“CONTRAST BETWEEN PROTESTANTISM AND THE GOSPEL.”
This is the title of a pamphlet of 82 small duodecimo pages written by Mr. N. M. Catlin of Smith’s Basin, New York, and issued from the Advent Harbinger office, at Rochester, N. Y., by its editor, Mr. Joseph Marsh, who will furnish it at $9 per hundred copies.
We have read it, and can commend it to our readers as setting forth the kingdom’s gospel in lively contrast with that incongruous affair current by the name of Protestantism—a thing which, while it protests against Popery, and is more favourable to civil and religious liberty than that hateful ‘Mystery of Iniquity,’ is equally gospel-nullifying in its traditions, and powerless for the salvation of the soul, and the redemption of the world.
In a letter accompanying the copy transmitted to us, Mr. Catlin says: ‘It was your writings led me to the consideration of the subject, and which finally resulted in my totally repudiating protestant faith; in fact, so many ideas gathered from you were in my mind at the time I was writing ‘The Contrast,’ that I hesitated lest I might be guilty of plagiarism: and it was a query with me whether to give you credit by quotations, or otherwise. I finally determined to make my reference to the matter in the preface, and so save the cumbrance of quotations, especially as I had reason to believe you were not a sensitive man about small matters.’ Our brother has well judged in this. So that the truth finds circulation we rejoice, even though stolen from our treasury without acknowledgment; still we would prefer to see it credited, that we may be able to note the result of our endeavour to illustrate it to the conviction of the public mind. —Bro. Catlin has satisfactorily acquitted himself of all discourtesy in the case in saying, ‘I have been materially aided by the writings of Dr. Thomas, editor of the Herald of the Future Age.’ Preface.
The author of The Contrast is evidently sound in the faith of the gospel, both in theory and in practice. The following extracts may afford some clue to his doctrine and position relative to the truth:
‘It is evident, that to believe the gospel a man’s faith must embrace the hope contained in ‘the Word of the Truth of the Gospel.’ In another form, he must believe the unfulfilled promises relating to the Kingdom of God; that believing he may ‘wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.’
‘And if a man would successfully preach the gospel, he must understand ‘the things concerning the kingdom of God.’
‘Now, reader, mark the contrast. Protestantism makes the belief of the doctrine of Christ crucified, and freedom from sin and perdition through his sacrifice, the standard of gospel faith. It knows nothing of the ‘glad tidings’ of the kingdom of which we speak, and have many things yet to say. We admit, that the man who believes the gospel, necessarily believes the things concerning the Lord Jesus; but one may believe these facts as taught by Protestantism, and yet be as ignorant of the doctrine of the kingdom of God as an uninstructed heathen, having his mind blinded by the popular belief of going up to heaven.’ P. 49.
His relation to the kingdom’s gospel appears from what follows:
‘Let those that can afford it get along with a baptism into a false hope received before being enlightened in ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.’ The writer, and many others have felt it a privilege to correct a mistake in this respect; and thus, as it were, exchange a bad title for one that reads in harmony with the divine plan. —It is right at any time to do right.’ P. 82.
‘Baptism into a false hope’ is immersion into the hope of the soul’s ascent to heaven at death there to inherit kingdoms beyond the skies. This is not only an unfounded, unscriptural, and false hope, but subversive also of the one true hope of the calling. It is ‘another gospel,’ for it is the hope that defines the character or nature of the gospel believed. A false hope makes a false gospel; for ‘gospel’ is glad tidings of or concerning a hope: if therefore the hope believed be a false hope, and therefore ‘no hope,’ its gospel is false, or in fact, no gospel at all. ‘Baptism into a false hope’ is consequently baptism into a false gospel, which is equivalent to no baptism at all. This is Mr. Catlin’s conclusion, and a perfectly logical and correct one it is. He could not afford to get along with such a baptism, and therefore corrected the mistake he made in submitting to it, by being immersed again into the ‘one hope of the calling’ to the kingdom and glory of God.
We are very much astonished at many good and honest people, who believe ‘the gospel of the kingdom,’ not being able to see into this matter. They have faith now, but they are so tenacious of the doings of their old ‘piety’ and sincerity, that they cannot see their insufficiency. Their cherished notion is, that belief of the truth after an immersion predicated upon ignorance of it, will amend all its defects. —This belief may not take possession of them until twenty or twenty five years after their immersion into a false hope; yet so enamoured are they of piety, sincerity, and dipping, that they will tell you that had they died in their ignorance of the kingdom’s gospel they would have risen from the dead to inherit it! From this, it is clear, that ‘the truth’ is less esteemed by them than their piety, sincerity, and immersion into a false hope. Surely, they must possess some talisman, or charm, or open-sesame, some private interest in the king’s court, by which they can gain admission into the kingdom upon other terms than those granted to the apostles and their contemporaries! Mr. Catlin cannot afford to get along through this world on such a presumption. He is wise to make his calling and election sure, and to leave nothing to a mere hypothesis. He has done right in being baptised into the true hope, and so putting off his false one. —Scripture and reason say, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,’ and then the addition of the ‘all things’ shall follow. But the fashion is to invert the king’s order, and seek first God’s righteousness and then his kingdom; not understanding that ‘the righteousness of God’ is accessible only to those who believe the word of the kingdom; and without that righteousness no flesh living can be saved. We therefore congratulate Mr. Catlin and all others who have purged out the old leaven, and become a new lump. First believe the gospel of the kingdom, and then obey it. This is the order laid down by Jehovah’s king; for it is the belief of that gospel that justifies the immersed, and not immersion into piety and misbelief.
Let those, however, who have ‘become obedient to the faith’ remember that baptism into the one hope of the calling to the kingdom and glory promised, is but the first step to immortality. Henceforth they serve mammon at the peril of their lives. Friendship with the world places them in hostility to God. The kingdom is for those only who illustrate their faith and perfect it by their works; for while the great father of the faithful’s belief of the gospel was counted to him for righteousness or remission of past sins, his faith was made perfect afterwards by his works; so that ‘Ye see how that by works man is justified, and not by faith only’—James 2: 20-26. It is these postbaptismal works by which the saints are justified. Sinners are justified from all their past sins, and become heirs of God, by an intelligent belief of the gospel of the kingdom counted to them for righteousness in the act of immersion into the Holy Name. Thus they become saints, and dependent upon a patient continuance in well doing, through evil and good report, for acceptance and exaltation in the Day of Christ. The way, therefore, to the kingdom is plain, though beset with suffering, difficulties, and trials. It is a very unfrequented path; still there are a few wayfarers there. They like company, and therefore put themselves to some trouble and expense to obtain it. This is their mission in the world till Israel’s king appears. The straight gate will then be closed; and the glory and honour, the incorruptibility and life, of the kingdom, will be inaccessible to the sons of man for a thousand years. Their principle is to ‘work while it is called today.’ It is the duty of them all to work, for ‘he that will not work, shall not eat.’ They must all therefore work in some way. He that can neither write nor speak in behalf of the faith must enable those to do it who can. And it must be done cheerfully too; for ‘the Lord loves a cheerful giver:’ and what is done, must be done as to the Lord, and not to man. It is the Lord’s truth, and the Lord’s people must sustain it; or be condemned for covetousness, and consequent exclusion from his kingdom. —‘Buy the truth,’ then, ‘and sell it not;’ that is, don’t part with it for any present advantage; and do your utmost to disseminate it, for by so doing, you prove that were He in your midst who has styled himself ‘THE TRUTH,’ you would be indeed devoted to his cause. But he who in Christ’s absence leaves the truth to eke out a feeble, lingering, existence, would leave Him to pine away in a common gaol without relief.
Bro. Catlin’s brochure is one of the few things issuing from the press that we can commend to the patronage of our readers. The copy sent to us is a defective one, being deficient of sixteen pages; but judging from the sixty six we have read, we feel able to trust him for the goodness of the rest. It is his testimony for the gospel of the kingdom. Let those who have the means give it a circulation; and however, extensively they mat do it, after they have done all, let them say from the heart, ‘O Lord, we are unprofitable servants!’
EDITOR.
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