page 7, where he gives as one of the two principles upon which, to use his own peculiar style, the Campbellite sect is organized, the rejection of all creeds, and union upon the Bible alone." According to his account of the matter, Mr. Campbell came among a people "who took the Bible as their only rule of faith and practice," and undertook to produce a radical reformation by inducing them to reject all creeds, and unite upon the Bible alone." If the Bible was their only rule of faith and practice, it is strange that they should have opposed Mr. Campbell, who undertook to persuade them to unite upon their only rule of faith and practice-the Bible alone!

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Why did not the Doctor say that Luther, Calvin, et cetera, "effected a glorious reformation in the church," as he said Christ and the Apostles did? He says, Christ and the Apostles effected a reformation in the church; but when he gives an account of Luther's reformation, he leaves out the words in the church He knows how to look out for danger. With him Christ did not build a church, establish a new building, or make a new man or a new church, but merely reformed an old church. But he saw that it would look ridicu lous to speak of Luther effecting a glorious reformation in the church that he came out of and separated from, and that never was and never will be reformed. Luther and Calvin found many

opposers in effecting this glorious reformation, which had to be done in spite of them, precisely as it has now to be done in spite of Rev. N. L. Rice. 6. The Doctor says, "The success of this movement was, for a number of years, remarkably rapid." He then proceeds to file in order five reasons for this remarkable success. These reasons must have a brief notice, in the same order in which they are stated.

1. "Mr. Campbell's zealous advocacy of immersion as the only valid baptism, and his opposition to infant baptism, gave him great fame among the Baptists." Both these points had been maintained with as much zeal and pertinacity by all Baptists as they ever were by Mr. Campbell. He had no new advantage in advocating these points. The Baptists had always the same advantages, but had not been able to make so good a defence on these great points. But it is entirely natural that Dr. Rice should think of these points, when he mentions Mr. Campbell. He tried him on these questions, and is aware of the force his noble energies would have on the public mind. Why does not Mr. Rice gain large numbers to the Presbyterian church, by maintaining infant baptism and opposing immersion? He has been as zealous and determined in maintaining infant baptism and opposing immersion, as ever Mr. Campbell was on the opposite side, but it does not appear that any remarkable success has attended his efforts. How is this to be accounted for? Zealous efforts result in remarkable success in advocating immersion and opposing sprinkling, but in no remarkable success on the opposite side! How is this? It is a clear matter to the man who reflects. It is now generally known that infant baptism is not mentioned in the Bible, nor in any book written two hundred years after the birth of Christ. For this to be revealed and commented upon by a man of Mr. Campbell's ability, must, in the very nature of things, make headway among all classes of opposers. It is also known that immersion is admitted to be valid baptism by all men of all parties, of any considerable degree of respectability; and that sprinkling or pouring, for baptism, is not mentioned or even hinted at in the Bible, or in any book written two hundred years after the

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