66

and for the same reason, shall give but a few specimens under the present. Jude 20, Dr. Doddridge renders, "Praying with THE Holy Spirit;" Dr. Macknight, "Praying by THE Holy Spirit" but Mr. Campbell gives the Unitarian rendering, Praying by a holy spirit." And this Mr. Campbell styles, the translation of Drs. Doddridge, and Macknight! 2 Thes. 2: 13,"Through sanctification of the Spirit;" Dr. Doddridge renders it," By sanctification of the Spirit;" Mr. Campbell, for obvious reasons, prefers to render it, "Through sanctification of spirit." 1 Pet. 1: 2, Dr. Doddridge renders, "By sanctification of the Spirit;" Dr. Macknight, "Through sanctification of the Spirit;" but Mr. Campbell has it, "Through a sanctification of the spirit." Thus does he endeavor to do away with the personality of the christian Comforter. Acts 6: 3, "Look ye out seven men-full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom :" Mr. Campbell has it, "Full of spirit and wisdom;" not only departing from Doddridge's version; but even going further than the Unitarian editors of the "Improved Version." For they not feeling at liberty to expunge the word "holy," enclosed it in brackets. But omitting other instances similar to the above; we will name but one more, as a specimen of what Mr. Campbell has done in numerous instances where he feared that it might appear too glaring to omit the words altogether. Gal. 4: 6, "The Spirit of his Son:" Drs. Doddridge and Macknight both give it the same rendering; and understand the Holy Spirit to be here referred to. But Mr. Campbell disposes of the Holy Spirit, by giving the passage the following expression; "The spirit of his Son." The alteration consists only in the change of a capital letter for a small one; but every one knows that whenever in the New Testament the word Spirit is employed to designate the christian Comforter, the first letter is a capital; though when used in any other sense it is not so.

We add but one word in closing this review. There can be no doubt that some few errors have crept into the Greck text of the New Testament. But then neither Professor Griesbach, nor any other person, is yet able, from the data which we have, to point them out with sufficient certainty to justify our rejection of any portion of Scripture. And what benefits can possibly accrue from attempting it; especially, when it is admitted on all hands that no doctrine is essentially affected either by the rejection or retaining of all the readings of Mill, Griesbach etc., put together. We object not to the collation and classification

of Mss., but to the dogmatical conclusions attempted to be deduced from such collation. And how absurd is it for those, who maintain that the Greek text is in an unsettled state, to attempt to unsettle popular confidence in the best of all modern translations, by introducing into it the crudities of an unsettled. text, at the same time that they admit that all the alterations contended for, do not affect, either pro or con, one solitary article of the christian system.

Conclusion.

In the preceding remarks we have endeavored faithfully to exhibit the system which has been so perseveringly proclaimed as the Gospel of Christ, in several of our Western States and Territories. By keeping its obnoxious features more or less concealed, as occasion required, its advocates have succeeded in distracting and dividing churches, bringing the Gospel into disrepute, and leading a vast number to hope for mercy at the hands of God without experiencing a change of heart. The disastrous consequences that have followed its promulgation, it is impossible even to imagine, much less to estimate, this side the awful tribunal which is forever to determine the destinies of our race. And we cannot conclude this already protracted article, without a short appeal to those who have been led astray from the truth as it is in Jesus, by hearkening to the advocates of this ill digested, and pernicious scheme.

We entreat such persons, not to suffer their minds to be influenced in favor of this system by the consideration that many have embraced it. When the dishonest artifices which are resorted to by these men for making proselytes are taken into consideration; as well as the terms upon which they offer eternal life, to those who are unwilling to embrace the self-denying doctrines of Christ, this fact ought to create no surprise. Moreover, the number of the converts to this system, even allowing it to be as great as its advocates represent, are not to be compared with those who have embraced infidelity. The leading infidels in this country, boast of being supported by 1,000,000 of followers, (a number with which the followers of Mr. Campbell are not to be compared,) and shall we thence conclude that infidelity is truth? Yet it is on this principle, we fear, that many have decided in favor of Campbellism.

But we intreat the followers of this system, calmly to cast

their eyes over the brief sketch of it, comprised in the foregoing pages, and then seriously to ponder the question, whether they are willing to risk the interests of their never-dying souls upon principles so entirely subversive of the word of God? And especially, whether they can safely rely upon the statements of a man who has proved himself capable, not only of selling to the unwary and unsuspecting, a translation of his own manufacture, as the work of three eminent divines, but also of altering and expunging from the word of God itself, contrary to his own most solemn professions? This matter must be decided speedily. Death is at the door, and the soul's eternal interests at stake. We appeal to the conscience of those whom we address, and ask confidently, whether clearer proof can be offered on any subject, than has here been furnished of the radical unsoundness of the entire system of Campbellism? It is proved to be as essential a departure from the religion of Jesus, as Mormonism itself. Our limits forbid our going fully into this part of the subject, or it would be easy to sustain, by innumerable facts, the position that the prevalence of this heresy in any section of the country, is almost invariably followed by the prevalence of infidelity, and a total indifference to all religion. We do not call upon the advocates of these principles, to subscribe to any particular system of christian doctrine; but we do entreat them, without any longer tampering with the dreadfully corrupt version of the inspired writings which Mr. Campbell has enticed them to purchase, that they will take the word of God, and examine for themselves the principles which we have here pointedout, and their tendency. Let this be done with fervent prayer, and humble reliance on the Spirit of God, agreeably to his own directions in Proverbs 2: 3-5, and there will be no danger of their continuing in fatal delusion. In matters of this kind, call no man master, for to our own Master, even Christ, we must stand or fall.

ARTICLE III.

THE LAW AND THE PROPHETs, fulfilled in Christ;—AN EXPOSITION OF MATTHEW 5: 17-20.

By Lewis Mayer, D. D. Prof. of Theology in the Theol. Sem. of the German Reformed Church, Mercersburg, Pa.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaFor I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

ven.

The terms, "The law and the prophets," or "Moses and the prophets," denote the writings of Moses and the prophets; as Luke 16: 29, 31, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them,"-"If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." The same terms designate also the religious and moral instructions contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets, and sometimes the moral precepts only. In Matthew 22: 37–40, Jesus having summed up the practical doctrines of the Old Testament in the two precepts of love toward God and love toward our neighbor, says: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." And, in another place, Ch. 7: 12, having laid down as a comprehensive rule of morals, that precept, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even the same to them," he remarks: "For this is the law and the prophets."

The passage at the head of this Article seems, at the first view, to be an unqualified declaration of the universal and perpetual obligation of all the commandments contained in the books of Moses and the prophets, even in their minutest parts, and of the incorporation of the whole of Judaism with Christianity. But this cannot be its meaning.

The apostle Paul taught plainly that the law was abolished

by the christian dispensation. The law was to continue until the seed should come to whom the promise was made.-Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ.-But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Gal. 3: 23-25. Christians are dead unto the law, and as such are freed from it. Rom. 7: 4, 6. Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, having abolished in his flesh the cause of the enmity subsisting between them, even the law of commandments consisting in ordinances.-He has blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Ephes. 2: 14, 15. Col. 2: 14. In accordance with this doctrine Paul zealously resisted the imposition of the law upon the Gentile converts, and exhorted them to stand fast in the liberty with which Christ had made them free. Gal. 5: 1. In consideration of their religious scruples, he permitted the converts from Judaism to continue their observance of the law in the keeping of holidays, abstaining from meats which the law pronounced unclean, or retaining any other parts of its ritual service; but he pronounced all these things matters of indifference, of no value in themselves, and binding only so far as a weak conscience entertained scruples against the omission of them. Rom. 14: 1-23. 1 Cor. 8: 1-13. At the same time he told the converted Gentiles, "Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath: Which are a shadow of good things to come, but the body is of Christ." Col. 2: 16, 17. And when the Gentile converts in Galatia had been persuaded by Judaizing teachers to adopt the Mosaic ritual as a necessary means of securing their acceptance with God, he rebuked them sharply, and expressed his condemnation of those who had subverted them in terms of unsparing severity. Gal. 1: 6-9. 3:1-3. 4: 9-11. 5: 1-12.

It has been asserted that, in this view of the law, Paul differed from Peter and his associates, who were called apostles of the circumcision. I am not aware that any other authority has been alleged for this assertion than the place in Galatians, Ch. 2: 7-14. But that passage certainly affords no just ground for such an opinion. In the part of the same chapter which immediately precedes it, this apostle states that, after he had Jabored fourteen years in his ministry, he went up to Jerusalem