6. Revival of the Witnessing for Gospel Truth

“We have long been praying thy kingdom come, and is there any probability,” says Mr. Bicheno, “that the preludes to it are arrived? And shall we be unconcerned about the signs of the times? It is deserving the most serious consideration, whether the revolution in France be not the beginning of the fulfilment of this prophecy. I say beginning; for according to the prophecies, if this be the event pointed out by the resurrection of the witnesses, we have as yet seen but the dawn of what is to come, nor shall we perhaps for some time. Black and conflicting clouds will darken the hemisphere and obscure our prospect; but they will spend themselves and vanish. But were we such that this event (the resurrection of the witnesses) is what we conjecture, yet no man could say how long it would be before ‘the Spirit of Life from God,’ by those more excellent operations, and in that larger degree, which we look for, enter into the witnesses for gospel truth; for they may be quickened with political life, and yet remain some time with a small share of spiritual life.”

“Although the French people are actuated by an astounding zeal for civil and religious liberty, yet their character seems very far from agreeing with what we expect from the witnesses for gospel truth. In the things of religion they appear to be no further enlightened at present than to see the rights of conscience, and the absurdities and cruel oppressions of the Papal system. This is certainly an important part of truth, and what promises to pave the way for the triumphs of pure religion; and perhaps; considering the greatness of that darkness emerged from, it may be as much as could rationally be expected at the beginning of such a reformation. But of true godliness there appears but little at present; and it is to be feared that they, as well as most other nations, must endure great sufferings before we shall see that repentance which must precede the happy days promised in God’s word.”

These things were written by Mr. Bicheno seventy-two years ago. He lived at the crisis of the resurrection of the witnesses and at the open­ing of the Third Woe; consequently, only in “the dawn of what was then coming.” Since then, “dark and conflicting clouds” have darkened the hemisphere, spent themselves, and vanished away; for since he wrote, five of the vials of the third woe trumpet have been entirely drained of their wrath; and forty-five years of the sixth, have brought us over the year 1864; when he supposed the 1335 years of Daniel would end; and the work of destroying the remains of tyranny, and purifying and enlarg­ing the Gentile church, would be finished; and the glorious appearing of the Lord be manifested. This work however, we, who are contemporary with 1865, know to be yet in the womb of futurity. Mr. Bicheno did well in stirring up his own generation to the study of the apocalypse; and in discovering for us the true import of the “three days and a half.” His labor was not lost; and we thank our Heavenly Father for raising up such witnesses, whose memory the faithful in Christ Jesus do always delight to honor.

The laborers of this class were contributing to that very resurrec­tion he looked for; a resurrection, not merely of political life, but for that more excellent resuscitation of a witnessing for gospel truth. The establishment of the British and Foreign Bible Society in March 1804, by which the scriptures, in defiance of the mandates of the God of the earth, have been circulated greatly among those nations in which the witnesses stood upon their feet again, has strengthened “the earth” in its resistance to arbitrary power; and prepared the minds of many to re­ceive, and to seek for “the truth as it is in Jesus” for eternal life. When the truth gets a sufficient hold of these prepared seekers of the unmea­sured court, it makes them restless and dissatisfied with the dry, stereotyped, superstitions of their fathers. Hence, they are caused to make efforts for a return to the gospel and order of things, as preached and instituted originally by Christ and the Apostles. There have been more of these efforts since the resurrection of the secular witnesses to renewed political life and vigor in France, than for upwards of a century before. Indeed, I am not aware, that there was any such effort at all in the great City of Babylon from 1572 to 1789; but since this last date there have been several in the outlying regions of the British Isles and America. The Baptist Sect arose in England before the witnesses were put to death in the papal jurisdiction of the Great City. They were a sep­aration from that class of “the Earth” known as “The Independents.” The Word of God got possession of their minds and affections, and would permit them no longer to remain among “the children of dis­obedience.” They therefore separated themselves in 1638; and, having renounced the Papal Ordinance of Baby-Face sprinkling, profanely termed by all Laodiceans, “baptism," they dispatched one of their number to Holland to be immersed by the Anabaptists[1] (as they were ignorantly styled by Luther and his class) that on his return he might be qualified to immerse his friends at home. Hence, these immersed breth­ren became witnesses of the Holy City class; that is, of the “One Body.” They preserved the truth from dying out in England during the death- state of the witnesses in the papal section of the continent of Europe; and after 1789-’90, we find their testimony reviving in the writings of Mr. Bicheno and the organized circulation of the scriptures — a society instituted by “the Woman” and “the Earth” which “helped” her.

During the time the witnesses were lying politically and spiritually dead (and of this death the Baptists partook as well as “the Earth,” adopting Calvinistic, Armenian, and Free Communion traditions, which make void the Word of the Deity), a bootless effort was made to return to first principles by Mr. John Glass, a Calvinist “divine” of the Scottish Daughter of the Roman Mother. To his honor be it said, that he was expelled by this apocalyptic “Harlot,” on the charge of entertaining a design of subverting the National Covenant, and of sapping the found­ation of all national religious establishments, by maintaining that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world; in other words, he was expelled for affirming what Christ himself, “the Faithful and True Witness,” bore witness to before Pilate. Would a church of Christ have been guilty of such iniquity as this? Such papistic deeds only prove that “the churches” committing them have no claims to be regarded as Christian in any scrip­tural sense. Mr. Glass, then, was expelled by this “woman,” with whom he had been apocalyptically “defiled” (Apoc. 14:4), in the year 1728. He and his adherents formed themselves into churches, which they endeav­ored to conform to the primitive order of the New Testament. Soon after the year 1755, one of their elders, named Robert Sandeman, be­came a prominent advocate of their principles. He taught that justifying

 

[1] The term Anabaptists signifies Re-baptisers. It was a nickname given to the sect because of its re­pudiation of infant-baptism, and the need of those who had been so “baptised” to be re-baptised when they came to the age of discretion and knowledge. The Inquisition bitterly opposed the Anabaptists, and many were cruelly tortured, and burnt at the stake. The sect arose in Holland about the middle of the Sixteenth Century, and was also known as Mennonites after their leader Menno Simonis. The Baptist sect of England were inspired by the Anabaptists and likewise op­posed Infant-baptism. They originally published a Statement of Faith very similar in many impor­tant particulars to that of the Christadelphians today. — Publishers.

THE BAPTISTS IN 1660

Eureka makes reference to the Baptists as part of the witnessing body of the 17th century.

The following confession of faith, signed by John Bunyan and forty other elders, deacons, and brethren, and approved by more than 20,000 others, was presented to King Charles II., in London, 1660. They declared: “We are not only resolved to suffer persecution to the loss of our goods, but also life itself, rather than decline from the same.” Where are the Baptists of 1660?

Art. 22: “We believe that the same Lord Jesus who showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3), which was taken up into heaven (Luke 24:51), shall so come in like manner as he was seen to go into heaven (Acts 1:9-l 1). ‘And when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory’ (Col. 3:4). ‘For the kingdom is his, and he is the governor among the nations’ (Psalms 22:28), and ‘king over all the earth’ (Zech. 14:9); ‘and we shall reign with him on the earth’ (Rev. 5:10). ‘The kingdoms of this world’ (which men so mightily strive after here to enjoy) ‘shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.’ (Rev. 11:15) . ‘For all is yours (ye that overcome this world), for ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s’ (1 Cor. 3:22,23). ‘For unto the saints shall be given the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven’ (Dan. 7:27). Though alas! how many men be scarce content that the saints should have so much as a being among them; but when Christ shall appear, then shall be their day; then shall be given unto them power over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:26,27). Then shall they receive a crown of life, which no man shall take from them, nor they by any means turned or overturned from; for the oppressor shall be broken in pieces (Psalms 72:4), and their vain rejoic­ings be turned into mourning and lamentations, as it is written (Job 20:5,7).

We believe that there will be an order in the resurrection; Christ is the first- fruits; and the next, or after, they that are Christ’s at His coming; then, or af­terwards, cometh the end. Concerning the kingdom and reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we do believe that he is now in heaven, at his Father’s right hand, so do we believe that at the time appointed by the Father, he shall come again in power and great glory; and that at, or after his coming the second time, he will not only raise the dead and judge and restore the world, but will also take to himself his kingdom, and will, according to the Scriptures, reign on the throne of his father David, on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, for ever.

“We believe that the kingdom of our Lord will be a universal kingdom, and in this kingdom the Lord Jesus Christ himself will be alone, visible, supreme king of the whole earth.

“We believe as this kingdom will be universal, so it will be also an everlast­ing kingdom, that shall have no end, nor cannot be shaken; in which kingdom the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus shall receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls; where the Lord is they shall be also.

We believe that the new Jerusalem that shall come down from God out of heaven, when the tabernacle of God shall be with them, and he will dwell among them, will be the metropolitan city of this kingdom, and will be the glorious place of residence of both Christ and his saints for ever; and will be so situate as that the kingly palace will be on Mount Zion, the holy hill of David, where his throne was” (Crosby's History of Baptism, vol. 2. App. 58).

faith was a simple belief of the divine testimony, passively received by the understanding; which testimony carries in itself sufficient ground of hope to every one who believes it, without any collateral spiritualistic operation; that the gospel contained no offer but that of evidence, and that it was merely a record or testimony to be credited; that there is ac­ceptance with God through Christ for sinners, while they are sinners, before “any act, exercise, or exertion of their minds whatsoever;” con­sequently, before repentance. Hence, his theory was, justification by passive belief of the truth alone!

He was very severe, but not more so than was in accordance with the truth, in his criticism of the “popular preachers.” “I would be far,” says he, “from refusing even to the popular preachers themselves what they so much grudge to others—the benefit of the one instance of a har­dened sinner (the thief on the cross) finding mercy at last; for I know of no sinners more hardened, none greater destroyers of mankind, than they.”

The Sandemanian section of “the Earth” differed from other sects of the Court, in the weekly administration of the supper; in dining to­gether at each other’s houses between the morning and afternoon meet­ings; these dinings were their love-feasts, of which every member was required to partake. They differed also in the kiss of charity, as the act of receiving into fellowship; in a weekly contribution for all expenses; in mutual exhortation; in abstinence from blood and things strangled; in washing of feet; in a plurality of elders, pastors, or bishops, in each church, who, though unlearned and in trade, are sufficiently qualified for their office, if answerable to the specifications found in 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:6-9. They separated themselves from all such religious societies as appeared to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it.

The Baptist churches in Scotland imbibed a considerable part of these principles, by which a nearer approach was made to the apostolic order of things; but not sufficiently to constitute them resurrected wit­nesses for the Ancient Gospel of Jesus Christ. The theory they profes­sed was an improvement upon that of the Scottish Harlot. It might be as­sented to as a basis for immersion; but would still leave the confessor “in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. ” The philosophy and vain deceit of Protestantism had so “defiled” the baptist mind in the period of death they had passed through, that their resuscitation as a society wit­nessing the gospel had become hopeless. It remained, therefore, to be attained in the face of their active endeavors to suppress it.

The effort was renewed in the United States of America, and crowned with the result desired.

Another “reverend divine” of the Scottish Harlot’s family was stir­red up to attack the institutions which had given him birth. In 1819, or thereabouts, he separated himself and a few others from her commun­ion, and joined the Baptists. Upon this, he commenced a periodical cal­led the Christian Baptist, in which he ably exposed the unscriptural character of the faith, order, and practices of the so-called “religious world”. He was particularly severe upon his clerical brethren, and “the benevolent institutions of the day,” by which they proposed to intro­duce the Millennium! His unsparing attacks upon all the “Names and Denominations” caused him to be denounced on every side, as a de­moralizing disturber of all ecclesiastical peace and comfort. Papists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and others, were all made to writhe in the anguish of his tormenting testimony against them; and would willingly have extinguished him after the approved fashion of former days, but for his brethren of “the Earth,” who, at the epoch of their resurrection to political life and power, had founded the new gov­ernment under which he lived. This guaranteed civil and religious lib­erty to all sects and persons; and protected them in the freest exercise of all their natural and acquired rights. The French army, which was sent to help “the Earth” established its independence of the Anglican Daughter of the Roman Harlot, on its return to France reimported into that land the principles of liberty and the rights of man; which, after the “three days and a half” were ended, as “Spirit of Life from the Deity, broke in upon” the constituents of the Third Estate, and caused them to “stand upon their feet” to the great terror of all who beheld them (Apoc. 11:11).

This onslaught upon the Laodicean Apostasy in the United States produced a powerful effect upon multitudes, who separated themselves from all of its Names and Denominations. These were formed into churches by Messrs. Walter Scott, Alexander Campbell, and their co­laborers, upon a simple confession that Jesus is the Christ, and immer­sion for the remission of sins. Many of the principles taught by Messrs. Glass and Sandeman were engrafted upon this stock; and “Campbell- ism,” divested of its Calvinism, became a new edition of Scotch Baptist- ism in America.

The legends of this new sect, which it afterwards refused to prac­tise, were: “Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good;” and, on the obverse of its medal, “Style no man on earth your Father; for he alone is your Father who is in heaven; and all ye are brethren. Assume not the title of Rabbi; for ye have only one Teacher; neither assume the title of Leader; for ye have only one Leader, the Messiah.” The senti­ment of these precepts is admirable; and, had it been carried into prac­tice, would have led the disciples of these reformers into the very Holy City itself. But, as it turned out, they adjudged themselves unworthy of so distinguished an honor, and are now grovelling among the dust of “the Earth.”

In those days, the author of this exposition of the apocalypse, then a young man of about thirty years of age, found himself among them, before he understood their theory in detail. He applied himself dili­gently to the thorough understanding of it by the study of the writings current among them. This he acquired; so that he needeth not that any should testify of Scotto-Campbellism; for he knows what is in it, and that it falls infinitely short of its pretension to be the “restoration of the ancient gospel and order of things.”

The author adopted with great zest and zeal the sentiment of their legend. He proceeded to “prove all things,” and to “hold fast what” he believed to be “good;” and to call no man father, teacher, or leader, but Christ, the truth (John 14:6). In doing this, he devoted himself to the study of the prophetic and apostolic writings, under the impression that he was engaged in a good work; and, as he was then publishing a periodi­cal entitled The Apostolic Advocate, he would from time to time report to his brethren for their benefit, what he found taught therein. In pursu­ing this study, he found many of their principles to be at variance with “the word,” which was made void by them. Perceiving this, and suppos­ing that the spirit of their legend was the spirit of their body, he did not hesitate to lay his convictions before them that they might prove them, and hold them, or reject them, according to the testimony. This raised quite a storm among them, the thunderbolts of which were aimed at him by the thunderer of their sect. This uproar caused the author to discover that he had made a mistake in his reading of their legends; and that their reading of Paul’s words was, “Prove all things which we have proved; and hold fast what we believe to be good;” and of Jesus, “Call no man father, teacher, or leader, but Alexander Campbell.” These were read­ings that he had never agreed to; and, therefore, he continued to read and publish according to the old method, very much to the indignation and disgust of the Simon Pures who misled the multitude.

But he saw that they did not walk honestly according to the truth, or the principles they professed. The gospel proclaimed by this sect of “the Earth,” was a misunderstanding of Peter’s pentecostian address. It preached “baptism for remission of sins” to every one who confessed that Jesus was the Son of God. This was styled “the Ancient Gospel.” The preachers of the Baptist sect denounced it as a damnable heresy. Many of these same preachers, however, from divers causes, changed their minds, left their own mother, joined the Scotto-Campbellites, and, without reimmersion, became “evangelists” and “pastors” among them. Considering this fact, it occurred to the author to inquire, “If, when ye were baptist ‘divines,’ ye denounced what, as Scotto-Camp- bellite ‘evangelists,’ ye now preach and believe to be the Ancient Gos­pel; what was that gospel ye obeyed when ye were immersed into bap- tistism?” They either could not, or would not, answer this question; for they were acute enough to perceive that a scriptural reply would have convicted them of preaching a gospel for remission of sins which they had not themselves obeyed; and, consequently, that they were but pious unpardoned sinners, promising to others liberty while they were them­selves the servants of corruption. These “evangelists” were the ruin of the sect. They succeeded in closing the eyes and ears of the multitude against the truth; and they remain closely sealed to this day.

The numerical increase of the sect, without regard to the scriptural qualifications of their proselytes, was the standard of the “good” done. They preached the immortality of the soul; the translation of righteous immortal souls to kingdoms beyond the skies at death; the dismissal of unjust immortal souls into eternal torments in hell at death; the salva­tion of the immortal souls of infants and pagans — a salvation, con­sequently, without faith; they proclaimed that the church is the king­dom, and was set up on the day of Pentecost; that Jesus is now sitting on the throne of David; that the apostles are ruling with him, and sitting upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; that the old tes­tament scriptures are as an old Jewish almanac out of date; that the gos­pel is, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again; and that whosoever believed these “three facts,” and confessed that Jesus was Son of God, had the “one faith;” that he was justified by this belief, or pardoned, though he might be in doubt; therefore, to make assurance doubtless, they prescribed immersion for that enjoyment that comes from knowledge of remission of sins; that this was the “one baptism;” that there were three salvations — salvation from present ills, salvation from sins, and salvation from hell-torments; that there were three king­doms — that of law, that of grace or the church, and that of glory; that the first was entered by birth of flesh; the second, by birth of water, or the right hand of fellowship; and the third, at death. Such were the lead­ing traditions with which the leaders intoxicated and demented the mul­titude for their own advantage; and surely he must be judicially blind, who cannot see that the Scotto-Campbellite sect, which, indeed, shook American ecclesiasticism severely, was, nevertheless, not the resur­rected witnessing of the saints for the veritable ancient apostolic faith.

But, after all, good was done. The influence of the clergy over the multitude was vastly diminished; and great numbers were stirred up to read the scriptures, and to think for themselves. The author and many of his friends were of this “very small remnant.” Under the inspiration of the word believed, he could not be silent, whatever consequences might arise. Hence, in October, 1834, he raised his voice against the system in an article upon baptism. He maintained, that before immersion could be scripturally recognized as the “one baptism, ” the subject thereof must be possessed of the “one faith”. This was a hard blow upon the baptistic Scotto-Campbellite “evangelists;” and they felt it. It also condemned the author’s immersion; which, however, he did not discover till twelve years after. He maintained —

1. That belief, built on the testimony of the prophets and apostles con­cerning the Christ; confession that Jesus of Nazareth is that Christ, the Son of the Living God; and immersion into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, for repentance and remission, are part and parcel of, and necessary to, the ordinance of purification of sin, styled by Paul, the “One Baptism.”
2. That mere immersion is not baptism; but that a man cannot be aqueously baptized without being immersed in water.
3. That they whose immersion is predicated upon “a certificate of former good character,” and a tale of sights and sounds, frames and feelings, called “experience,” with no more faith than amounts to a belief that “the word of God is a dead letter,” and that “if they don’t get religion they’ll be damned” — that an immersion in the name of the Father, &c., predicated on such premises, is not Christian bap­tism.
4. That the subjects of any baptism not predicated upon the “good confession,” are not entitled to the spiritual blessings consequent on the “one baptism.”
5. That the Deity, having placed his name in his institutions, all com­municable blessings flow through those institutions, of which Christ­ian baptism is one.
6. That every immersed person who is not immersed on “the good confession,” is not founded upon The Rock; and consequently forms no part of the Church of Christ.
7. That the reimmersion of such a believer is not a re-baptism, and therefore justifiable — such reimmersion being his first scriptural baptism.

Such was the testimony of A.D. 1834. In the course of the year fol­lowing he called in question their speculations and traditions concerning the soul, heaven, hell, eternal torment, the Devil, their salvation with­out faith, and so forth. He was not quite clear upon these topics himself; but their violent attacks, threw him upon the defensive, and compelled him to fortify. By a closer study of the word he attained to full assurance of faith, which was only confirmed by the feebleness of their arguments in debate. He maintained:

1. That “a living soul” was not an “immortal soul,” but a Body of Life, exemplified by the first Adam.
2. That immortality was not an abstract essence, but life endlessly de­veloped through incorruptible organic substance, or body.
3. That “the Deity only hath immortality” underived.
4. That incorruptibility and life, or immortality, are a part of the re­ward promised only to the righteous, on condition of their patient continuance in well-doing.
5. That they only are the righteous who believe the truth and obey it.
6. That “the dead know not anything.”
7. That the just and unjust are rewarded at their resurrection from among the dead, and not before.
8. That “the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth,” when the meek will inherit it.
9. That the wicked and the sinner will also be recompensed in the earth; from which they will “be cut off and rooted out,” as unfit to in­habit it: for being without understanding of the word, they are like the beasts that perish.
10. That the clerical devil is a mythological fiction.
11. That the devil of scripture is, first, sin manifested individually in and through our common nature; secondly, sin in ecclesiastical and political manifestation. Hence, the powers of the world are styled “the Devil and his Angels.”
12. That without faith there is no salvation.

The statement of these propositions stirred up the devil on every side, and made him roar like a devouring lion; but the truth of them turned his wrath into great bitterness. He denounced the author as “a moonstricken speculator,” “a materialist,” “an infidel,” “an atheist, fit only for the society of Tom Paine, Voltaire, and that herd.” These were the weapons, endorsed with all the influence and power of the sect for evil, against one man, whom he contemptuously spumed as “a stripling,” and classed with the unclean beasts of the ark!

But “the Earth that helps the Woman” being in power, these rav­ings and roarings were permitted to break no bones. Great efforts were made to suppress both the author and his writings, till at length they so far succeeded as to prevent their flocks from reading them and listening to his discourse. Alas, for any people reduced by crafty and designing men to such a case! How can the truth enter those whose eyes and ears are closed? Nevertheless, its advocacy was not abandoned, though the

aspect of things was very discouraging. Several, however, avowed their conviction of the truth of these propositions; and though the policy of the Devil was to fight him by letting him alone, the study of “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” was continued; and, as it broke in upon his mind, was dealt out by the press and tongue to all who had “ears to hear what the Spirit had said to the ecclesias.”

By the year 1847, he had illustrated and proved the following prop­ositions to the conviction of increasing numbers:

1. That the Gospel preached by the apostles was originally preached to Abraham, announcing blessedness for all nations in him and in his Seed, when he should possess the gate of his enemies.
2. That this Gospel promised Abraham and his Seed that they should be the Heirs of the World, which they should possess forever.
3. That Abraham, “hoping against hope,” was fully persuaded that what the Deity had promised he was also able to perform, and there­fore it was counted to him for righteousness.
4. That the land in which he sojourned, and kept his flocks and herds, and in scripture styled the Holy Land, and Yahweh’s Land was promised to him for an everlasting possession.
5. That this promise of the land became a confirmed covenant 430 years before the Mosaic Law was added.
6. That the Seed of Abraham, whose day he rejoiced to see, was to de­scend from the tribe of Judah in the line of David; and to be at once both son of David and Son of God.
7. That a covenant was made with David, ordered in all things and sure, promising that the Seed should descend from him; that he should possess a kingdom in a future age; that he should be Son of the Eternal Father; that he should be afflicted unto death; that he should rise again; that the throne of his kingdom should be David’s throne; that Christ should occupy the throne in his presence; that he shall reign over the House of Jacob, in the covenanted land, during the age; and that of his kingdom there shall be no end.
8. That these covenants made with Abraham and with David are styled by Paul “the Covenants of Promise,” and that they contain “the things concerning the Kingdom of God,” which must be be­lieved as a part of the faith that justifies.
9. That the Christ is the Eternal Father by his spirit manifested in the Seed of David, and that Jesus of Nazareth is he.
10. That in his crucifixion, Sin was condemned in the same flesh that had transgressed in Paradise, so that in the crucified body he bore the sins of his people upon the tree, that they being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness.
11. That he was raised from among the dead by the power of the Father, for the justification or pardon of those who believe the covenanted promises, and the things concerning him.
12. That the things concerning the Christ as a sufferer, and fulfilled in Jesus, are “the things concerning the Name of Jesus Christ,” which must also be believed as the other part of the faith which justifies.
13. That Repentance is a change of mind and disposition, produced by “the exceeding great and precious promises” lovingly believed, and resulting in “the obedience of faith.”
14. That repentance, remission of sins, and eternal life are granted in the name of Jesus Christ.
15. That the Obedience of Faith consists in believing the gospel preached to Abraham, the preaching of Jesus Christ, and the re­vealed mystery of his Name, and in being immersed into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
16. That repentance, remission of sins, and a right to incorruptibility and life are institutionally granted to believers of the truth as out­lined above in being buried with Christ by immersion into death to sin, from whence they rise with Christ, to walk in newness of life.
17. That Abraham, the prophets, and the brethren under the Mosaic Law, are justified by the belief of the promises covenanted to Ab­raham and David, which covenants were brought into force by the death of the Testator, or Deity in flesh-manifestation called Jesus Christ; and that the immersed, and they only, whether Jews or Gen­tiles, from the Day of Pentecost to the return of the Ancient of Days, are justified by belief of the same covenanted promises and of things concerning the Name of Jesus Christ as specified above. Thus, there is one Deity who shall justify the circumcision ek pisteos, by, from, or out of faith; and the uncircumcision dia tes pisteos, “through the faith;” for whether under the Law or since the law, “the just shall live by faith,” “without which it is impossible to please God.”
18. That “the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” is equivalent to “the Name of Jesus Christ;” and expresses “the great mystery of godliness,” the Deity manifested in flesh: that this manifestation was first an individual unity, and then a mul­titudinous unity, in flesh and blood nature; that the individual divine unity was “justified by spirit” when Jesus was glorified; and that the multitudinous unity, consisting of all saints, will be made like him when he shall appear in power. Hence, when this consummation shall be complete, “The Name” will be the Eternal Father by spirit manifested in a multitude of immortals, whom no man can number. The scriptural designation of this Divine Unity is Yahweh echad —

the One who shall be.

19. That this name exists in Two States—the present and the future — which states are separated by the resurrection. In the present state, the Name is apocalyptically symbolized by “the Sealed,” “the Gol­den Altar,” “the Holy City trampled,” “the Woman and the rem­nant of her seed;” and in the future state, by “the Four Living ones full of eyes,” and “the four and twenty elders;” by the Rainbowed Angel; by the Nave; by the 144,000 on Mount Zion; by harpists and singers; by the Lamb’s wife arrayed in white; by the armies in the heaven; and by the Great City, the Holy Jerusalem, as a Bride adorned for her husband.
20. That the Gospel is glad tidings, inviting men and women to become constituents of this Divine Name, and therefore Heirs of the World with Abraham, on condition of believing the truth as it is in Jesus, being immersed, and walking in the newness of life, as shown above.

Such is the system of truth in outline elaborated by the author from the word as the result of an earnest contention for the faith which, as I have said, continued about twelve years. Its operation on his own mind was to cause him to be immersed; and, being thus put right himself, to go forth and show the “straight gate and narrow way” to others. “The spirit of life from the Deity,” which Mr. Bicheno was looking for but did not see, had “entered into the witnesses for gospel truth,” as he expressed it, when in 1847, the Gospel of the Kingdom and Name was once more proclaimed for the obedience of faith. A few congregations had been collected upon this basis in America, and “the earth” has been to some extent impregnated with their principles. These earthboms, however, mix up many traditions with what they have learned, which make the truth of none effect for their salvation. They are known by var­ious names, such as Millerites, Adventists, Storrites, and so forth, who while dissatisfied with their old mother and her daughters, have neither intelligence nor faith enough in the word to become citizens of the downtrodden Holy City. This witnessing society is “too exclusive,” “too dogmatic,” “too denunciatory of the Christians of other denominations,” “makes too much of baptism,” to suit them. It affords no scope for money-making by preaching, for personal glorification by conventions, conferences, periodicals, and so forth. For these, and other reasons too numerous and burdensome to recount, they turn their backs upon those who are able to enlighten them, and exhaust their feebleness in the work of hewing out for themselves cisterns — broken cisterns — which will hold no water.

But, the author did not confine his testimony to the territory of “the Model Republic”. In that “wonderful year,” A.D. 1848, sig­nalized by the terrible shaking given to the kingdoms of the Great City by “the Earth,” he reimported the testimony into his native land — a land of Bibles, whose truth was buried under mountains of tradition for want of a living witness to exhume it, and to set it intelligibly before the people. Two hundred and seventy discourses in a little over two years; the circulation of eleven hundred copies of Elpis Israel; and less than a hundred copies of the Herald of the Kingdom, per annum, for eleven years; with about a hundred and fifty copies of the first volume of this work — has been his agency in witnessing for the truth against the Laodicean Apostasy in Great Britain. The “very small remnant” has been increased by acquisitions in Britain. The Holy City has acquired voice; and though feeble, is making itself heard, and attended to, by the people. In 1862, the author revisited that country. He found several churches that had struggled into a semi-witnessing existence. The truth had more real friends than in 1848-’50; but it had also many more dangerous embarrassments to encounter, than at that time. Its worst enemies are its pretended friends. It is from these that the truth now suf­fers both in Britain and America. “The Earth” is a good breastwork against the Serpent; but it is too ignorant and wise in its own conceit to be “a witness for gospel truth.” I trust, however, that a better day has dawned in the current 1866; when the principles herein outlined will find such an earnest expressioi: by their adherents, that no teaching will be endured among them, by press or tongue, that is not in strict accordance with the oracles of God.

I shall conclude this section by another quotation from Bicheno, re­specting the “three days and a half.” “Days, in the mystical language of prophecy, and particularly in the Revelation, generally signify years. But if that be their meaning here, an essential agreement is wanting; for the time, from the repeal of the Edict of Nantes to the French Revolu­tion, was about 105 years. Terms of time among the ancients were am­biguous. Days, months, and years, had not always their proper significa­tion; for ‘months,’ says Artemidorus, ‘are sometimes denoted by years, and days too; and years and days by months; and months and years by days. ’ It was the subject, or the rule of proportion which determined the meaning of the terms. Hence, Daubuz observes respecting the terms of time in the symbolic language: ‘Terms of time being thus ambiguous amongst the ancients, they must, in the symbolic language, be by the rule of proportion determined by the circumstances. Prophecy concern­ing future events is a picture, or representation, of the events in sym­bols, which being fetched from objects visible at one view,or cast of the eye, rather represent the events in miniature, than in full proportion; giving us more to understand than what we see. And, therefore, that the
duration of the events may be represented in terms suitable to the sym­bols of the visions, the symbols of duration must also be drawn in minia­ture.’

“Days, then, may stand for months. And we may here see the reason why the witnesses are represented as lying dead three days and a half, rather than three months and a half, or 105 days. The duration of events must be represented in terms suitable to the symbols of the visions. The symbol is, dead bodies lying in the street. How monstrous would it be to represent dead bodies as lying in such a situation for 105 days! The time of their lying dead is therefore, drawn in miniature suitable to dead bodies lying in a street; and these lunar days, or months, are to be calcu­lated in the same manner as the ‘forty and two months’ in the second verse. Thus 3 X 30 + 15 = 105 years; the time which elapsed from the re­peal of the Edict of Nantes to the French Revolution.”