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in some cases, it might be regarded as the conversion of both. Now, that this is another gospel institution, and not that announced in Jerusalem and promulged every where by the apostles, is demonstrable from the fact, that their converts immediately surrendered to God, as soon as they believed the proposition, that "God was in Christ reconciling the world. to himself, not even imputing to men their trespasses.'

There is a refined spiritual idolatry in this age. We have false Gods, and false Christs; false gospels, as well as false Christians. The gross wooden, earthen, metallic gods of the olden Pagan time, we have abjured. But I have long thought there is as much idolatry in the world now as at any former period: especially when we take into the account the deification of the passions. Bacchus, and Ceres, and Venus, and Mars, have still their temples, their altars, their priests, their victims, and their worshippers. The golden calves of Bethel and Dan are not yet ground to impalpable powder; nor have the Pantheons of Pagan Rome been yet abolished in Papal Rome. So many parties, so many systems, so many subdivisions, while in them all there may be a few thousand knees that have not bowed to the image of Baal.

Methodistic camp-meetings, altars, and festivals; Calvinistic anxious seats, mourning-benches, with their various converting paraphernalia, are, to say the very least, calves of modern invention, and of exceedingly doubtful authority. But of these in their proper place. Meantime, the aspects of Methodism from the inner temple suggests to us various matters of absorbing interest; and in no one point more alarming than in the fundamental conception of the converting instrumentalities and processes. That it is a clear misconception of the most radical truth of Christianity proper, I think, by this time must appear to all the intelligent and candid. I beseech such to hear me patiently on the whole subject; and to believe that this painful duty is undertaken from principles of unfeigned benevolence, and will be discharged with all fidelity and good feeling, as well as with due respect to many members of the community personally known to me, and much esteemed for their numerous virtues. A. C.

MAXIMS.-Learn to be abused without being angry. Be not ashamed of piety in any company. Care not much about thy own reputation, so truth and the gospel suffer not.

COPY OF A LETTER

Addressed to the editor of the " Christian Messenger,” in refutation of statements which appeared in "The Day Star," from the pen of Mr. James Morison, Minister of Clerk's Lane Chapel, Kilmarnock.

[BROTHER Lauder, and the disciples of Kilmarnock, have acted wisely in publishing and circulating a reply to Mr. Morison and his students. We hope the time will come when every intelligent mind will be ashamed to reflect upon the disputes and strifes which have been caused on the subject of the Lord's one baptism. As matters now stand, in the estimation of some divines you can either be sprinkled, poured, or immersed into Jesus. Any, or all of these, are said to be Christ's one baptism!!!]

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DEAR BROTHER. -A small monthly periodical, entitled The Day Star, has just made its appearance in this quarter. If we may judge from its extensive circulation (which I am informed amounts already to about five thousand), and of the influence it will have upon the public mind, its existence may be looked upon with no ordinary degree of interest.

It purports to be devoted to the "revival of religion." So far this is good and praiseworthy; but I am sorry to say that, if by devotion to religion is meant urging a sincere and practical submission to the whole will of the Lord, the first appearance of The Day Star has denied in works what it professes in words. There is an article, headed "Kilmarnock Theological Academy," inserted in the newly-fledged Star, in which Mr. Morison, the Professor of that seminary, states that, amongst other topics of discussion which came before the notice of his pupils, that of baptism was introduced. "In the same way," says the Professor, "did they (the students) discuss the work of baptism, on which subject they came to a unanimous mind, believing that baptism was always administered in apostolic times by pouring "!!! I have no doubt but many will feel curious to know how this astonishing discovery, which has been hid for ages and generations, has now, in the nineteenth century, been brought to light by Mr. Morison's pupils. This mystery, we learn in the context from which this extract has been taken, was unravelled by the aid of "their Hebrew Bibles and Greek Testaments"!!! What shall we now think of the learning of such men as Beza, Luther, Calvin, Doddridge, Drs. Campbell, Chalmers, and others who, in their ignorance

(for such it must unquestionably be, if squared with the logic of this school of modern theology), supposed that IMMERSION was the primitive apostolic practice, when mere smatterers in Greek and Hebrew have discovered the gross mistake into which they have fallen? But we might, in accordance with a sure test in such matters which we have learned some years ago, and which is thus stated by brother Campbell in his recent debate with Mr. Rice, "The definition of a word, and the word itself, are always convertible terms;" we might, I say, by the application of this rule, try, if it be not thought presumption in me who am an "ignorant and unlearned man," to take off the Greek and Hebrew mask of "the students," and see how their discovery will look in an English garb. They say, "baptism was always, in apostolic times, administered by pouring." The plain inference, then, is that the word baptize is synonymous with the word pour, for it will surely be admitted that the apostles did what they were commanded. Let us then read a few passages in the LIGHT of The Day Star: "He that believeth and is poured shall be saved;""Repent and be poured every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins;" "He shall pour you in the Holy Ghost and in fire;""Buried with him by pouring," &c.; "For as many of you as have been poured into Christ," &c.;

"And were poured of him in Jordan, confessing their sins," &c. This is surely sufficient to convince the most illiterate, that these Greek and Hebrew scholars had better put their discoveries in the crucible of common sense before they give them forth for the illumination of the world. I will readily admit that the great majority of people are very gullible, more especially by the teachings of the clergy, but they are more so than I imagined if they can believe that the bodies of men and women can be poured like a liquid into fire and water, &c. But with all propriety of speech, they may be said to be immersed in fire, water, or any other liquid-to be buried by immersion-but to be poured into these substances, or buried by pouring, is impossible, and shocks all common

sense.

The Professor adds, that "they (the students) also disposed of, in the same way, the fatal view of those who hold and practise "immersion for the remission of sins." We fear Mr. Morison will not gain much credit by "his dear

pupils" if this is the way he has trained them to dispose of the Word of the Lord. Any one, at all conversant with the Scriptures, will perceive that these young men have come to the conclusion that the apostle Peter, who spoke by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit, uttered a doctrine fatal to the souls of men when he said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins," to the believing thousands assembled in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, in reply to their anxious inquiry, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

Ananias must also stand convicted of error since he said to the believing Saul of Tarsus, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." But, if it is a fatal doctrine, Jesus is its author. Having borne all our sins in his own body on the tree, been buried, and risen again for our justification-immediately before his ascension into heaven, he said to the eleven, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Does not our Lord here teach the necessity of faith and baptism in order to the enjoyment of salvation or remission of sins? Who then, without the most glaring impiety, can say that it is a fatal doctrine to teach that a penitent believer is to be baptized

for the remission of sins?

It is marvellous that men, who appear to be so egregiously ignorant of the views held by those called " Disciples of Jesus," should be so virulent in their attacks upon them. We heard, some time ago, this learned Professor of divinity ask his audience, with all apparent sincerity, "Do these people think that sins stick to the body?"!! He then proceeded to speak of us as if we believed sins are washed away in the same manner as we cleanse our flesh from the impu rities upon its surface!!! Why is it they will not believe us, when we tell them that we no more believe that water, in itself considered, washes away our sins, than that the children of Israel were cured of the deadly bite of the serpent simply by looking at a brass one; that Naaman, the Syrian, was cured of his leprosy merely by the circumstance of his dipping seven times in the river Jordan; or that the walls of Jericho fell by any inherent power in the blowing of rams' horns. We tell him no: it is the promise of God, in all his appointments, which is the object of our, as it ought

to be of the faith of all. Has not God who cannot lie said, that the sinner who is convinced of his guilt and danger, upon receiving the testimony concerning Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that he is the only begotten Son of God; that his blood which was shed on Calvary is a perfect sacrifice for sin, acceptable, well-pleasing to God, which he hath shown by raising him from the dead and giving him glory at his own right hand. Is not the promise of God to such penitent believers when they obey the gracious command, "be baptized for the remission of sins," as sure as God is true, fully realized in the forgiveness of all trespasses? We think it is. But we would like to ask these pseudo-instructers of the ignorant, how it happens that in their discourses on the plan of salvation and of the way we become personally interested in it, they contrive to keep out all reference to the subject of baptism, when our Lord and all the first preachers took special care to show its importance in connexion with salvation ? Ah! the reason is obvious. However necessary Christ and his apostles found baptism in the plan of salvation they propounded, it is not required to occupy the same place in the system of theology taught by the Kilmarnock Professor.

Whoever heard any of that school give Peter's reply to the question of an anxious sinner respecting the way of salvation, "Repent and be baptized for the REZISSION OF SINS"? No. This would be teaching "a fatal doctrine!" Ah! we fear it may turn out a fatal doctrine, in a very serious sense, to those who teach men lightly to esteem the commandments of the Lord. Let those who thus treat the Sacred Record remember that Jesus has said, "The words which I have spoken the same shall judge you in the last day."

We would say a word to those who are contenting themselves in regard to matters of religion, in implicitly following, without examination, the instructions of their spiritual teachers. Remember, Jesus said of the clergy of his day, and see to it that it does not apply to some in the times in which we live," Ye have taken away the key of knowledge, ye entered not in yourselves, and them that would, ye hindered;" They be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch." Bear in mind that Paul predicted of a time when there would be a

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