CHAPTER
XI
It
was night again in Sterling. The day had been pleasant; and, as the sun
set behind the western hills, the families in the neighborhood of the Clements
began to get ready to hear the discussion. Great crowds surged in, till
every nook and corner was filled. Arthur Manly took his seat as usual,
Bible, paper and pencil in hand. Mabel appeared somewhat pale and anxious,
but hopeful. Dr. Stanly made an effort at cheerfulness; but he was nervous
and uneasy. The spectacle man filled his accustomed corner; and as he shrugged
his shoulders, it looked as if the stoop was all coming out. Mr. and Mrs.
Clement were crowded out of the room, but sat in the next peering in at
the door eagerly. There were several of the Campbellite faith present who
had not attended the discussion before, notably, Mr. Wilds and Farmer Grubbs.
The conversation was opened by Arthur Manly.
He said: "I hope the discussion will not continue so long as it did on
Saturday evening. It was near midnight when we retired to our homes. Sleep
and rest are essential to mental vigor; and we certainly need that in this
Bible investigation."
"I heartily approve what you say," said the Doctor; "and I hope our discussion
will close by ten o'clock. I think we should examine critically a few passages
each night."
"I hope the Doctor will lead off then and specify some texts to be examined,"
said Mabel. "I believe he is in the affirmative."
"Very well," replied the Doctor; "I shall select for our consideration
John 3:5
, and
Titus 3:5
. The two passages evidently mean
the same thing and should be examined together. I shall read them that
you may see they are akin: '
Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God
.' This is the language of
Jesus as given by John. In Titus we have different phraseology, but it
is plain that precisely the same thing is meant: '
Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost
.' If any one thinks
these passages are not parallel, I would like for that one to speak before
I proceed to an exposition."
"The passages seem to be parallel," said Arthur. "At least I can perceive
no material difference."
"They doubtless refer to the same two great truths," added Mabel.
"Then let us inquire," continued the Doctor, "what is meant by '
born
of water
' and '
washing of regeneration
.' To my mind nothing
is clearer than that each of these expressions alludes to baptism. The
one teaches us that we must, not only be born of the Spirit, but must be
born of water, i. e., be baptized, before we can enter the Kingdom of God.
The other teaches that we are not saved by the '
renewing of the Holy
Ghost
' alone, but by '
the washing of regeneration
,' i. e.,
by baptism. I wish all to observe that baptism is one of the means by which
we enter the Kingdom of God, and one without which the Saviour has solemnly
averred no one can enter. Notice, again, that baptism is one of the means
by which we are saved, and, consequently, one without which we cannot be
saved. And mark you, this is not what Dr. Stanly says, but what the Bible
says!" And he felt triumphant.
"We shall see who says that presently," replied Mabel; "but before I confute
your position, I wish all present to note well this fact: Dr. Stanly does
not expect to meet any Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, or
pious Pedobaptists in Heaven. He believes firmly they will all miss Heaven
and land in Hell. That is what Campbellism believes and teaches; that all
pious Pedobaptists will be shut out of Heaven; that not one will join
'In
that chorus of fire,
That
bursts from God's choir,
As
the loud hallelujahs leap up from the soul'
around
the throne of God; but all of them take up the wail of the lost the moment
the breath leaves the body."
"No, no!" interrupted Mr. Wilds fiercely, "we do not teach; we do not believe
any such thing and never did."
(Mr. Wilds' wife died an inveterate Presbyterian. So it touched him in
a tender place; for he was confident his wife was a pious Christian and
he expected to meet her in Heaven.)
"Brother Wilds," asked Mabel, "do you believe that '
born of water
'
means baptism?"
"Certainly I do," he responded.
"Well, if that means baptism, Jesus has solemnly affirmed that no one can
enter the Kingdom of God without baptism. Now are you going to flatly contradict
the Saviour?"
"My wife was as good a woman as ever lived and I am sure she went to Heaven.
She told me not an hour before she died that Jesus was with her and that
the angels were hovering around her bed. Her last words were 'meet me in
Heaven,' and I am sure she is there."
"Doubtless," said Mabel, "she is in Heaven awaiting your arrival; but your
theory as certainly shuts her out as we are here tonight. You must give
up your theory, or give up the hope of meeting your wife in Heaven. For
your sake I ask the Doctor to state whether I am right or wrong.
"She is right," replied the Doctor; "if '
born of water
' means
baptism, then all who have not been immersed are shut out of the Kingdom
of God."
"Then I denounce the doctrine," said the brother excitedly; "I never believed
such doctrine as that, I believe firmly and joyfully that persons can be
saved and get to Heaven without baptism; and I have no doubt about the
Bible sustaining me."
"Thank the Lord," said Mabel; "that is one convert reclaimed from the blighting
beliefs and deluding errors of Campbellism. I hope Brother Wilds will hold
firmly to what he says, for he stands on Bible ground."
"Well," said the Doctor, "what have you to say about these passages? You
seem to intimate that something else is alluded to than baptism. Tell us
what it is and give us the proof."
"No, no," replied Mabel; "you have affirmed that each of these expressions
signifies baptism; now I deny and call on you for the proof. You have given
us nothing but your own unwarranted, unsupported assertion, and that is
not satisfying as we mean to receive nothing but Bible truth."
"I believe," said Arthur, "that baptism is called a burial in the Scriptures;
but so far as I know it is never denominated a birth. I am not well up
in Scripture, however, and may be mistaken. I hope Doctor Stanly will inform
us if baptism is ever called a birth in the Bible."
"No, no, it is never called a birth, unless it is here; but the fact that
water is mentioned here, and that we have nothing to do with water except
in baptism, seems to be proof amply sufficient."
"You are too easily persuaded, Doctor," replied Mabel; "it is easy for
us to believe what we wish to. Water is mentioned many times in both Old
and New Testaments, where baptism is not alluded to. Now grant me leave
to quote other passages that have the same meaning and throw light on these
two under consideration. I will then proceed to show that these expressions
cannot mean baptism. There are two things God does for us in saving us,
in making us His children:
1. He cleanses us from moral pollution, from sin;
2. He gives us a new nature, or heart. Let us see if these truths are not
written plainly in God's law.
'
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and
ye shall be clean;
from all your filthiness and from all your idols will
I cleanse
you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within
you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I
will give you a heart of flesh
.' (
Ezekiel 36:25, 26
) Here
are the two ideas put as plainly as the Divine hand could write them. Again
David says: '
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from
my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall
be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right
spirit within me
.' (
Psalm 51:2
,
7
&
10
).
Here are the two ideas again plainly stamped in the Divine record. The
two great things God does for us are to wash us from moral pollution and
give us a new heart, or spirit. '
Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he can not enter into the Kingdom of God
.' (
John
3:5
) Here are the same two ideas. Jesus here taught Nicodemus that
those two things for which David prayed, which God promised through Ezekiel
and others, were indispensably necessary to an entrance into the Kingdom
of God. Now hear Paul: '
Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost
.' (
Titus 3:5
) Here the same
two ideas are explicitly specified. That these passages are parallel will
hardly admit of a doubt."
"I do not admit it," said the Doctor vehemently. "I do not think the passages
are parallel. There is a big difference in the Old and New Testaments.
What have we to do with the old, anyhow? We are not to hear Moses, but
Jesus. We are to find the way to Heaven in the New Testament of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ."
"Very true, Doctor," replied Mabel, very positively; "but we are not to
throw away the Old, but are to read it for our instruction. It is calculated
that the New Testament quotes or alludes to the Old Testament 855 times;
Bagster puts it 889 times. Jesus began at Moses and '
expounded in all
the Scriptures the things concerning Himself
.'" (
Luke 24:27
)
"I must admit," said Mr. Tibbs, "that there is a close resemblance in the
passages.
"I am clearly satisfied that is correct," added Arthur.
"Well, it looks that way," said Mr. Wilds.
"That's so," said Brother Jones, "that's so, sure.
"I wish you all to observe," said Mabel, "that Jesus explained '
born
again
' to Nicodemus by saying it signified '
born of water and
of the Spirit
.' He also censured Nicodemus for not knowing what born
of the water and of the Spirit meant. Was this censure deserved? It certainly
was. But Nicodemus had no source of information save the Old Testament.
Hence he ought to have learned from the Old Testament what born of water
and of the Spirit mean. And the Old Testament does not teach the duty of
baptism. It is silent on this subject. Hence '
born of water
' does
not mean baptism. It and '
of the Spirit
' mean washing away sin,
or moral pollution, and imparting a new nature, or heart. This is what
is meant by the other parallel passages.
"We are all agreed, I believe," said Mr. Tibbs, "that these passages are
parallel, unless Dr. Stanly objects. But why may we not say they signify
we are washed in baptism, or that baptism is that washing? What are your
reasons for saying baptism is not alluded to?"
"They cannot allude to baptism," replied Mabel, "
1. Be cause there was no baptism in the days of David, Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
David did not pray for baptism, nor did God speak through the prophets,
telling them He would baptize them. But David prayed for a washing from
sin and God said through the prophets that He would wash, cleanse, forgive
the sins of the people.
2. Nicodemus had only the Old Testament to learn from. Jesus censured him
for not knowing what '
born of water
' signified. Now the Old Testament
does not say one word about baptism; Nicodemus could learn nothing about
it. So if it means baptism, Jesus administered an undeserved and unjust
reproof. Therefore we conclude it cannot refer to baptism.
3. Baptism is an act of righteousness which we do. See
Matthew 3:15
. But we are told that God does not save us by works, or acts of righteousness
which we have done, but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Ghost. See
Titus 3:5
. Therefore baptism cannot possibly
be alluded to.
4. Regeneration is something
God
does. It is not what men
or ministers, priests or popes, angels or devils do. To be born again is
to have
God
do something for us. Those born again are born
of
God
.
See
John 1:13
. Now it follows that '
born
of water and of the Spirit
,' which is an explanation of '
born
again
,' is also
the work of God
.
Therefore baptism
is entirely out of the question, for God does not baptize.
5. The Holy Spirit is the author of this washing. See
I Corinthians
6:11
. But the Holy Spirit never administered water baptism; therefore
this cannot mean baptism to fair minded people.
6. The Saviour pardoned and saved
without baptism
.
See
Mark
2:5
and
Luke 7:50
. Now Jesus would not enact a law, say one
must be baptized before he can enter the Kingdom, and then violate that
law by taking persons into that Kingdom and into God's family without baptism.
This He did. See
John 1:12
. Now in saving us God both cleanses
us from sin and renews us in the spirit of our mind. These two truths are
included in '
born again
,' but expressed in '
born of water
and of the Spirit
,' also in '
the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost
.' All this is just as plain to my mind as it can
be. If people will look these facts candidly in the face, I do not think
they will see them in any other light."
"That's so, sure," chimed in Brother Jones; "It's all mighty plain to me
now, sure.
Here was a pause. The spectacle man shrugged his shoulders and grinned,
while his spine curved like a rainbow. All disputants seemed convinced,
unless it was the Doctor, who looked grimly into the fire. He was soured
and sullen from the dish of unpalatable food Mabel had forced him to swallow
silently.
"Our time is out," said Arthur, "and I move we adjourn till Wednesday evening.
I have some urgent business on hand that demands all my time and attention;
and I am so reasonably and deeply interested in this discussion I cannot
afford to be absent a single meeting. I shall be obliged if my request
is granted. It will furnish time for rest and sleep and thought."
"I do not object," said Mabel; "let us learn if it suits the Doctor."
"I
have no objection," said the Doctor, gruffly.
The
audience dispersed, feeling that Campbellism had lost another battle and
had one of its main pillars taken away.
On the following day Arthur Manly was kept in his room preparing for a
case in court, which was to come up early next morning. At 3 p. m. he made
a speech before a jury and in the presence of over a thousand people, against
a man charged with the crime of murder. For sagacious shrewdness, soundness
of judgment, irresistible logic and brilliant eloquence, the speech was
never surpassed in Sterling. He seemed to have jury and audience in his
power to sway them as he wished. This speech elevated Arthur in the estimation
of the people and added laurels to those he had already won as a brilliant
lawyer.
The colloquy of Jeems & Company, after the foregoing discussion was
amusing. They glided out into the darkness, for the moon was buried in
a sea of clouds. George pressed close to the side of Mr. Morgan and inquired:
"What's your mind now, Mr. Morgan?"
"I'm not a man as talks much" , he generally introduced what he had to
say in this way, especially when he felt he had some thing telling and
irresistible to say; "George; but hang me ef I couldn't head off that ere
girl far more completer than the Doctor. Why, I'd a clome right over that
subjec' in a way that would have astonished all Sterlin.'"
"I know it, Jeems," interrupted the little wife. "There's never a man in
Sterlin' would a routed that lass quicker."
"I tell you, George," continued Jeems, "that girl turns and twists the
Scriptur' orfully, she does positively. She garbles and mutilates and tortures
it. She puts jist sich pieces of Scriptur' together as stamps her theory
as Scripteral, and; and; why George, what couldn't I prove by follerin'
sich a line uv argument?"
"Nothin', Jeems, nothin' airthly," said the wee wife.
"I could prove oxen are in heaven," continued Jeems with out heeding his
little wife, "I can prove it, George, positively."
"Certainly, Jeems, certainly," said Mrs. Morgan.
"Can you, Mr. Morgan?" asked George.
"'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, for of such
is the Kingdom of heaven,'" replied Jeems.
Jeems appeared to think this very wise and George thought it the summit
of wisdom, and evidently believed Dr. Stanly never could have proved such
an absurdity, that is, if it was an absurdity. George was somewhat puzzled
to know how to prove it was not true. He was not at all conversant with
the Scriptures, and yet he knew Jeems had quoted Scripture. There it was;
the Bible said it undoubtedly. George said nothing but wondered if it was
true. Jeems moved rapidly, gesticulating and speaking very positively:
"Uv course our doctern's true, George, uv course it is. Do you s'pose I've
been readin' and talkin' and thinkin' and disputin' twenty years on what
wasn't true? I'd be a purty fool, wouldn't I?"
"Mr. Wilds," said George, satisfied with matter in hand, "has gone a glimmerin;
that is to say; Mr. Morgan."
"I'd say he had George; but it wasn't the doctern that took him, but that
dead wife."
"She being dead, yet speaketh; that is to say ...; said George.
"Yes, yes," replied Jeems. "The old feller was hemmed in, had no retreat,
couldn't think his way out on the spur of the moment, I s'pose. But mark
you what I say, George, he'll be back on the old path before another moon
cheerin' the rest uv us on to victory."
There they parted; but it was a late hour before sleep visited their couches.
The truth is they were uneasy. They were really shaken as to their faith
in Campbellism; but prejudice rejected all arguments and Jeems held on
and held out boldly.
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