Christ, and the nesessity of a life of holiness springing from the belief of the truth as it is in Jesus, through the power of the Holy Ghost. But they have imbibed the notion that a special agency of the spirit is not necessary to lead sinners to God; that no sinner is converted without the Spirit, but that the influence which is put forth in conversion, is such an influence as is bestowed alike on every man who hears the gospel; or such an influence as exists in the truth itself, as inspired by the Spirit, and divinely adapted to regenerate the heart when brought before the attention, by the arrangements of divine providence. Extreme views respecting the duty and obligation of the sinner to believe the gospel, a doctrine which the word of God mantains, appear to have led to the denial, on their part, of the necessity of the special grace of God to overcome the alienation of the human heart towards God and holiness-a truth which is clearly revealed in the sacred Scriptures. With reference to the students, we believe a committee, consisting of the regular academy committee with additional members, has cut off from the body nine individuals charged with the above heresy, and to these we understand two others have since acceded. Their views, we understand, are substantially in accordance with Campbellism (from Mr. Campbell, Bethany, Virginia,) which has wrought such havoc in most of the Baptist churches of this country. We sincerely deplore the progress of notions which seem to us subversive of the very foundations of religion, and earnestly hope, that minds of the first order will devote themselves to the elucidation and vindication of the truth, on this vitally important subject.-United Succession Magazine, June, 1844, p. 319. The writer of the above "hopes that minds of the first order will devote themselves to the elucidation and vindication of the truth on this important subject." We rejoice to know that some minds of the first order are now doing so, and the true and natural results must follow. Besides the nine students, whom we conceive to be men of candour and discernment for the most part, we shall introduce one who is of some years' standing in the Christian kingdom, and who possesses a mind of no ordinary character. The following remarks and quotations are taken from the Millennial Harbinger for February 1844, and are entitled COMING OVER.-JOHN H. HINTON. It is sometimes said by our Baptist friends that we are changing and "coming over," but we are persuaded the movement is from the other side, and if there be any change we cannot but hope it is from error to truth, from the commandments and traditions of men to the authority of the Lord; or, to speak more plainly, that those who have so long looked at this reformation through the coloured glasses of prejudice, and thus have been led to impute to it doctrines and positions which it never taught or held, are at last beginning to look at it in the true light, and consequently becoming daily more and more disposed to subscribe to its principles, as the true exposition of Bible truths. We wonder not, indeed, that honest men, who have taken for truth the false representation of an interested and bigoted clergy, should, on examining and hearing for themselves, conclude "surely this people have changed." What they see and hear for themselves, and what they have been accustomed to hear from others, are so different that it is impossible not to conclude either that we have changed or that the clergy have misrepresented us. We beg leave, with due deference, to take the latter horn of the dilemma; yet, as neither individual nor denominational honour is the end for which we strive, we care not much about wasting time or fretting old sores merely for the sake of showing consistency. If we can only meet upon the truth we wish not to dispute the question as to who travelled furthest to reach it. The signs of the times are beginning to look more propitious, and we hope the day may soon come when our sectarian rabbins will not only write valuable books upon "The Harmony of Religious truth with Human Reason," but strive also so to harmonize human reason with religious truth as to remove out of the way those barriers of man's invention which still, and so long as they exist must for ever separate God's people and make them any thing but "ONE." No feature of the reformation, perhaps, has been more exceptionable to some of our Baptist friends than the doctrine of spiritual influence in the work of conversion; yet we humbly think its advocates have never written any thing more strongly marked with the lineaments of heresy than the following quotation from a late work entitled the "Harmony of Religious Truth with Human Reason;" by John H. Hinton, Baptist minister, London; author of a work on the Holy Spirit. His words are "It is at this point, however, that irreligious men turn upon us with an objection which demands a more particular and extended notice. They tell us they cannot repent; their language is, "to be of a different mind is not possible for us; this would be to change our hearts and no man can change his own heart: this is God's work, and if it is to be done in us he must give us his Spirit. To require us to do it, without giving us his Spirit, is unreasonable and unjust." I set out by saying that in the principle of the objection I perfectly agree. I not only freely admit but hold as firmly as the objector himself, and as one of the first principles of moral truth, that no man can justly be required to do what is not in his power. And I admit likewise the direct inference from this principle, that if men have not the power of altering their minds without being moved thereto by the Spirit of God, he ought, in all reason, either to give them his Spirit or not to require the change. I will not disguise my conviction, that if any fair and satisfactory answer can be given to the objection we are now considering, it must be by affirming that men have power to repent without being moved thereto by the Spirit of God. If I did not think that this might be affirmed with truth and maintained on scriptural grounds I would not attempt to say anything on the subject, but remain in afflicted silence, and acknowledge that however God might ultimately show irreligious men to be in the wrong they have on their side at present the verdict of sound reason and common sense. Still, indeed, I should perceive the condition of the ungodly to be dreadful; and still, after the scriptural pattern, I might exhort men to repentance; but I should confess that my exhortations were absurd and that I could not vindicate them from the scorn of the infidel and the laughter of the profane. If, however, it may be shown, as I am convinced it may, that without being moved by the Spirit of God, men can alter their minds respecting him, then I think silence will be effectually imposed on the objector." pp. 273, 4, 5. SECOND ADVENT. THE TIME. "The THE Signs of the Times of the twentieth of March contains an article to prove that the Jewish year does not end until the new moon in this month (April 1844), and that, consequently, "the end of all things" will not take place until the arrival of that time. We perceive also that Mr. Miller admits that he may be mistaken somewhat in his calculations. He admits the possibility of a mistake of a year or two. Our advent friends have laid fully as much stress upon the importance of preaching the time of the advent as upon the advent itself, which, to say the least, is a most egregious error. We hope to see them less dogmatic as to the time hereafter. We are not of those who cry, Lord delayeth his coming;" but we cannot conceive how any mortal man, gifted though he be with the most towering intellect, and possessed of the most profound erudition, can speak positively as to the time of the Saviour's appearance. The mind of man is capable of extraordinary effort, and is equal to the production of the most astonishing results; but it cannot make facts-it cannot supply the broken links in the long chain of chronology. The chronologist who would fain place his track in the footprints left by old time, in his long and weary march of the past, meets with insurmountable obstacles. For hundreds of years he finds the trail palpable, and marches along without even a hillock to obstruct his onward progress; but anon he comes to an ocean, upon whose "azure brow time writes no wrinkle;" and here, without the means of taking distances, he must take a circuit around the ocean, and guess at the opposite point from whence he diverged, and then guess the distance across this "waste of waters." He catches hold of the chain of chronology and progresses buoyantly for some centuries, but then the chain glides from his grasp. Around him he finds a profusion of broken links of various sizes, which he vainly essays to connect with the chain. But here he must guess again; and chronology becomes the science of conjecture. No little modesty is necessary in the promulgation of our researches into the labyrinth of time. Who can say that the Lord will not appear in his glory, during the present year? and who can assert, dogmatically, that he will appear this year? We hope no one.-Christ. Jour. April 1844. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM D. S. BUBNET. Louisville, Kentucky, May 9th, 1844. I AM indebted to you for the letters of yourself and brother Reid, and the February number of the Christian Messenger, which latter only reached me a day or two since. Please make my respects ta brother Reid, and thank him for me. The urgency of your request for the visit of brother Campbell and myself is greatly in advance of our preparedness to leave America. I long to be with you; but some unfinished business and the concerns of this Debate, will prevent my coming at present. I have not consulted brother Campbell as to the time at which he may depart; but from a conversation I had with him last winter, it is, I am confident, difficult for him to determine at present. I will write to him. On the 30th of April I shipped from Cincinnati, per steamer "Majestic," to Pittsburgh, thence to D. Munroe, Custom House, New York, one hundred copies of the Campbell and Rice Debate. The Christian Baptist is out of print. I directed brother Munroe to box forty Roman Catholie Debates, now in New York instead, and forward them with the box sent. I am glad to see that you are raising up at numerous points, infant congregations to worship God. Strive to make these popular exhibitions of our holy religion eminently practical and devotional. May he who dwells in the bush, comfort and sustain you. D. S. BURNET. What the [This is all we have heard of the Debates at present. price of either of them will be is unknown. It will most likely be announced in our next. We hope no person will expect to receive them on credit.] ITEMS OF NEWS. Carlisle, May 20th, 1844. I HAVE to inform you that our beloved brother Greenwell left this morning, after a stay of three weeks, for Dumfries, where he spends another week to complete his engagement in that town. During his visit here, he has not been idle. The gospel has been frequently and laboriously proclaimed. Thinking that the first printed announcement of his visit had not sufficiently attracted public attention, we issued a second bill, in which we announced the subjects of a series of twelve discourses, every one of which gave him an opportunity which he did not fail to avail himself, of enforcing the necessity of obedience to the ancient gospel. These discourses drew very attentive, though not very numerous, audiences. The only cause for regret was, that every well-educated and thinking person in Carlisle did not hear them, for they were profound, perspicuous, and eloquent, in a high degree. Nothing but stupidity, or sectarian prejudice, or both, could have prevented every one who heard them, from being brought under the influence of that gospel, which gives to the obedient remission of past offences, and a sure hope of future happiness, at once endless and perfect. I have no doubt that a lasting impression has been produced on many. One evidence of this is to VOL. VILI. 2 M |