He pre

ciple of action, prayer and praise as acts of worship, were enjoined by many of God's servants, before "Jesus was made Lord and Christ." None of these, then, can, as such, be an act of obedience to Jesus as Lord. Circumcision, nor sacrifice, fasting, nor penance, nor the simple act of immersion in water, as such, can be this act. If he have ordained any act which, in whole, or in part, was enjoined by any of God's servants, it must be presented in a form or meaning essentially new, so as to make it an act of obedience to him. I need scarcely state here, that in anticipation of this his authority and exaltation in heaven, he issued an order of this import. He commanded that in making disciples to him, they should be immersed into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Obedience to such a command, or submission to such an institution, recognizes such various considerations as to make it a new act of obedience, as certainly as immersing a person believing Jesus to be the Lord, into such a name, is a new thing under the sun. faced this command with an assurance that all authority in heaven and in earth was given to him. But he forbade the performance of any act of this commission until after his exaltation—until he was made and crowned Lord of all-until he sent them power from the throne, and had received the promised lordship over the Spirit: for Jesus is "Lord of the Spirit." This command, then, was his command as "Lord and Christ." Obedience to it is obedience to him as Lord. Now if Jesus forgives sins-if there be a time in which he forgives them-if there be a reason for forgiving them at one moment which did not exist prior to that moment-if that reason be an act of submission or obedience to him as Lord-if the subject of remission be not, at the instant of remission, a rebel-if an act of obedience to Jesus, as Lord, must be an act of obedience to a positive command issuing from him, and not from any servant of God-if he commanded immersion into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the orders for converting men to him, as a positive act of obedience to him, as having power to forgive; then it follows, that in obeying the first command of Jesus-in submitting to the first act of reformation-in being immersed by his authority into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our former sins are blotted out, which was the point to be proved from other premises than from the express sayings of his Apostles concerning remission. If, then, there had not been a single promise of remission connected with immersion, in all the New Testament, it is fairly to be learned from the concessions of Christians and from the government of Jesus and the principles thereof, that remission of sins is obtained through faith in the blood of Jesus, by immersion. This argument is submitted to those who rely upon reason rather than upon authority.

A. C.

WHAT IS FAITH?

R.'S REPLY TO J. W. SYMONDS, PAGE 300.

MR. EDITOR.-Dear Sir,-In your last number, Brother Symonds reflects upon my late letter, in the following words :

"FAITH in Jesus Christ, upon which salvation is predicated, or on account of which the sinner is accounted righteous, is not belief' in the testimony concerning Jesus, but a quality of mind resulting from that belief."

To this we remark

I. That "faith" and " belief," are one, and the same; as is obvious from the following passages:- Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness," and, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." "Now it is written not for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

The fact is, that the same Greek word is translated belief, and faith. When used as a verb Pistuo, it is usually translated "believe," when used as a substantive Pistis, it is generally translated "faith." The following are the words by which each is translated in the New Testament:

Pistuo,-believe, believer, commit, trust, commit to, trust with, be put in.

Pistis,-assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Such is the character of the belief, or faith, spoken of in the Scriptures.

II. Belief in Christ, and belief in the testimony concerning Christ, are one and the same. Where there is no testimony there can be no faith, "for how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard?" He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "He that receiveth his testimony, setteth to his seal that God is true," and God seals to him the remission of his sins, in baptism. He justifies God, and God justifies him, because he believes in Christ.

But he who expects to be justified because of a "quality of his mind," substitutes his qualities, for Christ's-his opinions for the testimony of God. And he who imagines he exercises faith in Christ, in any other way than believing and relying on the testimony concerning him, substitutes superstition for the faith of the gospel." I. B. R.

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OBSERVATIONS ON BROTHER R.'s REPLY TO

J. W. SYMONDS.

MR. EDITOR.-Dear Sir,-Our brother R. in objecting to my definition of faith," contained in my reply to J. Mitchell's query

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on the "locality of the kingdom of God," affirms, 1st. That "faith" and "belief" are one; 2nd, That belief in Christ, and belief in the testimony concerning Christ, are one and the same." The first "Faith" and "belief" are I partly demur to, the second, entirely. one, only when the object is the same; the second affirmation cannot be true in any case, unless the "BEING" testified of, and the testimony," are convertible terms. Faith in Jesus Christ, then, cannot be, "faith" in the testimony concerning Jesus, but stands related to it, as the effect to the cause. Belief in testimony is limited to the testimony, but belief, or faith in a Being, is uot limited to the testimony concerning that being. I grant. that where there is no testimony, there is no faith, but it does not follow that belief in testimony, is faith in the being concerning whom the testimony is given. I trust the proof of these assertions will appear in the following observations.

"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." In this case, the distinction between faith in God, and faith in the testimony, is not so evident, because it is God himself, who testified that which Abraham believed, but the distinction exists. Paul, thus speaks of Abraham, Rom. iv. 20, 21, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform, and, therefore, it was counted to him for righteousness." From this passage, it is evident to me, that Abraham's confidence on God's power, resulted from, and was not identical with, his belief of the testimony. The same Apostle, referring to another and a very striking instance of Abraham's faith, Heb. xi. 17, 19, thus writes, "Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac," the child of promise-" accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead." Now Abraham had no promise of such an interposition, yet he trusted God was able to do it, and in this case it seems very evident to me, that Abraham's faith, though based upon, was not identical with belief in the testimony of God. Again, the Apostle Paul says of some of the ancient worthies, Heb. xi. 33, by faith," they obtained promises;" this faith must have had,not testimony, but God for its object.

To show yet more clearly that "faith in God," or "faith in Jesus," though it springs from, is not identical with belief of testimony, I appeal to various miracles worked by our Lord Jesus Christ; that, for instance, wrought on the woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years, Matt. ix. 20. She had no promise that she should be healed, yet her faith, her trust, her reliance, upon Jesus, led her to touch the hem of his garment, and "she was made whole." What said the Lord to her? Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole." Another example of the nature of

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of

in a Being," occurs in Matt. vi. 30. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, shall he not much more clothe you? O ye little faith." Another notable example is afforded us, in Matt. xv. 21-28, in the case of the woman of Canaan; so strong was her trust in Jesus, that he exclaimed, "O woman, great is thy faith." Peter, walking on the water at the bidding of Christ, shows us both what faith is and is not. He began to fear, and then to sink. Jesus caught him, and said, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt ?" In all these cases, "faith in Jesus" sprung from, but was not the same as, believing the testimony regarding him.

"Faith" in Jesus Christ, has then to do with a certain disposition of mind towards Jesus.-(I substitute the word disposition for quality, as better expressing my meaning, and open to the same objection, as brother R. has made against "quality.") With respect to this disposition of mind, I would ask, what is that grand fundamental truth, which reveals at once the cause, the nature, and the means of salvation? The Apostle Paul declares it in 2 Cor. v. 19, That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." He adds, "now then, we are ambassadors for Christ-as though God did beseech you by us, be ye reconciled to God." In what condition does the gospel find man? Paul says, Col. i. 21, "You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death," &c. and in Eph. iv. 18," as having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance, because of the hardness of their hearts." If such is the condition in which the "word of faith" finds man, is it not perfectly clear that the sinner's mind must become changed before he can be reconciled to God? And is it not this changed “disposition of mind" that leads the sinner to the water ?-that induces him to cry, "Abba," (Father)?—that constrains him, after having been "washed, justified, sanctified, in the name of Jesus," to seek to obey his Saviour in all things? If so, my definition is correct, and “faith in Jesus Christ, on account of which the sinner is accounted righteous, is not "belief" of the testimony concerning Jesus, but, a disposition of mind resulting from that belief. I have a high human authority with me in some respects upon this point. A. Campbell, in his Christian System, thus writes, chap. xiv. page 55.–

Belief is the cause, and trust, "To believe what a person says, "Now the belief of what

"Faith in Christ is the effect of belief. confidence, or faith in Christ, the effect."and to trust in him, are not always identical."Christ says of himself, terminates in trust or confidence in him and as the Christian religion is a personal thing, both as respects subject and object, that faith in Christ which is essential to salvation, is not the belief of any doctrine, testimony, or truth, abstractly, but belief in Christ; trust or confidence in him, as a person, not a thing."

I request brother I. B. R. to consider these things, and to consider also, to what cause we are to ascribe, the heartburings, the disunion, the bitterness of spirit, the strife, which has so painfully, characterized the (so-called)" Reformation." I have but little doubt myself that the source of these evils lies in the absence of that very trust, confidence, or faith in Jesus, of which I have been writing. Owing to this want of faith in Jesus, some brethren are being reimmersed into his name, as if they would be born a third time, forgetting apparently the Apostle's words, "Ye are made partakers with Christ, if ye hold fast your first confidence steadfast unto the end," and others appear half bewildered, as not knowing on what object to rest the eye of faith.

In conclusion, Mr. Editor, I would urge on all our Brethren, to strive after a more thorough acquaintance with, and an approximation to, the character exhibited by our Lord Jesus Christ, when he tabernacled in the flesh; we require to do this to fulfil the end of our calling. I would urge upon all to sit, as it were, at the feet of Jesus, to abide with him, to listen to his words, to imbibe his spirit, to seek after so close an union with him, that his veritable self may be impressed upon us, and reflected by us, that we may think as he thought speak as he spoke, and act as he acted, that " every thought may be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,"_" that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of his inheritance,"-" that we may know him, and the power of his resurrection." Who can describe that intimate interchange of thought and feeling which characterizes the communion of kindred spirits here? or what it is throughly and experimentally to know a dear friend? Should we not seek after such an union with Jesus Christ, and with one another? Did not our Lord pray for this shortly before his death?" neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me, through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may believe that thou has sent me.'

Trusting that we may all "grow in grace" and in the knowledge of the Lord,

I remain, dear sir, your's in the Faith,

JAMES W. SYMONDS.

REGENERATION-No. IV.

AFTER a few general observations, having stated that he only was regenerated or born of water and Spirit, who being previously