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Monday.* If the letter is forthcoming it shall be immediately for-warded; and hope, if it is worth a place in the Harbinger, you will give it one. In the mean time I remain yours in the Lord,

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Editor's Remarks on the whole matter.

R. B. FIFE.

IF the mountains in labor ever brought forth a mouse, we have it now in the cage of our friends Broaddus and Ball. These great men, when they think they have got any little thing which they can turn to their interest with the people, will not long hesitate about the Was ever such a trifle made so much of by any one who writes admonitions for ministers and churches? The Editor of the Harbinger yielded to the wishes of a persecuted brother to breathe forth his condolence with the friends and relatives of one of his old friends who was called hence, and willing to wipe off all reproach from his memory, instanced his conduct to my father as a proof that the christian had triumphed over the man in his actual renunciation of the King and Queen Decrees. It was never intended to represent Mr. Semple as having wholly come over to our views, but only that he had relaxed the severity of his own decrees, and had actually communed with one whom the aforesaid decrees virtually proscribed from his followship. But these misguided friends are determined that Bishop Semple shall die under the obloquy of those decrees, that they may live in credit with the people. I rejoice that they have failed to fix upon his memory this disgrace. The letter of R. B. Semple, Esq. and that of Mr. Adams, the Pastor of the church in Fredericksburg, prove all that we wish, every thing, save the parting words which they did not hear. The truth of the obituary notice is not, then, in one single item discredited. It is, indeed, fully confirmed by all the witnesses called forth by Andrew Broaddus, the instigator and leader of this ordeal. It is well for him that he is rich in popularity, and abundant in the resources of praise. Capitalists can suffer losses which would bankrupt such humble adventurers as his devoted brother Henley. Posterity, should they ever read the history of our

*This fact, one of many similar facts, speaks volumes to all who dare to think for themselves. Why is this suppression, this withholding of the truth, the whole truth, if gentlemen are honest and sincere in their pretensions and efforts 'to lead the public mind to just conclusions? Had we been guilty of such an act, how would our opponents have blazed it abroad, and denounced us as is now attempted, contrary to all truth, honor, and fair dealing, in the words following, from the Index of the 10th March:

"DR. SEMPLE.-The Campbellites in Virginia bave endeavored to injure the character and standing of this excellent and venerable man, since his decease, by saying that he left the world a friend to reform, alias Campbellism. The slander, however, is fully refuted in the two last numbers of the Richmond Herald. That must be a wicked and desperate cause which resorts to such measures for its support."

This is the CHRISTIAN Index!!!-Reader, ought not the writer of this Indes, or the Baptist Repository, from which it is taken, to transfer to his side of the account this imputation against the friends of reform?-Ed. M. H

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times, will surely smile at the wisdom of anti-reformers and the policy evinced in the documents above alluded to. Indeed should the actors in this interlude only live a few years to get at a point more favorable to correct vision, we doubt not but they will reprobate their own measures, and lament the passion which in an evil hour beclouded their reason.

There are two inferences which all the reflecting will draw from these premises; and for the sake of these inferences we are willing to occupy so much space in giving the preceding documents:-

The first is, that the opposition to reform greatly rely upon the opinions of men reputed great among the common people for the support of their views and practices. Our Virginia opponents have not occupied so many pages to show that Paul or Peter was on their side on any point, great or small, as they have in this instance to secure the name of one departed leader. For our own part, in this whole affair we were pleased at first to learn, and now to have it so well confirmed, that Mr. Semple conscientiously rescinded his own decrees, and prayed for a blessing upon those who preach such a reformation as was last plead in his hearing. But as for the weight of his name, or any other contemporary names, in aid of the cause we plead, or in proof of its authority, we never counted any thing, else we would have approached these men in a different manner. Sister Phoebe's vote on the question, What is truth? weighs with us against His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

The second inference which all impartial men will draw from this developement, is, that if our opponents thought they could gain any thing from discussion, they would eagerly seize every opportunity. Their filling so many columns of their Herald with these details, proves that if they felt as confident in being able to achieve something from biblical discussion as they did in this instance, we should have whole columns of biblical criticism and investigation. They now give a reason for their caution.

A word to Mr. Ball and Mr. Broaddus.—We have now republished three of your letters in our pages. Will you now republish in your columns T. M. Henley's letter, the extracts from the letter of Thomas Campbell, and the editorial remarks? Do as much justice to your readers as we heretics do to ours. We demand this not only because you profess to be christians, but to be republicans.

A. CAMPBELL,

REFORMERS AND ANTI-REFORMERS, LISTEN TO THE

WARNING VOICE!

THE following letter is worthy of the special attention of all men who either plead for reformation or oppose it. The force and point of the suggestions are irresistible to all who have, or are desirous to have, a good conscience towards God. I have been resolving and re-resolving for some months to devote some pages to exhortation on the subject of keeping the commandments in the churches; but the

misrepresentations, and cavils, and questions, touching christian immersion and the conversion of sinners, have hitherto prevented us. Our opponents say, 'What is the reformation for which you contend?" and deign us no opportunity to reply, but proceed to denounce and condemn.

Our essays on the ancient order of things were begun seven years ago the 7th of last month, under the conviction that nothing permanently valuable, worthy of the name of reformation in the church-. nothing permanently and extensively useful in the conversion of the world, can be achieved unless the citizens in the kingdom of Messiah do their duty first as individuals in all personal purity and excellency, and as congregations in all social co-operations in keeping all the ordinances and traditions of the Apostles. The union of present professors, called the union of christians, is not worth an effort, if united they were to proceed as the Baptists and Christians, and Methodists and Presbyterians, now proceed. If there was no division among them, but all united in the order now prevalent in any one of these sects, I would, were it my last breath, say, 'Reform,' or 'Come out of her, you people, that fear God and wish to stand with Jesus in the new and heavenly Jerusalem.' I fear in the noise and commotion about baptism and other first principles, about conversion and regeneration, the commandments and ordinances of the Lord and Saviour will be neglected. I thank the brother who writes the following for calling up this subject again to our consideration.

Dear brother Campbell,

EDITOR.

KING WILLIAM, Va. March, 1832.

ALTHOUGH I think the subject of baptism has of late occupied an undue portion of attention on the part of those who profess to be reformers, and that it is desirable to let the subject rest now, unless some new ground should be taken; yet I cannot but think it may be of service to publish the following extract from the forty-fourth tract of the Baptist General Tract Society, entitled, "A Scripture Manual, or a Plain Representation of the Ordinance of Baptism, designed for the use of all who would answer a good conscience toward God; and give a reason of their faith and practice with meekness and fear-By Samuel Wilson-Published by the Baptist General Tract Society."

Page 11.-The writer says, "Here I observed how Peter understood his commission; he began with preaching or teaching, waiting for the success of his labor. Nor did I find a word of baptism till they were pricked in their hearts; then, indeed, and not before, he says, "Repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," which I understand after this manner:--If you are, indeed, grieved and ashamed of your conduct towards this Jesus, whom you have crucified; if you are convinced by the Spirit of God he is the Messiah, the great Redeemer, and King of his church, and have a confidential dependence on him for salvation; then you are to be baptized in

his name, and may hope for a comfortable evidence in your baptism of the remission of your sins, and that you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." And for their encouragement he adds, "For the promise is to you and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord your God shall call.".

This at least furnishes us with a good argumentum ad hominem. You that teach baptism for the remission of sins, do you charge us with the same doctrine, and complain of us for teaching it!! I hope you will give this a place in the Harbinger, and ask the supporters of the "Baptist General Tract Society" what they mean by it. Are not Messrs. Brantly, Clopton, cum multis aliis, who oppose this doctrine under the title of the "Brooke doctrine," the patrons and advocates of this Tract Society? Surely this ought to suggest to them the propriety of revising their tracts, and expunging every thing like "Campbellism;" or else they should cease to call this the "Brooke doctrine." They should recollect if they will not admit that this doctrine is as old as the apostolic days, it is at least 82 years old, Samuel Wilson, the author of the tract, having died in 1750. It was moreover adopted as a tract as early as the year 1827, about the time that you commenced your publications on this subject.

I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing your father, but I am informed the Baptists generally yield their assent to the principles. which he lays as the foundation of the contemplated reformation. Bishop A. Broaddus, after expressing his approbation of them, has published an admonition to the churches of Virginia, guarding them against your father. I have not seen this publication; but from a conversation which I had with him, I think he apprehends your father has some ulterior design. Now I do suppose he has a farther design; and that is, to urge them to carry out their principles in practice. With the extract before us, which I have made from their 44th tract, may we not say to them, If this is your doctrine, surely you act inconsistently in not practising upon it; or rather in not insisting upon it in your addresses to sinners; for as long as they continue to refuse "the blood of the new covenant which is shed for the remission of sins" to unimmersed persons, we are authorized to say they do practise upon this doctrine. The fact is, this is with them a "tangled broach," and until they can get it out of the tangle, it is well for them to back out of the controversy on baptism, as it seems Messrs, Ball and Sands wish to do.

But as Isaid at first, I do think we have (at least in this part of the country) paid an undue portion of attention to the subject of baptism. I think it has engrossed attention to the exclusion of other important matters upon which reformation is much needed. It is reformation in the churches, in the now existing disciples, that is the grand desideratum Until this is effected, we are not properly prepared to make converts to hristianity. The churches, with the Scriptures, should; I apprehend, occupy the place of the Apostles. The Apostles were commissioned to go forth and make converts, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things that were commanded. Unless

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the churches practise the things commanded to be observed by the Apostles, the converts made by them are not made to christianity as taught by the Apostles. The individual who enters our churches at present, does it without having in prospect to be called on to exercise any great degree of self-denial. The test to which his love to Christ and his people is put, is a very easy one-one through whose ordeal almost any man, whose character is tolerably moral, might pass. I fear there is not a majority of our professors who could bear to be called upon to meet with their brethren in the Lord, if, to effect this, they should have to deny themselves the privilege of going where they would meet with a large crowd, convened to attend upon the ministrations of a popular orator. This part of the reformation, I think, has been neglected among us. Some of our leading reformers have been engaged in going from place to place, making converts, and leaving them to go on, upon the old system-that is, the monthly meeting system-and travelling from place to płace after the preachThis is a point upon which reformation is much needed. While weekly meetings of disciples is calculated to fan and keep lively the love of christians for their Master and one another, it would operate as the best safeguard against the introduction of false disciples, a much better one, I apprehend, than that of requiring an experience as the condition of admission. I should hail it as an auspicious day to christianity, could I see the disciples with delight, each Lord's day, hasten to meet with each other. Then might they say, "We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." But how can that man avail himself of this testimony who has not love enough for his poor brethren to be willing to meet with them, unless when the people in the neighborhood generally convene; who, possessed of the means of travelling to a meeting at a distance, will rather travel from place to place after the preachers, thus treating himself to the pleasure which variety of scene and society affords, than submit to the irksomeness of seeing the same faces every Sunday. "If a man love not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love the Lord, whom he has not seen?" The fact is, there are many members of churches in this part of the country, who, if acquainted at all, have but a passing acquaintance. My dear brother, I think this subject, together with the weekly breaking of the loaf, ought to be more insisted upon by the reformers, and I should be pleased to see it urged upon the churches more in the Harbinger, than it has of late. It is in vain for us to assume the imposing name of reformers, unless we indeed reform.

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You see the notice of the death of our good old brother Semple is making much noise in the Religious Herald. I hope the information upon which you and brother Henley wrote will yet be found entitled to credit. Now if any person is disposed to think that Bishop Semple before his death became what he and others call "a Campbellite," I, for one, will say, I believe no such thing. I do not think he had hecome satisfied with your views of baptism or the Holy Spirit. But what of that? Does this show that he had not abated much in that

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