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Repentance Must Go With Forgive
ness.
It is clear from the text which
we have lately quoted that repent
ance is bound up with the forgive
ness of sins. In Acts v:3l we
read that Jesus is “exalted to
give repentance and forgiveness
of sins.’’ These two blessings
come from that sacred hand
which once was nailed to the tree,
but is now raised to glory. Re
pentance and forgiveness are riv
eted together by the eternal pur
pose of God. What God hath
joined together let no man put
asunder.
Repentance must go with re
mission, and you will see that
it is so if you think a little upon
the matter. It cannot be that
pardon of sin should be given to
an impenitent sinner; this were
to confirm him in his evil ways,
and to teach him to think little
of evil. If the Lord were to say,
“You love sin, and live in it, and
you are going on from bad to
worse, but. all the same, I forgive
you,” this were to proclaim a hor
rible license for iniquity. The
foundations of social order would
be removed, and moral anarchy
would follow. I cannot tell what
innumerable mischiefs would cer
tainly occur if you could divide
repentance and forgiveness, and
pass by the sin while the sinner
remained as fond of it as over. In
the very nature of things, if we
believe in the holiness of God, it
must be so, that if we continue
in our sin, and will not repent of
it, we cannot be forgiven, but
must reap the consequences of
our obstinacy. According to the
infinite goodness of God, we are
promised that if we will forsake
our sins, confessing them, and
will, by faith, accept the grace
which is provided in Christ Je
sus, God is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. Rut.
so long as God lives, there can be
no promise of mercy to those who
continue in their evil ways, and
refuse to acknowledge their
wrong-doing. Surely no rebel
can expect the King to pardon
his treason while he remains in
open revolt. No one can be so
foolish as to imagine that the
Judge of all the earth will put
away our sins if we refuse to put
them away ourselves.
Moreover, it must be so for the
completeness of divine mercy.
That mercy which could forgive
the sin and yet let the sinner live
in it would be scant and super
ficial mercy. It would be un
equal and deformed mercy, lame
upon one of its feet, and withered
as to one of its hands. Which,
think you, is the greater privi
lege, cleansing from the guilt of
sin, or deliverance from the power
of sin? I will not attempt to
weigh in ,ae scales two mercies
so surpassing. Neither of them
could have come to us apart from
the precious blood of Jesus. But
it seems to me that to be deliv
ered from the dominion of sin.
to be made holy, to be made like
to God, must be reckoned the
greater of the two, if a compari
son has to be drawn. To be for
given is an immeasurable favor.
We make this one of the first
notes of our psalm of praise:
“Who forgiveth all thine iniqui
ties?”; but if we could be for
given, and then could be permit
ted to love sin, to riot in‘iniquity,
and to wallow in lust, what would
be the use of such a forgiveness?
Might it not turn out to be a
poisonous sweet, which would
most effectually destroy us? To
be washed, and yet to lie in the
mire; to be pronounced clean, and
yet to have the leprosy white on
one’s brow, would be the veriest
mockery of mercy. What is it to
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
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bring the man out of his sepul
cher if yon leave him dead? Why
lead him into the light if he is
still blind? We thank God that
he who forgives our iniquities
also heals our diseases. He who
washes us from the stains of the
past also uplifts us from the foul
ways of the present, and keeps us
from falling in the future. We
must joyfully accept both repent
ance and remission; they cannot
be separated. The covenant her
itage is one and indivisible, and
must not be parceled out. To di
vide the work of grace would be
to cut the living child in halves,
and those who would permit this
have no interest in it.
I will ask yon who are seeking
the Lord, whether you would be
satisfied with one of these mer
cies alone? Would it content
you, my reader, if God would for
give you your sin and then allow
you to be as worldly and wicked
as before? Oh, no: the quickened
spirit is more afraid of sin itself
than of the penal results of it.
The cry of your heart is not,
“Wlio shall deliver me from pun
ishment?” but, “O wretched man
that I am! who shall deliver me
from the body of this death? Who
shall enable me to live above
temptation, and to become holy,
even as God is holy?” Since the
unity of repentance with remis
sion agrees with gracious desire,
and since it is necessary for the
completeness of salvation, and for
holiness sake, rest you sure that
it abides.
Repentance and forgiveness are
joined together in the experience
of all believers. There never was
a person yet who did unfeignedly
repent of sin with believing re
pentance who was not forgiven;
and on the other hand, there
never was a person forgiven who
had not repented of his sin. Ido
not hesitate to say that beneath
the copes of heaven there never
was, there is not, and there never
will be, any case of sin being
washed away, unless at the same
time the heart was led to repent
ance and faith in Christ. Hatred
of sin and a sense of pardon come
together into the soul, and abide
together while we live.
These two things act and react
upon each other: the man who is
forgiven, therefore repents; and
the man ?vho repents is also most
assuredly forgiven. Remember
first, that f orgivene»:s leads to re
pentance. As we sing in Hart’s
words:
" Law and terrors do but harden,
All the while they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon
Soon dissolves a heart of stone.”
When we are sure that we are
forgiven, then we abhor iniquity;
and I suppose that when faith
grows into full assurance, so that
we are certain beyond a doubt
thatthebloodof Jesushas washed
us whiter than snow, it is then
that repentance reaches to its
greatest height. Repentance
grows as faith grows. Do not
make any mistake about it; re
pentance is not a thing of days
and weeks, a temporary penance
to be got over as fast as possible!
No; it is the grace of a life-time,
like faith itself. God’s little chil
dren repent, and so do the young
men and the fathers. Repentance
is the inseparable companion of
faith. All the while that we talk
by faith and not by sight, the
tear of repentance glitters in the
eye of faith. That is not true re
pentance which does not come of
faith in Jesus, and that is not true
faith in Jesus which is not tinc
tured with repentance. Faith
and repentance, like the Siamese
twins, are vitally joined together.
In proportion as we live in the
forgiving love of Christ, in that
proportion we repent; and in pro
portion as we repent of sin and
hate evil, we rejoice in the ful
ness of the absolution which Je
sus is exalted to bestow. You
will never value pardon unless
you feel repentance; and you will
never taste the deepest draught
of repentance until you know that
you are pardoned. It may seem
a strange thing, but so it is—the
bitterness of repentance and ihe
sweetness of pardon blend in the
flavor of every gracious life, and
make up an incomparable happi
ness.
These two covenant gifts are
the mutual assurance of each
other. If I know that I repent,
I know that lam forgiven. How
am I to know that I am forgiven
except I know also that I am
turned from my former sinful
course? To be a believer is to
be a penitent. Faith and repent
ance are but two spokes in the
same wheel, two handles of the
same plough. Repentance has
been well described as a heart
broken for sin, and from sin; and
it may equally well be spoken of
as turning and returning. It is a
change of mind of the most thor
ough and radical sort, and it is
attended with sorrow for the past,
and a resolve of amendment in
the future.—All of Grace —Spur-
geon.
For the Index.
Echoes From the University ot Chi
cago During the Summer Quarter.
The convocation, which was
held from the Ist to the 4th of
July past, was of usual interest,
as it marked the anniversary of
the fifth year since President
Harper was elected and the
fourth year since the University
opened its doors to students. One
had to take a calm look again at
the splendid buildings about him
to bring one’s self to believe that
so wonderful progress had been
achieved in the space of five years.
There were many distinguished
mmi present on this occasion,
both from Europe and remote
sections of America. Most in
terest naturally centered in Mr.
Rockefeller, the honored founder
of the University. In a pleasing
address he stated that he consid
ered the University of Chicago to
be the best investment he had
ever made. He expressed him
self as surprised at the marvelous
growth of the institution, and as
gratified at the eminent judgment
and wisdom of those who have so
successfully directed matters.
President Harper stated to the
great assembly something of the
needs of the school. The leading
items were three million for a
medical faculty, one million for a
Imv department, and one-half mil
lion for a suitable building in
which to hold their convocations,
etc. When one remembers that
the University has already about
fourteen million dollars, that
President Harper on the same
day during the convocation laid
the corner stones of four large bi
ological laboratories and dedicat
ed the Haskel Oriental Museum,
which cost SIOO,OOO, it is quite
evident that the above figures are
not fanciful and that these needs
are soon to be met. The expan
sion which the University had un
dergone during the past year was
a constant surprise to me. It is
unquestionably rapidly becoming
the strongest force in education
on the American continent. If it
were only a Methodist or Cath
olic institution, in how glowing
terms we Baptists would speak of
it! Space will not permit me to
mention all of the eminent teach
ers and thinkers who gave in
struction in the summer quarter,
in addition to the large corps of
regular professors of the Univer
sity. George Adum Smith, of
Scotland, gave eight superb lec
tures on “Hebrew Poetry.” You
feel, in listening to the rich dis
course of Professor Smith, that
fruitful centuries of culture lay
back of it. Dr. J. Agar Beet* of
England; Professor Bernard
Moses, of the University of Cali
fornia; Professor Rush Rhees, of
Newton Center Theological Semi
nary; Dr. W. 11. P. Faunce, of
New* York; Professor Flugel, of
Leland Stanford, and many
others, proved exceedingly sug
gestive and helpful in their vari
ous fields of research.
I must not fail to mention the
gifted lectures of Professor E. E.
Barnard, who is the discoverer of
the fifth moon of Jupiter. He is
now’ the director of the great
Yerkes Observatory, belonging to
the University of Chicago. Pro
fessor Barnard is a Southern man,
having been reared near Nash
ville, Tenn. In describing the
planets he gave an account of the
fifth moon of Jupiter, but never
once betrayed by word or hint
that he had anything to do with
its discovery. Is not that an in
stance of humility? for that dis
covery immortalizes his name.
Professor Salsbury, who was a
member of the Peary relief expe
dition to the Polar regions, gave
us an interesting account of that
thrilling voyage. Dr. Breasted,
who has been placed in charge of
the department of Egyptology —
the first to be established in this
country—threw much light on
the history of that ancient people
by his intimate knowledge both
of the land and language as a re
sult of his long stay in Egypt in
pushing his extensive researches.
He explained quite fully by means
of stereopticon views the new
slab, which was found in the
spring by his fellow-worker, Mr.
Petrie, and which has the first
definite mention on Egyptian
monuments of the name of the
Israelites. Dean Judson, in his
inimitable style, so quiet in his
humor and so helpful in his bal
anced judgment and deep insight,
delighted large audiences in dis
cussing some phases of our his
tory. Professor Small was tak
ing his vacation, and so I was
afraid we were not to hear him
this year; but he was prevailed
upon to give two addresses of
great power.
Every moment during your stay
at the University can be richly
filled in. It is fast becoming the
rendezvous during the summer of
those who crave intellectual as
sociations. The most amazing
thing to me when I returned was.
how little the expenses were and
yet how varied were the benefits.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22. 1896.
To speak of the Baptist churches,
wth Myers and Henson; of the
Dore gallery, which was on exhi
bition; of the regular courses of
study which followed, would take
too long. Professor Wooten, of
Mercer, was there; ask him about
them.
Though reminded of ihe man
who, jn trying to s< 1! his house,
carried a brick to show tjie char
acter of the building, 1 venture to
give a few sentences which I
caught from various lectures in
the University of Chicago. These
are lifted wholly out of their con
text, and hence not representa
tive to any considerable extent.
They are echoes, and nothing
more:
The infinite deliberativeness of
civilization in appropriating a
new truth. A Scotch preacher
said he allowed just seventeen
years for his congregation to take
in a new idea.—A. TV. Small.
I never consider a man utterly
heretical who beliefs in a living
God. 1 would rather reason with
an atheist than one who holds
to tht* deistical, mechanical no
tions of the seventeenth century.
—George T. Ladd.
The idea of the Gospel is not
that it saves worthless men, but
that it makesmen worth saving.—
A. W. Small. '
The real infidel is the man who,
however orthodox he may be,
accepts a theory of inspiration, or
so limits the sympathies of God
as to believe that he does not
ally himself with man in doubt,
and in unrest. —George Adam
Smith.
Wholeheartedness is the key
note of the Psalms.—George
Adam Smith.
Ecclesiastical politics is about
the worst sort of polities. -George
T. Ladd.
It is a deep-seated conviction
with me that a man can be both
rational and pious.—George T.
Ladd.
Divine justice. It may be that
facts are not against God. It
may be that our idea of justice
is too narrow and petty. If we
conceive of God as a distributor
of happiness to merit, perfect di
vine justice cannoi be maintain
ed. If a parent simply weighs
out happiness to the child, with
out regard to the other members
of the family, or that child’s de
velopment-, etc., just. So
of the judge. how
limited is our of justice.
God’s mind toward man is one
of perfect harmony of ethical
feeling, guided by reason and
prompting the will.—George T.
Ladd.
The English people, both in
England and America, are loyal
to impersonal law embodied in
the State, while the continent of
Europe and Spanish-America are
loyal to a person, such as king or
emperor. Hence the frequent
revolutions in these countries. —
Bernard Moses.
Dickens could print a pig so
that you could hear him grunt,
but he could not reveal to you the
light in the human face. —H. P.
Judson.
What rational being could wish
to have-all his prayers answered
by God?—G. T. Ladd.
But for General Clarke’s expe
dition with his little band of Vir
ginia troops into the Northwest
country, it is altogether likely
that the Ohio river would be the
northern boundary of the United
States. —Harry Pratt Judson.
I know’ a minister that lived in
the matter of provisions by faith;
and his wife, by keeping boarders.
P. S. Henson.
Whether we like it or not, the
facts seem to be that God deals
with man as a solidarity. We
live in the race, we are parts of
the race. In this regard the old
fashioned theology is confirmed
bv modern science.—George T.
Ladd.
Providence. The great mass of
mankind is a stagnant pool cov
ered with scum. The Anglo-
Saxon race is an exception. It
has gone forth to conquer. Yet
not an individual in that great
inert mass of mankind, which
seems so dead and cheap, is be
yond the active providence of God
and is bound up with our life. —
George T. Ladd.
Some men cannot lose their
money without losing their souls.
—J. Agar Beet.
Science is like a deaf angel
which was present at creation—
it saw’ all that went on, but it
could not hear the divine voice
which said, “Let there be light.”—
J. Agar Beet.
Enough is known to believe
that there will be more geniuses
in the future.—Charles R. Hen
derson.
There is no man with blood, and
bone and muscle enough to live
two lives. If he is to live the
spiritual life, the sensual life
must die. —Dr. Crane.
Death is a strange mystery
that contains life. It is the only
antidote to excessive conserva
tism.—Dr. Crane.
Reason is not a sort of mansard
roof which you can put on top of
a building with four stories al
ready completed.—George T.
Ladd.
Ideals are like stars, we steer
by them, not toward them. Don’t
make idols of your ideals.—C. R.
1 leuderson.
For the Index.
Reminiscences of Georgia Baptists.
BY S. G. HILLYER.
No. 11.
BRO. JOHN DEADLY DAGG.
It was said, almost at the be
ginning of these reminiscences,
that they are not written merely
to gra t ify the cu riosity ofou r read
ers; but that they may hold in
grateful remembrance the labors
and the virtues of the fathers and
the mothers of our denomination
in Georgia. The study of their
lives should inflame our zeal, ele
vate our motives and guide our
methods in the work of the Lord.
With this high aim in view, I pro
pose to devote this paper to the
memory of Dr. J. L. Dagg.
In a previous paper I made a
brief mention of Dr. Dagg; but
on account of the rich lesson of
his life, he deserves a more ex
tended notice.
1 was Dr. Dagg’s son-in-law,
and was a professor in Mercer
University for nine years while he
was its President. Hence, I had
a good opportunity to know him,
and to learn much, from his own
lips, of his early life.
His father could not give him
a liberal education. Perhaps two
years would cover all the time
that he attended school; and this
was in his early boyhood. About
the same time he lost both his
parents and was left an orphan,
with the care of a younger sister
thrown upon his hands. Such
was the dark cloud that gathered
over his young life.
Scant as was his opportunity
at school, it was enough to awak
en his desire for knowledge, and
in some degree to teach him how
to study. He, therefore, devoted
his spare time to his text-books.
In this way, by private study, he
made such progress that at the
early age of sixteen he was placed
in charge of a school in the coun
try, and was able to give his pa
trons entire satisfaction.
While; engaged in that school
he availed himself of all his leis
ure time to prosecute his own
studies along the lines of a lib
eral education, and thus he was
continually adding to his acquisi
tion of knowledge. This method
of self-culture he faithfully fol
lowed through the greater part of
his public life.
Dr. Dagg was converted on his
fifteenth birthday, was baptized
in 1812, and ordained to the work
of the ministry a few years later.
Then commenced his career as a
preacher of the Gospel. It was
not my privilege ever to hear him
preach; for lie had ceased to
preach before I knew him. But
I know, from the testimony of
others, that he was held in the
highest esteem and admiration
by those to whom he ministered
as a preacher of extraordinary
power and influence.
It is worthy of notice that af
ter he had devoted himself to the
work of preaching the Gospel, Dr.
Dagg did not cease to be a stu
dent. Before his eyes failed him
it was his custom, as he told me
himself, to rise at 4 o’clock and
study till the duties of the morn
ing claimed his attention. Under
such study, by the light of a lamp
or a gas jet, no wonder his eyes
failed him! While yet in the
prime of his life he became un
able to read or write. But fortu
nately, his eldest daughter was
qualified to be his reader and
amanuensis. With her assist
ance, he still prosecuted his re
searches both in secular and sa
cred learning. It was through
such difficulties as these that Dr.
Dagg reached his high position
as a scholar and a theologian.
Besides theology, he was well
versed in Latin, Greek, and He
brew. He was a profound math
ematician, in all its branches. He
was well informed in the natural
sciences, and was a profound
metaphysician and logician.
But while thus devoted to the
pursuit of knowledge, he was
never forgetful of the higher
claims of the ministry. Indeed,
he made his studies subsidiary to
his preparations for the pulpit
and he devoted certain hours ev
ery day, when not providen
tially hindered, to pastoral visit
ing. His church in Sansom
street, Philadelphia, numbered
about 1,000 members. It may
have required a year to make his
rounds; but his aim was to be
come personally acquainted with
every household. Hence his peo
ple loved him. He was to his
flock a visible “shepherd;” ami
they delighted to hear his voice
in their homes, however exalted
503 S. Prvor street.
or however humble those homes
might be.
But it was in Sansom street
that another affliction was added
to his infirmities. If I remember
rightly, it was when he was m
the pulpit, preaching to his peo
ple, that his voice suddenly sank
to a whisper, and he was not able
to finish his discourse. This was
the result of an affection of the
throat that had often troubled
him. It became so severe at last
that he was compelled to give up
preaching.
Just here, pause and contem
plate the man. So lame that he
could not walk without a crutch,
so blind that he could neither
read nor write, and at last, so
broken in voice that he could not
preach! And all these calamities
came upon him while he was yet
in the morning of his life!
In this sad condition, did he go
into retirement? By no means:
his vast stores of knowledge were
too valuable to be wasted in ob
scurity. He was very soon called
to take charge of a theological
school at Haddington, near Phila
delphia, where it was his privilege
to train young men for the minis
try. When this school collapsed
for the want of funds, he became
the President of the Female
Atheneum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
There he labored with wonderful
success for six years. He was
then elected professor of theology
in Mercer University, and in a
year or two, was promoted to the
Presidency, still retaining, how
ever, his chair of theology. Here
again he found the employment
which he loved.
This love for this kind of work
may be illustrated by the follow
ing incident: At one of our com
mencements, Hon. Green Foster
delivered a public address. In
speaking of the University it was
natural to allude to the presid
ing officer. Dr. Dagg was sitting
on the rostrum to the left of the
speaker. At a certain point in
his speech Colonel Foster pro
posed to relate an anecdote. I
cannot give it in his words, but in
substance it was about this: A
certain general had, for many
years, served his king most faith
fully in the field. He had won
many victories over the king’s en
emies, and had greatly extended
his dominions. But, at last, this
noble warrior w’as so disabled by
wounds that he coubl no longer
serve in the field.’' He presented
himself at court to express to his
sovereign his deep regret that he
could no longer serve him.
When the king had heard his
story he said to him: “Do not be
distressed because you cannot
serve me on the field. I have
other work of great importance,
for which your past experiences
have abundantly qualified you.
You shall be at the head of my
military schools to train my
young officers for their duties in
the field.” Then, turning to Dr.
Dagg, he applied the story to il
lustrate his present position. He,
too, had done valiant service in
the open field against the ene
mies of our heavenly King, and
won for him many signal victo
ries; but now the Master has
placed him in a position where he
may train his young ministers for
service in his cause. All saw at
a glance the appropriateness of
the application. Dr. Dagg was
deeply affected by it. He told
me afterwards that Foster’s story
had given him great comfort.
When Dr. Dagg retired from
the University, he did not cease
from labor.
For several years he had been
thinking of preparing a manual
of theology for the use of stu
dents preparing for the ministry.
When, therefore, be found him
self free from his public labors,
he was ready to enter upon his
life as an author. His “Manual
of Theology and Church Order,”
then his “Moral Science and Evi
dences of Christianity,” all ap
peared within a reasonable time.
These works are too well known
to need any comments from me.
Moreover, my impressions of Dr.
Dagg as a writer have already
been given in full in the “History
of Georgia Baptists.”
These reminiscences of Dr.
Dagg, incomplete as they are, for
the want of space, present to us a
wonderful character. Think of a
boy, poor, an orphan, without a
rich friend to help him, working
his way, by his upright deport
ment and his patient toil, up to a
respectable and honored man
hood! Then think of him as a
man afflicted with lameness and
with partial blindness, and bereft
of his voice, still working his way
upward and onward, till, as a
benefactor of mankind, he stands
the peer of the great and the good
in all this broad land of ours. Is
not such a character worthy of
the emulation and the imitation
of all our young men? It is like
some lofty monument. The
beauty of its proportions excites
our admiration, while its altitude
points us toward heaven.
VOn. 76--NO. 43
or the Index.
Baptist Position Stated and Contrast
ed—Baptist Church Succession.
BY G. A. LOFTON, D.D.
AIL
I once believed that organic and
unbroken Baptist church succes
sion, from the days of the apostles
till now, was susceptible of some
sort of historical proof; but for
some years past my mind has
changed in view’ of more accurate
and historic methods of dealing
with the subject of Baptist his
tory. The iconoclast of “historic
method” and “historic spirit” has
come along with his little sledge
hammer and knocked down many
of my historic and other ideals
ami idols. The results of modern
research from original sources
have produced marvelous changes
which have come over some of our
dreams.
The truth is, that there is not
a denomination of Christians on
earth that can now claim an un
broken, organic and orderly suc
cession of churches as constituted
and governed in the New Testa
ment. Episcopacy is the oldest
usurpation of New Testament
church organization and author
ity in history; but episcopacy, up
to the beginning < f the seventh
century, was but papacy in em
bryo, when Boniface 111 became,
by imperial decree (606 A. D.), the
universal Bishop of Christendom
—that is, Pope. Episcopacy as
now constituted is the offspring
of Romanism, just as, originally,
Romanism was the outcome of
episcopacy; and although epis
copacy boasts of an apostolic suc
cession in the shape of a “historic
episcopate,” yet such a claim can
only be made through the Roman
Catholic church—even in Eng
land. The Church of Rome has
an undoubted succession of
churches, whatever may be said
of its apostolic succession, since
the time that church lost its apos
tolic or New Testament constitu
tion and character; but neither
episcopacy nor papacy has any
succession, as such, from the
mother churches such as were
Organized and established at Je
rusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephe
sus and other places under apos
tolic constitution and administra
tion. These churches were all
local and independent in their
constitution and government; ar.l
they were so recognized by the
very last messages of Christ to
the seven separate and sovereign
churches of Asia to whom,
through their messengers, he ad
dressed the first chapter of John’s
revelation. Such was the Church
of Rome itself when Paul wrote
the epistle to the Romans —when
he visited it; and uot one word is
spoken, either in Paul’s epistle to
the Romans, or in Peter’s epistles
—both w ritten about the year 60
A. D. —about Peter or any other
man being Pope of Rome.
Lutherans, Presbyterians, Meth
odists, Campbellites and other de
nominations make no claim of
church or apostolic succession.
Save the Episcopal and Roman
Catholic churches, none but Bap
tists lay any claim to church suc
cession ; and only a few among in
telligent Baptists have ever de
manded such a claim. In fact,
as a distinctly asserted claim, or
as a semi-official article of faith
upon the part of any, the claim,
as made, is scarcely forty years
old. Dr. J. R. Graves, that mighty
champion of Baptist principles
and history, is the first to have
successfully asserted and pressed
the claim; and he has been fol
lowed by several who have writ
ten works of considerable circula
tion upon the subject of Baptist
church succession, or Baptist
church continuity, or Baptist
church perpetuity, etc. The claim,
however, has never been regarded
as having any claims by the lead
ing schools and scholarship of the
Baptist denomination—so far as I
know’.
It would now seem that Baptist
history, since the apostolic period,
has been a New Testament evolu
tion from the chaos of Romanism.
In some instances it is the result
of spontaneous generation, here
and there, when the Gospel seed
have been sown in new soil; for
Baptists and Baptist history are
as inherent in the Gospel as a
chicken is in a hen’s egg. You
may for a time, or here and there,
obliterate Christianity from the
earth; but if God’s word and
Spirit abide in the soil of the hu
man race, Baptists are sure to
spring up. But while this fact is
true in particular, it is generally
true that Baptist progress and
history are the outcome of long
planted seed—sometimes much
hindered or latent—sown in the
soil of the centuries which pre
ceded the Reformation, and were
more fully developed after that