Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise. - Solomon
Letter 4 - The Operations of the Spirit of God No sentiment of the Baptists have you attacked more boldly, and none has received a greater portion of your invective, than the operations of the Spirit of God upon the minds of men producing saving faith. It has been termed one of the "monstrous [blurred] of your blind theology" - "a metaphysical whim," &c. One of your teachers, to show his great powers of ridicule, asked, "where did the Spirit enter? At the head, the breast, or the shin bone? You cannot have forgotten Mr. Campbell's story of Sambo and the chickens, or his essay upon "experimental religion." - But I need not refer to particulars. His writings abound in labored efforts to expel this mystical delusion. All your teachers, in almost every lecture, have something to say about it.
If I understand you, you say, that faith is the belief from the testimony of the Scriptures, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God - that this truth is received by the mind, as it would receive any other fact in a credible history. - You triumphantly exclaim, "there is but" one faith." True, we believe there is but "one Lord , one faith, one baptism." The Scriptures tell us, there be Lords many, and Gods many; but there is only one true Lord, the God and Father of us all. There were some that held with divers baptisms; but the gospel recognizes but one baptism. So there may be different kinds of faith, and yet only one saving faith.
It is expressly said in the Bible, that "whosoever believeth on the Son of God, hath everlasting life:" that "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God;" that "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" - "purifying their hearts by faith." The Savior had to forbid the devils that he cast out from speaking, for they knew him, and would have declared who he was. A legion of them exclaimed at one time, "what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Were they born of God? Were they saved? And, a certain individual (Acts viii,) believed, but was his heart purified? No, an apostle said unto him, "thy heart is not right in the sight of God - thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." How, then, are we to reconcile these matters? All are told to believe, and they shall be saved! - Some believe and are saved, and others believe and are not saved! And it is said, "that whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God," and there are those that, according to you, have the one faith, do believe in the only way that any can believe, and yet are not born of God. A strange inconsistency this, that individuals who have the same faith, one should receive, and the other, not receive the promises of that faith! The "populars" believe they had not the same kind of faith, and, therefore, not entitled alike to the favor of God; that one believed the truth with love - the other believed it with hatred; that one rejoiced believing in God - the other believed and trembled.
It may be strange, but nevertheless, it is true, that most persons, indeed, I may say all that have been brought to love the truth, will tell you of a time when they did not love it. Did they believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? Yes. And did not love him? No. Every duty enjoined in the Scripture was hateful to them. Their hearts were too proud, their necks to stiff, to bow to the easy yoke of the meek and lowly Savior. But their sentiments and feelings have been changed. They now behold beauty where they once saw nothing but deformity; they now love what they once hated, and now rejoice in that at the thought of which they once trembled. So a change has been effected; and by what means? Historical faith? They had that before.
There is, then, in the same individual, different effects produced by the reception of the truth. When the people of the United States heard that their capital was taken by the enemy, what painful sensations it produced. - Every patriot's head was bowed down. He tried not to believe it, but the mournful truth could not be controverted. He knew that it was so, and felt his ignominy in believing that it was true. But, how different were his feelings, when the news was announced that American valor had triumphed over British insolence; that the army of Packenham had fallen before that of Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. Rejoicing filled the land. Every heart exulted with delight. Bonfires illuminated the country; and everywhere the sound of gladness and rejoicing saluted the ear. With feelings as different as these, have we heard individuals tell, they at different periods, believed the truths of the Bible.
What, I again ask, was the cause? None other, I pressure, can be given, than at one time they believed with a mind that was enmity against God, and at the other, with one that had been opened by the Lord. The one like the faith of devils, received of necessity; the other with the victory which overcomes the world, and is born of God. (1 John v. 4.) - it was the gift of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians xii. 2) - it worked by love, and was for the purifying of the heart. This explains the difference, and will solve at once the mystery.
You oppose, also, the idea of a person’s being regenerated by the Spirit, and think that baptism produces what the Baptists have heretofore ascribed to the Spirit of God. You call immersion the birth of regeneration. In a word, you reject the operations of the Spirit on the minds of men. You represent it as so scandalously [3 words blurred] you cannot comprehend it, and therefore reject it.
If God had done all that he intends to do in giving us the scriptures, (as you affirm he has,) if [blur] were all that he requires of us, and all that we can expect, or can receive in this life, why do you ask him for more? Why say, "God be merciful to me a sinner"? when all his mercies are to be found in his word, and are at our will to receive or reject. Why do you burden him with your petitions when you know he will not grant them? Why call on the Lord for help, when you believe he has given you all he intends? If there be no operations of the Spirit, how do you think He will answer your prayers? By physical agency? This would be miraculous - a visible miracle.
But you say that God has commanded us to pray, and we should therefore do it. Has he commanded us to mock him? Why would he have us offering up to him vain and idle supplications? Are we to ask and not receive - seek and not find? The unjust judge would give justice to the poor widow, rather than be plagued by her importunities; but our heavenly Father will not hear the cry of his own elect. But some of you, (I do not say your teachers,) believe in the operations of the Spirit after immersion - after regeneration. But are not those who have not been immersed to pray? Paul prayed previous to baptism , (Acts x. 11,) and so did Cornelius the centurion, (Acts x. 30). If your doctrine be true, I see no reason in unbaptized persons praying. What should they pray for? For God to help them? They can, themselves, do all that is requisite. Do they wish his guidance? He has laid down the way, let them walk in it. Do they want the aid of his Spirit? They will not get it, farther than it is [blurred] in the New Testament. No, if your doctrine be correct, they need not pray, nor need any pray. It would be idle And vain for the so to do. If there be no operation of the Spirit, prayers will not be answered, for God is a spirit, and it is in that way only, (out of providence,) that he operates to the children of men. If, therefore, there be no operation of the Spirit, prayers will not be answered, and if not answered, why need they be made.
[Four words blurred] of, and much have you ridiculed the exercise of the mind, called Christian experience. I know you believe such feelings exist, and that persons really tell the truth, in their description of them. - You say that they are delusions; and I, that they are the operations of the Spirit of God. It must be the one or the other. If delusions, they are but the machinations of the father of lies. But does the devil teach men to love God - to love his work - to love his people - to delight in obeying his commandments - in following his precepts? And above all, does he teach them to hate the devil - to hate sin? If such be his character, he has reformed very much since the days of old. This looks like casting out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils. If Satan be engaged in turning men against him, his kingdom is divided against itself. - But I would say to you, pause and review your steps upon this subject, lest in your zeal you have attributed to the devil what was, and only could have been effected [sic] by the Spirit of God.
========== [From the Tennessee Baptist, June 23, 1855; via a CD of microfilm copy. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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